I really love to take pictures of the orphans at the hospital. Some of them stop everything they're doing and offer a huge smile to the camera. Nikita is one of them.
Pray for a family for Nikita. He is an active, fun-loving little boy...with a GREAT smile.
Two more cuties. Love attention. Need homes.
It's easy to see why I absolutely love going to the hospital to spend time with these precious ones.
It has seemed a bit crazy here lately. I've been trying to figure what NORMAL is. Maybe this IS normal.
Jim took an overnight train on Monday to a city in southwestern Ukraine. He had at least two scheduled meetings with folks there who were interested in conferences: one wanted a specific medical conference and the other wanted a conference showing the relationship between faith and medicine. Good and productive meetings. He then reboarded the train for his overnight trip back to Kyiv. He arrived at our flat sometime near 9:00 a.m. We quickly shared news over a cup of coffee. He showered and went to the office and returned home around 7:30...in time to check out a 4-month-old little girl. She had come to our flat with her mother who was leading a Bible study here.
Jeanne is teaching English to a 2-year-old little boy three mornings a week. If she comes STRAIGHT home, she walks in around 1:30. If indeed she spends the afternoon at home, she frequently is reading in preparation for her biblical counselling studies that begin on Monday. On Monday afternoon she was part of a planning committee meeting for the Kyiv Christian Women's Fellowship, helped set things up for the meeting, and acted as hostess for a houseguest who had travelled 90 minutes to attend the meeting. Cheryl spent the night and then the two of them met two other missionaries for breakfast. The conversation was so encouraging -- sharing what God has been doing in their lives -- that she didn't get home until close to 11:00. Tuesday night she attended a rehearsal of the Kyiv Youth Orchestra and Chorus. She left early this morning to teach Vanya, stopped at the Landro's house (a missionary family moving today or tomorrow for western Ukraine), arrived home mid-afternoon. After grabbing a bite to eat, she headed to another rehearsal of the KYOC -- this time with the orchestra -- in preparation for a concert tomorrow night. She arrived home after 9:00.
After the KCWF meeting on Monday night, I made the mistake of staying up with Jeanne and Cheryl...watching an episode of House MD on DVD. Strange show, but filled with some very funny lines. He surely could not hold a job in a real hospital setting... I had a Ukrainian language lesson from 9 until 11, with a hefty assignment of homework to be completed by Wednesday at 12:30! (My lessons are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday). I enjoyed some moments with Jeanne before she left for rehearsal. I was anticipating a couple of hours all to myself to be able to study Ukrainian. (I get so distracted when others are around...) Evenings are not my best time for study...I actually prefer mornings. A couple of minutes after Jeanne left, the doorbell rang. Assuming she had forgotten something, I opened the door to find Vadim, a friend of Jamie's, at the door. He was coming to fix our desktop. Poor old computer hadn't been working for several weeks -- ever since I tried to defrag with not enough memory left to do so. Anyway, he was here until 9:00. And he managed to fix it...I was shocked! He left, I pulled out my Ukrainian lesson, and in walked Jeanne. I opted to watch another episode of House MD with her...and then blogged.
Today I was up VERY early to study and to be sure to have coffee ready for Jim upon his arrival. He left for the office, I checked email, I threw in a load of laundry, putzed around the kitchen, made a couple of phone calls, and finally got back to my Ukrainian studies. My lesson went from 12:30 until 2:30. I removed the teacups, stacked my lessons together, and pulled out the last questions for a Bible study that met here tonight at 6:15. Great final lesson focusing on the book of 1 John. I grabbed dinner, set out mugs for tea, and quickly swept the floor. (You never know when this sweet little baby will begin moving around a bit more and I don't want her on a dirty floor!!)
Jim examined the baby, the ladies left, and our mission president skyped us from Indiana. Very productive phone call, but it was waaaaay late by the time we hung up. Jeanne returned home and we debated whether we had enough energy to watch an episode of Nikita or House. (These are borrowed DVDs that we need to return by mid-December.)
Everyone has now gone to bed, and I am finishing up my daily blog.
And TOMORROW....Anna arrives. Now THAT is definitely NOT normal! She hasn't been here since Jamie's wedding in August 2005, and that was for only a few days. This time we get her for the whole month of December PLUS!
A favorite word here is "normalna," describing your life, your health, your food, whatever.
So how is OUR life here? What seems really insane is actually...well, uh...I guess it's just "normalna."
Pray for endurance...
BEFORE our family became foreign missionaries serving in Ukraine, when I met a missionary I was almost afraid to talk to them. For fear that I would say something that might not be totally according to God's Word. I was sooo sure that missionaries knew just about EVERYTHING about the Bible and how to live, what to say and when, had perfect families. I surely didn't want to expose my weaknesses (or my family's).
And, THEN, I became one! Oh, my! Would I be expected to be all that I had come to think other missionaries were? Fortunately, I quickly came to realize that God calls us for the job and then provides what we need. Looking back, we see so many times that He was preparing us for this particular mission.
But one thing that He didn't do: He didn't make me an expert on the Bible. He didn't make me remember everything that I had ever read. He didn't make our family perfect. He didn't instantly make me a wise and godly woman. That process is a continuing work...sanctification.
Once we moved, I again felt a bit under-prepared. Families seemed so together. It appeared that everyone had had way more training than we had had. (Can you say NO training?! We are simply a family that moved from the US to Ukraine...continuing to do those things we had first done in Maryland. Only NOW, we were considered "missionaries.") I felt the pressure that I had to do everything "just right." That our family needed to model perfect Christianity. I even wondered if God had sent the wrong family.
But, in a very short time, I remembered that God doesn't make mistakes. He called our family to Him. Not because of anything WE had done. But because it pleased HIM. He is the One in control. And He knows us, inside and out. If He chose us for this job, then He must have wanted us to be here just the way we are. Yet willing and eager to grow and change.
Five years later, and I'm still amazed that God would use US.
And thankful that I don't have to be perfect. Growing more like Him. Changing. But not perfect.
Last night the Kyiv Christian Women's Fellowship met at our flat. A fellow missionary and good friend (Michelle) was the guest speaker. She shared about challenges in her ministry and her life over the past year. She has changed churches, she works with a different mission than when she arrived (still working with street children -- a God-given passion!). Major changes. But she has had One who was constant throughout. She shared about the need to lean HARD on God. Trust that He is still faithful today and tomorrow just as He was yesterday. Follow HIM, not the crowd. Make hard choices based on HIS truth. Even if it's not popular. Even if other missionaries see it a different way. Even if you might lose some financial support. Follow HIM!!
She was totally honest. Vulnerable. Encouraging.
But not perfect.
God is still at work. She's available. And it's a beautiful thing to witness.
Thanks, Michelle.
Growing with you...
What is sweeter than enjoying someone's FIRST Thanksgiving?
I can't believe that it is actually PAST MIDNIGHT...I have officially missed a day of blogging. BUT, does it count that I haven't gone to bed yet? It's not THAT late...
...that daughter ANNA will be arriving in Kyiv on Thursday morning?
Please pray that her last couple of days in Salisbury will provide her time to PACK (she is hand-delivering Santa's sack this year!) as well as time to pull together the loose ends concerning her fundraising. Anna is serving with Operation Mobilisation -- she has recently finished a 2-year stint and will return in February to serve 3 more years in, well, let's say, further east than we are.
December is going to be such a GREAT month with the whole family in the same country!
Last year President Viktor Yushchenko initiated the first ever Memorial Day to honor the victims of the Holodomor -- murder by hunger. And today marks the second year of officially recognizing this horrific time in Ukraine.
Hear from a survivor. See how this issue still affects the people of Ukraine today. And how it is now a political dividing point in the parliament here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6179818.stm
Please pray that the truth will be known.
I went to visit "my" kids at the hospital today. I love going to visit these orphans...the kids love to see us and the STAFF (including the head nurse AND the head doctor) love to see us.
When Nika and I entered the usual room, we were greeted by smiles and hugs from little Dasha, as well as the two women who take care of these children on a daily basis. (One has been hired by a Ukrainian organization to care for these orphans, and the other is a friend of the first...and comes strictly as a volunteer.) Veronica (the volunteer) was busy brushing Dasha's hair and creating sweet little ponytails. Veronica calls Dasha the Princess. We noticed a new young charge, Alosha, whose mother is in prison. Our two teeny infants were snuggled down in their bassinets.
And then we noticed a sleeping child. Upon closer examination, we were shocked to discover that Nikita was back. I have blogged about him before; his grandmother had just recently officially become his legal guardian and had taken Nikita to her home. Apparently he was too much for her to handle. He is extremely inquisitive, checking out anything and everything around him. He climbs up and under anything available. And he moves oh so quickly. All while sporting a huge grin! It appears he will be at the hospital until paperwork can be sorted out that would permit him to enter an orphanage.
In the room next to our usual room, we discovered 5 of our favorite children from the orphanage. They had one of their regular caretakers with them, but she was thankful to have extra hands while they were waiting to be fed. Little Karina, Artyom, Maxim, Alina, and Albina. They are getting cuter every day. I am not sure why so many were admitted to this hospital over this past week, but I secretly LOVE to see these kids periodically. At this point, I can ONLY see them when they are admitted to this ward. Officially, the orphanage will not allow anyone other than the staff to actually spend time inside with these children.
Please pray with us that these children will find real homes in which to grow up. The caretaker grinned with me as she heard the children giggling, even guffawing, as I tickled them. No matter how much the caretakers at the orphanage might WANT to give the children so much individual attention, they just don't have enough hands to do it. The numbers of children living there is increasing rapidly, and the staff is actually overwhelmed...working as hard as they can, but simply not able to provide all that these children need.
We thank God for the workers...for their love and their care.
We pray for more hands.
Even ours.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Mother (or Gramma, depending on which of us is singing!)
Happy birthday to you!
We love you, and send you warm birthday hugs and kisses. Enjoy your day!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day!
We are preparing dinner for 10 people for tomorrow afternoon. It reminds me of our times in Salisbury...when occasionally we would have to borrow tables and chairs to have a place for everyone to sit. This is one of my favorite holidays.
Preparation here in Ukraine may be a bit more like it was in the 1600s! At least in respect to how long it takes to actually FIND the foods you want to serve. Michelle and I were still foraging for the turkey this afternoon! Jeanne has been creating pies. The wild rice and mushroom casserole is ready to be reheated. The cranberry sauce was made earlier in the week. Okay, not REAL Ocean Spray cranberries like we found last year, but the Ukrainian alternative.
We've already sampled the "at last an interesting cheeseball": created specifically for those worker bees who come early to help get things ready. And it is again interesting AND tasty.
Today is all about food preparation. Tomorrow is all about remembering all those special people, events, and things with which God has blessed us. Over and over again.
And a day set aside to say THANKS to Him.
A friend posted a fun quiz in her blog -- noting that there are many distinguishing words depending upon where you live in the States. Well, I am often told by Yankees that I have a southern accent...and told by my southern friends that I speak more like a Yankee.
I learned to speak in Georgia...in fact, spent my first six years there (minus the first few months in Ohio). I then spent over 20 years in Cincinnati and then nearly 20 in Maryland. I was spoiled enough to spend most of my summers on Cape Cod.
It was quite interesting to see the results of this quiz!
***Your Linguistic Profile:***
50% General American English
20% Dixie
20% Yankee
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofamericanenglishdoyouspeakquiz/
Hmmm, a pretty good blend of Dixie and Yankee...but 20 years in the Midwest and not one percentage point!
Now, to concentrate on Ukrainian...
