So after the last
rant, I figured I should post something positive about how much I did in fact
love Ukraine. I think I’ll just share a few sentences and record some of my
favorite experiences in that awesome and lovely country 🙂
~~~~
:: Arriving in Kyiv
and discovering the apartment where we were staying had hot and cold tap water,
hot showers (and a tub), a full kitchen (with an OVEN!), comfortable beds, and
unlimited fast wifi (which meant I could Skype with my boyfriend and family)
:: Our AWESOME
ministry contacts/helpers – Brian, Pete, Terry, Caleb, Steph, Paul, Doug, and
Helen. They made the month absolutely wonderful. Loved the fun outings,
intriguing and educational conversations, random worship sessions, dancing,
teasing/joking/laughing, and the awesome fellowship
:: Walking along
the river and getting covered in the softly falling snow
:: The old woman
who smiled at me (see my first Ukraine blog)
:: Going to see
Swan Lake performed professionally at the Kyiv Opera House for $2.50
:: Having a girls’
getaway weekend in Uzhgorod with my awesome team
:: Becoming friends
with two guys on the train to Uzhgorod who then gave us a free walking tour of
the historic sites of the town
:: Getting to know
several dozen students (one class even had a student who made us a homemade
pizza!) while having some conversations that ranged from our travels to God,
from things in common to politics and government, from music and movies to sex tourism
and the black market for human organs
:: Baking healthy and delicious oatmeal
raisin cookies in a temperamental oven
:: All the
incredible friends I made in such a short time! (y’all know who you are!)
:: DANCING! Salsa
and swing and ahh it was just awesome!
:: The ice cream
social we held – sooo much ice cream and sooo many toppings! Such
deliciousness…
:: Getting a chance
to experience Yalta and Odessa, the Black Sea and castles and cathedrals
:: Scaling a steep
cliff face with one of my teammates and freaking out the other four girls on
our team
:: Getting packages
from friends and family at home; such a personal, practical, and thoughtful way
to show love
:: Watching God
work in and change me and those around me, and blessing and teaching and loving
me every day
~~~~
It truly was an amazing month. Thanks, God, for letting me be me 🙂
