February 2011 KCA Update

Greetings from Kyiv, Ukraine!

It seems as though February has flown past, and last week too!  Here’s a glimpse into the past month in life and ministry in Ukraine.

English Language Ministries
Teaching the Kids at Obolon:  Last week my class had 14 kids, quite a jump from the average amount of 9!  Everyone crowded around the table.  This was a difficult group to teach, because there were multiple levels of language ability, kids that hadn’t come in a while, and so many conversations (mostly in Russian) happening at once!  The story for this week was Daniel in the Lions’ Den, and the kids did a matching game of emotion words and facial expressions.

Students working on a matching game

Youth Group at First Church:  Today (the 6th) we had about 7-8 high schoolers from “The City” youth group join us to lead worship in English and meet our youth.  “The City” is from International Christian Assembly, consisting of English-speaking youth (Ukrainians too).  Eric, a fellow teacher, shared a message about the power of words, challenging the youth to recognize what is in their hearts and also to build others up.

Be a Part of My Team
During the past few weeks, I have started looking for churches where I might be able to share about life and ministry in Ukraine.  So far, I am officially scheduled at 2 churches in Maryland/Pennsylvania.
For this next school year, I will need to raise $12,000 to cover all my expenses:  rent, utilities, transportation (airfare to/from Ukraine, plus public transport here), food, insurance, and our Regional Conference in October.  This seems like a lot – because it is – but it doesn’t seem so great when you (along with 47 others) could sponsor me for $25 each month that I am in Ukraine.  Many have already committed to such a sponsorship for this year, and I thank you.

KCA Life
My days have been busy with teaching duties and attending weekly basketball games.  On Friday, my roommate wore an eagle costume to the games to encourage more team spirit – and all 3 of our teams (JV boys, varsity boys, varsity girls) won!
Also, for the past month, I have had a student teacher in my 6th grade math class.  She leaves this week for the US, which means that I have resumed teaching all 4 of my classes instead of just 3.
Click here to read more about springtime here in Ukraine.

Cultural Note:
Tuesday, March 8 is International Women’s Day (and we get the day off).  Don’t worry, I never heard of it either until I came to Ukraine.  According to Wikipedia, it began as a Socialist political event, but today, it is celebrated similar to Mother’s Day.  Women (whether or not they are mothers) receive flowers – within the past few days, I have seen many bouquets – or small gifts.

Upcoming Dates:
March 12:  My brother arrives for a week-long visit!
March 20: English lesson at Obolon
March 22-23: Ukraine District Assembly
March 26-April 2: KCA Spring Break

Prayer Requests
*CIS Field leadership -- our new field strategy coordinator begins June 1.
*KCA staffing needs
*For God to provide the funds I need for next year in Ukraine, plus a summer job in MD
*Language skills -- I am learning in my Russian class, but need to put my skills into use!

Praises
*I get to see my brother soon!
*More kids coming to the Obolon church!
*My seniors who have been accepted into colleges (pray for wisdom for these kiddos as they decide, and as they set out on their own in the fall)

Thanks so much for all of your support and prayers!  I appreciate you!
In Christ,
Jessica