I’m writing this on Wednesday, the 28th, laying in bed during “rest time�. I have no idea when this will actually make it up in a blog, so just keep in mind the next few blogs will most likely be catch up. That brings up the ridiculous attempt to share life over the last month. I think it’s just gonna have to come in small stories.
Let me start with last night (and a few details to set the stage). We’re at Jeremiah’s Hope, a camp near Ivankiv, Ukraine. On the camp property there’s a lodge, where we all gather for meals, meetings, movies and where all the girls sleep upstairs. There are five cabins, two bathhouses, a crafts cabin, the Kelly’s house and office. The entire property is covered in sand, so it feels a bit like the beach without water, or a massive volleyball court.
This week the campers are teens and young adults from houses in Mariupal and Kiev. The houses they come from are ministries that have taken them in after their time in the state orphanage is up. While these students attend trade school, they are provided with somewhere to sleep, eat, and have a family. This week is their vacation away. In addition to the 22-24 campers, there are three interns who have been working here all summer, a family from Oklahoma, the Kelly’s (Andrew, our contact; his wife Jenny who started up the home in Kiev where half the kids are from; their two children Abbie and Sophie who are absolutely adorable. I got to spend a few hours just chillin with Abbie yesterday).
Last night Brittany Priess (
www.brittanypriess.theworldrace.org) shared part of her testimony during our devotional time. It was an amazingly powerful time where she shared how she dealt with losing her mom to cancer. I am hoping and believing this time will create many open many doors this week. As I was sitting against the wall of the lodge, watching reactions to the story Britt was sharing, I noticed Alesandra. She is the house mom for half of these campers. I haven’t seen her in ministry at the home, but have heard many praises. Working 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, she is these kids parent, authority, teacher, mentor, tutor, cook, advisor, spiritual encourager… I can only imagine this list goes on and on. Last night she was sitting in one of the plastic chairs, behind all the teens, listening to Brit and crying. I moved over and sat on the ground next to her chair and held her hand (more later on the new trend of getting to sit and hold). Keep in mind, there’s a bit of a language barrier, but after a few minutes of just sitting there with my hand on top of hers, she turned to me and asked, “You have mom?� I nodded yes. She reached her arm around my shoulders and kept her hand on mine. Sitting next to this woman of God I first met a week ago, haven’t had a full conversation with, and have only heard her story second-hand, I felt utterly content and showered in love. It was an even stronger realization of the truth that it truly is a blessing to give. I moved over to her to sit with her and offer a hand. I walked away feeling loved in a way that didn’t make sense.
