So we finally made it after a 13 hour bus ride!! Defiantly a experience I will never forget. So far the Ukraine Is
Beautiful
Cold
Full Of Friendly People
Has Very Tasty Food
Is about to host the Euro cup (Come on England)
Was a communist country until 1991
Hopeful
and Ready
I have been in the Ukraine for a little over a week now and what a week its been. It has defiantly been a stretch on my comfort zones and that's exactly what I signed up so I don't know why I expected anything different. A little back history to me for you, when I was 10 years old I was diagnosed with dyslexia. So spelling, math, and any kind of patterns in general have always been a struggle for me. So Guess what I get to do every morning this month…… Excel Spreadsheets! So perfect for me right WRONG. Its great though I'm becoming a fan 🙂 Our afternoons are so incredible though, but before we get into that let me tell you about
OUR CONTACT
IVAN
This guy is legit, I have never met anyone like him. He is pretty much a genius, a father of two wonderful kids, and a loving husband. He can speak over 7 languages, preach like no one business, and loves God. He wants to see change in his community, real everlasting change. I feel privileged to be around him and share in his knowledge. I am a blessed guy!
OUR MINISTRY
MORNINGS MONDAY – FRIDAY
Like I said in the morning Excel! Ivan is in charge of the apologetics library for a Christian University here in Rivne,Ukraine. Which is huge deal because 30 years ago a library like this could not have existed and if it did it would have to have been hidden, crazy stuff. Our responsibility is to organize and categorize the library. Its a long and trying process but a good one. Its teaching my team a lot, how to interact with one another in stressful situations, how to prefer one another, most importantly how to choose joy in every situation. Its a very small room people with lots and lots of books you get the picture 🙂
AFTERNOONS MONDAY -FRIDAY
We work in a tiny village that I can not pronounce teaching English and sharing the Gospel to 30 plus kids 🙂 Its amazing I love the fact that I get to do that. The kids are HUNGRY to learn and to listen to what we have to say. I will never forget when we first arrived to the field where we were going to be doing ESL. There was some tarp looking things on the ground and old rickety wooden poles lying around. We took a moment smiled looked at one another and away we went. Not having a clue but just diving in with some random Ukrainians we had literally just met. The rest is history in the making. ESL is going really well, we even had the kids memorize a scripture yesterday! they loved it. Oh yeah I'm getting really used to using a hole in the ground for my bathroom. Good practice for Africa I guess.
SATURDAYS
Are our day off even though sometimes I fell guilty for having one, it is so needed though. To recuperate, pray, and reflect on the week. Even God had his day of rest, and I am defiantly not any better than big G
SUNDAYS
I love Sundays I always have. We go to church twice on Sundays in the morning and in the evening. Usually they ask us to do some kind of music, and short sermons. Its an incredible day! The church we attend is very different for me. No clapping aloud, the married women have to wear head scarfs, and defiantly no dancing. So that's hard for me, but at the same time the people there are so loving, and love God. At the end of the day that's what matters the most.
EVERY SINGLE EVENING
FEEDBACK! What?.. I hear you asking well
you will just have to read my next blog to find out.
THANK YOU
For taking the time to read this you are awesome and a huge blessing. Much LOVE
P.S. In light of England playing france in just a few week thought I would show my support and get a little patriotic. Terrible song but decent video. Euro 2012 is our year come on England!!
