My month in Ukraine seemed like a whirl wind!! It truly flew by in the blink of an eye…yet even so, it was a great month filled with fun memories, and i came away feeling like i got an upclose view of the culture and the people. i began the month hopping around between teams. It was a really fun way to spend time with teams and see what kind of ministries they were going to be working with for the month. i actually found myself getting attached to their ministries despite only being with them for a couple of days. It also allowed time for me to spend some quality time with squad mates, which i don’t always get a chance to do with in the crazy schedule of a debrief.
Coffee and pastries at a cafe..we played Uno!!
i did finally make it back to my team though. Luminous was in a town called Lugansk…a pretty medium sized town, with plenty of shopping, several universities, and what i would call “middle class” families. our team along with the team, Spectacle, split into two different ministries: one, going out to different orphanages to spend time with children and give them some love….and two, in the evenings, going to English classes at a center called New Tone. Once i got back with my team, i dove right into the English classes…and because the Lord is gracious and He knew i had limited time in Lugansk…he gave me a group of wonderful young girls to connect with in the very first class i sat in on!!
So 13 of us did life in one apartment for the month, which always means a good time! We cooked together, ate together, ministered together and laughed alot…Here are some the pics from the month. i hope you enjoy!!
Girls from the English class. We had a great time hanging out in class and outside of class!
Coffee and pastries at a cafe..we played Uno!! Ukraine is known for its rich soil. infact Russia had truck loads imported from Ukraine. There are beautiful flower shops everywhere!! On the street, in the subway tunnels, and in shops…it is not unusual to see flowers the size of cantelopes!!
I was also able to visit an orphanage for invalid children. Children that range from bed-ridden to the mentally handicapped stay at this orphangage. My heart was so moved this day…the house was clean and the staff was friendly. The children were also in very good spirits despite their conditions…we tickled, clapped hands and kissed them alot!! Their smiles will stay in my mind forever.
We had amazing contacts, Forrest and Darcy Ferdon. They treated us to a morning bonfire in the woods and a traditional Ukrainian BBQ.
We also had a girls fun day…shopping and ice skating with one of the teachers from the English center, New Tone. We had a blast!!
