Back to the future-hello civilization/culture shock to the max. After our 3ish days of planes and airports we arrived in Kiev, Ukraine to a land of paved roads, western toilets, cars with shocks (forgot what bumpless rides were like), white people (our celebrity status is officially nonexistent), McDonalds, hot showers, etc. We got to stay one night in a hostel in the city before heading out to our ministry in Crimea (yes, there is a Crimea River-you better believe I’ve been singing way too much Justin Timberlake). I may or may not have eaten McDonalds for breakfast and lunch and slept over 10 hours on a box spring mattress I haven’t seen since home… it was overwhelmingly comfortable…hello Eastern Europe, and double digits month #10.
Now, we’re at our ministry site for the next month, which is also pretty comfortable, and semi-shockingly nice. The family we’re with = Ukrainian Duggers-don’t know if you’ve seen that show at home, but we’re living with about 16 kids-some adopted, some not. The mama here, Ania, is quite possibly the Ukrainian version of Mother Teresa. I’m telling you we’ve been transported to this Sound of Music/Stepford Wife/Twilight Zone-esque dream family. All the children get along and help each other, and every one of them sings/plays at least two instruments. It’s hilariously sweet- like Amish sweet-innocent, simple, and just so nice. I wish you could be here- meet these people, taste the food (homemade Borsht= killer soup man), and experience this because it’s just insanely good.
We can walk to the Black Sea=added bonus. We went to this lake that’s similar to the Dead Sea. I think because it’s saltier than those McDonald’s fries I ate. This place had “healing mud”-apparently, it’s special mud, and a hospital nearby uses it for treating disabled people- thought I’d give it a go, which is what we did before roller skating (haven’t done that since my ribbon dancing in the drive-way days) around the hospital/treatment place- where we also got to hang with the family and pray for some people in wheel chairs… just completely random, but crazily normal day here on the World Race.
Today we went to a nursing home with the family (which they do at least once a month, of course). We packed up the 20 passenger van complete with mandolins, contra bass(yes, they play a 7 foot tall triangle looking bass-ish instrument),and baggies full of food and juice they packed for the elderly ones who can’t afford it. The family put on a full-fledged concert with three part harmonies, harmonicas, and very polka sounding tunes that the old folks loved. We got to pray for WW2 vets and some Babushkas(grandmas)- just way cool to get to be a part of this Ukrainian Brady Bunch, lovin’ a lot of forgotten old people.
Also, more than thankful for the reappearance of bread and cheese into our diet, non-tropical weather, and no dress codes-yes please.
PS- sorry about the jumbo tron pictures- still not good at this bloggage stuff.
