Let's meet the locals...

So continuing my ongoing epic adventure in Ukraine, the past couple of days have been really great. Tuesday evening was a lot of fun. We had six kids come in, three boys and three girls, and the VBS went off more smoothly than I would have thought it could go. The basic outline of the night is that we play with the kids as they come in (they love to play frisbee), sing songs, have an
English lesson, a Bible lesson, play more games, and then it's time to say goodbye. There was one little boy, Igor, who really got into everything. He loves to learn English, and works with Vika, who is one of the translators who works with us even though she speaks no English. But she understands it....I don't really get it either. VBS is a much better ministry here than I had originally thought. I had fears that the lesson, which is themed on space, would not translate well into the Ukrainian mindset. Some things just don't translate accross cultural boundaries. But the kids seemed to like it a lot, especially learning the space words in English.

The past couple of days have been a little hard for me in these respects. I'm trying to work with the team, but I feel that everything I am doing is menial. We're painting a fence every morning for around four hours, and then I have nothing to do until VBS rolls around because the team has everything else planned out. I know that I'm supposed to do everything with a joyful spirit, and that every little bit counts, but it's a little discouraging to think that for two weeks my ministry will be in a sense restrained to the confines of someone else's plans that I had nothing to do with. But I guess that that's really every plan, if God is behind it. I'm learning that just because I am here to minister, doesn't mean that what I think I should be doing is what is needed most. Sometimes they need the fence painted more than for me to go around meeting teenagers, or to help clean up the kitchen. It's a good lesson, but it's hard for me to learn and let go.

Every evening we have devotions with the team and the missionaries. They're a nice time to get to hear people's testimonies and worship God. But the hardest part for me is when we have to talk about our God-sightings. We say where we saw God and in whom or what. It's hard for me because I've been so far from God recently that I'm having a hard time seeing him anywhere. Then I feel bad for that, and the fact that I don't think anyone will see God in me, so what is the point of me doing ministry here? But I'm hopeful that throughout this summer, God will change me and help make me able to see him more clearly. I've read the Shack while here, and it helped me to see that God just wants to be with me, he doesn't want to condemn me or make me feel bad, but wants me to want to be with him, and in that do his will. I'm trying.

After VBS and devotions I went to a local couple's apartment with Shushan (whose friends they are) and a girl from the team named Carly. It was a really great time of fellowship, and the couple (Catya and Louzha, that's not how you spell it but how it sounds) were so nice. They just gave us something to drink and asked us about our life goals with God, and what we plan to do as missionaries. Louzha and Catya work with a group from Virginian called Hearts for Orphans. They give girls who are graduating out of the orphanage system a place to stay and a means of learning some life skills. Most orphans don't get any economic or technical training at all, and they are released into the world at the age of 16, when they are a legal adult. So most just turn to a life of crime for the boys, and prostitution for the girls because they have absolutely no life skills. They don't even know how to cook. Needless to say, this couple has a huge heart for God and these girls, and were wonderful to talk to and play Skipbo (even if Catya was a little over competitive).

Wednesday we did basically the same thing as Tuesday, with the exception that at VBS we had 9 by the end instead of 6 kids. These kids are really starting to like us, and Igor brought mints for everyone. Playing games with them is a blast, and they have so much energy. Matthew and I found out that after the team leaves we will be going to an all Russian camp. We'll be sleeping in tents, and our job is to teach the kids there American sports, which they so desperately want to learn. I'm a little nervous to be around only Russian speakers, as the missionaries will not be there with the exception of Oksana, Bill's wife. Since we're going to be working with youth this summer, Bill Brower has taken over charge of Matthew and I instead of the head missionary Ernie Smith. I'm hoping to do a good job with the kids, and hope to show Christ's love to them. I'm not too sure how to best reach these kids yet, as I haven't quite figured out the culture yet. They seem so much like Americans, but then they'll throw me a curveball and do something so Ukrainian I feel stupid for forgetting. Well, that's it for this blog, thaks for your prayers.

David