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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Connecting over Chai

Many of you might have picked up along the way that "chai" is a type of tea. Starbucks sells "Chai Tea" on their menu.

After I began learning Russian, I learned that the word "chai" (чай) actually means tea. Hence, I find it redundant to talk about chai tea.

The following is taken from Michelle's blog, another missionary in Kyiv. (emphases mine)
Then I was asked if I would like hot tea. I said yes automatically and immediately hot water appeared from an electric kettle and I quickly dunked a tea bag in my mug and began to drink the tea without thinking. I made no connection whatsoever that the hot drink was going to make me even more uncomfortable than I already felt. I didn’t even think about asking for cold water which would have been much more refreshing. You see, I live in Ukraine and in Ukraine tea is not just a drink, it’s a ritual that nurtures relationships. And if you want relationships with Ukrainians, you drink tea....

Tea in Ukraine is another concept entirely. If you are invited to drink tea with someone, you are being invited into a relationship. A mandatory mutual experience to get to know each other or if already friends, a way to catch up on each other’s lives and get to know each other even better.

By assimilation, I quickly picked up the tea ritual without too many difficulties. I learned that wherever I went, tea would most likely be served. Friends would offer it in their homes and I needed to have a supply of different teas on hand in mine to offer when friends came to visit as well.....

To prepare tea for a friend and know exactly how they like it made, big cup, small cup, green tea or black, weak or strong, how many spoons of sugar, well, that is a sign of true friendship.

So if you are visiting Ukraine, and someone offers to share a cup of tea with you, don’t wrinkle your nose and suggest McDonald’s. You just missed the point. You were invited into a relationship and no matter how hot it is, drink your tea and make a friend.
Every Sunday after the morning service, tea and cookies are available at church. Often people mill about the hallway, chatting with one another. As I think about this custom, it has held true at every church I've visited in Kyiv (all 3 of them).  Whenever we are at Obolon, we sit and drink tea with the people there, before we leave for lunch or home.  So many times during my trip in summer 2008 we'd sit and drink tea and talk with the pastors.

Side cultural note:  I've never seen anyone carrying a travel-type mug for coffee/tea on the streets or on public transport.  I do see people buying small cups (about 200 mL) of steaming hot coffee/tea from kiosks on the street.


Sometimes I gladly accept the offer of hot tea because I've just come inside from the FREEZING COLD outdoors!  When my roommate and I were in Vinnitsa in November, we drank 4 cups of tea in one day (before 7pm) -- one was at breakfast with Natasha, another was to warm up after walking, another was at House of James with Vitalik and his wife, and our last cup was back at the church. 

Truthfully, sometimes I decline the offer of tea. Because the tea is hot, the drinker must sip it slowly, and that requires more time.  If I'm thirsty, or if my throat is dry, I want to drink something right down and not wait for it to cool.

One Sunday I was offered tea, but we were leaving before I could finish it. I felt terrible not being able to finish it and having to pour it down the drain. (I'm not sure why carrying it with me wasn't a viable option...) More often than not, my friends and I will head out as soon as church is over for lunch at McDonald's or some other place.

Yet, this time that is required for drinking the hot tea is time that is spent savoring conversations with others. I may not understand 100% of what people say to me, but what is important is that I am there with them, being invited into their lives, and that I am willing to listen and to allow them to enter into my life.  I suspect that this will be a cultural habit that I will continue even after I leave Ukraine.


Photo credit: drowsywater.com

Things to do in Ukraine...

The following is a list I made in fall 2008, of what I would do if I ever returned to Ukraine....Here it is:

~visit Katya and her mom in Chernovtsy
~go inside St Sofia's Monastery -- done! (May 2010)
~explore more around Andrevsky church -- done!
~take photos at Babiy Yar -- does it count that I took some photos when we got slightly lost last night?
~visit Hillsong church for Sunday service -- done (but on a Saturday night)!
~visit Chernobyl museum -- done!
~go to Odessa and see the Potemkin Stairs -- DONE!
~go ice skating -- done!
~explore more of the city -- DONE and doing! haha
~visit the Botanical garden

Friday, February 11, 2011

My Day (February 11)

7am:  Wake up, get ready for school
8am:  Leave the house and get Amanda (fellow volunteer) on a bus headed toward the church, for her meetings with all the other CIS Field missionaries today.
8:30am:  Arrive at school.
Morning:  Listen to chapel from my classroom rather than disrupting it (again).  Observe my student teacher.  Enter grades in gradebook.  Make photocopies.  Supervise study hall.  Eat lunch.

12pm:  Leave school, go to the grocery store, go home.
Afternoon:  Bake cookies.  Sing and dance along to my music.  Bake a coffee cake that looked deformed.  Wash dishes.  Fetch many more dishes from the highest cabinets.  Listen to podcasts.
Buy sugar at our local produkti.
Clean my room.  Refill sugar container.

I feel rather domestic.

Tonight all the CIS Field missionaries are coming over for pizza (that's being delivered) around 5:45pm, then having tea/coffee/desserts with us.

Because I'm a volunteer, and I teach at KCA, I'm not required to be at all of these meetings.  In fact, I'm not really sure how many I'm required to attend.  This year, I live in a great big house, with plenty of room (but it's not my Father's house), and I've enjoyed hosting people.  I convinced Cliff to let me have everyone over at some point, especially as I see my role on the mission team as an "encourager."

In all my preparations, I've got a glimpse for what it's like for Heike and Colleen when they host visiting teams in their homes.  (Granted, this is a small glimpse, because I don't have to prepare a full meal.)

I'm looking forward to having everyone over, and helping in this way.

Monday, February 7, 2011

January 2011 Update

Dear family and friends,

The past month has been a busy time in my life and ministry here in Ukraine.

Fresh Starts
In mid-January, we began the second semester of classes at KCA.  Most of the courses stay the same, except for a few junior/senior classes (juniors take economics then government; seniors study world religions then senior seminar/life skills).  Besides this, basketball season gets into full swing with six different teams for middle and high schoolers (middle, JV, and varsity).  For many middle and high school students, this is a welcome time as it means a fresh start in the grade book.  Even as a teacher, I know that the second semester of geometry means less time grading assignments since there aren't as many proofs to check!

Helping one of my pre-calc students (photo by Nadia)
Pray for Our Children
In my home church in Maryland, my cousin always says, "Pray for our children" during our congregational prayer time.  Pray for the students at KCA--missionary kids and other expat kids.  Just like teenagers in America,  these students (whom I love dearly) are faced with the same temptations and struggles of identity, making the right choices, and choosing who or what they will allow to influence them.  Pray that these students will find their identity in Christ, as a child of God, and will allow this to influence their outlook on life.  Pray that my KCA kids will make good decisions, including being aware of how they are influenced and how they can influence others for Christ.


Cast and crew of the comical Middle School play:  "This is a Test"

A look towards the summer (while everything is frigid here)
From June 8 to August 15, I will be on the America's east coast to visit family and raise support for this next school year.  In order to teach another year, I must raise close to $12,000 through monthly sponsorships or one-time donations.
I will primarily be in the mid-Atlantic region during the summer, but will be visiting a few other places.  I would LOVE to come see you!  If you are interested in having me come to your church or small group and share about how God is working in Ukraine, please contact me.  My schedule can be found at this page.

Russian Language Practice
Every Sunday at my church, we read Scripture passages from that Sunday's section (?) of the lectionary.  Four different individuals will come to the front and read, and sometimes Pastor Vova will say a few words between each reading.  Just a couple weeks ago, I was one of those readers!  Click here to read the backstory of how this happened.  I know I made mistakes while I was reading, but was encouraged by some words from a friend:  "Still, God brought you through it, and if nobody else enjoyed it, God loved it."  Besides this, "God knows every language."
This experience reminded me that my life is not about what I can do, or how I can impress or win over others.  It's about living in a way that brings glory and honor to God and allowing myself to be shaped more into the image of Christ.

Children's Bible Quizzing in Ukraine
Within the past few weeks, I have been meeting with Iryna and Andriy from church to begin a children's quizzing ministry in Ukraine in the fall.  We have discussed ideas, how people can help, organized lessons (dividing the book of Matthew into individual lessons), and begun creating our own questions in Russian.  None of the Publishing House material has ever been in Russian before, so we are building from scratch.  We are also doing this well in advance of the release of the new Matthew material, so anything that is on the website is for 1+2 Samuel.

Let me amend that last statement.  I have called different people in America who have offered (or been willing) to help with quizzing materials, whether to remind me of ideas from when I was a kid, or to send sample materials from other quizzing years so that we have ideas for lesson plans and questions.  Thank you for those who have helped in this way, and for those who are praying for this ministry!

Upcoming Dates
Feb. 10-13 CIS Field missionary meetings in Kyiv
Feb. 20 English language youth group service @ Kyiv First Church
Feb 27 English lessons @ Obolon

Praises:
*Just as KCA's students get a fresh start at the beginning of second semester, we can be thankful that God gives us a re-start in life through His Son, Jesus Christ.
*Praise God for children's ministries in Ukraine that can help children and families learn more about God and how to have a relationship with God.
*Praise God for providing a loving supporting network of missionary families here in Ukraine, who support each other, the students, and volunteers like myself.  :)

Prayer Requests:
*Pray for my students as many of them travel to Budapest for a basketball tournament this weekend.  Pray for good sportsmanship, safe travel, and no injuries!
*Pray that God will provide my finances for the next school year, including the Nazarene Youth Conference this summer and the Eurasia Regional Conference in the fall.
*Pray that God will continue shaping me into who God has called me to be, and that God will use me even if I am not aware of it, and ESPECIALLY when I am not aware!

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement during my time here in Ukraine!  I really appreciate YOU!

In Christ,
Jessica