EuroTeam Outreach was invited to hold an English club this past week in the town of Skole, about 1 1/2 southwest of L’viv. Serhiy, a young Christian man has a desire to see his town hear the gospel and come to know Christ, and we are praying that our time in Skole proves to be a good ice breaker with the folks there, and other doors will be opened as a result. Though we had expected more students to take part in the 4-day program, we were thrilled with the participation and energy of the group that did come. Each day we included several aspects of English, including grammar, idioms, and vocabulary, and used various methods of instruction, such as games, group discussion, and one-on-one conversation. We even shared with the group some authentic American cuisine- chocolate chip cookies and Oreos.  I am convinced that the students improved their English skills, and we were truly blessed to have this opportunity to have an impact in their lives. Please pray that we will be able to continue our relationship with these students and their families. Our greatest desire would be that they hear the gospel and come to know Him as their personal Savior.

Jessie, Joshua, and Serhiy

The gang's all here

Jessie leads the class in a discussion

Joshua explains the grammar focus of the day.

God blessed us with some beautiful scenery in the Carpathians.

Gifts of a home made bracelet and picanka (painted egg) from a couple students.

Students mingle and talk during one of the games.

If there is anything I have learned this last month in L’viv it is to give myself more time to get from point A to point B, and expect to do more walking than I used to. With the new year came a new transportation regime, with fewer buses and changed routes. I think the purpose is to have less congestion in the center of town and to get rid of some overlapping routes. It is a nice idea in theory, but the authorities may need to re-think or re-design things a little if they expect this plan to be successful, especially with the arrival of thousands of guests for the Euro 2012 football tournament in June.  Because there are fewer buses, they come less frequently, and therefore each bus is more packed with people.  There have been times I have seen a bus so full that the frame is almost dragging on the ground and the doors barely close. Actually, that is not much different than before, though the safety factor should be a concern should an accident occur, God forbid.  So if a bus finally does come, will I be able to fit on it?

Also, where before I was able to catch one or two different buses to my destination I now have perhaps just one bus that takes me where I need to go, or somewhere in the close proximity.  Though the extra walking is great exercise, it is often time consuming and cuts into a busy day.

So what am I learning spiritually in all this?  Isn’t that the question we’re supposed to ask ourselves whenever something tough or bothersome happens to us?  For one thing, I have learned to be more disciplined with my time, making sure I leave enough time for the extra wait, unexpected walk, etc. I have also learned patience while waiting for the right bus.  I have become more knowledgeable about the names of the streets that I don’t frequent, learning the routes of other buses. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, this is life. I am where God wants me, doing what God wants me to do. I can’t let a little inconvenience take away my joy and cause me to have a bad attitude about a system and situation over which I have no control.

I figured it was time to get back into the habit of writing my blog. I don’t know why or how I got so lazy in keeping up the page, but forgive me. I changed the style and photo, and hopefully I will be able to be more faithful in posting.

BRRR. But enough about the weather. Holiday season is officially over, as here it extends though almost the entire month of January. I resumed my bi-weekly trips to the local orphanage where I have the opportunity to minister with national Christians in presenting the gospel to the children. We were blessed to have 11 Ukrainians last week at English club, including 4 new people. There was a full mailbox of Bible lessons, and we have about a dozen new students to register as soon as we get more of the first lesson back from Oleksy, our printer. He recently broke his leg and has been out of work for a couple weeks. Pray for Bible Baptist Church this month, as Pastor Dan will be going to the states to purchase and ship the vehicle his family has needed for so long. It really is cheaper and easier that way. On the 8th of this month I travel to Kiev for a day to visit Angie Bonner Morgan, who is in the country for a missions trip with her church. Besides all my “normal” activities this month, I will add to my adventures a border crossing with Laurel and her 5 kids plus watching 3 other children for 4 days. Never a dull moment here. It’s also that time of year to start planning for spring and summer ministries. We are praying for some new places to hold VBS this summer, and the ETO ministry plans to have the English version of the Correspondence Bible course ready and available this summer. So lots of things to organize and pray about. Thank you in advance for bringing Ukrainians and their spiritual needs before the throne of grace. God bless you.

As you know, or don’t, I have to go out of the country every 90 days or so to keep up with government requirements to keep my visa valid. This week I went with the Bardwell family to Krakow, Poland, as they also needed to cross the border. Sometimes we just get a local bus, go to the Polish border about 1 1/2 hours from L’viv, walk over the border at one of the checkpoints, and then return. But this time, since Silas needed to get his visa renewed, we decided to make a short sight-seeing trip out of it. So we took an overnight train to Krakow, saw some sights in the old and beautiful city, stayed a night, and then returned the next evening on another train. Overall, the kids were great travellers. We had a good time at the Oceanarium, which was more like an indoor zoo for fish and reptiles, and we enjoyed some “American” food like Pizza Hut and Burger King. It was also nice to meet a missionary couple who have been  ministering in Krakow for about 14 years.  Each year it seems the laws (or interpretation of the laws) change regarding foreigners and visas.  Please pray with us that we are able to stay and serve God as long as he leads and allows.

I just realized that I went an entire month without writing anything. I got back to L’viv on the 9th after 3 days of travel. It usually doesn’t take that long, but because of my flight schedule I didn’t get into Warsaw in time to get a flight into L’viv the same day so I stayed at a hotel in Warsaw overnight and flew out at 11 a.m. on the 9th. It took a couple of days to re-acclimate myself to Ukraine’s time zone and food differences, but I was soon back into the swing of  things. I had several questions from CBC students’ lessons waiting for me and it took a couple of weeks to get them all answered. I think more and more students are interested in more than just what is written in the lessons, and we are getting more questions. Pray that I have wisdom in answering them properly and with good scriptural references. I have a chance to work in an orphanage a couple times a month and tomorrow have a part in teaching the story of Moses.

I am writing this update from the Bardwell’s house in the village where the kids are getting over a stomach virus that has wiped them out for several days.  They say there is something going around, which usually happens when the weather changes here.  We are also preparing to start a Bible club here in Karachaniv, including English lessons, crafts, games, and of course, Bible lessons.  We have found that the character sketches in nature studies are a good place to start with the kids and can incorporate all aspects of our club.  We are praying for a way to further our input into the community and  hope that kids will come and enjoy their time with us.

Perhaps in the next few days I will upload some pictures from my time in the states. I had a great time visiting family and long lost friends.  I am glad to be home and back in the thick of things.  Continue to pray for the ministry. God bless.

It is the last couple days of August, and in one week I will be traveling back to Ukraine.  Though the time in the states has been good and I have enjoyed the rest and time with family and friends I am ready to get back home and back to work. I have been able to prepare some answer keys to our lessons and write a couple of students while here, but I really missed the hands on lesson work with the ETO team and sharing in the ministry of Bible Baptist Church this summer.  One of the highlights of my time here at First Bible has been the opportunity to help with Happy Five soccer and refereeing the 7-8 year old girls. I was able to speak to 3 different age group Sunday School classes and share my ministry with them.  This last week before leaving I have some boxes to ship out and last minute get togethers. I was able to find a good airline deal, so I will be able to fly from Warsaw to L’viv instead of having to take an all-day bus ride. That is a big blessing in itself.  I am looking forward to the fall and the many ministry opportunities it will bring. Thank you for your prayers. Continue to pray for the lost souls of Ukraine to come to the Lord.

I have been in New York now for about a month and thought I would let you know what I’ve been up to. The wedding of my friends Zachary and Heidi was a blessing to see.  When his mom asked him a couple weeks later how the whole marriage things was going, he said he was a fan.  I got to help with our church’s Spirit of America celebration on July 4th and thoroughly enjoyed selling hot dogs and watching the beautiful fireworks display. Praise the Lord for America and the freedoms we still have.  I have been doing some scrap booking and shopping for some odds and ends that aren’t available in Ukraine.  My chiropractor tells me that I have a herniated disc in my neck, and he has be treating me for that a couple times a week. If it doesn’t improve significantly soon I will have to have protisone shots and an MRI, both which will be costly financially, so please pray that it improves soon. This week my mother and I have traveled south to visit some friend I made in college and shortly thereafter when I was living in Augusta, GA. It has been great to reminisce over old times and catch up on the last several years.  I still have another trip to take in August to visit friends in the Midwest, but most of August will be spent close to home in Rochester. Unless of course, God changes things. He has a way of doing that, we know.

We will continue with English club during the summer months on Tuesday evenings, though we will not include the Bible study with it.  Josh, Nathan, and the others will be kept busy with other aspects of ETO ministry, and preparation for a study each week is timely. Two weeks ago we had a full house at English, with 16 total folks. Yesterday there were only 4 Ukrainians, but they are our faithful few, and the interaction with us Americans has been great. I just thought I would throw in a couple pictures.

Dasha, Roman, and Taras are there almost every week.

Jessie does a great job each week leading the discussion.

Just a short note to let you know what is going on this month. We have had some pretty wet days this past month, but lately the skies have been quite blue and beautiful. The Carpathian Mountain Outreach ministry is in full swing now, and it is great to have Benjamin Anna here to be a part of it. They are expecting another 3 or 4 men during the summer months, but Josh, Nathan, Bryan, Ben, and Jessie are already busy passing out literature and evangelizing villages. CMO is an arm of ETO, Euro Team Outreach, of which the Correspondence Bible Course and English club/Bible study are also a part. If you haven’t looked into the ministry, check out our website at www.euroteamoutreach.org. We also have a Facebook page that includes several pictures and videos of the ministry.

My biggest project right now is getting ready for Vacation Bible School, being held June 21-26. It is coming along well, and the kids are excited and inviting their friends to be a part. A special thanks to my ladies’ prayer group for the treats and prizes they sent to be used in the pinata that will the great treasure at the end of the week. I would appreciate you prayers for that week. First of all, for lots of kids to come and hear the gospel. Second, for adult helpers, and third, for good weather the entire week.

Not only is June a busy month because of VBS, but I am preparing to return to the states for July and August, and there are a lot of things to do to before I leave. Katelin Day and the Beals have volunteered to help with the correspondence course in my absence, and they will need a little training in the process of correcting lessons and sending materials. The CMO team has “rented” my apartment for the time I am gone, and I will need to get that ready for them. There are a few other things I have to finish up, so there won’t be much “down time” before I head back. Praise the Lord again for my prayer group and a few others who donated some money for my plane tickets. “But my God shall supply all your need..”.

Our days on earth are short, and the trumpet my blow at any time, so let us be faithful unto the end. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” I’ll see you here, there, or in the air.