“Back to back, belly to belly and we don’t give a damn ‘cuz we’re stone [cold] already. Back to back, belly to belly, it was a zombie jamboree…” –Zombie Jamboree: Harry Nilsson, 1976 (I personally like the Rockapella version best)
…ok, it was not a zombie jamboree- but it was Halloween… in a train station, somewhere in Ukraine… And technically we were back to back, belly to belly… lying on the train station ground huddling together for warmth, at 2:30am, as we acclimated to the frigid temperature of our final country. Happy Halloween and Welcome to Ukraine!
The Place:
Balti, Moldova -> Bus to capital to meet teams -> taxi to train station -> Bus from train station to Ukraine -> cross border -> Ukraine train station, somewhere -> van-ish bus to orientation -> 3 hour van-ish bus ride to-> Kremenets, Ukraine
We’re here! In Kremenets, Ukraine! It is beautiful- the buildings, while dainty and colorfully painted also carry such historical depth that they cannot help but be marveled at- does that sound cheesy?? I am at a loss for how to accurately explain this place- Have you ever met a woman so radiant and contagiously beautiful that you just had to meet her to hear her story… but then you meet her and learn that she has caught some of the most painfully tragic events life could throw at a single person? These buildings are that woman! She is far beyond coping but even still beyond resilient, she is thriving. Let’s just say, if the buildings here were people, I would want to sit down with them and listen over a long cup of tea.
(I honestly just wanted to write a short little blog about a funny story… apparently my fingers had other intensions…)
The People:
The people are fantastic! Funny, deep, servants… and (much like the buildings) they too have a deep understanding of their countries history and the struggles it’s endured.
The Process:
And now for my funny little story…
So, we were informed upon arrival that we would be working in the schools teaching English for two and a half weeks. (Because that’s how much time there is left before we begin out departure for home!) Our host told us that he would be taking our leader into some classrooms to evaluate where the students learning abilities were at so we could know how to prepare to teach them. (Granted, a World Race rule is to be flexible always because at any minute, plans might change…)
On our first morning, I woke up for breakfast about ten minutes before we were supposed to be there. Because I assumed our leader was the one going on the mission of the morning, I wore my lounge clothes… AKA, jammies to breakfast. Flexibility is ministries middle name, right?! An hour later I found myself in front of a classroom of twenty 11th grade students, ready to teach on the environmental effects of pollution and the benefits of recycling… IN MY JAMMIES!!! HA!
After a day of teaching and being out and about in my mustard yellow lounge pants, we hiked around a castle on the top of the city. Between the pants, my jacket and the hat I chose to wear that evening, I am convinced that I could have joined the next episode of the Barney, Baby, BJ Bop trifecta and fit in perfectly…
The Prayer:
-Thank you for praying! My team (though not the most compatible assortment of ladies) is finding joy. We are fighting to finish hard, serve well and challenge each other in growth. 24/7 community is difficult! But through your prayers and by the grace of God, we are finding new mercies each morning. (After these 11 months, I have a much deeper respect for married couples… Even though they get to choose who to have constant community with, I believe it’s still difficult!)
-Please pray for Ukraine… I believe there was a recent news shift due to Syrian refugees and Presidential debates of sorts, but war is still very much a present reality of this country. I am currently in a town were many soldiers lost their lives fighting to gain independence from the SU and the generations who understand the weight of possibly returning to a communist government are fearful-
-thanks again for praying- see you so soon! xoxo
-blessings
