Friday, April 15, 2011
Earlier this week we got to see the transitional home Blagodat (Grace) Church is building for their orphan graduates. It is huge, more like a small dorm! It is 4 stories, and is designed so that each room is complete with a bathroom and small kitchen. There are large rooms that could be used for Bible study & fellowship, movie nights, games, etc.... lots of ministry potential! We also met Peter, an older Ukrainian (or in the prime of life for those of you over 50) who has been working with Odessa orphans for 10 years. He showed us around and we discussed with him and Alfie (our team leader the possibilities of moving there in the fall. We kept telling Peter that we are very open to that possibility, but nothing is decided yet. That didn't seem to phase him however... as he showed us around he kept making comments like, "This is where you'll live, and in this room Gabe can lead Bible studies while Sarah brings the kids snacks." When we asked him what the plans were for one large room he responded with, "Whatever you decide." He seems like a very gentle man who is thrilled to have some help with this ministry. We look forward to getting to know him better. It is neat to see a church that has a heart for orphans, and that is investing so much in them. We will continue to pray about where God would have us after our language improves, but it was exciting to see one potential ministry for us!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Balancing the Books
A couple weeks ago our heat was shut off. We were surprised since it was only the middle of March, but fortunately it wasn't too cold. A day and a half later it was turned back on. Apparently Odessa was behind on its payments for heat to Kiev, so they just shut off the heat to the whole city.... 1 million people. I guess that's one way to balance the books!
Our fun times at with language continue.... Gabe said he was born in 1880 and Sarah discovered the verb that means go clean the toilet. Everytime we leave our apartment we are torn between wanting to make friends, and then thinking when someone approaches us, "Please oh please don't talk to me." Gabe also got unanticipated language practice when he was cornered by a drunk outside our building. The man liked Esther and said he always wanted a daughter but he just had 3 sons. He said maybe we stole his daughter from him and kept asking which apartment we lived in. Gabe pretended to not understand him (usually we don't have to pretend) and got away as soon as he had the chance. You never know what you're gonna get!
Our fun times at with language continue.... Gabe said he was born in 1880 and Sarah discovered the verb that means go clean the toilet. Everytime we leave our apartment we are torn between wanting to make friends, and then thinking when someone approaches us, "Please oh please don't talk to me." Gabe also got unanticipated language practice when he was cornered by a drunk outside our building. The man liked Esther and said he always wanted a daughter but he just had 3 sons. He said maybe we stole his daughter from him and kept asking which apartment we lived in. Gabe pretended to not understand him (usually we don't have to pretend) and got away as soon as he had the chance. You never know what you're gonna get!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Cultural Glimpses
My language teacher was recently trying to explain a couple words to keep me from getting (more) confused. The Russian word for bank is the same as ours, but they also have a banka, which is a jar. She said in America we put our money in a bank, but in Ukraine they put their money in a banka, because they know at least it will still be there when they want it. Exchanges like this give us interesting glimpses of the mentality here!
In Ukraine the city of Donetsk is said to be the father of the Ukrainian mafia, and Odessa the mother. Although foreign investment appears to have increased since we last lived in Kiev in 2006, the corruption and poverty that are so ingrained here have not diminished. Immorality and drug use have also soared…. outside of Africa, many believe Ukraine has the highest HIV rate in the world. These realities will be important for us to keep in mind as we work with orphans.
Recently at a team meeting we were praying for various requests of Send’s missionaries in Ukraine. The list of requests included ministries such as teaching pastoral training courses in Russian, and it certainly portrayed an impressive depth of experience and giftedness…. people much more intelligent and educated than us! As I read this list and considered my own relative helplessness with the language, I felt very small. How will God ever be able to use us here? Then I remembered that we are not here because of a talent or education or something we can offer, we are here because of who Jesus Christ is. May this truth continue to transform us and those we meet as continue our life here.
In Ukraine the city of Donetsk is said to be the father of the Ukrainian mafia, and Odessa the mother. Although foreign investment appears to have increased since we last lived in Kiev in 2006, the corruption and poverty that are so ingrained here have not diminished. Immorality and drug use have also soared…. outside of Africa, many believe Ukraine has the highest HIV rate in the world. These realities will be important for us to keep in mind as we work with orphans.
Recently at a team meeting we were praying for various requests of Send’s missionaries in Ukraine. The list of requests included ministries such as teaching pastoral training courses in Russian, and it certainly portrayed an impressive depth of experience and giftedness…. people much more intelligent and educated than us! As I read this list and considered my own relative helplessness with the language, I felt very small. How will God ever be able to use us here? Then I remembered that we are not here because of a talent or education or something we can offer, we are here because of who Jesus Christ is. May this truth continue to transform us and those we meet as continue our life here.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Getting Settled
We have been in Odessa for over 3 weeks now, and it is slowly starting to feel like home. We live on the 5th floor of a 16 story building and our apartment is quite comfortable. Just about everything we need is within a 30 minutes’ walk so we are thankful to be in such a convenient location. Our days have been filled with gradually buying appliances and other necessities to set up our home, as well as language studies. The tiny dumpster that services our building has been overflowing since our arrival and I’m sure the rumors are flying about the Americans who bring out boxes & trash every time they go outside.
Our flight here was challenging with a dog and a baby, but customs officials barely looked at us (after the hours & numerous appointments Sarah put in to make sure Hanjik’s paperwork was in order), and we were able to hire a Ukrainian to help us navigate the confusing airport system with our mountains of luggage. Esther had severe jet lag combined with some serious teething for the first 10 nights so I’m sure we’re not very popular with our new neighbors. Fortunately Sarah’s parents were able to accompany us and help us with this transition, for which we are very thankful!
Now that the dust is settling from our move, the reality of our new life and the land that is now our home is beginning to hit us. Our emotions go back and forth, from joy that we are finally here to wondering why in the world we ever wanted to move to this country. At our commissioning service last November, we were reminded that missions is God’s idea, not ours. That truth, combined with the knowledge that God has called us here, is an assurance we will cling to in the upcoming months.
Our flight here was challenging with a dog and a baby, but customs officials barely looked at us (after the hours & numerous appointments Sarah put in to make sure Hanjik’s paperwork was in order), and we were able to hire a Ukrainian to help us navigate the confusing airport system with our mountains of luggage. Esther had severe jet lag combined with some serious teething for the first 10 nights so I’m sure we’re not very popular with our new neighbors. Fortunately Sarah’s parents were able to accompany us and help us with this transition, for which we are very thankful!
Now that the dust is settling from our move, the reality of our new life and the land that is now our home is beginning to hit us. Our emotions go back and forth, from joy that we are finally here to wondering why in the world we ever wanted to move to this country. At our commissioning service last November, we were reminded that missions is God’s idea, not ours. That truth, combined with the knowledge that God has called us here, is an assurance we will cling to in the upcoming months.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Where do we Belong?
As our possessions are somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean and we make our final preparations for moving to another country, I find myself reflecting on our new lack of an identity. Where do we belong? We have resigned from our jobs and much of the interaction we have with those in our community is tempered by the knowledge that we are leaving soon. We have loved our home and life here, but our hearts and focus are being directed to our upcoming life and ministry in Odessa.
I can recall from prior experience however, that this lack of belonging will not go away when we arrive in Ukraine. Every day it will be reinforced as we deal with a language and culture that is much different from ours. Our level of proficiency in these areas will increase but there will always be some differences, no matter how long we live there. We will never completely fit in.
I am learning to appreciate that this journey of missions can make me aware of truths I had not previously noticed. Certainly our proficiency must increase in living with and loving people where God has called us to live, but as sinners redeemed by Christ we should deal with this lack of belonging every day we are on this earth. Paul says in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven, reminding us that our true identity is tied not to a location or culture but to Christ Himself. As wonderful as this world can be, we were created for something much more fulfilling. This journey helps me remember that ultimately the question of where we belong must be asked of us not as missionaries, but of all of us as followers of Jesus Christ.
I can recall from prior experience however, that this lack of belonging will not go away when we arrive in Ukraine. Every day it will be reinforced as we deal with a language and culture that is much different from ours. Our level of proficiency in these areas will increase but there will always be some differences, no matter how long we live there. We will never completely fit in.
I am learning to appreciate that this journey of missions can make me aware of truths I had not previously noticed. Certainly our proficiency must increase in living with and loving people where God has called us to live, but as sinners redeemed by Christ we should deal with this lack of belonging every day we are on this earth. Paul says in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven, reminding us that our true identity is tied not to a location or culture but to Christ Himself. As wonderful as this world can be, we were created for something much more fulfilling. This journey helps me remember that ultimately the question of where we belong must be asked of us not as missionaries, but of all of us as followers of Jesus Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)