It has now begun! “O” Squad has launched into the world and we have landed in Kyiv, Ukraine! Right now, my small team and another one are staying at a hostel in Kyiv until we will go to our city of ministry by train tonight. Team Umoja will be working at a camp with orphans where we will get to know the kids and have fun with them! We will organize crafts, lead them in sports, do skits for them, and just plain get to build relationships with them. We’ll get to stay at the campsite which has electricity and running water! I’m so excited for this ministry; it is very close to my heart. I just wish I learned more Russian before I came!
Going into this first month of ministry, I ask for lots and lots of prayer! I know the devil doesn’t want us to be effective in anything we do, and I just ask for prayer in beginning with a bang! That we wouldn’t be fearful or nervous or jet lagged or homesick or lazy. But that we would literally live a life worthy of the calling we’ve recieved. That we would follow every single prompting of the Holy Spirit. That every person we encounter would encounter Christ. That the hearts of those kids we will be serving this month would be open to us and to the gospel. And that our team would start of unified and grow ever closer to one another and to the Lord each day.
Two days ago was the hardest day of my life. Leaving my family, my Benny. I was beginning to think it wasn’t worth it anymore. The pain was so intense that it seemed nothing would be worth that. After getting through security, bawling on the shoulders of not only my teammates but also the security check-in lady, I got to call my best friend Kristi. She just kept encouraging me and when I was talking to her, I realized that this is not about me. And although I may not see the fruit just yet, the Lord’s work is always worth it. He is always faithful, and has better plans for us than we can dream up for ourselves!
I don’t know whats to come of this month, but I do know that God’s gone before us and that makes me super excited!
