Wingapo friends!
Team Prism’s month in the Ukraine was one of the best yet. Our ministry was teaching English, but we were all privileged by the number of amazing people that we really got to know. It was beautiful to feel deeply connected to a country and the people.
I taught advanced level English, which means we had discussion based classes. My last day in Ternopil, our discussion topic was dreams and goals. The Lord really took hold of the conversation. As the class unfolded, every person in the room shared their hard past. There was heart wrenching stories everywhere, but not a single person had let their hardship define them. As each person told their story, it became something beautiful.
For those of you who do not know, the Ukraine has a hard history. They took a good deal of the abuse from the USSR as well as experienced a lot of destruction from both Germany and Russia during World War 2. Even since becoming a country there has been much to overcome. Everywhere, there are these testaments of where the USSR used to be, but instead of letting them stand as they are, the Ukraine has covered these gray and dismal uniform blocks with bright colored murals and playgrounds.
The expression, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade kind of applies well to the Ukraine. It would be easy to look around the Ukraine and see depression and destruction, but that is not the heart of the Ukraine. The heart of the Ukraine is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a future.” They take the dismal and use it as a chance to let the Lord do something beautiful.
As each of my students spoke, I saw this same trend emerge. As each of them spoke, I fell more in love with them and the redemptive heart of the Lord. It was so moving; I was inspire to let the Lord into my wounds and to make my destruction something beautiful.
Please pray for safety for the Ukraine right now. They are currently at war. Also be praying for the healing that the Lord is bringing the Ukraine right now.
Team Prism is in Budapest headed to Romania. For the first two weeks, Team Prism will be working with Friendship Camp. Then we will move locations for Parent Vision Trip. My marmmy will be coming out to join me *insert happy dance here* so prayers for my family (and all the M squad families) as she travels to join me.
