so i’ve been in “the Ukraine� for about 2 weeks, doing alot of different things. We are with a wonderful host family, they have 12 kids, 5 which live at home right now. It has been so awesome to transition into the world race lifestyle by living in a home thats filled with excitement. We have been putting on a softball for neighboring villages. It has brought me so out of my element. I played soccer for so many years and then to try to teach a bunch of kids how to play a game i know nothing about, is kind of stretching for me. We went to 2 cities and both were very different. At the first village, the kids were much younger and it took a while for them to open up to us. We spend the first days teaching the kids about throwing and catching a ball and then basic rules and game flow. And then in between the younger kids and the older kids we share our testimonies and a simple sermon. We also give out salvation bracelets and new testaments. It was very different to sign a kid’s bible, but for them to meet an American is gonna be the highlight of their lives. And then after the big kids play we show a Christian film and talk to the kids. So many times throughout the day it hits me that I am playing soccer with ukrainian kids. Never would have guessed this would have been my life. but here i am. blows my mind.
To be completely honest though for me the first couple of weeks have been so hard. Im was not connecting with the kids like i felt like i should be. And for so long I have kept my heart guarded and not easily given away. But im being taught that if i freely give my heart and pour my love upon these kids then God will overflow my cup. I don’t have to worry about running out of love because his love is overwhelming so that I can in turn bless those who have no hope. The last day of our softball camp this past week I almost cried saying goodbye to the youth group we were partnering with. It felt good to finally allow my heart to love people i know i am not gonna see again until Heaven. I am allowing myself and desiring (well at least i think i desire) that God would break my heart this year. Because I want to sit on the potters wheel for the rest of my life, and always be moldable in God’s hands. Being broken scares me so much but i am willing to surrender my heart and if that means pouring my heart into people i know i wont see for a while then thats what im gonna do. It is all i know to do right now.
