As time passes by here in Odessa I have been able to wave good- bye to the first impressions I had of the Ukrainians. Learning a bit about why they are the way they are, has definitely helped me to see past the expressionless faces.
On Thursday we handed out flyers for English Club- a ministry Living Hope has where they teach English to the people of Odessa for free. We talked to many people who seemed interested in coming and were surprised to find many who do speak English, even just a little. There was one girl that I talked to that spoke really good English and seemed thrilled at the idea of coming. Unfortunately, though we handed out about 200, only one or two people showed up. The lady I felt God calling me to connect with wasn’t there either. Before I got too dissapointed a thought came to mind that maybe God has put her on my heart just so that I can pray for her. So I will pray, and maybe next week she will be there.
On Friday during the day we went to the house of a couple that go to Living Hope church. They have the cutest little son named Mikael, Micky for short. We got to play with him for the day in between doing cleaning, making/eating dinner and visiting with them. It was a wonderful day and I felt very blessed to have the opportunity to help out and get to know them better.
That night we hosted a dinner and games night for some of our friends at Living Hope. We made a traditional Ukrainian dinner of potato dumplings and tomato and cucumber salad, with a dessert we had Ukrainian cookies and cherries. Phase Ten and strawberry dessert tea- loaded with sugar, kept the laughter flowing and the spirits high. Tummies filled, friends made and bonds formed.
After English Club today a couple of the girls and I sang worship songs together as they played piano. My heart was filled. It was so refreshing to worship with a few of God’s children, bringing us closer to Him and to each other.
