I'm so mixed in emotions about today. We're heading to Zaparozhzhia today to catch the train to Kiev so that I can leave Ukraine, possibly forever. While I am wildly excited to get to see my friends and family again (and I'm even a little excited to go back to school soon), I am also incredibly sad about all of the friends that I am leaving behind here. No matter what I do, I know that I will always remember this summer, and that it has changed me, hopefully for the better.
Well, this week has been pretty quiet. Each day we have done some of the work project (we finished two sides of the gate, that might be all that they end up doing because the other sides don't really matter), and do the kid's club. By the end of the week they had over 50 kids coming to the kid's club, and the last day 24 of them asked to accept Jesus as their savior. I'm not sure whether they meant it, but we made it clear that they should only do it if they wanted to. Doing kids' club with the Irish team has taught me a few things. One is that a person learns the best in their native tongue. It has sort of bothered me that they have had the memory verse being spoken in English this week. They had it written in Russian, but were asking the kids to memorize it in English. Not that they kids couldn't understand it (although some might not), but learning it in Russian I think would have been better for them. However, the kids did well on the memory verse. The last day of kids' club (yesterday), we did a drama of the passion story after Jesus had risen. I played one of the disciples and had fun. I didn't think it went too well, we had a couple of extra scenes thrown at us that we didn't know what to do, but it must have because right after this and a testimony was when the kids prayed to accept Jesus. Sarah from the team, who is 13, gave her testimony and it was lovely. The kids really like the team, and that is always good.
Since I didn't go to the orphanage on Tuesday (only one of the VIAs can go at a time to get more team members in) I went on Thursday. It was a lot of fun as usual, and I told the Bible story (which I told last week as well) about the Passover feast and Jesus washing his disciples feet. It was a little harder for the kids to sit still here, since most of them are under 7 years old, but several listened. I had fun playing with all of my kids that I love, Catya and Dennis, Daniel and Masha. It was so hard for me to leave, especially since some of the team members were crying too. I've got to know these kids over the past two months, and I care deeply about them. It breaks my heart to know they might not get to go home, and a lot of the older kids won't ever get a home. There were 8 new kids this week, and I was just so sad that that had to happen to them (especially since two of them were 12 and 13). I love them so much, and will miss them greatly. I just hope they don't see me leaving as me abandoning them. That is my greatest fear in all of this, I don't want to cause them any more pain. I gave all of them big hugs when I left, and I know I'll be praying for them.
I only worked in the youth center twice this week (it's only been open two days this week), and it was fun as usual. I played skip-bo, ping-pong, and many other games. Dennis told me on Tuesday that I play ping-pong "very badly", which I thought was funny. He always tries his hardest to find anyone but me to play with, not because he doesn't like me, but because he thinks he's too good for me and wants a challenge. The only thing is, the other person he can play is Matthew who is a lot better than he is (he beat him 6 times one day). Dennis is limited in his playing because of a physical condition that leaves his movements rather jerky. I have got to know a lot of the kids at the center very well, and ever since kids' club a lot of the local kids have been coming in every time it is open (we had over 20 in there one day!). Lots of kids who were at the VBS at the beginning of the summer have been coming, like Vlad, Sasha, Misha, Igor, and several others. There is also one older kid that I have been getting to know. His name is Zhenia, and he is 17. I got to know him when he would hang around the kids' club on his bike because his friends were going to the club. He wouldn't join in, but he would listen. Ivan from the team tried to talk to him one day, and I did a bit of translating for him as we talked about football (think soccer, not the American version). He eventually started coming to the club, but being older than most of the kids and being a teenage boy, he tended to cause disruptions and be a little rude. But he eventually started coming to the youth center, where Matthew, Bill, and I could talk to him and just hang out with him. Matthew and I have both talked to him (he knows a little English, and Dennis is his friend so he translates occasionally), and just loved on him trying to get to know him. I played ping-pong with him yesterday (and he was very nice and didn't play as well as I know he can, although that might be an insult I don't know). But when he left yesterday and knew that Matthew and I were leaving, he gave us both a big hug and held tightly. I hadn't realized that I had made any impact on him, but he seemed to genuinely care that we were leaving, and looked upset. Please pray for him, as he is one of the kids who prayed to accept Jesus, along with Dennis. He also gave both of us a big hug, and I'm going to really miss him and all of his trash talk, and asking me when I'm going to get a girl. Please pray for him as well as he gets to know Jesus (I think his mom is a Christian), as well as for his condition (and his mom, who is a diabetic). Actually, if you pray, just pray for all of the kids who accepted Jesus, and for those who didn't that a seed was planted and they might some day.
I may not be totally changed by this summer, but I know that I am different. I really respect the Ukrainians like I said before, and I will really miss getting to know them and their randomness. That sounds a little ethnocentric, but I think it's ok for this. I know that I will always think more globally now, because I have seen how other people live. The Ukrainians make so much less money, and don't have as many opportunities, but they have so much more fun than we do. I also know I will have more respect for different people, you just have to; after all God made them too. I'm growing spiritually like I haven't in a long while, and while I don't have the faith I should have, I'm not letting it keep me down. I know I want to be in missions in some respect, but I'll keep listening to hear what my calling is. Please pray for that and for patience for me. As far as communication goes, I've been able to learn a bit of Russian, and I know that I am now a master of pantomime (haha). But I have seriously gained some patience in waiting to understand what someone wants, which is essential to foreign missions. Being with the Irish has also taught me how American some of my views are. America isn't perfect (which I knew), but the whole world doesn't agree with us, including brothers and sisters in Christ. I have learned that that is the strongest bond, not nationality. I have really enjoyed talking to and spending time with the Irish team, and I will miss them (maybe I'll just show up on their doorstep one day, I could go for a visit to Ireland). I've talked about my call with them, and they have helped me to just seek the Lord in it. I know I love youth work now, and definitely not children's ministry. Youth are just awkward, but it's because they're getting to know who they are. They want to fit in, and it is our job as ministers of Christ to let them know that Jesus loves them like they are, and they fit perfectly with him.
I am going to miss so many people here. Igor, Vika, Bill, Oksana, all the kids at the orphanage, the kids from the youth center, the kids from camp, the other missionaries here (Bill, Betsy, Ernie, and Anna). Bill and Betsy have been like parents to me here, and have taken such good care of Matthew and me, I am so grateful I can't even say it adequately. Bill and Oksana have been like mentors to me, and I will miss just talking to them and getting to know them. I know they want me to come to Ukraine as a missionary, but I have to figure that out on my own. I will especially miss Igor and Vika, who have been like a brother and sister to me here, and whom I love very much. Igor especially (although I love Vika very much too) has been a true friend, and always talks to me and has gotten to know me. I just pray that God would bless all of these people beyond their dreams, and for their ministries. I just don't know how to express what they have all meant to me, so let it suffice to say that I love them all very much. We are leaving today at 3:30 to head for the train, and I will leave on a plane tomorrow at around 11. I'll get home 11 pm at home, and I can't wait to see all of you. This is probably the last blog I will put on here, with possibly the exception of my reflection paper I have to write. I might continue to use it just as a blog, but I doubt it, we'll see. But thank you so much for keeping up with my adventures here in Ukraine. I thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts, and just know I love you all with all of my heart. Thank you.
David
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