Welcome to the Ukraine!
After a little trouble at the border, and a possible
under-the-table bribe, we have made it safely into the Ukraine! This month, my
team (Team Break Forth) is living and working together in Kolomyya, a small
town here in the Ukraine. It is only our team here this month, which has been a
blessing as we have already gotten to know one another better.
Our ministry this month is going around to different schools
teaching English. We literally walk up to a school and start asking people if
they want to learn English. We are sometimes invited into classrooms where the
children and teachers are so excited that Americans are there. We simply talk
to them about who we are, what we like to do, and why we are in their country.
It’s amazing to see just how excited they are and amazed by everything we have
to say.
Side note: I’m convinced that none of the children have ever
seen a black person before. We walk into a school, and Casey is instantly
surrounded by kids wanting photos and autographs.
We also have a more consistent group of elementary school
students meet us twice a week at the church for English class. Jen, Lynnsey and
I teach a class of about 10-15 nine and ten year olds. I’ve never seen such
excitement to speak English; they absolutely love it. I am convinced that we
could go around the circle for an hour every day telling our favorites. (“My
favorite color is… My favorite holiday is… My favorite animal is…”). Seriously.
If there is a lull in the conversation, or if I’m thinking of what to do next,
they start up with the favorites again. They are also very proper, telling me
that their favorite breakfast food is “a cup of tea”.
Another part of our ministry is to pour into the church
family that we are a part of. We are living with the pastor, his wife, and
their 6-year-old daughter. We are sprawled out all over their house, and have
completely taken over the place, but they could not be happier. The church we
go to only has about 15 members, all of which are related to one another.
Again, they could not be happier that we are here. Every time we go somewhere,
it seems that the entire church wants to go with us. It’s rare to eat a meal
that all the churchwomen didn’t eagerly come together to prepare for us. One
evening, the entire church came over just so they could hear about our lives.
They simply wanted to know everything they could about us. They even made flash
cards with our photos so they could learn all of our names.
It is so great being here. We feel so loved. The only
struggle is convincing everyone to let us serve them, as they are always so
eager to serve us.
Oh. And I’m pretty sure that every second of my life here
has been captured in a photo or video of some sort. They are crazy about pictures
and videos!
