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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Pray for children.

This morning as soon as she got her coat off, little Katya at church came running to me and wrapped her arms around me.  She clung to me for a few minutes, and her friend Anya also clung to me/Katya.  I refer to these girls as my little "ducklings" because they find me and hug me.  I don't know what their stories are, nor do I understand much of what they say, but all I can do is offer them hugs to show I care. More importantly, I hope that this shows them that Christ cares for them.

Please pray for the children around the world:  the children of Ukraine, the children of Mexico, the children in your own neighborhood.  Show them Christ's love and hope in this Advent season.

We pray for kids on city streets — 
even when they rob us. 
We pray for purity in teenagers — 
even when they seduce each other. 
We pray for children who could be learning — 
even when they sit in class like zombies. 
We pray for the goodness that is buried in young druggies — 
even when they are hustling people. 
We pray for them all in the name of the light 
that shines in the darkness — because 
we know that darkness cannot put it out. 
We pray for them all in the name of the light 
that lights everyone who comes into the world. 
We pray for them all in the name of the light who 
gives us the substance of things hoped for 
and is the evidence of things not seen.

~Tony Campolo, professor at Eastern University

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Peripheral Learning: Sixth grade party at my house

Sometimes I feel as though I'm learning valuable life lessons that are not part of the "core curriculum" of my Mission Corps role here in Ukraine.

How I had primarily imagined my time in Ukraine:
~Learning the Russian language and how to communicate cross-culturally
~Becoming friends with Ukrainians and other foreigners
~Gaining classroom experience by teaching at KCA
~Ministering alongside Ukrainians in children's ministry
~Learning more about what it is like to be a missionary for more than 2 months at a time

What I had NOT imagined, was the following (among other things):
~Ministering alongside Ukrainians in YOUTH ministry
~Learning that I quite enjoy having people over to my house
~Getting a taste of what it is like to be a mother of 5....or 6....or 10.... 

Last night I invited the 6th grade class to my house for a party then sleepover.  If, at this point, you think I am nuts, you are probably right.

Because my roommate and I live in an amazing 3-bedroom house, I decided early on that I wanted to invite groups of friends and students throughout the year, in order to take full advantage of this resource. In September, Michael had his 17th birthday party here, and we had 22 people total (Kiev missionaries, W&W team, and his friends).  In October, the senior girls (and then some) invited themselves over for a Friday night sleepover after youth group.

Yesterday after school, I boarded the marshrutka with 10 sixth graders.  The bus actually started rolling forward before we were all on, so I had to yell, "Нет! Нет!" (Nyet! Nyet! No! No!)  When I paid for 9 of us with a 50 грн bill, he couldn't understand me telling him how many--"Девять."* "Один?" "Нет, ДЕВЯТЬ!"  (Dyevat.  Odin? Nyet, dyevat!)  Riding the marshrutka with 10 children (ages 11-13), who did not know where to get off, scattered throughout the bus, was quite possibly the worst part.

*When I typed "nine" into the English part of my translator widget (so I could check my spelling), the Russian translation was "9."  Thank you.  Not helpful.

While at my house, the boys played basketball outside (joined occasionally by the girls who would also push each other around in a wheelbarrow), while the girls tried to coax our cat Kosmostar out of his hiding places.  Other hits of the night included:
~Using the stairmaster/elliptical machine (sometimes with 2 kids on the machine at once--they looked like they were rowing a boat), counting the calories they burned
~Playing the terribly out of tune piano
~Cuddling with the cat
~Basking in our huge bathtub--three girls were in there with their clothes on!
~Rapping in the dark kitchen (the girls...with the music on their phones...)
~Playing "Polish poker" (which is neither poker nor Polish) and other card games
~Watching movies
~Hide and go seek inside the house
~Feeding the hungry girls a snack of olives (with pits) straight out of the can

We had pizza for dinner, delivered from the pizza place just around the corner.  I did not want to do more dishes than required, so I had each student pick a mug and that was their mug for the entire time they were at the house.  They could wash and reuse it as many times as they wanted, for tea, or soda, or juice.

Around 7:30 pm, Luke's dad came to pick him up, and offered to take the other boys and I to the metro.  Fortunately, by this time, my friend Zee had arrived and could be the adult presence at the house.  After handing off the 3 boys to David's mom, I rode the bus home, enjoying the temporarily-quiet respite and alone time.  When you're temporarily--or permanently--a parent to many children, any alone time needs to be savored!

While the kids watched movies, Zee and I used this time to clean up the kitchen, washing dishes, shaking crumbs out of the tablecloth, and otherwise tidying the place.  With this many kids around, the place was a mess!  I'm so glad I restricted food to the kitchen and forbade them from taking food elsewhere into the house!  (With older kids, or fewer kids, or a less crazy evening, I am more flexible about this rule.)

A simple breakfast was planned for the girls who stayed overnight -- pancakes with peanut butter or syrup, along with some fruit.  These sixth grade girls (also the boys) had a much larger appetite than I'd imagined or planned!  Of course, that shouldn't be a surprise with all the energy they were using--even if they didn't count the calories!

Little by little, the six girls left, but not without me recruiting them to help clean the disaster zones.  I recruited two to dry and put away dishes, since I was running out of room on my drying rack.  When all the girls were still here, I had them fold and put away the blankets they used.  Some of the girls enjoyed our huge bathtub, so I made sure they put all my towels/washcloths in the hamper.

Yet, in all this insanity, I found that I enjoyed myself.  If you are AGAIN thinking that I'm nuts, you might be right.  I had planned other games (Christmas-themed charades), but these kids came up with ways to entertain themselves.  I tried to show equal amounts of positive attention to the kids, and to just have fun with them.  At times, yes, I reverted into "teacher mode," like when I needed to give instructions for dinner.  But, more importantly, this time for my students was so that they could enjoy each other's company, and I theirs.  All the energy and time that went into these festivities--asking Zee to order pizza for me, buying groceries, cleaning before and after they arrived, riding the marshrutka, and so forth--was worth it, even though I'm tired now.


Side story:  The landlady called me, saying that Jake the dog was crying and that he wanted to be out of his kennel.  I finally told her in broken Russian, "I know he doesn't want to be there, but I have children here and he NEEDS to be there."  She called around 8:30pm to say she doesn't like the children to be on the street, but they were in the fenced-in YARD.  Sorry, landlady, you'll just have to deal. As I passed the phone to Zee to translate this time, I told the landlady "я буду дарить телефону на Зина" -- which means "I'm going to give the phone to Zena as a gift."  Oops.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Who was that man?

This afternoon Amy and I walked from the Obolon church to the Dreamtown mall, where we needed to go to the store before continuing to Domino's for lunch.

We walked a path I had walked many times last year, past a small store, through a park, through a neighborhood.  Most of the time, I was watching the ground by my feet, so that I would not slip and fall on the ice.  At one point I looked ahead and saw a man carrying a rolled-up carpet, but did not stray my eyes to the left or to the right before looking back at the sidewalk.

A few moments later, Amy wondered aloud, "Why are they putting that plastic tarp over that man?"  Close to the picnic table--about 15 meters from us--there was an ambulance and three medics who were standing around or otherwise not rushing.  These people were covering up a man who had been sitting at the picnic table.  We could see his arm (and hand) hanging between the table and bench, along with his feet.  Fortunately, nothing else--like his face--was visible to us.

Other people were standing around, watching, and admittedly we stopped and stared for a few minutes.  I don't really know how to respond when I see a dead body (obviously, I shouldn't take a picture.  that's just creepy).  This wasn't something on TV--but something that was really happening before our very eyes.  We wondered the cause of death--quite probably the cold (at that point it was around 20*F, at 1:30pm) or alcohol, or both.

Then my mind began to wonder, who was this man?  What circumstances in his life had lead him to this point -- of freezing to death in a park, surrounded by many apartment buildings?  Was he a husband, a father, a son, a friend?  As I write these thoughts, I am watching the part of The Fellowship of the Ring where Gandalf falls into a great chasm.  The other members of the Fellowship mourn the loss, then must continue on their journey.  Who will be mourning the loss of this man tonight?  

We continued on our way, talking about what we had just witnessed.  Just around the next apartment building, on the next sidewalk, friends, couples, families were walking and enjoying the sunny day, ignorant of what had happened around the corner.  Very likely deaths from the cold or alcohol or both are common occurrences.  I don't want to forget this (since it was my first time seeing a dead body someplace other than a funeral, I probably won't), and don't want to brush it off as just another experience in Ukraine.

I almost wanted to say to these people, "Do you realize what is happening in your own neighborhood?  Do you realize that people are dying deaths that could have been prevented?"

The Church of the Nazarene runs drug/alcohol rehab centers to help those who are caught in addictions. Many of the participants first hear about the programs from their family or friends.  The CotN also provides humanitarian aid for people across the country.  Volunteers are taking in children as their own in order to stop destructive cycles.  Church members are building relationships with their neighbors, in order to share Christ's love and redemption with them.

I wish things could change overnight.  I wish we could be rid of these social ills that plague our communities.  I wish that I could be a bolder example and storyteller of Christ.  I wish that I wasn't so afraid of the unknown or my own inadequacies.

I wish that this contrast of "Christ is already victorious; there is hope for the world already" and "The world is not yet as it should be; redemption is not completed"* could simply be "Christ has come and conquered, and all is well with the world."

I wish that Christ's love (not fear/legalism) could be shouted from the rooftops.  I wish that people would believe that God is real, that only God can make us whole, that God restores creation to the way it should be.

Life in Kyiv, Ukraine is much more raw and gritty than you might think.

*In this time of Advent, we are looking towards Christ's birth at Christmas, and His second coming, even though He has already come and lived among us and triumphed over death.


**My iTunes is playing an ironic set of tunes -- "O Holy Night" then "My Jesus."

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Finishing...

I want to be known as someone who finishes, and who finishes well.

For a simple example, I multi-task quite often, in an attempt to finish my tasks more quickly.  While working on my laundry (hanging it to dry or putting it away), I might listen to an audiobook or sermon podcast.  My internet browser frequently has tabs for Facebook, Gmail, and at least two other websites open at the same time, while Skype and iTunes are running in the background.  My roommate and I read "From Nyet to Da" to each other while preparing or cleaning after dinner.

Many times, I start reading 3 articles at the same time (to clarify, they are in 3 separate tabs).  I bounce between them, based on their length and reading level/depth of thought.  Within the past year, I have forced myself to FINISH one before starting another, in order to develop better self-discipline.

The following link is a video of a cross-country runner who struggled to finish her race because of severe leg pain.  Just before she reached the finish line, she collapsed on the ground.  So close!  BUT here's the amazing thing -- she pulled herself up and finished the race by crawling.  

She couldn't finish the race by simply laying there and wishing herself across the remaining 5 m.  Nor did she have the stamina to stand on her legs (by the time she stood up, she might as well have stepped over the finish line).  Yet she did the only thing possible at that moment -- crawl.  


So many things in life I want to finish, and finish well.  First semester for this school year finishes in a couple weeks, and I have a lot of knowledge to pass along to my students.  I don't know if I will be here in Ukraine next year (I still need to make my decision), or if I will be back home in MD, or if I will be somewhere else in the US.  No matter what it takes, I want to finish things well and make sure things are complete.

A few weeks ago, while attempting to write my personal mission statement, I reread the following verse:
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6, NIV)
I cannot carry ministries on to completion.  I cannot follow and guide all of my ministry students (Wolly quizzing or KCA students) through their high school years and daily challenge them in their walk with Christ.  I cannot finish the work here in Ukraine.

I cannot complete God's work in me, by my own power.  There's no way I can make myself whole, or ensure God-type success in the endeavors God leads my way.

But here's the amazing thing -- whatever it is that GOD has purposed for my life, the life He's given me, HE will complete.   What God starts, God finishes.  This isn't like my website-hopping -- God will stick with me, walking me through the good times and the bad, the crystal-clear times and the murky uncertain times.  Quite often, I muddle through life, trying to figure out the next step, but it's because I want to rely on what I know, what I think is best, what friends or books say, what's familiar or comfortable for me.

If only I could see the big picture of what God's intended for my life, and what the next step is...to find out how to begin...All I can do is simply crawl in the lap of Jesus and trust....this is a lesson that I am constantly relearning.....


Because I'll never hold the picture
Of the whole horizon in my view
Because I'll never rip the night in two
It makes me wonder
Who am I, Who am I, Who am I
And great are you
(Downhere, "Great are You")

Thursday, December 2, 2010

November 2010 Update

Hello all!
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! This past month has been chock-full of church activities and activities with friends over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving Celebration
About 40-50 Americans, Koreans, and Ukrainians gathered at Pine Branch Camp in Ivankiv to celebrate Thanksgiving together. We enjoyed the traditional US foods, including turkey and pumpkin pie, plus Korean kim-bop and other tasty treats. A few of us stayed overnight and enjoyed a bonfire and s’mores. One spectacular time was when I went outside, past the reaches of the camp lights, and looked up at the sky. There had to be a million stars overhead, and the Milky Way was visible! I stayed outside with the middle/high school students for a little while as we spotted constellations (Big Dipper, Pleiades, Scorpio, Cassiopeia). Other highlights included holding a 5-month-old Korean baby and having her fall asleep in my arms, playing Cranium with a handful of folks, walking through the village, worshipping together, and getting to know the KCA families/parents better.

My Ukraine Family
English Language Youth Group
On November 14, Kiev First Church held an English language youth group for our teens. We had a mixture of Ukrainians and Americans (and even one French kid!) participating! Included in the service were times of prayer, Scripture reading, a couple testimonies, the “Doctor’s Office” skit, a sermon and group discussions, and worship through music.

Worship team preparing
Sergei put me in charge of this – which I accepted as a form of “trial by fire” (similar to my experiences helping with teen quizzing in college) and learning as I went, since I had ZERO idea of what or how to do for the service. As an “innocent bystander”, I enjoyed the service, but as one who was in charge, I coordinated all the people and could see what needs to change for next time. My dissatisfaction as a leader came primarily from miscommunication—next time, there will be more than 2 copies of the order of worship so that I don’t have to directly coordinate each component, and I will verify that people understand exactly what I said.

English Lessons @ Obolon
Svetlana, my co-teacher, and I continue to meet periodically—once a month besides our actual lesson. Last night we met at the mall, and as we walked, we talked about ideas for this next lesson. Our key verses will be Luke 5:31-32 – “Jesus answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners."” To begin the lesson, Svetlana will pretend to be ill, and send one of the kids into the hall to find the doctor (me). Then we will explain to the students that our sins are like a sickness, and that Jesus is the doctor that can make us whole again. I really enjoyed meeting with Svetlana and planning this lesson, because now we are working together as a team, and can present a more unified lesson to the kids!

Vinnytsia Visit
Click here to read about my weekend trip to the city of Vinnytsia and the village of Selische, where I could see evidence of God's redemption and reconciliation in the lives of Ukrainians.

Cultural Tidbit
On many street corners here, you can find a babushka (grandmother) selling fresh produce, flowers, farm goods, clothes, or just about anything else! I like to stop by our local babushka (if I can call her that) and buy some apples, peppers, or other fruits, since it is more convenient than our grocery store. We’ve never really held a conversation beyond asking/telling prices, but a week or so ago, we said “hello” to each other as I passed!

Nazarene Youth Conference 2011 Opportunity
Next summer, I have the opportunity to travel to Louisville, KY to participate in the Nazarene Youth Conference, where thousands of high school students from USA/Canada will gather from July 5-10. I will be serving as a sponsor for the Missionary Kid District—this “district” comprises all MKs with an American passport, no matter where in the world their parents serve as missionaries. In order to attend this conference, I will need to pay about $800 for my lodging, food, and the conference cost (plus my travel to/from Kentucky) – and unfortunately, this cannot be withdrawn from my general KCA/Ukraine funds. If you are interested in supporting this special project, please send checks to my home address (PO Box 146, zip code 21628)—it will be greatly appreciated!

Praises
*God’s continuing redemptive work in the lives of Ukrainians and of people all around the world
*English youth group last month
*KCA students that make me smile :)

Prayer Requests
*My decision for the 2011-2012 school year
*Language study – at times I feel like I’ve hit a wall and cannot learn any more words or grammar rules!
*Traveling safety when my roommate and I (and others) visit the US for Christmas/New Year’s

Thanks again for all your support! Since I probably won’t send another update until after the 25th, Merry Christmas!!

In Christ,

Jessica

Vinnytsia Visit -- November 2010

On the Friday night after Thanksgiving, my roommate and I hopped on the train to visit the nearby (3 hours) city of Vinnytsia. Vinnytsia is a city of about 369,200, which is comparable to the population of Colorado Springs or St. Louis, Missouri, or half that of Boston (approximately).  Imagine living in Chicago, a large-populous-smelly-dirty city, for three months, then visiting a city like St. Louis, though I have never been there.  This is what it was like for us.  We went from the capital city of Kyiv to a city approximately seven and a half times SMALLER....and we enjoyed our trip!

The red dot is Vinnytsia, and the pink region is the Vinnytsia oblast.  Kyiv is located along the Dnieper river--look for the smallest sections on this map!
If you’ve ever heard any missionary stories about the work of the Church of the Nazarene in Ukraine, you probably have heard of Vinnytsia and Pastor Roma. The Vinnytsia church has planted many daughter churches within the local oblast (state/county area), as well as many drug/alcohol rehab centers. Pastor Roma, along with Vitalik (whom I will mention in a moment), are former addicts who have found new life in Christ.

We spent the weekend with Natasha T, a student at the local Teacher’s Training College, who gave us a tour of the city, translated for us, and helped us navigate public transport. On Saturday morning, while the weather was still somewhat nice, we walked past an Orthodox church AND a Catholic one, through a mall, and then arrived at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). Kiev also has a Maidan Nezalezhnosti, where the Orange Revolution occurred a few years ago, but this one consisted of a lovely park, water/clock tower, and a WWII memorial.  We also noted how nicer the city seemed--no rattletrap tramvai (streetcars), not many street dogs, not as much pollution, and not as much second-hand smoke!

Natasha and I at lunch on Sunday
In the afternoon, we traveled to the village of Selische, where we visited the House of James. Vitalik and his wife Natasha are house parents to 9 kids who were formerly street children or whose parents are unable to care for them. We played with the kids, got a tour of the house (my second or third, but Amy’s first), had lunch with the family, and then enjoyed conversation with Vitalik and Natasha. As a younger man living in Kiev, he was an alcoholic, and actually stole $1,000 from some former missionaries. Today, he is house father to nine, and pastor of the Selische Church of the Nazarene. What an amazing change Christ has made in the life of Vitalik in the past decade or so, and through Vitalik to the children in this house!
Vitalik, Natasha, roommate Amy, and I at HOJ
While in Selische, we also visited the men’s and women’s rehab centers. A few of the men had only been at the center for one or two months, but already they recognized that true, lasting change is only possible with Christ’s help—not a vaguely-described Higher Power. On Sunday at church in Vinnytsia, a handful of the church members shared how God has worked in their lives. A few of them were graduates of the rehab centers—they were very honest about this fact and did not try to hide their past struggles from their church family. How often do we hide our struggles from our church family, having selective amnesia about our struggles before we allowed Christ to triumph over the sin and darkness in our lives?

Read more about House of James 1 & 2 at http://houseofjames.org/.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Anticipated Reverse Culture Shock

The other night Amy and I rode back on the train from Vinnitsa.  She asked me about reverse culture shock (which is what happens when you re-enter your passport/home country after being abroad) and how it had affected me last year and in the summer.  We realized that though we have anticipated some of the more basic aspects of re-entry shock, we will not be able to anticipate all aspects, especially those that will throw us for a loop.

Here is how I described reverse culture shock 2 years ago.  "Familiar" refers to the home culture, and "unfamiliar" refers to the culture abroad.

(version 1) When you miss the familiarity of the unfamiliar, and the familiar is suddenly unfamiliar.

(version 2) When you switch from the familiarity of the unfamiliar, and the unfamiliarity is what "should" be familiar
.

Amy and I brainstormed a list of things that would be "strange" to us at Christmastime -- here is some of that list. 

*Understanding strangers talking on the bus or out in public
*Store clerks being friendly/making conversation, despite not knowing me
*Stores- large stores with huge selections and familiar brands
*No street dogs roaming around (thank goodness!)
*Having a car all to myself, driving through the countryside, in solitude
*Not needing a translator for church, having to operate in my third language instead of my first, or just plain not understanding
*Random people smiling and saying hi to me
*Fully comprehending food labels instead of recognizing the words, sounding out the name, or identifying food by its picture
*Snack flavors/types (in Ukraine, you can buy flavored croutons or chips that are flavored like crab or bacon)
*Common notebook paper in the US is lined 8.5"x11".  Here, students might use that (or half of a sheet), or they might use grid paper
*Life expectancy of fresh food (because the food here does not have as many preservatives, we have to make sure we don't leave food for too long
*Not as much second hand smoke while walking down the street
*No beer kiosks (or just kiosks in general) every block
*American fashion styles that are different from the Ukranian/European styles
*Not seeing/talking to my Ukraine family
No babushkas selling veggies, raw fish, or flowers on the street corners
*No squatty potties
*Bookstores that have a majority of their books in English! (and English is not considered a "foreign" language!)
*Being out of the loop when it comes to American pop culture (which is a good thing)
*Plowed streets/sidewalks
*Non-colorful currency and comp
*Position/placement of light switches
*Seeing friends and family often
*Racial diversity in the greater community
*Seeing the American flag, and the red/white/blue color scheme rather than yellow and blue
*Clear distinctions between commercial buildings and residential areas
*No underground mall/passageways/stores/crosswalks
*People giving me substantial personal space in public
*Flushing my toilet paper/a handle instead of button