We have come to the land of holidays! Because the Eastern Orthodox Church is still active here, there are two calendars. One is the one that we are familiar with and the other one is the Gregorian Calendar (Orthodox) which is two weeks behind ours. For this reason Christmas is celebrated twice in Ukraine. We will have Christmas this coming Tuesday and again on Jan.7. There is also our New Year’s celebration and then two weeks later what is called “the Old New Year”. Presents are not given on either of the Christmas Days but on New Years. Dedushka Morose (grandfather frost), who was created by Lenin and looks very much like Santa Claus, is responsible for the presents... I hope this is all clear.
Happily, we are attending a Christmas party at the Myer’s home with the church and college staff. We will have a gift exchange and a dinner so we will not be missing out.
Sorry - no Christmas cards this year. So to all our wonderful friends and family we send you our love and best wishes for a wonderful Christmas season! We miss you all.
Isaiah 49:6 Indeed He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah of Israel would come one day as a blessing for all nations. Today we are blessed to have experienced that salvation!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
A Word About Our Sponsors
We wanted to take some time to describe the history and ministry of Jim and Phyllis Myers, who we are working with here in Kiev. Jim and Phyllis graduated from Moody Bible College and pastored non-denominational Bible churches in both Arkansas and New Mexico for a number of years. In the early 90’s after the break up of the Soviet Union, they came to Belarus and started a Bible study which eventually grew into a church there. However, Belarus became more and more of a closed country and eventually they were forced to leave as foreigners were not allowed to head up churches there. They left the church under the leadership of a trained Belarusian pastor and came to Ukraine which was decidedly more open to foreigners and missionaries. Since coming here they have started a Bible College and church. The Bible College prepares nationals for a variety of ministries. Several graduates have started churches in other areas of Ukraine and some have gone to other countries as missionaries. Because the people here are usually too poor to afford leaving their jobs to study, the Bible College provides a free education and a living stipend to the students to allow them to complete the two year program. The Bible College occupies two adjoining apartments in a local tenement building. The church consists of nationals, some American missionaries, and some Ukrainians who are on staff with Campus Crusade. We meet in rooms rented from a local public school. In addition to the college and church, there are several ongoing ministries that the students are involved in. These include Bible studies for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, Bible clubs at a variety of hospitals, and help and visitation to some invalids who are unable to leave their homes.
Our involvement will include help in administering the church and college and outreach English classes. We are currently planning our first English classes to begin in January, and have started to plan for these classes in the last couple of weeks. Our first session will be ten weeks long and we are looking at it as a trial run. It will only meet once a week and depending on the response we will determine if we should expand it when the second ten week session starts.
Because our current focus is on learning languages, we are trying to limit our involvement in ministry initially. That is difficult to do as we are quickly getting busier and busier. I am currently meeting with a young nurse in our church who requested English lessons. Bill has been meeting with the assistant pastors regarding some administration issues. He is also planning on meeting with a friend we have made in the church for personal discipleship and is hoping that this gentleman will be able to help him with his Ukrainian as well. He has decided to learn Ukrainian.
We have been invited to different social events and into people’s homes, and have been trying to reciprocate when we have free evenings. This week we are going with some Americans to listen to a full orchestra and choir perform The Messiah, something which we are truly looking forward to.
Thank you all for praying. We truly desire to have effective ministries here and wish there was a magic pill that we could take to immediately learn the languages and overcome this barrier. We are trusting that even in this time of preparation, the Lord would use us to accomplish His purposes.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our involvement will include help in administering the church and college and outreach English classes. We are currently planning our first English classes to begin in January, and have started to plan for these classes in the last couple of weeks. Our first session will be ten weeks long and we are looking at it as a trial run. It will only meet once a week and depending on the response we will determine if we should expand it when the second ten week session starts.
Because our current focus is on learning languages, we are trying to limit our involvement in ministry initially. That is difficult to do as we are quickly getting busier and busier. I am currently meeting with a young nurse in our church who requested English lessons. Bill has been meeting with the assistant pastors regarding some administration issues. He is also planning on meeting with a friend we have made in the church for personal discipleship and is hoping that this gentleman will be able to help him with his Ukrainian as well. He has decided to learn Ukrainian.
We have been invited to different social events and into people’s homes, and have been trying to reciprocate when we have free evenings. This week we are going with some Americans to listen to a full orchestra and choir perform The Messiah, something which we are truly looking forward to.
Thank you all for praying. We truly desire to have effective ministries here and wish there was a magic pill that we could take to immediately learn the languages and overcome this barrier. We are trusting that even in this time of preparation, the Lord would use us to accomplish His purposes.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Our heads are hurting!
Our Russian lessons have really amped up. After two hours of intense concentration, being asked to read and respond to questions in Russian, we feel as if our heads will explode. And then home and time to study for tomorrow’s lesson. Bill also is continuing to study for one of his last seminary courses so he is quite overloaded. He has yet to decide whether to learn Ukrainian or Russian when we start at the official language school in January. He has surveyed many people that we have met as to which language they feel would be more useful. At times their political leanings influence their answers. Those who have great loyalty to Ukraine and especially those with roots in western Ukraine feel that it is essential for him to learn Ukrainian and that the people here and especially in western Ukraine (should we end up there) will be more appreciative of his knowledge of that language. Some who are either Russian born or miss the old communist system are adamant that Russian is the best choice. As for me, we have decided that it will be best to continue to learn Russian so we may end up as a trilingual family.
Much of our shopping is done at an outdoor market which is a combination farmer’s market/swap meet. You can buy clothes, books, plumbing, furniture, meat, and all sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables. In the last couple of weeks we have developed a relationship with a young Indian man who sells household cleaning supplies. Being from India, his second language is English and he is eager to speak with other English speakers as he does not have a good knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian. His name is Farri and we hope to continue to develop a friendship with him.
This Saturday we are going to a jazz concert at the music conservatory located in Independence Square. We have invited Alla, a friend who is a graduate of the Bible College to go with us. Our church choir director has a husband who is in a group that will be performing (we are working on including a traditional Ukrainian Christmas carol from that group on the blogsite).
Our Wednesday night Bible study this week was on the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise after the news that she would be the mother of the long awaited Messiah (Luke 1:46-56). The wonderful message for us and all who choose to follow the Lord is that He takes the ordinary people who are of no special importance and uses them to accomplish His purposes. That is who we are and we are hoping that God will indeed use us to accomplish His purposes here.
Prayer Requests: Direction for Bill regarding whether to learn Ukrainian or Russian
Continued relationship with Farri
Luke 1:46-47 My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 1:49-52 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name and His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has show strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
Much of our shopping is done at an outdoor market which is a combination farmer’s market/swap meet. You can buy clothes, books, plumbing, furniture, meat, and all sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables. In the last couple of weeks we have developed a relationship with a young Indian man who sells household cleaning supplies. Being from India, his second language is English and he is eager to speak with other English speakers as he does not have a good knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian. His name is Farri and we hope to continue to develop a friendship with him.
This Saturday we are going to a jazz concert at the music conservatory located in Independence Square. We have invited Alla, a friend who is a graduate of the Bible College to go with us. Our church choir director has a husband who is in a group that will be performing (we are working on including a traditional Ukrainian Christmas carol from that group on the blogsite).
Our Wednesday night Bible study this week was on the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise after the news that she would be the mother of the long awaited Messiah (Luke 1:46-56). The wonderful message for us and all who choose to follow the Lord is that He takes the ordinary people who are of no special importance and uses them to accomplish His purposes. That is who we are and we are hoping that God will indeed use us to accomplish His purposes here.
Prayer Requests: Direction for Bill regarding whether to learn Ukrainian or Russian
Continued relationship with Farri
Luke 1:46-47 My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 1:49-52 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name and His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has show strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Settling In
Today is the 3 week anniversary of our arrival and two weeks of living in our apartment. It feels as if it is taki
ng forever to get the things we need for the apartment. We finally found acceptable pillows today and hope to find a good mop and a broom tomorrow. Why is this so difficult? Well, it is the same problem that the majority of the Ukrainians have. You can only buy what you can carry home. I do not cease to marvel at the strength and endurance of these people. A friend told us that there are two classes here, the very rich, and the poor. The rich are increasing in numbers, as you see many modern high rise apartments going up, many cars on the street, and shops here with very expensive things. However, the majority of people use mass transit, carry everything home, and can only buy small amounts at a time because of small apartments with little refrigerators and limited cabinet space. Because of these conditions people shop frequently regardless of how cold or wet it is. The streets and metros are full of people even at nine in the evening. The snowstorm that came in early November has turned to glaciers that cover the parking lots and sidewalks adding danger to these daily outings.
Our Russian tutor, who we mentioned before, is an answer to prayer. Tatiana is a very good teacher with a good method for teaching. Russian is an interesting language. It combines all sorts of strange consonants in blends like sdr, stv, dv, etc. Another complicating factor is the large number of syllables in many words. The word for female professor is “prepodavatyelnitsa” which has required a great deal of practice in order to get it right. I still have to say it in slow motion.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration a couple of days early at the home of the Myers. They invited several Americans and we had a great turkey dinner, just like home. We met some great people who have different ministries around the city. It is interesting to hear of all the things that one could be involved in, ministries to different types of hospitals, a church that helps a large number of poor widows, ministries to street kids, orphanages, etc. One gentleman at our dinner is a gifted director who runs a musical conservatory and tours with his orchestra and choir. They just returned from a trip to closed countries in middle Asia and were able to perform Christian classical music including the Messiah to large audiences and explain the meaning and origins of these works.
Prayer Requests: Safety on the sidewalks.
Continued prayers for direction regarding ministry.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
ng forever to get the things we need for the apartment. We finally found acceptable pillows today and hope to find a good mop and a broom tomorrow. Why is this so difficult? Well, it is the same problem that the majority of the Ukrainians have. You can only buy what you can carry home. I do not cease to marvel at the strength and endurance of these people. A friend told us that there are two classes here, the very rich, and the poor. The rich are increasing in numbers, as you see many modern high rise apartments going up, many cars on the street, and shops here with very expensive things. However, the majority of people use mass transit, carry everything home, and can only buy small amounts at a time because of small apartments with little refrigerators and limited cabinet space. Because of these conditions people shop frequently regardless of how cold or wet it is. The streets and metros are full of people even at nine in the evening. The snowstorm that came in early November has turned to glaciers that cover the parking lots and sidewalks adding danger to these daily outings.
Our Russian tutor, who we mentioned before, is an answer to prayer. Tatiana is a very good teacher with a good method for teaching. Russian is an interesting language. It combines all sorts of strange consonants in blends like sdr, stv, dv, etc. Another complicating factor is the large number of syllables in many words. The word for female professor is “prepodavatyelnitsa” which has required a great deal of practice in order to get it right. I still have to say it in slow motion.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration a couple of days early at the home of the Myers. They invited several Americans and we had a great turkey dinner, just like home. We met some great people who have different ministries around the city. It is interesting to hear of all the things that one could be involved in, ministries to different types of hospitals, a church that helps a large number of poor widows, ministries to street kids, orphanages, etc. One gentleman at our dinner is a gifted director who runs a musical conservatory and tours with his orchestra and choir. They just returned from a trip to closed countries in middle Asia and were able to perform Christian classical music including the Messiah to large audiences and explain the meaning and origins of these works.
Prayer Requests: Safety on the sidewalks.
Continued prayers for direction regarding ministry.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Random Events & Observations
We have been in our apartment for just over a week now and have spent time cleaning, borrowing items, and shopping in order to make it home.
There have been challenges in adjusting to being in a foreign country (as there will continue to be). Examples: 1) We have a small wash machine which takes approximately 3 hours for a cycle. The first time we used it we tripped the switches half a dozen times and then realized that by unplugging the refrigerator and turning off all lights we could successfully make it through a cycle. 2) Our refrigerator is very old and does not have a door on the freezer. We put apples in the refrigerator and the first time we bit into one it was like having an apple popsicle. 3) We do not yet have an internet connection because the people in our building voted not to have internet cable so we walk to the
However, there are so many good things about being here. We continue to find that the people in our church are very kind and welcoming. We also have an American friend, a young woman named Simone, who is very good at Russian and spent a day teaching us the ropes. She taught us how to make transfers on the metro system (subway type mass transit), which brands to look for in grocery stores, where to buy the best meat, produce, etc., and most importantly, a good restaurant for pan pizza. Bill and I have been on the "Jerry-Subway" diet (kind of). While I have been getting my kitchen organized we have made it a habit to walk 2 miles to McDonalds every night and back. Will it work? We do everything on foot so we should be very healthy very soon.
We had a large snow storm last weekend with over half a foot of snow. It has been fun to see the toddlers in their big snow suits unable to move their arms. It is common to see parents pulling their children along on sleds. Snowmen have cropped up everywhere and when we were downtown there was a major snowball fight going on between school boys in one of the large squares. Unfortunately, the storm has left over 1,000 small villages without power and most still do not have it as of today.
Last Saturday, we spent a wonderful evening with Oksana and her parents, Roman and Nadia. Normal Ukrainian hospitality dictates a meal of several courses and it is polite to eat it all. We did and it was great. They were so generous and sent extra food home with us as well as a gift of a cooking pan. Roman shared many recollections of living under Soviet rule that we were quite interested in. He has worked as a mathematician all of his life and said that at his research institution, it was necessary to get permission from the KGB to Xerox anything at the job. All typewriters were required to be registered with the KGB (dangerous weapons) and they were able to trace all typed documents to the typewriter that produced them. It was illegal to tell political jokes under communism so they made a joke about political jokes which goes like this:
Did you hear that the KGB had a contest for the best political joke?
First prize – 20 years
Second prize – 10 years
Third prize – 5 years
Monday, November 5, 2007
A Place of our Own
Psalm 31:19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of Men!
We are here! (Oh yes, and it is snowing) We arrived safely last Wednesday and were met at the airport by the director of the Bible College, Oleg. As he drove us to our temporary home in the village of Rozhevka, we were able to catch up as he was an acquaintance from our first trip. We discussed with him our desire to find an apartment and what we were looking for. Two days later he had found an apartment that was within walking distance of the Bible College, public transportation and shopping. He and many others here were quite amazed as there is a shortage of apartments. Thank you so much to all of you who were praying for this for us. The Lord appears to have us on an accelerated course to get started with our ministry here.
Our apartment is very sunny, furnished, and has two bedrooms, a small living room, and a tiny kitchen. And it has a washing machine which is a big plus! We are on the third floor (perfect for when the elevator decides not to work). We move in this Wednesday and will have to start looking for small appliances, kitchen utensils, etc.
We have been enjoying our stay with the Myers at their place in the country. We took a walk through the village the other day and made the mistake of greeting a couple of neighbors in Russian. They both immediately launched into full conversations. We explained that we didn’t understand so they slowed down and spoke very loudly (still in Russian). Until we learn the language better, we will probably just greet people in English so they do not get the wrong idea.
We attended church yesterday in Kiev. It was a wonderful service and it was good to see friends that we had made a year ago. The people are very friendly and kind and were quite happy to hear that our home in the mountains had come through the fire as they had been praying for that.
Our next tasks will be to find a good language teacher and get settled in our place. We hope to start Russian lessons next week.
Prayer requests: Direction regarding which ministries we would be best suited for and could manage during our time of language learning
We are here! (Oh yes, and it is snowing) We arrived safely last Wednesday and were met at the airport by the director of the Bible College, Oleg. As he drove us to our temporary home in the village of Rozhevka, we were able to catch up as he was an acquaintance from our first trip. We discussed with him our desire to find an apartment and what we were looking for. Two days later he had found an apartment that was within walking distance of the Bible College, public transportation and shopping. He and many others here were quite amazed as there is a shortage of apartments. Thank you so much to all of you who were praying for this for us. The Lord appears to have us on an accelerated course to get started with our ministry here.
Our apartment is very sunny, furnished, and has two bedrooms, a small living room, and a tiny kitchen. And it has a washing machine which is a big plus! We are on the third floor (perfect for when the elevator decides not to work). We move in this Wednesday and will have to start looking for small appliances, kitchen utensils, etc.
We have been enjoying our stay with the Myers at their place in the country. We took a walk through the village the other day and made the mistake of greeting a couple of neighbors in Russian. They both immediately launched into full conversations. We explained that we didn’t understand so they slowed down and spoke very loudly (still in Russian). Until we learn the language better, we will probably just greet people in English so they do not get the wrong idea.
We attended church yesterday in Kiev. It was a wonderful service and it was good to see friends that we had made a year ago. The people are very friendly and kind and were quite happy to hear that our home in the mountains had come through the fire as they had been praying for that.
Our next tasks will be to find a good language teacher and get settled in our place. We hope to start Russian lessons next week.
Prayer requests: Direction regarding which ministries we would be best suited for and could manage during our time of language learning
Monday, October 29, 2007
Southern California Fire Update
On Friday evening we got the good news that our cabin did not burn in the recent fire. For those of you who did not know, we were one of the many thousands who had to evacuate last Monday. One of the large fires in the San Bernardino mountains started within a couple of miles from where we live and before leaving we were able to see flames from our windows. We packed for our Ukraine trip in a panic in the course of an hour and a half. Left several things at the cabin that we needed and brought things with us that we didn’t need. Nothing that can’t be remedied. We really appreciate the friends and family that prayed for our home. At one point the entire town was surrounded by fire and the fire department was pulled out as it was too dangerous for them to stay. And so, it is quite remarkable that only 10% of the homes in our village were destroyed. God is good!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Get Ready! Go!
A brief history: Two years ago the Lord got our attention. We were to try something different than the status quo. So we quit our jobs and sold our home in San Diego. Now Bill has 2 classes to take over the internet to complete the 2 year Seminary program, and Ann just received her Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certificate this July.
Two summers ago we had the privilege of interning with James F. Myers Ministries in Kiev, Ukraine. Seeing firsthand their work with a Bible College for nationals and a church plant sparked our interest in going overseas. This April we were honored to receive an invitation to join Jim and the staff full time.
As we complete the final days of preparation, we both look forward to digging in. We plan to drive up to Seattle 10/24 and depart for Kiev on 10/29. This summer has given us a number of opportunities to fellowship with friends and family and receive what we covet the most, the prayer support to do our work through Jesus Christ.
The Lord has done great things for us!
Bill & Ann
Prayer requests:
- safe travel
- ease in finding an apartment and getting settled
Two summers ago we had the privilege of interning with James F. Myers Ministries in Kiev, Ukraine. Seeing firsthand their work with a Bible College for nationals and a church plant sparked our interest in going overseas. This April we were honored to receive an invitation to join Jim and the staff full time.
As we complete the final days of preparation, we both look forward to digging in. We plan to drive up to Seattle 10/24 and depart for Kiev on 10/29. This summer has given us a number of opportunities to fellowship with friends and family and receive what we covet the most, the prayer support to do our work through Jesus Christ.
The Lord has done great things for us!
Bill & Ann
Prayer requests:
- safe travel
- ease in finding an apartment and getting settled
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