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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Baptism Service

I came across this video on Zee's page and just had to share it.

This summer, while I was in America, Kyiv First Church of the Nazarene held a baptism service in their backyard.  The Eastern Orthodox church (the most prevalent church in Ukraine) baptizes people at a young age, but these individuals chose to be baptized again before their church family.

Kyiv First is my "home church" in Ukraine, and though I was sad that I missed this event in the life of the church, I am glad that Zee recorded video and posted it on Youtube!


On the left (your left) is Pastor Vova, and on the right is Sergey Dziba, the youth leader.  In order of their baptisms on this video are:  Sergey Orlyuk, Ilya, Philip (Pastor Vova's son), Andrei Tkachenko, Kristina, Pasha (Sergey's son), and Katya.  As you can see, most of those baptized were youth.  A number of these youth are already involved in church and youth group activities, whether it is as part of the music teams or helping with camps.  

What an exciting time in the life of our church!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Train-ing across Ukraine

Last weekend, we took the train to Odessa.

Riding the train is something my team and I did a LOT of during the summer of 2008.  When we went to a new town/city, some part of our journey to or from the city would include being dropped off at the train station, riding the train, and/or being picked up at the train station.  Sometimes Cliff would drive us, but most of the time, we rode the train.

I really enjoyed the train rides, and still do.  There's just something about being in a compartment with friends and/or strangers, talking, maybe playing cards, looking out the window and enjoying the fresh air, and sleeping on narrow bunks -- which outweighs the stuffiness, the chance of traveling with smelly men or drunk people, and the toilet you have to hover over.

During these summer train rides, when the sun hadn't set by 9 pm, I enjoyed looking out the window at the scenery.  Sometimes the scenery was only a forest, but other times you got glimpses of village life.  Old people might be herding their cows or sheep in the grassy area near the tracks. Seeing small garden plots, people walking down the road, and small settlements were all just so serene and peaceful compared to life in the city.
Unknown village and river in Ukraine, 2008
How to Ride the Train in Ukraine:
1.  Arrive at the station 30 minutes before your train departs, to find the correct track, wagon, and place.  Otherwise one of your traveling companions might have to pull the emergency "стоп кран" lever.

Wagon #2 of the Odesa-Kiev train (#124)
2.  Place your things in the storage areas -- under the bottom bunks, on the shelves, or in the space over the passageway.

Coupe with under-bench storage area visible
3.  Sit in your coupe, look out the window, talk with friends, maybe eat a picnic dinner.  The conductor will come by at some point to check and take your tickets.
Our group going to Chernivtsi in January 2010
4.  If you are sleeping in a top bunk, climb up and unroll your bed.  Make your bed using the provided sheets and pillowcase -- they're clean!


5.  You may need the wool blanket provided, sometimes even when the weather's nice outside.
Wool blankets on shelf, reading light, and bedrolls on the top bunk
6.  When you are ready to go to bed, or to change your clothes, close the door to your compartment.  There is also a mirror for your convenience.


The storage area is in the background above the doorway, and you can also see coathooks and hand rails.
7.  The bathroom is at the end of this hallway, and is locked when the train stops at stations.  This is because when the flusher-pedal is pushed, you can see the tracks passing beneath the train car.


8.  In the morning, about 30-60 minutes before arriving at your destination, the conductor might come by and wake you up.  Otherwise, you need to un-make your bed, roll up the mattress, and pack up your things.  When you return your sheets to the conductor, he/she will return your voided tickets.

Odesa Train Station, early in the morning -- 2009
Special Situations
*Sometimes you might need to change trains part of the way through your journey.  Sometimes, that means you sit at a train station from 3 am to 8 am, dozing off while trying to keep an eye on your group's luggage.
Waiting area -- "bufet" -- in the train station
Remember not to speak English too loudly, and if a babushka sells you vareniki and gives you plastic forks she wipes off with napkins she found in her bag, just "wash" your hands with hand sanitizer and eat with your fingers.

Zhmerinka, 2008, where we stayed for 5 hours one night.
*If you are a young female or two females traveling "alone", the best coupe situation is to be with other women.  However, since you cannot choose your traveling companions unless you are buying your tickets together, you just have to hope for the best.  When you DO have 2 other female companions, look at each other in relief.  (Praise God that this past weekend Amy and I traveled with 2 other women both times!)


Last week, despite the logistics of getting to the train station after our Parent Teacher Fellowship, and the logistics of getting to school on time on Monday morning, our train travels were uneventful!  Having women coupe-mates both trips (especially since this was Amy's first time traveling via overnight train) was definitely a blessing from God!  I can't wait for more train rides across Ukraine this year! :)

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Hope House: September Visit

 This past weekend Amy (roommate) and I traveled to Odessa, Ukraine, on the coast of the Black Sea, in order to visit Hope House and participate in a ministry opportunity there.  Hope House is a ministry of World Hope Ukraine, and there are two Wesleyan missionaries there named Kerry and Carole.

Hope House exists as a sort of transition home for teenage girls who have aged out of the orphanage/internat system in Ukraine at around age 15-16.  Often, they are unable to write their entrance exams for vocational "colleges", and don't have papers to show their status.  Many move to the government "dormitories", but this is a "party environment," as Carole put it.  Generally, within 6 months of "graduating" from the internat, teenagers will commit suicide, be on drugs, or get pregnant.  This of course perpetuates a vicious cycle.  There are about 16 girls currently living at Hope House, ranging in age from 15 to 19.  Hope House provides structure and a family-like environment, responsibility for routines like caring for chickens, and opportunities for learning English.

Chickens!
Last spring, Cliff (Nazarene missionary) asked me if I'd be interested in teaching English down at Hope House, because the Canadian missionaries leave every winter (due to visa issues).  The girls would need someone to help them practice their English.  The purpose of our visit this month was to meet the Allisons, meet the girls and begin to build relationships with them, and learn how to get to the house by ourselves. 

Here is a video that tells a little more about the idea behind Hope House (even though it refers to a different ministry). 


On Saturday morning, Amy and I prepared for our Bible lesson by sorting through a suitcase full of flannelgraph figures (remember those from your Sunday school days?) that related to the story of Deborah.  Carole talked with us about the English lessons, and though I almost thought I'd have to plan a new lesson, I was able to use my original plan as review.

We had lunch with the girls at Hope House, then began our lessons shortly thereafter.  Even though my lesson was a review for them, we were able to get to know each other.   My group--the "advanced group"-- had five girls: Nadia, Vika, Yana, Luba, and Lena.  We reviewed am/are/is, and how to negate them.  I also had different location phrases -- "at the beach," "in the car," etc. -- for them to combine to make sentences.  Some of my instructions for an activity weren't very clear, and because of her frustration, one of my students "shut down" for a few minutes.  I have seen this at KCA with another one of my students, so I kept trying to involve this girl.  Finally, for one of the charades, I had her join me to act out "at the beach" -- she smiled and all was well!

The outside of Hope House
In the evening, Amy and I shared the story of Deborah (Judges 4-5).  We began in prayer -- my first time praying through an interpreter!  Amy shared about the cycle of sin in Judges, because her 3rd grade class had just learned about it in Bible class.  She read the story of Deborah, Lena interpreted, and I moved the flannelgraph pieces.

Judges 4:14 (MSG) Deborah said to Barak, "Charge! This very day God has given you victory over Sisera. Isn't God marching before you?"

"Replace 'Sisera' with any difficulty in your life--a battle, a sin, anything.  God is marching before us, and He'll give us the victory," we told the girls.  We asked them, "What has God given you victory over already?" 

Most of the girls and I after church on Sunday
The rest of our time we spent getting to know the girls -- we taught them how to play Wii bowling, and I walked back from church with two of the girls.

In our conversations with Kerry, he talked about how there is no one who will speak up for these girls, who will help them find their way in society.  "Who will go to bat for them?"  In other words, who will defend them?  Who will help them?  Later, I was thinking, I can't help them with Ukrainian paperwork and the Ukrainian system.  I can't help them find their way in a society/culture I am just simply learning myself!

Then I remembered James 4:17 -- "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them."  For right now, I can simply give what I have -- a willingness to visit them and get to know each of the girls, training/background in teaching, and speaking English as a native.  THIS is what I can give for these girls, to support them in their transition.  God will take the little bit that I have and use it to encourage the girls -- it's my responsibility to obey Christ in these little steps.

What opportunities do you see around you to do good?  How has the Lord provided for you, in order that you may provide for others?

We will return on October 22 for our next visit.  :)

(Click here to read Amy's perspective.)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

What is Normal?

Here's a glimpse into what's "normal" for me.

America, summer 2011:
Normal is arriving at a new place and staying in the home of people you've never met before. Normal is finding out there are fewer than six degrees of separation between you and that family. 

Normal is speaking at 1-2 different churches every week and rarely hearing a sermon that you are not preaching.  Normal is finding time while driving to listen to a sermon from a church in San Diego that you have never attended.  Normal is being outgoing and friendly simply because it's necessary then riding in the car in silence for an hour.

Normal is going less than 30 days without living out of a suitcase.  Normal is having 2 different pastors in 2 different countries, and "home" churches in multiple states.  Normal is thinking that a church service held entirely in English is just too easy.

Normal is wondering if people in America actually call it "Philadelphia" instead of "cream cheese."  Normal is getting confused about the money that is not color-coded.  Normal is thinking that American pop culture is weird.

Ukraine:
Normal is attending a church service where you sing along to songs you barely understand.  Normal is hanging out a girls' camp for the day and zoning out most of the time because you don't understand.  Normal is joining group games with the help of others to translate/interpret.

Normal is feeling some distance (communication) between myself and the people around me at church, or those I meet, even when we are back to back on public transport.  Normal is listening to one of the KCA moms speak Spanish, then responding in Russian.

Normal is not knowing literal translations of signs, but only the practical implications.  Normal is having American friends who are not from your home state.  Normal is when you have to plan extra time to prepare ingredients for cooking because there are not pre-packaged salad mixes or boxed things like Hamburger Helper.  Normal is saying that spring begins on March 1, even if it snows 2 weeks later. 

Normal is not having internet for the first week.  Normal is routine activities taking all day.  Normal is having to live by a different kind of clock.  Normal is thinking of at least 2 uses for every object in your house; i.e., a radiator can help thaw raw meat, or a wet Q-tip works as an "eraser" on overhead transparencies.  Normal is being entertained easily by catching the пух with a vacuum cleaner.  Normal is picking up and paying for train tickets at the church, and not at a cashier at the train station.  Normal is paying for bags at the grocery store.

Normal is inviting 2 American English teachers whom you have never met, but only chatted with one online because they know another missionary friend of yours, to stay in your apartment for three or four days.  Normal is the kitchen being a perfectly logical place to tell them to put their used bath towels.

To quote Youth in Mission, "That's different, but that's okay!"


What's "normal" in your part of the world?

Sunday, September 4, 2011

September 2011 Update

Dear family, friends, and supporters,

Hello once again from Kyiv, Ukraine!  I have been back in the country for almost 3 weeks now, and (for now, anyway) it seems to be a smooth transition back into the swing of things.  My roommate and I have settled into our new apartment and found essential places nearby like the bank, grocery store, Dreamtown mall, and Domino's pizza.  :)  We've enjoyed catching up with friends again, hanging out in the evenings after school or on Sundays after church.

KCA: The First Week
All four of my classes are in a row this year:  6th grade math (during 2nd period), then a snack break, then precalculus/advanced math, geometry (followed by lunch), and 6th grade Bible.  The first 2 weeks have been a time of "training" my students in the daily routine and how I do things in my classroom, in addition to teaching math and Bible, of course.
For now, the hardest part about my schedule is that I don't get a break, and have to be "on" at all times, ready to teach or answer questions or get ready for the next class.  I'm an introvert (though not shy, in case you were wondering), so I need to make time to "recharge" away from people.

Jen and Kara
From Aug 24-27, my roommate and I hosted 2 American English teachers in our apartment.  Kara (who is also a YIM alum) and her cousin Jen came to Ukraine to teach English with International House in Poltava (not to be confused with IHOP).  We showed them around a LOT of the city, and introduced them to some church leaders before they left on the train.  Their first night -- mere hours after their arrival -- we made them come to the city center for some Independence Day festivities.  These were their first few days in Ukraine, so we showed them around a grocery store and taught them a little Ukrainian history.  I was even able to help Jen buy antibiotics at the local pharmacy!

Riding the metro with "just one more" passenger:  Amy and I in the background; Kara and Jen in the front
Obolon English and Other Church Ministries
This morning was the "kick-off" for Sunday school/children's church at the Obolon church, located only a 10 minute walk from our apartment.  Though we didn't teach a lesson today, Amy and I went to see the kids and our fellow teachers again for the first time since the spring.  We sang a song that I first learned in 2008 in Zaporozhe that goes something like this:  "Every day and every hour...Lord, come help us."  Our first lesson will be on October 2, and I look forward to working with Svetlana again this year.

The kiddos at Obolon
On the first Sunday I was back, I went out to the district Girls' Camp for the evening to see friends and hear Pastor Vova speak.  Though there were a handful of people there that spoke English (including Tanya from Moscow) and Zee translated the message, I was mostly immersed in Russian for most of the time.  Eight of us played Dutch Blitz, then after a tea spill, we played a game that was a combination of charades, pictionary, and taboo.  Zee and Tanya were on the other team, so they would translate what I needed to do, though sometimes I understood the phrase

Also, a team from Susanville, CA was here a couple weeks ago to help the church-plant in Poznyaki.  (Some of you may remember that there was an NNU team here, and I've helped teach English over there too.)  Each night for a week, the team and Andriy and Marina's family held a VBS for the neighborhood kids, with the intent of connecting these families to the church plant.  A couple times I joined them to help paint and help with the kids and games.  I enjoyed getting to know each of them throughout the course of the week, including 12 year old Ben and 6 year old Danny!

The team (Verne, Cathy, Ben, Danny, Jameson) and myself
Hope House Opportunity in Odesa
Yesterday I spoke on the phone with some Wesleyan missionaries in Odesa (a city on the Black Sea) about coming to teach English there once a month.  Last spring, Cliff told us about Hope House, and how we could visit once a month while the Canadian missionaries are gone, so that the girls could practice speaking English.  Now that I have talked to the missionaries a bit (and we Skyped tonight), I'm excited about this opportunity for teaching English and leading Bible studies!  Pray for the planning and coordinating of this time, and for the people to whom and with whom we'll be ministering.

Upcoming Dates
*September 12 (I think): "Operation Mary / Hold and Witness" team comes to Ukraine
*September 16-18: Visiting Odessa and Hope House
*October 2: Teaching English at Obolon
*October 7-9:  MS/HS Fall Retreat
*October 9-16: Eurasia Regional Conference

Prayer Requests
*Students/parents who are still on their way to Ukraine
*English-language learners in all my classes, and patience/understanding in working with them (In my 6th grade class, only 2 of the 9 students are American.  One has lived in UA all his life, and the other was adopted from Russia.)
*Time management: in regards to tasks I need to complete, time with people, and time spent with God
*Hope House girls and the ministry that happens there every day/week.

Praises
*My geometry class has only 14 students this year (rather than 18), which means more space in my classroom and more time to answer students' questions.
*Ministry opportunities -- teaching English in various places, building relationships with the KCA students, and just being with my Ukrainian friends
*Russian-language triumphs, like asking directions, putting our friends on the train, and basic conversations

Thank you for all your prayers and support!
In Christ,
Jessica