Month 5 of my Race was near Ivankiv, Ukraine about one and a half hours north of Kiev (the capital) in a small village called Kolentsi. This was my first month of being on a team by ourselves for ministry without another team partnered with us. The ministry we served was Jeremiah’s Hope, directed by two Americans, Andrew Kelly, and his wife, Jenny. Andrew and Jenny work closely with the Ukrainian government’s social work department as well as a program called the “Sasha Project” for orphan and at-risk youth. Jeremiah’s Hope is established as a non-profit organization in the U.S. as well. Check out the website at jeremiahshope.org for further information.
Andrew Kelly and two of the summer interns
Jenny, Abbie, and Sophie
Andrew has lived in Ukraine for about 8.5 years and Jenny 15 years. They both have huge hearts for Ukrainian orphans. Their newest project is Pine Branch Camp, where orphans and at-risk youth participate in Christian programs at a camp property in Kolentsi. The property began serving the youth of Ukraine in 2009. The property is nestled next to a gorgeous pine forest, small sand dunes, and beautiful buttercup fields. The ministry runs summer-long camps and short, weekend youth retreats. The property houses a lodge, Andrew’s home and office, a guest house, five cabins, and a transitional living home. My team lived in one of the lodge rooms for the month. Andrew is indebted to the services of two Russian men, Sergei and Cola, who diligently maintain the camp property and buildings. Sergei and his wife live just across the road from the camp property.
The camp soccer field
The transitional living home
One of the camp cabins
Andrew's home in the back and part of the playground
The main room of the lodge
The pine tree forests near the camp
Part of the camp property … note the sand!
My team served Andrew’s ministry by being his camp staff. We also assisted a team of 27 college students and 4 leaders from Abilene, Texas who came for a 10-day mission trip to serve the ministry the second week we were in Ukraine. For the summer, six interns from the U.S. arrived the last week of May to begin prepping for camp to begin the first week of June; we worked alongside them as well. We had some incredibly humorous moments and good fellowship with the Americans! Justin, Chip, Larry, Mary Kay, Samantha, Matt, and Lizzie, you all will be missed, and we thoroughly enjoyed serving with you all! We also got to know two Australians who came to serve Andrew and the ministry. Andrew was born in Australia, and his two uncles came to serve for part of the summer. Interestingly enough, we weren’t in contact with very many Ukrainians this month, but we sure met a lot of Americans! It was literally an American culture shock when the Abilene group arrived. We hadn’t seen that many Americans since January!
The Abilene, Texas group, the Kelly family, and Team Majestic Summit
Chip and Larry (from the Abilene group) … chillin' after a hard day's work
Amanda, Lizzie (summer intern), and I
Justin, me, Katie W., and two others
from the Abilene group who built a wood shed for Sergei
Quite a lot of manual labor was completed this month. We helped till gardens, make a fire pit, build a cabin, build an outside shower, dining room, and wood shed for Sergei’s property, dig trenches for water piping, build furniture, chop up tons of cedar, and improve the playground. My power tool, handsaw, and shoveling skills definitely improved this month! We also did A LOT of kitchen duty (e.g., cooking, baking, and cleaning). We were the housekeeping staff as well by cleaning the lodge (the main room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and 3 rooms) and cabins regularly and doing lots of laundry. We spent a decent amount of time organizing as well, such as the linen closet, laundry room, toy and game closet, and craft cabin.
Power tools! Yes!
Expanding and tilling Sergei's garden
Digging a trench for a water pipe to Sergei's home
One of the new cabins
Organizing the craft cabin
Emily baking tons of banana bread for camp
This month wasn’t a favorite, but there were definite pros to this ministry, such as working alongside other missionaries, eating American food, being with a former World Racer (Hannah Bashor came back to Ukraine to serve Jenny and their three children for three months), and having cozy accommodations (bunk beds, nice mattresses, washers and dryers, hot showers, etc.).
me, Hannah, and Katie W.
Eating dinner with some of the interns
Some cozy time in our lodge room
