No alarm wakes me up this month. Well,
actually I haven’t really had an alarm ever wake me up on the race, I guess
that’s what I have teammates for. This month, home is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom
apartment on the 10th floor of our apartment building that I share
with 13 other women (Team Bling and Team Gentle Warriors). Being the only two
all female teams on H squad, it seemed ludicrous to some to squeeze so much
estrogen in such a small space, but we’ve managed not to kill each other, and
quite frankly enjoy each other.
The best part of this apartment is that
I have my own space. How you might ask? I agree it sounds a bit absurd because
for one, World Race livin’ means no personal space, and this month is no
exception. Yet I managed to claim a spot on the floor in the laundry room.
Sleeping in the laundry room has its pros and cons. Some nights I get to hear
the lovely washer machine whirr me to sleep, however, it has been known to
break down every now and then, thus creating a small flood on the floor, aka my
bed. Since I sleep under the clothes line, sometimes at night I wake up with a
nice article of clothing on my head. But it’s my own little space and I love
it.
Kiev is a fun city, which reminds of
home. For those of you who do not know, I lived outside of Washington D.C. for
2 years before leaving for the World Race. I lived in a high-rise apartment as
I do now, I took the metro and a bus as I do now, and I’m getting my exercise
in through walking, as before. Metro etiquette is similar to home as well.
People don’t talk much, especially earlier in the day, some cars are so packed
that if you move an inch, you’re liable to plant a big fat juicy one to the
person facing you. The language barrier makes riding the metro even more
fun. For one I know about 5 words in Russian (Russian and Ukranian are spoken
here) and even if I can pronounce a word, reading it is another story. Many
letters used here aren’t even found in the English alphabet, let alone make any
logical sense phonetically. So how do we know what stop to get off at? Diligent
memorization and counting. And if all else fails we ask a dozen people if they
speak English until we get a winner.
Also, I would like to mention that I’m
pretty sure I may be a celebrity. You’d think they’ve never seen a black person
in Ukraine before, and let me say I know they have because I’ve seen a lot more
here than I ever thought I would. Nonetheless, I haven’t stuck out so much in
any other country like this.
Walking through the city, running to
catch the metro before the doors close, all remind me of the life I once knew.
Except now instead of heading to a 9 to 5 job I get to hang out with children
taken off the streets, discuss my year with theological seminary students, and
have fun with new-found friends at English Club. However, I think my favorite
part of ministry this month is hanging out with the kids at Child Rescue (www.crossrdsfoundation.org).
Our team has worked with children for
most of the year, sometimes I have thoroughly enjoyed it, and other times I have looked forward to the end of the month and moving on to a new
location. However, this time it is very different. I fell in love with these
children. We have laughed together, played games together, made crafts, watched
movies…and did I mention I speak about 5 words in Russian? Even with a
translator, communication was not always easy, but I believe these children saw
the love of God through our diligent time in the center. Some days I catch
myself wondering what is their story, and how such sweet children could end up abadoned on the street. The
Crossroads Foundation is an impressive organization, and from my point of view has gotten it right. This year we
have been in contact with many people and organizations that have a heart to
help and do good, but something is always missing, and I feel Crossroads
Foundation has every corner covered.
Below is a video created about our time
with the kids, English club, and exploring the beautiful city of Kiev. Please
enjoy!
P.S. I have a little less than month before I come home! Tomorrow, I will be boarding a
bus for Berlin, Germany. I, as well as 9 other members of H-squad, will be
forming a worship team and participating in Burn
Berlin (http://burn24-7.com/locations/europe/germany/berlin/). Kristen and I
will be joining this team, while the rest of Bling will be traveling to Poland,
Munich, Germany, and Prague for their last month. As I am sad to spend the last
month of the race away from my team, I am excited to spend a month of ministry
focused on worship, prayer, and intercession to bring the presence of God to
the city. Please pray for safe travels and thank you to everyone who posted a
comment, sent a facebook message, or email concerning my last blog, I was blessed
by the encouragement. God is good!
