Reverse culture shock, so far

Here I am, back in the US for most of Christmas break. I know this time will be good to give me some perspective on my time/ministry thus far in Ukraine, and also to recharge and take a break. At the same time, I am reminded of little details from everyday life that I have forgotten. Here are some little things so far:

*There is no time difference between my family and I, but a 7 hour difference between my friends in Kiev and I.

*I understand everything that is spoken around me. It's nice to have the comprehension, but not when it includes swear words. I got used to not hearing swear words except on the TV shows I'd watch.

*When I text on my Ukraine phone, I've accidentally sent messages sooner than I wanted, or typed the wrong words...thinking it was still like my US phone. Now that I've mostly gotten the hang of my Ukraine phone, and the prediction mode, I am trying to text on my US phone while applying the "rules" of my Ukraine phone. I type things like "hi0there" instead of "hi there", or switch between lowercase and uppercase instead of choosing the next predicted word.

*No adapter is needed for my computer charger.

*Tap water is drinkable!

*I tried to hug my dad's dishwasher, and he said, "No, you may not take that back with you!"

*It wasn't until I finally made it back to my house that I tried to flush the toilet as though I was in Ukraine (pressing the button on top instead of using the handle).

*The light switches in my house are lower than the ones in my apartment/classroom. I keep hitting the thermostat instead of the light switch.

*I've enjoyed listening to 860AM because occasionally it is in Russian (sometimes French, sometimes Spanish too).

*Not everyone wants to hear all my stories from Ukraine. Last night, I could think of a story that somewhat related to anything anyone said--I kept myself from telling every story that came to mind.

*People dress so much more casually here when they go out in public than in Ukraine.

*I feel like I've outgrown this place.

*One day a woman waved at me from inside her car. I didn't know her, and was confused, wondering why this stranger was waving and smiling at me. Then I realized I was in a small town on the Eastern Shore, and everyone waves to each other or says hi in passing. I've conditioned myself not to smile at strangers.

*It'd be nice to have a sign that I could wear that would answer people's most basic questions without me having to repeat the answers multiple times.

He's set my feet upon the rock....

Every Sunday in church, the words to the songs are put on the screen, so we can follow along. This has been great for me, so I can practice reading Russian at a fast enough pace, and make sure I pronounce letters correctly. I can recognize commonly-used "Christian" words/phrases, and identify adjectives and verbs. Comprehension is another thing, unless I know the song in English (even then, the words aren't always literally translated).

Today the first few songs WEREN'T on the screen, which reminded me of trying to sing along to Hillsong Ukraine CDs in my car when I didn't know the words. I found myself trying to anticipate what would come next--words or particular endings to the words. Then I started trying to read the lips of those on the worship team, and listen to what people were singing around me. It worked....not very well....I was basically mumbling the entire time.

However, later the words were back on the screen, and we sang "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." I was able to read every single word correctly, and didn't get lost in longer words (mostly because they weren't there). I was excited.

When I read in Russian, I have this tendency when I see a long/complicated-looking word for my eyes to jump back and forth within the word. They sort of gravitate toward the part that I think will be hard to say, and I miss the first few letters and/or syllables. In those times, I sound like a kindergartner (that word looks really funny) because I am slowly sounding out the words syllable by syllable. :)

Below are the lyrics in Russian. I would transliterate them for you, but it is late here (11pm) and I am being picked up at 3:45am to go to the airport to visit America. I will be in the US for Christmas (Dec 25) and New Year's, and then back to Ukraine in time for "Christmas-Christmas" on the 7th as Pastor Vova said.

Иисус! Ты любовь моя

Иисус! Не оставлю я Тебя
Из темноты Ты забрал меня,
Дал опору и теперь знаю я.

В тебе я нуждаюсь
Я люблю Тебя! Навеки будь со мной.
Спаситель, мой лучший Друг!
Прославлять Тебя я буду вновь и вновь.

Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Jesus, I will never let you go
You’ve taken me from the miry clay
You've set my feet upon the Rock, and now i know

I love you, I need you,
Though my world may fall, I’ll never let you go
My Saviour, my closest friend,
I will worship you until the very end

Months of the Year

In learning the language and culture here in Ukraine, it's important to learn the months of the year.

Here you can see how the Russian names for the months are very similar to ours in English or Spanish.

*Январь (yan-var)

January
*Февраль (Fev-ral)

February
*Март (Mart)

March
*Апрель (Apryel)

April
*Май (Mai)

May
*Июнь (ee-yoon)

June
*Июль (ee-yool)

July
*Август (Avgust)

August
*Сентябрь (Sen-tyabr)

September

*Октябрь (Ok-tyabr)

October
*Ноябрь (Noyabr)

November
*Декабрь (Dekabr)

December

One of my struggles in attempting to read signs around here is that they are primarily in Ukrainian. I can recognize some Ukrainian words here and there, mostly if they are similar to Russian, English, or Spanish words, or if I've seen them in other contexts and people have told me what they mean.

Many (if not all) of my receipts that write out the name of the month use Ukrainian. This makes it difficult to recognize the date I paid a bill, or bought something at the store, unless the month is represented by a number. What is interesting is that the names of the months in Ukrainian have meanings! Here they are:

January: Січень (Sichen')
month of cutting (chopping wood, or biting frost)

February: Лютий (Liutyi)
cruel or frosty

March: Березень (Berezen')
month of the bereza (birch)

April: Квітень (Kviten')
month of flowering

May: Травень (Traven')
month of grass

June: Червень (Cherven’)
red month, meaning month when berries ripe and become red

July: Липень (Lypen')
month of the lipa (linden tree)

August: Серпень (Serpen')
month of the sickle

September: Вересень (Veresen’)
month of heather

October: Жовтень (Zhovten')
yellow month

November: Листопад (Lystopad)
falling leaves

December: Грудень (Hruden')
month of frozen clods

Isn't that interesting? They are so fitting for what happens in those months!

*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_months

Quarantine and Field Retreat

Quarantine

As mentioned in previous posts, Ukraine closed schools and forbade large public gatherings for three weeks as a quarantine against swine flu. Public transport and roads seemed a little less congested, and so many people wore masks, believing it was wholly effective at preventing the spread of the virus. I learned how to say "swine flu" in Russian, which of course does not help me in every day life, but it is nice to know more of the language!

This quarantine included KCA, unfortunately, and we also had to shut down school as we know it for those 3 weeks. At first, I couldn't fathom not seeing my students for 3 weeks--how would we keep on track academically (how would they remember anything), or how would they be able to teach themselves the material? Not to mention, what would I do for three weeks when the focus of my ministry here in Ukraine is to my students?

Various alternate plans were devised...Plan B: have students complete a week's worth of assignments at home. Plan C: have high school students gather in a few apartments in Podil for most of their classes. Plan D: create a rotation of classes on the Left Bank, in various apartments scattered within a mile radius or so, in which teachers changed places and the grades stayed together.

We finally followed Plan D, which required learning a different routine in order to navigate between the apartments, and having my students focus on the schoolwork at hand rather than anything distracting in their home environment. As I've learned within the past year or so, "the key to missions is flexibility," and this certainly still holds true in my experiences. I've had to trust that God would work out the school schedule, and in this entire quarantine situation, for His glory.

During the quarantine, we had 11 people over for "fajita night". This is Lisa and I (with Robyn behind us) making tortillas. Lisa is a fellow KCA teacher.

Once we returned to a regular schedule, I was glad to see my students again, and be a bit more settled. I am still in the process of catching up on grading--a task which seems never ending.

CIS Field Retreat

During the week of Thanksgiving, I joined missionary families and other volunteers from across Ukraine, Russia, and central Asia. Most of these missionaries I had already met during their visits to Kiev, and we spent time together at meals, in worship, and at some meetings. On Thanksgiving day, we cooked a traditional American meal, and enjoyed leftovers the next morning for breakfast.

I spent time with the MKs, whether it was doing math homework, finding strange objects by old abandoned buildings, or playing on the playground. One of the girls that was there was Vica, our translator/teammate from last summer--we were roommates the whole week!!! I was excited to see her!

During our devotion times together, we were challenged to be fully present wherever we are and to be aware of God's presence and to allow God to shape us into who He intends us to be. Sometimes we cannot see what God is doing in the lives of people around us, but seeds have been planted and God is still at work. Just because things aren't changing, or God's not answering our prayers the way we'd imagined, on our timetable does not mean that God is not making things happen. We may not see that any of our work has been fruitful, but who knows? God makes things grow in His time, and has a purpose.

The entire CIS team--my family away from home. Shortly after this photo was taken (and at least 5 others just like it), we discovered that the creamed corn had burned.

Other stories:

*When there is heavy traffic, it is often much faster to get out of the bus and walk. The other night, there were traffic jams all across the city, and not just in my part of the city. It turned out the president of Brazil was visiting.

*More photos can be found on my Facebook page, or via the links on the right hand side of my blog site

Prayer Requests

*Health of the students and teachers--sickness is going around the 9th grade especially

*Energy and strength and patience to teach these last few weeks before Christmas break

*Safe travels when I travel to the US for (western) Christmas

*God's continued guidance in my life

*Raising the last bit of financial support: To contribute, visit http://web.nazarene.org/goto/ukrainejh.

Praises

*My friends here at both church and school

*The quarantine is over! I have been healthy thus far in the school year.

*Your support and encouragement

In Christ,

Jessica

Traffic Jam Stories

Traffic, especially around "rush hour" (I'm not sure exactly what time it is, maybe around 6 or 7--I don't really have a sense of time here), can be horrendous. Quite often, it is much faster to get off the 6K bus at an earlier stop and walk home a more direct way than to wait for it to reach the end of the line at Lukyanivska metro.

After school today, I decided to go to church to pick up my mail and then go home. I boarded the 6K at school as usual, but knowing that it wouldn't continue past the church, I changed to bus 18 and planned to take it as close to the church as I could.

However, there was a LOT of traffic tonight, so I resigned myself to getting off at Lukyanivska, figuring it would be faster--but wetter (it was "misting")--to walk to church rather than sit in the traffic.

I got to church, went upstairs and grabbed my card, and then left again. As I left, I thought, it would be really funny if I saw "my" bus again. I had noted when I got on that it was bus #2626, so I knew to look for that.

Sure enough, by the time I was across the road from the theater and next to the little park, I saw my bus! In the time it had taken me to walk nearly a half mile (0.79 km), the bus had only made it 0.2 miles (0.32 km).

In other photos, the following is a presidential campaign poster. I think it's for someone named Arseniy...aha, Arseniy Yatsenyuk (Wikipedia is quite helpful for finding this basic information).

Zee tells me that this poster is a play on the "H1N1" virus, and that it says 'the wars against the virus of corruption will be won'. Instead of H1N1, it says "Yu-1 Ya-1" for Yulia Tymoshenko (current PM) and Viktor Yanukovich (last election's runner-up), both of whom are running in this election. Clever, eh?

*Later Update*

This traffic was not just troublesome in my part of the city, but all across--it took my roommate's family 2-3 hours to get home. Turns out the president of BRAZIL was visiting. Thank you, Mr. (?) President for causing lots of traffic jams. However, welcome to Ukraine.

Adventures in Public Transport

1. Hearing the kid behind me say "Hakuna Matata." He had a Disney DVD.

2. Hearing a little girl behind me practicing her English numbers 1-10.

3. While I waited for Sarah and Jodi at the metro, this guy stood near me talking on his phone in ENGLISH. Then later he told me, "Don't go with (cell provider) MTS. Their service goes--" and then made an up and down motion with his hands.

4. Observing all the unique outfits, like a thigh-length jacket with fur on the edges, paired with tights and plaid knee-length bermuda shorts

5. Things people do on the escalators at the metro stations:

a) Just stand there

b) Walk, so they get somewhere faster

c) Talk on cell phones

d) Drink beer

Little steps, big steps?

Like so many other recent college grads, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life (or rather, the life God's given me) and where to go.

The following is an excerpt from a Relevant magazine article.

Litton believes that what sets Christian radicals apart from the world is the commitment to take the teachings of Jesus seriously and to be known by humility and love. “I know a lot of people focus on the big steps—should I leave my job, should I move to Africa, what can I do? And we should be open to those things, but they can become a distraction because, really, what God is calling us to every day is to radically obey Him,” he says. “Radical followers of Christ, their chief characteristic will be love.”

Radical obedience to Christ. That is my calling. My primary calling. No matter where in the world I am. Even if it's difficult for me. Even if I have to sacrifice something of great value. Even when it won't please other people.

What am I to obey? Those "little" commands, that seem the most basic but yet are the most complex. Those "little" commands, that keep at the back of my mind. Those "little" commands that will show our faithfulness in small matters.

Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and love your neighbor as well as you do yourself (MSG).

Do I truly throw that much--ALL--of myself into loving God all the time?

Am I seeking ONLY to please God--and not other people?

Have I given ALL of me--my past, present, and future--to the unchanging and unfailing God who can use the broken me for His sacred purposes?

Glimpses today...

*Rainy day while walking to the metro

*Following Victoria who was apparently following me to where we have Geometry...she was following me, but she knew where she was going! I guess I was just meandering...

*An Orthodox church-looking building with satellite dishes and green tube lighting on the side...Um...

*Giving the geometry students their chapter 4 test while sitting in someone's living room/hallway

*6th grade math with students who haven't quite gotten the hang of school-in-the-living-room--I am doing my best to give them some semblance of a routine/structure.

*Running into the mom of one of my students outside of Billa/McDonalds and chatting with her for a while

*Asterix electronic game in my Happy Meal

*reading Ted Dekker's book Green while riding the metro and marshrutka

*grading math homework at school. The goal right now is to finish with 6th grade, leave that teacher's guide here, and take the geometry one home to work on tonight.

Proof...of taking the scenic route home

Tonight we had a fun evening at Lisa and Sarah's, having dinner and dessert and talking with a mixture of teachers and a parent and students. What follows is the story of our journey home--what should've taken us around 45 minutes or so, but took much longer!

We left Lisa's around 9:30 or so, parted ways with Mark at just about 10pm, then rode marshrutka 24 to McDonald's.

Given: 4 possible bus routes from near school and Lisa's apartment

Prove: that we can actually make it home

Statements (Reasons)

1. Bus routes 18, 6, 6K, and marshrutka 18 that will all go back to Lukyanivska (given)

2. Choose bus 18 (first one that came along)

3. Bus driver yells something in Russian as we climb aboard and pay our fare (because he can)

4. We don't understand and sit down despite the bus having only 3 other passengers (because we don't speak Russian or Ukrainian)

5. Bus takes a turn sooner than we thought off of Frunze (we really don't know why)

6. Drive past Babiy Yar and Dorogozhychi metro stop (again, we really don't know why, but we were assuming the bus would eventually get back to Lukyanivska)

7. Bus pulls to the side of the road, driver yells at us, and opens the doors not at Lukyanivska (we figure it was the last run of the day, and he was done)

8. Walk back the way we came (we already knew the metro stop was nearby)

9. There is an overpass with trolleys running across it (we looked up and saw it)

10. That street, where those tracks are, is Degtyarivska (the sign said so)

11. We puzzled over how to get up to it, or to cross the street, without getting run over (no good sidewalks in sight)

12. We decided to walk back to Dorogozhychi metro (because we were goons who did not look at either map that we had with us, to realize there was another metro stop closer by--Shulyavska)

13. We walked past one under-pass for pedestrians (there was absolutely no light coming from below==uber sketchy)

14. Ride inbound metro (the next stop was Lukyanivska)

15. Walk from Lukyanivska down Degtyarivska, yes the very same one we'd seen earlier, to Dovnar-Zapolskogo (this is the way to go home)

16. Arrive at home at 11:23pm (we followed the way to go home).

QED!!! DONE my proof! Okay, it's not the greatest proof ever, but....you get the idea.

Here are the locations as seen on a map:

The green is the path we figured the bus was going to take. The blue is what it did take. The pink is our walking path, then we hopped on the metro (the orange path), then walked some more. How ridiculous is that. (I should've had my pedometer with me)

Snowflakes and Swine Flu

Many of you have already heard about schools closing for 3 weeks in Ukraine due to the A/H1N1 epidemic. This includes KCA.

Originally, we planned for one week "off", but as a working vacation for our students. However, when it became highly unlikely that we would reopen after one week, we have made plans for 3 weeks of not being able to meet as a school.

The new plan is as follows.

On Thursday, 1oth-12th grade students will meet in Podil where we have 3 apartments close together. There will be a rotation of classes for English, math, and science courses. All math classes will be taught at the same time, since the students are grouped by ability level and not by age. This posed a slight problem for me, in that I cannot teach 2 classes in 2 separate places at the same time. Thankfully, a former KCA teacher has been willing to fill in for me and teach Algebra 2 while I teach Geometry.

Starting next week, we will be meeting over on the Left Bank for what I call "Left Bank School." There are 5 different apartments being used, and between each class "period," teachers will change locations. I've only been to the Left Bank (on the other side of the river) once, and I have no idea how to get to these apartments, but there will be "guides" sent to the metro to get us to the right place. As Dougie points out, this does seem to defeat the purpose of the "quarantine", but we cannot afford to miss 15 school days in a row like this.

The remaining days that need to be made up will be pulled from other calendar days, by New Year's/Christmas, so that once we are in January, everything will be back to normal (what IS normal, anyway?).

It has been quite confusing for me to figure out what I can give my students to do on their own, and what I need to actually teach them. They will have many questions, I'm sure! Not to mention, I will probably not have supplies that I am used to having, like a whiteboard, or overhead. I plan on listing "office hours" when the students can come by school and ask questions and turn in work if they would like (and if their parents allow them to travel).

Please pray for us as a school--staff and students--as we work within this new plan (that hopefully is the final version, unless version next happens to be that we can go back to school sooner). Pray for flexibility and patience.

In other news.....

It snowed yesterday and today!!! The snowflakes were bigger today, and it snowed longer, but none of the snow stuck to the ground. It was really fun to watch. :)

Swine Flu epidemic arrives in Ukraine...

At the bottom of this post is an email we received today regarding the recent declarations about H1N1 flu here in Ukraine. Most cases have been in the western part of the country. Yesterday, they declared that all schools in the country would be closed for the next 3 weeks. I didn't think the decision would actually affect KCA, being as we are an international school, but once it moved to the Kyiv city level, it affected KCA, Kyiv International School, and Pechersk School International.

We are taking this one step at a time...

I'm not frustrated like a teacher in the States would be -- "We have to cover all this content by the time of standardized tests!!!!" I'm not exactly looking for a week of not teaching, of not seeing my students regularly, of not being able to help them learn together, and show them examples. I am willing to have my high school classes over to my apartment, or to meet at school, or even to meet over Skype. I'm not sure how some of my 6th graders will do, but I hope that their parents will be able to teach them.

Right now I'm frustrated primarily because I'm not being FLEXIBLE. I'm willing to be flexible, but I didn't exactly expect this. What exactly am I going to do in the meantime? (Okay, never mind, I can think of plenty of things to do like pay bills, clean, cook, etc.) Most of this comes with how we are making up the days we miss -- ideas mentioned have been to take away days from extended vacations. However, I am flying back to the States for Christmas -- I'm willing to just add a week at the end of the school year, which seems easiest, since I haven't booked my return flight yet, but not many other people are. I know of a teacher that might possibly be in Kiev that could cover my classes, besides anyone else at the school.

All that I can do right now is to trust God, that this will work out according to his plan and will, and not according to my preferences. Gotta leave it all up to Him.

Please pray for....

*Those making the "big" decisions regarding the schools

*Those already affected by swine flu

*Patience and creativity in creating "plan b" or "plan c"....or even up to "plan z"

*Health of our students and teachers

Praise God for...

*Two KCA parents who are doctors who are giving the (regular) flu vaccine to KCA families

*Delicious juice that I can buy at the store (so yummy--especially the strawberry-apple)

*****************************************

Dear KCA Parents,

Because of the Ukrainian government decision to close all educational facilities for three weeks, KCA will be closed to students next week.

Teachers will come to work on Monday at 9 am in order to plan for the week. We would like to send students assignments via email or Sycamore as much as possible. On Monday teachers will organize their classes and then communicate with you regarding assignments which students will be asked to do at home. We are considering organizing high school classes to meet “off site” a few times next week.

If you need to collect textbooks or materials, KCA will be open and administrators will be on site in the mornings. Guards will be at the school at all times.

We will decide what we will do the following two weeks next weekend, as the situation unfolds.

We encourage you to communicate with teachers and administrators via Sycamore, email, or by phoning the school. If you need help using Sycamore, call Cathy on Monday morning.

We will be in touch with you on Monday. Let’s be thankful for this situation and trust that God has all this in His hand.

A Day In the Life

To all my supporters and prayer partners,

Hello from Kiev, Ukraine!

First, I want to thank you for your continued prayers throughout my time here in Ukraine. I also enjoy hearing from you, whether it is a card in the mail, an email, or a simple Facebook message.

In this update, I thought I would give you a glimpse of what my day to day life looks like.

Each morning I wake up around 6 am and prepare to leave for school. After riding the bus for 20-25 minutes, I get there around 7:30am, which gives me plenty of time to do last minute preparations for my classes. My first class isn't until around 9:15am (2nd period), so I spend that time looking over notes and lesson plans, and making photocopies if necessary. Sometimes I consult other teachers on instructional ideas or ways to help particular students.

I teach 3 classes in a row, and they are all math classes. My students come from America, Korea, Holland, Canada, and Taiwan, and a number of them have been adopted from Ukraine or Russia. During second period, I teach all the 6th graders. This class has 14 students. After a short break, I teach geometry to 13 ninth and tenth grade students. This class is the most challenging for me, because I have never been very good at proofs and my lowest grade in high school math was in geometry; I also must make a lot of accommodations in this class for various kinds of learners. My last "real" class of the day is Algebra 2, during 4th period, just before lunch. This class has 12 students, mostly 11th graders, but there are some sophomores and seniors.

Teaching a lesson to Algebra 2

My lunches typically are leftovers (yum!), sandwiches, or hot Ukrainian meals prepared by a woman named Zoya.

During 5th and 6th periods, I generally plan for the next day(s), create overhead transparencies, grade homework, or make photocopies. The past two weeks I have begun Russian language lessons during 5th period on Wednesdays with another teacher. During 7th period, I supervise some high school students during their study hall, and often end up answering math questions.

When the students are dismissed, I continue working on more grading and preparation (the work never seems to be finished!) until I am ready to go back to my apartment. Once there, I prepare dinner, do a little more schoolwork, watch TV episodes online, and/or clean and do laundry.

My weekends generally consist of attending KCA soccer games, relaxing at home, visiting friends, going to church, and catching up on school work. This weekend I was at Evie's for a sleepover with most of the 9th grade girls--our lunchtime discipleship group. I enjoyed hanging out with them, seeing them outside of school, and watching Pride and Prejudice with them.

Most of the middle/high school students at Fall Retreat

If you would like to see photos of some of my students, my surroundings, and the school, feel free to visit my Facebook page, including the photo links that are on the right of this blog page.

Prayer Requests

*That I would continue to learn to "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." (Psalm 105)

*Upcoming medical relief/evangelism trip to the Philippines--the team consists of 12 from Ukraine (missionaries, Ukrainians, and doctors), along with a group from Susanville, CA

*Provision of the last bit of my funds--the most recent total is $8,647.29.

Praises

*Safe return to Ukraine for missionaries Cliff and Heike

*A wonderful sleepover at the Keatings with most of the 9th grade girls

*A working kolonka (hot water heater that also heats our apartment)!

Thank you again for all your support!

In Christ,

Jessica

Destructive Streak

Just for amusement, I thought I would list the things that have been broken during my time in Ukraine. Some of them are not wholly my fault, if at all.

I really am not *trying* to break things, but this just keeps happening.

Summer 2008

*Fried my battery charger from the States

*Broke my sunglasses while they were in my purse

*"Broke" Bob's van--we ran over something that was in the road. He claimed it was my fault because earlier in the day, I told the story of when I ran over something that was in the road in NY, and damaged my car, just a few months prior.

*The ceiling tile above the fridge at Dana's (now my) apartment fell thanks to a leak from upstairs (not our fault!)

*Outhouse door hinges at Gorodkivka--the morning of the last day we were there, two girls were out there, and broke one hinge. Later in the day, the other one broke. Neither time was I in the outhouse, though Cliff claims it was partially my fault, by virtue of being there and using it that week!

Fall 2009

*Washing machine stopped working--a repairman came to fix it and clean out the filter

*Somehow managed to break my battery charger between my apartment and Fall Retreat

*Kolonka (hot water heater) has stopped working every so often within these past 2 weeks

*Watch band broke yesterday

Sigh. As Pastor Vova said, I just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lisa said it's about time for things in this apartment to start falling apart, since Dana lived here for 2 years and before that, there were other people living here.

Ukraine District news

Recent news article from Nazarene Communications Network....

"Ukraine broadcasts create awareness, support rehabilitation ministry"

(Vinnitsa, Ukraine, about 2 hours from Kyiv)

October 7, 2009

Scripture and Language

Scripture:

Every Sunday at church, Pastor Vova has people read various passages of Scripture. These are generally an Old Testament passage, a Gospel reading, a New Testament reading, and another passage in the Old Testament (like Psalms or other poetry-type books). He will announce the location of the passage first in Russian, then in English, so a few of us English-speakers can follow along. Last Sunday we read Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Psalm 22:1-15; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31.

In the Russian Bible, I hear that the organization of the books is very different (at least in the New Testament), and in the Old Testament, they've named 1 and 2 Chronicles (I think) as 3 and 4 Kings instead.

If you are ever interested in following the same Scripture passages as I am hearing/reading each week, visit this webpage: http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/.

Currently we are in the Season after Pentecost, and last Sunday was "Proper 23". This webpage lists the corresponding calendar dates, so that you can find the readings more easily.

Language:

They say that learning your third language is easier than learning your second. I sure hope that's the case with Russian!

Today I had my first formal Russian lesson with Masha, one of the teachers at KCA. The other day, she reviewed some basic vocabulary with me to see what I already knew.

Masha started first with the alphabet--always a good place to begin, right? :) She showed me a few of the letters in cursive, and what sets similar-looking ones apart from each other, so it doesn't look like a bunch of arcs. According to her, people write in cursive because it takes too long to write in print. I suppose I can see that, but I'm not looking forward to this practice. But, here goes!

Next Masha showed me the difference between word endings for masculine, feminine, neuter, and plural nouns. Conveniently enough, feminine words end in А or Я (ya), which is similar enough to Spanish for me to remember. That's about all that can help me there. It's pure memorization right now.

We then focused on the basic conjugation of verbs, primarily in "first conjugation"--these are verbs that end in -ять or -атъ. She quizzed me on the various endings for each pronoun (I, you familiar, he/she/it, we, you formal, they). "Second conjugation" verbs end in -еть, -ить, or -ютъ. They follow a different pattern for each pronoun, just as -ar verbs in Spanish have different endings than -er or -ir verbs.

There was a list of commonly-used regular verbs in first conjugation, and Masha had me read the verbs, and then see if I knew what they meant. I could read/sound out most of them, but about half of them, I had no idea what they were. (Such is my Russian understanding as I walk down the streets--I sound out words but I have no comprehension. That will change...

Russian homework:

*Practice writing letters in cursive

*Write personal pronouns for each verb conjugation

*Memorize verbs and meanings and conjugate them for various pronouns

*Practice a little each day

Scripture and Language:

I'm sure you've noticed before that in English, the Psalms don't exactly rhyme--primarily because they were translated from Hebrew to English, but also because they may have been written without a rhyming scheme.

On Sunday, when someone was reading from Psalms, it sounded to me like they had more of a rhythm and a rhyme. Turns out that this is because of the noun cases in Russian. Noun cases in Russian are the same type as those in Greek, as I understand it. The endings of nouns change based on whether an action is done FOR that object, FROM that object, etc. There are 6 noun cases: nominative, dative, accusative, genitive, and 2 more that I can't remember at the moment--currently I could not tell you what the difference is between those cases.

Psalm 22:1-15 in Russian--For a few of these lines, you can (if you have any skills of sounding out the Russian language) see where a few lines rhyme. Otherwise, if you can't read it, you are getting a taste of what it is like to look at signs and merchandise that you don't fully understand!

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

sounds of the city. (part 1)

Written as I sit on my apartment balcony with the window open...

Instrumental music coming from somewhere across the courtyard, or maybe from someone's car.

Birds cawing to each other in the treetops.

Mothers playing with their children.

Children crying or talking.

Cars driving past.

Techno music booming from cars.

Neighbors talking to each other as they walk

The swooshing and crunching of fall leaves.

A siren in the distance.

Today...

Today I....

~saw Lisa wearing an ENC summer min t-shirt that I had left in Dana's apartment (aka mine now) in July 2008.

~went to the produkti that is right across from our neighborhood (I'd never actually been there before) and bought a kilo of flour (an hour ago, I didn't know the word for flour. But thanks to the KCA cookbook, I was able to recognize the Ukrainian word when I got to the store).

~mixed up some zucchini bread and popped it in the oven! We'll see how it tastes...

~finished off the last of the "Southwest Casserole" I made on Monday. It's been nice just pulling dinner out of the fridge and microwaving it...yum. This casserole consisted (I'm using past tense now that I just cleared my plate) of phyllo dough, rice, sour cream (too much, though), kidney beans, cheese, corn, and "salsa." Next time I make it, I'm going to minimize the sour cream and add some peppers/onions.

A long overdue update...

Hi everyone,

This afternoon I just returned from KCA's annual Fall Retreat, held in the village of Vorzel, just outside of Kyiv. The entire student body (middle and high school students) looks forward to this time of strengthening friendships, enjoying a bonfire, times of worship, and traditions like singing "The Happy Song" on Saturday night.

I enjoyed helping with some games (like Ninja tag!), interacting with the students outside of the classroom, seeing them interact with their friends, spending time with the other teachers, and even seeing the oldest students interacting with the youngest students. Many of the seniors had leadership roles, primarily for the group games and discussion groups.

The theme for the weekend was "Growing in Grace," and Mr. McDonnel (father of one of my students) described grace as God's active, loving, presence. The students were also definitely showing God's grace to each other in their group activities and other interactions. Three of our students were not able to come, and we hope and pray that they will not feel drastically "out of the loop" when it comes to the memories/bonds made this weekend.

Click here to view photos from Fall Retreat.

Culture snapshots....

*When you buy groceries at the store, the clerk will ask you if you want any bags--if you do, you have to pay a few kopecks for them. My roommate and I try to remember our own bags or simply cram what we buy into our school bags.

*Since I don't have a car here, I take public transport or travel пешком (peshkom--by foot) to get anywhere I need to go. After a 15 minute walk, I can be at the metro/bus station, where I can catch a bus that will drop me off at the front of KCA. It's quite convenient, but not so fun in the rain or when you are carrying a heavy bag.

Prayer Requests:

*My students with their diverse learning, emotional, and spiritual needs. Many of them have parents traveling at any given moment (whether to/from the States or within Eastern Europe), and some who have been adopted have additional emotional needs

*Traveling safety for others within the Nazarene team--the Skinners and Robyn A. are currently in the States, and Josh A. is in Kosovo.

*Finances--Already God has provided (through you) about 70% of my needed support for the year. Please pray that God would continue to provide. If you would like to contribute online, please visit web.nazarene.org/goto/ukrainejh.

Praise God for:

*No major injuries this weekend at Fall Retreat

*Students' mingling with each other and drawing closer as a community

In Christ,

Jessica

Next update: "A Day in the Life"

KCA video

For more information about KCA and to see some of my students :), click on the following link to watch a short video!

http://2macaroon.com/mv08/KC_08.php

Things I miss...

~large cereal boxes, so I don't have to buy cereal every week

~not having to feel like a pack-mule as I carry my things from school on my back...then walk 20 mins to and from the bus stop each day

~real Mexican food

~pre-made sauces and seasonings

~fresh air that doesn't smell like cigarette smoke or other kinds of pollution

Testing Bias

I've recently heard in my education classes about the bias of the SAT/ACT and textbook materials, but didn't really understand until I started teaching in Ukraine.

These standardized tests are prejudiced against students who do not speak English as a primary language or are not familiar with American currency.

In the algebra 2 test, a problem referenced a girl with only nickels and dimes in her piggy bank. A few of my students needed to be reminded of the value of nickels and dimes. The book assumes that students in algebra 2 have used American currency all their lives, and expects that they have memorized the values. Not so for Third Culture Kids in Ukraine...they are more familiar with griven/kopecks than dollars/cents.

"You are enclosing a garden with prefabricated fencing you salvaged from a landfill. You found x pieces of fence that are each y feet long. What is the maximum rectangular area you can enclose with these pieces of fence?"

"Enclosing," "prefabricated," "salvaged," "landfill"--are these really everyday vocabulary words that a non-native speaker would understand? I think not. Could the test writers have chosen a different situation with easier vocabulary? Probably.

Just another day in the life of teaching math in Ukraine to students from* Europe, Asia, and America, with texts geared toward monocultural American students in America.

*From: meaning that's their passport country. They may identify more with Ukrainians or with each other--third culture kids.

Thank you to my "other" home church in New England

Very cool and encouraging email I got from the church I attended during my time at ENC. Thanks for all your support!

I just wanted you to know that you were prayed for today!

We are doing the Nazarene Children's Missions Curriculum once a month on Sunday mornings. Our lesson today was on the country of Ukraine!

Kathy W, from our church, had given me your blog posting information, so I was able to go online and print off a few of your pictures including you infront of the zoopark, the mail box, the open air market, Kiev Christian School, and your first Ukrainian meal. These pictures were wonderful for giving the children a window into the country where you are serving.

I also was able to print off your picture and make a small prayer slip for each child, listing prayer requests for you regarding learning a new language, raising additional funds, and teaching math at the Kiev Christian School. All 13 of the children joined in prayer for you this morning.

They also took home a plastic Easter egg containing the prayer slip to remind them to pray for you during this school year. (We used the Easter eggs to hold the prayer request slip because the lesson also taught the children about the Ukrainian custom of decorating Easter eggs and giving them as a gesture of blessing.) Several of the children remembered you when they saw your picture! It was a great way to make missions come alive for them.

God bless you and you serve God in Ukraine.

conversations

I am beginning to have VERY basic conversations with the Ukrainians who come into my room each day to sweep and mop. That is, beyond asking how they are. Anya (I think that is her name) asked me about how much work I had left to do, and she also said that with part of the setup by my desk, it's hard for her to get her broom/mop in there to clean.

Since I don't know many verbs, I tend to say "to do" a lot, and then gesture what I mean. "Mozhna delit" then I hold up my camera--"May I to do..photos?" Perhaps I need to adopt the strategy of covering the walls with sticky notes of vocabulary words.

The more I speak, and try and figure out what words are--for instance, the words for "students" and "classes" are cognates--the faster I will be able to have longer conversations and understand more. Also, the more I practice, the more I'll remember. (Now, whether those words are in Ukrainian or Russian, I couldn't tell you.)

Language Barriers

Here in Ukraine, one must speak Ukrainian or Russian in order to do things like grocery shopping. Since I've been here, I haven't done any formal language study, except picking up words/phrases here and there. I thought I would share some recent stories of my misadventures with Russian.

At KCA, there are a number of Ukrainian staff members, including the Russian language teachers. Some of the staff speak some English, others don't. Almost every day I see two of them come in to sweep/mop my floor. We also have some guards that we say hello to each day. More often than not, I fumble my way through Russian in the hopes of being understood, and expressing what I actually want to say.

My classroom had 2 extra desks and chairs that I didn't need, so I wanted them out of there. One day when the cleaning guy (Sasha?) came in, I told him, "Не мне нужно это, это, и это" (not necessary for me this, this, and this). [In retrospect, "это, это, и это не нада" (this, this, and this not necessary) probably would've worked too.] He replied in Russian and I understood not a single word, so I looked toward the chairs, waved goodbye, and said "До свидання, пока!" (goodbye, see you!). He laughed and said he understood.

Another day I was trying to find out what the word for "yesterday" was. I already know the words for "today" and "tomorrow," and most of the days of the week, and yes, I could've just looked them up in my phrasebook. I asked the cleaning lady, "How do you say--not today, not tomorrow, but..." (then I tried to motion something in the opposite direction). Then I tried to work through the days of the week, and somehow come up with describing Sunday as yesterday. She kept repeating some word, which I didn't know, and we just gave up. Abstract words are really difficult to learn and describe.

Another weekly adventure is buying groceries. When you want food from the produce section of the store, you have to put it in a plastic bag and take it to the clerk to weigh. She will then put a sticker on the bag and tie it closed. Once you reach the checkout aisle, the cashier will ask you if you want any "paketi" (bags). If you do, you have to pay for them (only a few cents/kopecks). Hence, we try to take our own bags with us to the store. When she has totaled all the prices, she will tell you what it is, and you are to pay her. But there is one catch--she will want exact kopecks. If you don't have exact change, she will be mad and will not give you back exact change.

"Russian is the heavenly language because it takes an eternity to learn." So true!

First day of school!

To all my supporters,

Thank you for your prayers and for being my "cloud of witnesses," as Hebrews 12:1-2 references.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Today was my first day of teaching at KCA, and it went pretty well! (Throughout the day, the other teachers kept asking me how things were going--it was encouraging to know they were looking out for me.)

In the morning, it was a bit overwhelming to see all the students, because I only knew the names of a handful of them. By the end of the day, I knew more names and faces.

2nd pd: 6th grade math.

This is a fun bunch, and I hadn't realized that they wouldn't be used to the daily routine of middle school. I spent a lot of time answering logistical questions about materials needed, changing classes, and hall passes, because after all, this is not elementary school any more! I have 14 students in this class, with 2 sibling sets.

3rd pd: Geometry (mostly 9th/10th grade)

I really hadn't expected to get through all of the logistical first day items (like handing out textbooks, describing my expectations) by the end of class, but lo and behold that's what happened. I had left the nice overhead transparencies I'd prepared in the other room, so I winged it without them, because I had to use the time I had available. That went okay, but not great (what do you expect?), but for tomorrow, I have overheads ready to go and a lesson to teach (and homework to give). I have 14 students in this class, but 6 were absent today!

4th pd: Algebra 2 (mostly 10th/11th grade)

This is a good group too. One of the students asked me if I had Dutch roots, but I told him I wasn't sure (someone on the train last year asked me if I was Dutch). I began (and almost finished) the first lesson with this group.

With a number of the students, I know I will need to call on them to draw them out and get them talking and participating, and also to make sure they understand the material (I don't want them falling behind).

All in all, I think I've been adjusting fairly well. Each day I feel a little culture shock switching from everyday Ukraine life and the English/American-ness of KCA.

My roommate and I have had a few cooking adventures (like buying what we thought was pasta sauce for spaghetti but was really tomato paste), and I've spent my weekends with the Nazarene bunch (Josh and Robyn Allen, Trino Jara, and Dougie). We have gone walking around the city, and the first weekend I was here, Josh, Robyn, Dougie, Zena (from Kiev church), and I went down to Odessa on the coast of the Black Sea--it was great!

Prayer requests:

~A number of students and families are still traveling back to Ukraine from wherever they have been this summer. Also, a few of the teachers/staff are still en route. Pray for their travel safety and smooth sailing through customs/visa issues.

~Due to unforeseen circumstances, one of the other teachers is returning home to the States. Pray for her in this time of transition.

~Pray that I will fix my eyes on Christ and persevere through this year, have patience with my students, and do my best to serve them.

~Raising the rest of my needed support--I still need approximately $3,800 for the year.

In Christ,

Jessica H.

http://ukrainejh.blogspot.com for more entries and photos. This page also has links to my Facebook group and financial support pages.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Just thought I'd share these verses with you today, as I am just about finished the teacher work week but not very close to being ready for the start of school.

You are my "cloud of witnesses". As I am so busy with trying to get things ready for school, whether it is writing lesson plans or trying to orient myself to KCA, I need to keep my eyes on Christ, the only source of stability and peace.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Photo Links

Photos from my first week and a half in Ukraine:

Flying the Friendly Skies to Ukraine: Photos from airports and airplanes

Kiev, week 1: Getting Acclimated and Settled

Weekend in Odessa: Touristy trip

Happy birthday, Ukraine!: Independence Day celebration in downtown Kyiv

Kiev, week 2: More settling

Soon I hope to post photos from our train travels to and from Odessa as well.

Enjoy!

First week, Odesa, Independence Day

Today is Ukraine's 18th birthday!!! Happy birthday Ukraine!!!

Ukraine may "technically" be a young country, but its roots go back many many centuries. Volodomyr converted to Christianity in 988 AD, and it is said that St. Andrew the apostle visited Kyiv on one of his missionary travels.

My first week consisted primarily of settling into the apartment and remembering my way around. I spent a day or two with Josh and Robyn, 2 of the Nazarene missionaries here, and also navigated the trams (something I didn't do last summer). I will have to blog about that experience, and public transport in general.

For the weekend, a handful of us went down to Odesa on the Black Sea. Our group consisted of Josh and Robyn, Dougie (a Scottish volunteer here working with children), and Zena (from the Kyiv church). We walked around the city a lot, and enjoyed the sites. One highlight for me was descending and then climbing the Potemkin stairs--which I wanted to see after watching the movie Everything is Illuminated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Potěmkinovy_schody.jpg

We also met up with Vasiya, one of the kids from Vapnyarka, and Pastor Oleg of Gorodkivka.

Today was my first day at KCA, with the teachers, for the start of the teacher work week. I met most of the other teachers, and am looking forward to getting to know them more! There is so much for me to do, and go through. I am sharing classrooms with 2 other teachers (one for my Bible class, and one for my math classes), so I don't have to do too much with room arranging and organizing. I've just got a lot of curriculum to sort through, and lessons to plan.

Tonight Dougie, Jodi, and I wandered downtown to try to watch fireworks for Independence Day--we did eventually succeed, after much walking! However, I am tired now, it is midnight and we are leaving here at 7:45am to catch the marshrutka to school!

Blog topics IOU:

~Riding the trams for the first time, other public transport, and people watching

~Weekend in Odesa

~Train travel to and from Odesa

~Teacher work week here at KCA

~Independence Day celebration

First few days in Kiev

These first few days in Kiev have been pretty low-key, with me mostly visiting/meeting people and hanging out at the apartment.

Quick overview, also so I can distinguish what I did each day.

Monday:

Had lunch with Josh, Robyn, Zena, and Dougie at the same restaurant Charly took us to last summer. It's like Puzata Hata, but it also offers pasta and other types of food too, Zena says. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I bought more food than I could eat: 1 holubtsi (meat stuffed in cabbage), 1 chicken Kiev, some salad (some cole slaw type stuff and some chicken salad type), some buckwheat (not a big fan), and 2 apple vareniki (yum). I got all that for 40 griven, which is about $5 US at the current exchange rate. Not too bad!

We also went to a cell phone store to figure out Josh's new phone, to add minutes to mine, and to get Dougie a number. The cell phone providers here are called Kyivstar, life:), and Beeline.

Tuesday:

The water guy (bringing huge jugs of drinking water) came at 11:30am! Quite impressive! I was told he would come between 11am and 3pm, and I was not holding out any hope that he would come earlier in the day. You know, killing my chance of actually doing anything or going anywhere. I was able to communicate with him in Russian a bit, to ask him if he wanted the empty jugs, and to put one full one on the kitchen counter, and for him to tell me to sign the forms.

After that, I met with KCA's headmaster, Day, at McDonald's and talked for a bit. Then we headed to his house just outside of Kiev--only 20 minutes' driving--in a village called something like "Peter and Paul's Cabbage Patch." I met his wife Neva, daughters Kayla (11th grade) and Kara (6th grade), and sons Kolya (6th grade) and Kasey (9th?). Also, another new teacher was there--Faith had just arrived that morning from the States.

We enjoyed sitting together and talking, going for a walk around the neighborhood, eating dinner, and playing Guesstures.

Today I will probably tidy up the apartment a bit, as Jodi arrives tomorrow, and might do a test run of taking the bus to the school and back.

Day 1 in Ukraine (the first full day, that is)

Right now it is about 11:30am on Monday, and I'm just hanging out at Josh and Robyn's apartment. They are some of the Nazarene missionaries here.

Yesterday, along with Kolya, they picked me up at the airport. I actually enjoyed the Amsterdam airport, as I'd never really seen the Dutch language before--it's really funny to try and read. While I was on a moving walkway, I passed some bathrooms, and the sign said, "Toilets; next toilets 30 meters," as though it was the interstate and you needed to plan your stops! Every few minutes I also heard announcements of this type: "Passenger John Smith traveling to Paris. You are delaying the flight. Immediate boarding at gate C7 please or we will proceed to offload your baggage." In the US, I don't think they threaten to get rid of your baggage!

Once in Kiev, we drove back to my apartment, dropped off most of my stuff, and checked the hot water heater (it was fine). We also drove past a football (soccer) stadium where the Germans challenged the Ukrainians to a game during WWII--and told them, "You WILL lose." Well, the Ukrainians won, having not let the Germans win, and the Germans consequently killed them all. There is now a memorial to those players at today's Kyiv Dynamo football stadium.

We returned to Josh and Robyn's apartment, where they proceeded to "torture" me until around 9pm. This "torture" took the form of keeping me awake and moving, not allowing me to succumb to my exhaustion until a "reasonable" hour.

Around 5:30pm, they connected with a church on their home district via their webcam. We were able to see their congregation and part of their church service. Josh and Robyn gave a video tour of their apartment, and the view outside the window (there's a lovely flower garden), as well as a recent ministry update. After that, the church prayed for them/us, and that was really neat. Even though we were separated by 7 hours and who knows how many miles, we were still together in spirit. Even though I am in Ukraine, and you are wherever you are (East Coast, the Midwest, or a western state), you are still part of the ministry here as you pray and give. :)

In the evening, we walked down to the river (Dnipro) and then bought ice cream at McDonalds before riding the metro back to Josh and Robyn's. I know, rough transition to another country! :) Finally, I was able to get some much-needed rest, and it felt wonderful to be 100% off my feet and laying in a bed!

Today we are meeting up with one of the girls from the Kiev church for a little while, and then I will probably sleep at my own apartment. :)

Click here to see photos from my air travels

I'm here!

I'm not terribly coherent right now, but here is a post to say,

Here I am, in Ukraine!

I had a full day of travel between home and Kiev, and then Josh and Robyn kept me busy and moving and awake to fight off jet lag. Hence I'm exhausted and going to bed really really soon.

Thanks for your prayers for traveling safety.....made it here with no glitches in customs or lost baggage or anything! Yeah!

I'll write more tomorrow, when I've gotten some sleep.

спокойная ночь! (good night!)

History of Russian/Ukrainian Christianity

Webpage sources: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1988/issue18/1820.html and
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1988/issue18/1804.html.

***************************************

Before 1000

c. 50–60 St. Andrew allegedly does mission work in Ukraine and, standing on the future site of Kiev, predicts that a great Christian city will one day exist there

860–65 With Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Christian missions to the Slavic nations begin in earnest; Cyril establishes Cyrillic alphabet that is still used by Eastern Slavs today

c. 864 Under the auspices of Rus’ Prince Askold and Patriarch Photius, the first baptism in Rus’-Ukraine

869 Eighth Ecumenical Council (in Constantinople)

955 Princess Olga, the queen of Kievan Rus’, is baptized at Constantinople

988–991 Mass baptism takes places at Kiev, Grand Prince Vladimir makes Orthodox Christianity the national religion of Rus’—which it remained until 1917
"Prince Vladimir, the Slavic ruler credited with the Christianization of Rus’ (not Russia), allegedly ordered all the inhabitants of Kiev, his capital city, to appear at the river for baptism on a particular day in 988 or they would be considered enemies of the kingdom."
"One reason Vladimir allegedly decided to accept Christianity was because, after hearing defenses of several major religions, he was healed from an eye disease after his grandmother Olga prayed to her god, the God of the Orthodox."

"Another alleged reason for Vladimir’s conversion was his emissaries’ report that when they saw the grandeur of the Eastern Orthodox services in Constantinople, they were so awed that “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty!”"

1000

1019 Yaroslav receives a metropolitan appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople; this Rus’-Byzantium link continues for nearly 400 years

1025 The beautiful St. Sophia Cathedral is constructed in Kiev

1037 The Russian Orthodox Church comes under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople

1100

1113 The Church of St. Nicholas, one of the first “onion-domed churches,” is built at Novgorod, Russia

1200

1204 Eastern Christendom’s center, Constantinople, falls to Western Christendom’s Crusaders

1206–26 Temujin is proclaimed Gengis Khan, rules the Mongols

1220-21 Mongols invade India

1237–40 Mongols invade and destroy Kiev

1250 Hats come into fashion, and goose quills are used for writing

1261 Easterners retake Constantinople

1300

1325 The metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church is transferred to Moscow

1326 Moscow becomes capital of Russia, and official center of Russian Orthodox Church

1363 Timur the Lame (Tamerlaine) begins his conquest of Asia

1392 Sergius of Radonezh, the patron saint of Russia, dies

1396 Stephen, a Russian Orthodox bishop and famous missionary, dies

1400

1431–49 The Mongols’ domination of Russia comes to an end

1448 See of Moscow is raised to independent status

1450 Moscow emerges as “The Third Rome,” claiming to have succeeded Rome and Constantinople as the center of the Orthodox Church; Russian Orthodoxy remains virtually untouched by the Renaissance and Reformation

1500

1551 The historic Council of Moscow indicates the declining influence of the patriarchate of Constantinople and the rising influence of Moscow

1589–1605 In Moscow, Iov serves as the first patriarch of the new Russian Orthodox Patriarchate

1596 The Orthodox in Poland unite with Rome, forming what is known as the Uniate Church

1600

1629 Cyril Lucano, the patriarch of Constantinople, makes a Calvinist confession of faith

1642–58 Patriarch Nikon tries to reform the Russian Orthodox Church; a schism results

1690–1700 Patriarch Adrian is Russian Orthodoxy’s last patriarch until 20th century

1700

1721 Peter the Great abolishes the Moscow Patriarchate, establishes the Holy Synod as a state institution to carry out church reforms

1783 Potemkin captures Crimea for Russia

1794 Russian Orthodox missionaries begin work in Alaska with fur traders and Indians.
"Clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church set foot on what is today known as the State of Alaska in 1794, and established Orthodox churches all the way down to San Francisco, Calif., before Alaska was even purchased from Russia by the United States government."

1800

1848 Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto

1856–1876 Translation of the entire Bible into vernacular Russian

1867 Russia sells Alaska to the U.S.

1870 Bishop Innocent, former missionary to Alaska, founds the Orthodox Missionary Society

1880 Russian Orthodox leaders begin a persecution of all non-Orthodox sects and churches

1891 Russian Orthodox leaders intensify their persecution of the non-Orthodox, making it difficult for them to find employment or living quarters, and taking their children to indoctrinate them in the Orthodox faith; non-Orthodox are tried in Orthodox courts, not civil ones

1900

1904–07 Russo-Japanese War

1917 The Russian Revolution; Moscow Patriarchate is re-established

1918–28 Lenin separates church and state and proclaims religious freedom

1919 The American Ukrainian Orthodox Church is organized

1922 USSR is formed

1929–1939 Stalin’s “Age of Terror”; most Russian Christians suffer greatly under this state-sponsored tyranny; the worst years are ’34–38

1943 Desiring to rally the Russian people in the face of Hitler’s armies, Stalin re-establishes the Russian Orthodox Church

1959–64 Khruschev oversees a great persecution of Christians, though not so murderous as Stalin’s

1961 Churches in the USSR join World Council of Churches

1974–75 For his writings against Soviet repression, Alexander Solzhenitsyn is exiled, writes The Gulag Archipelago, Vols. One and Two

1986 Gorbachev initiates policy of glasnost, or "openness," and Soviets' freedom of religions increases somewhat

1988 Millenial anniversary of Christianity in the USSR

Kievan Rulers

978–1015 Vladimir I rules Kievan Rus’
1019–54 Yaroslav “the Wise” rules Rus’
1113–1125 Vladimir Monomach rules in Rus’
1125–1140 Other members of Vladimir’s dynasty continue to rule a constantly sub-dividing Rus’
1325–1341 Ivan I rules in Moscow
1359–1389 Dmitri Donskoy rules in Moscow
1425–1462 Vasili II rules in Moscow
1462–1505 Ivan III “the Great” rules Russia
1547–1584 Ivan IV “the Terrible” rules Russia
1645–1676 Alexei rules Russia
1721–1725 Peter “the Great” is emperor of Russia
1762–96 Catherine II is empress of Russia
1801–25 Alexander I is tsar of Russia
1894–1917 Nicholas II rules Russia
1920–24 Lenin rules USSR
1924–53 Josef Stalin
,

"Wild Russia"

Right now I am watching a documentary on Animal Planet called "Wild Russia", about a region called Kamchatka (Камчатка?), land of fire/volcanoes and ice.

In the previews for it, they had the title "Wild Russia" switch from Russian to English, sort of like train station signs change letter-by-letter. In their opening theme, they've got the following phrases:

"6 DIFFEЯЕNT ЯEGIONS"

"11 TIME ZOИES"

"3 YEAЯS IN THE MAKING"

"WILD ЯUSSIA"

I was quite amused that they mixed in Cyrillic letters for the R's and one of the N's. Yes, those are really letters..."Я" is pronounced "ya," and standing alone, it means "I". "И" is pronounced "ee", like the Spanish "y" or "i", and by itself means "and."

A couple notes from the beginning of the first episode:

Russia* = largest country on earth, more than 2x size of US, 6 1/2 million square miles

each region is a world of its own

Kamchatka:

300 volcanoes

far east of asian continent

peninsula, size of California, but only 4,000 people

hidden behind Soviet iron curtain until only recently

Following this episode was one on the forested region of Primorye, also in the east but more to the south. There are amazing views of the land, whether forests, volcanoes, plains, valleys...and yes, the animals are interesting too.

"Chipmunks bury food all the time, but their memory span is only 3 days, so they forget where previous hoards are." Ha ha.

*Ukraine is NOT part of Russia. I am NOT going to Russia (unless there is a CIS field retreat in Moscow). I am on the other side of the continent from these regions.

first (2008) Ukraine story

I thought I would re-post the story of how I got to Ukraine in the first place, for YIM in the summer of 2008. Here it is, as I wrote it in November 2008. (The original can be found on my Facebook page, and probably on my other blog.)
After I returned from my YIM trip to Mexico/El Paso this summer, I wasn't sure if I would do YIM again. This summer was a time of growth and learning not to have expectations, because God would just shatter those ideas in order to stretch me.  I knew I would not have the same teammates or the same experience, even if I returned to the same site. I was hesitant to reapply. Yet I did say, "If God wants me to go again, I'll do it." That kind of thing.

Somewhere in September I decided that I needed to stay home this summer and take Adolescent Development, a course necessary for me to graduate. It's only offered at ENC every other year, and the next time I can take it would be after my graduation date. So I figured whichever college I found that offered it in the summer would determine where I would stay for the summer. So when Joel Tooley was here, I had pretty much decided that doing YIM again wasn't in my future (my brother graduates in summer 09), but that I might do Missions Corps at some point.

Fast forward to the end of October. During all this time, I was thinking that if God called me to missions for life, I'd be okay with that, but that would be something I'd put off till I graduated from college to consider.
[Edit in 2010--since when is God's call something I can put off till later?? What was I thinking???]

In my time with God, and reading devotional stuff, I came to realize that in my interactions with people (be they Bible quizzers or members of a youth group), that it wasn't about how well I felt I connected with them, or that they felt like they could come to me about things. It was about me being there, just having my presence be an encouragement (like this summer back in El Paso). More importantly, it is that I am following Christ, learning His Word, and being the person Christ can use to demonstrate His love for them, so that they can encounter His grace and love.

Bob Skinner, missionary to Ukraine, spoke in chapel one Friday (the next one?) about how God needs to know we want Him more than anything else in life. He also spoke at Wolly and South Weymouth, and I wasn't thinking much about Ukraine except for while he spoke. At one point in the weekend, I wondered if Ukraine was on the YIM site list, but didn't look then, and had no intentions of going on a YIM trip in 2008. I didn't look till Sunday night, and there it was, but all I thought was, "Okay, that's nice."

[If you recall, I had some inklings about doing YIM again, if you happened to read my blog titled "a sneaking suspicion..."]

Sunday evening, as I laid in bed and prayed, I really felt like God was telling me to go to Ukraine. "But God! I don't speak Ukrainian! I don't speak Russian! I speak Spanish, English, and a little French!" Not to mention, going away this summer would throw off "my" plans. Remember Evan Almighty? "YOUR plans?" as "God" lets out a belly laugh. As I laid there and thought about it and wrestled with it, I prayed, "Okay God, I'm going to sleep now. But if this is for serious, remind me tomorrow." You know, so it's not one of those things you think about before going to bed, and can't remember in the morning.

ALL THE NEXT DAY I KEPT THINKING ABOUT IT. Seriously. In the afternoon, I went to the library with my math homework, Bible, and journal. (Never got around to my homework. Ha.) I sat there and prayed and wrote in my journal.

I've been sporadically reading through Proverbs, and that day came across this verse: "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord" (21:30). Agh!, I thought. Then I was flipping through my Bible's index, looking for the terms "God's call." However, what caught my eye was "Procrastination", which I knew full well was what I was doing about my math homework. One of the entries said, "Do not hesitate in responding to God's call." "Agh!" I responded again.

I knew I'd have to give up a lot of things to do YIM this summer....my ideas of what my future held--being uncertain about when I'd take my needed courses, a full-time summer job to pay for car insurance and my cell phone bill, time with family, etc.

That day I knew my answer would eventually have to be yes, but at the very least, my thoughts became, "I think I'm doing YIM again; there's a possibility now."  I began to work on my application.

Two days later in chapel, a woman spoke about how God's plan might not make sense to us, but because God's hand is on it, it makes perfect sense. It is utterly illogical to me why God would have me go to Ukraine. (As I listened to this chapel message, I couldn't help but think, "AGH!")

As of last week, I still had yet to talk to my advisor and my mom, because those were going to be obstacles to get past. I wasn't sure how my meeting with my advisor would go--I figured he'd be supportive of the endeavor, but figuring out the academic side might be a little muddled. I figured my mom would react with, "You need to stay home and work! You have car insurance to pay!..."

I talked to Joel Tooley on Sunday evening, and something he asked stuck with me: "So when was it that you said 'Yes' to God?" I told him I felt like I wasn't at that point just then, because I knew I had a lot to give up.

For whatever reason, I realized that I had to say 'Yes' before I heard from my advisor and from my mom. It had to be independent of me knowing ANYTHING. You know, that whole faith thing. :)

I spent some more time in prayer, and finally, finally, said "Okay God, I'll go. I'll go even if I graduate later. Even if it means not much work this summer, or time with family and friends. I will go--because You have called me." I know it's going to be tough. I know I will need to trust God to sustain me in everything--raising the money, meeting my needs (even if those needs exclude car insurance and a cell phone), and otherwise preparing me.

My brother told me, "I think you should just stay home." Thanks, thanks a lot. You're a lot of help. When I told my mom, "I think I'm doing YIM again this summer," she calmly said, "Ok, well, we'll think about that later; there's a lot going on in the family right now." (she didn't flip out!!! she was supposed to flip out at me!!! haha oh well)

I went to my advisor's office and told him I was thinking of doing YIM again, and that that would throw off me taking Adolescent Development in the summer. Basically, the options are: taking it as an independent/directed study in fall 08 at ENC, taking it as a summer course elsewhere in 09, or going to Olivet for the fall 08 semester. However, the issue with doing the Olivet option is that the courses would need to match up correctly to what ENC has, and they would need to offer what I needed.

While I was there, I was pretty calm. It didn't really matter to me which option would be chosen. I wasn't nervous about how it would work out, just sat patiently and discussed/looked at the options. So now the prayer is that God would work that out somehow.

I do think I have peace about this. And perhaps joy? I'm just like, "Ok, God, I'm doing what you want, I am pretty sure of this!" If this is what God has for me, then He will be faithful and carry me all the way through.

Now (once I finish 2 questions on the application), it will be a waiting game till I hear from Kansas City (or should I say El Paso?) in December if I'm going or not.

And then, I went to Ukraine for the summer. During fall semester, my considerations for where I would be after graduation included Ukraine/KCA if there was an opening, El Paso, or just returning to MD. In December of 2008, I found out there was an opening for a math teacher, and...the rest is history.

"Ten Commandments of Math" and other reflections

Teaching in Ukraine requires preparation in so many different ways.

First, I'm going as a volunteer missionary through the Church of the Nazarene, so I have to prepare for the trip spiritually and logistically (raising support and packing up my stuff for a year). Who knows what I will be able to do with the COTN throughout the country--possibly working with some compassionate ministries projects? I wonder if I will be able to see some of the kids from last summer.

Next, I am going as a teacher, a first-year teacher at that. This requires me to brainstorm lesson activities, consider classroom management ideas that I can implement with my very own classes, and implement some of the many things I learned during my time at ENC. I think this is one of my biggest needs in preparation, especially for teaching 3 specific classes that I've never taught before (Geometry, Algebra II, 7th grade Bible). In each of my classes, I will have approximately 15 students, which is a nice size. :)

Thirdly, I am going as one who is able to build relationships with my students in and out of the classroom. This doesn't require active preparation on my part before I go, but a willingness to strike up conversations with my students, to listen to their stories, to attend their extra-curricular events to support them, and probably to hang out with them on weekends. I see this as being slightly different from how I would relate to students in the States, and I imagine my relationships with the students will be similar to those with my quizzers back at Wollaston. I'm looking forward to getting to know my students, all 45ish of them!

Tonight (or should I say this morning) I was looking at some teacher webpages, and found these sets of "Ten Commandments." One is based more on rules for the classroom, and the second has to do with mathematics. Enjoy!

1. Thou shalt not divide by zero.
2. Thou shalt not put other textbooks before thee in math class.
3. Thou shalt show thy work; check thy work and confirm that thy results are reasonable.
4. Remember thy test days and prepare for them wholly.
5. Thou shalt honor the correct order of operations.
6. Thou shalt not do thy math homework in ink!
7. Thou shalt commit the facts of arithmetic to memory.
8. Thou shalt do unto one side of an equation what thou doest to the other
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy original problems; thou shalt copy thy problems accurately and legibly.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's paper, not anything that is thy neighbor's.

And now, the "Mathematician's Version."

1. Thou shalt read thy problem...carefully.
2. Whatsoever thou doest to one side of thy equation, do ye also to the other.
3. Thou must use thy "common sense", else thou wilt have flagpoles 9,000 feet high. Yea, even fathers younger than sons.
4. Thou shalt ignore the teachings of false prophets to do all thy work in thy head.
5. When thou knowest not, thou shalt look it up; and if thy search still elude thee, thou shalt ask thy All-Knowing Teacher.
6. Thou shalt master each step before putting thy heavy foot down on the next.
7. Thy correct answer does not prove that thou hast worked thy problem correctly. This argument convincest none, least of all thy Teacher.
8. Thou shalt first see that thou hast copied thy problem correctly, before bearing false witness that the answer book lieth.
9. Thou shalt look back even unto thy youth and remember thy arithmetic.
10. Thou shalt learn, read, write, speak, and listen correctly in the language of mathematics, and verily A's and B's shall follow thee even unto graduation.

"Ukraine is game to you!?"

So, I saw this Seinfeld clip and it made me laugh -- I quoted it multiple times the other day.

Watch what you say about Ukraine -- Ukrainians are very proud of their country!

Enjoy. :)

Kramer and Newman are on a subway car, the Risk board sits on their laps.

Newman: Are you sure you know where the impound yard is?

Kramer: Oh, stop stalling. Come on.

Newman: I can't think, there's all this noise.

Kramer: Or is it because I've built a stronghold around Greenland? I've driven you out of Western Europe and I've left you teetering on the brink of complete annihilation.

Newman: I'm not beaten yet. I still have armies in the Ukraine.

This comment perks up the ears of a nearby passenger (who is Ukrainian).

Kramer: Ha ha, the Ukraine. Do you know what the Ukraine is? It's a sitting duck. A road apple, Newman. The Ukraine is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the Ukraine.

Ukrainian: I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak.

Kramer: Yeah, well we're playing a game here, pal.

Ukrainian: Ukraine is game to you?! Howabout I take your little board and smash it!!

The Ukrainian pounds the game board, destroying it and sending army pieces flying.

US Independence Day update

Hi everyone,

Just over a month remains until I leave the States to head to Ukraine, and I wanted to give you all an update!

Last week was Nazarene General Assembly, and I was able to go over some more details with the missionaries that are currently in Ukraine, as well as to ask Dana packing questions. :)

I will be teaching Geometry, Algebra II, and 7th grade Bible. My housing location has not been set in stone yet (it will be one of two locations), but "the key to missions is flexibility," right? :P Either way, my rent will be no greater than $400/month.

Currently, God has provided (by way of local churches and individuals) about $3,000 to cover my expenses. However, in the next 5 1/2 weeks, I need $2,000-$3,000 more. KCA does not pay its teachers a salary, and I don't receive any other kind of monetary compensation. To contribute online via online check or credit card, visit http://web.nazarene.org/goto/ukrainejh.

Before I go, I will be speaking in just a few more churches, and that list can be found at ukrainejh.blogspot.com. If you are interested in scheduling me for a Sunday service or some other date, let me know!

My blog will also include updates from time to time while I am in Ukraine, and most likely a few more before I go. Feel free to keep checking it for updates!

Current prayer requests:
~Academic preparation, as this is my first teaching job and I also need to review geometry.
~Spiritual preparation, for ministry to my students and openness to learn from God.
~Personal preparation, in terms of getting ready to go
~Financial preparation, for raising the needed support

Supply needs
~another suitcase. My qualifications: large, durable, with wheels. If you have one you are willing to donate, please let me know!
~a good wireless router (this is a want, not a need, so it would be nice to have in my apartment)

Thanks so much for your support!

In Christ,

Jessica

Support-Raising Schedule

Here are the dates I'm available this summer for sharing at your church. Contact the Mid-Atlantic deputation coordinator or myself to schedule a service.

(ENC and district friends, let me know if you're in the area, and maybe we can try to meet up!)

Sunday, May 24, AM Denton, MD
Sunday, May 24, PM OPEN & AVAILABLE
Sunday, May 31, AM Berkley Springs, WV
Sunday, May 31, PM Martinsburg, WV
Sunday, June 7, AM Chestertown, MD
Sunday, June 7, PM Rising Sun, MD
Sunday, June 14, AM Pleasant Ridge, PA
Sunday, June 14, PM OPEN & AVAILABLE
Sunday, June 21, AM OPEN & AVAILABLE
Sunday, June 21, PM OPEN & AVAILABLE
Sunday, July 12, AM Washington DC Grace
Sunday, July 12, PM OPEN & AVAILABLE

[July 14-16 I'll be going to Troy, NY for my brother's college orientation days.]

Sunday, July 19, AM Frostburg, MD
Sunday, July 19, PM OPEN & AVAILABLE
Sunday, July 26, AM Petersburg, PA
Sunday, July 26, PM McConnellstown, PA
Sunday, August 2 AM OPEN & AVAILABLE

Sunday, August 2 PM OPEN & AVAILABLE

I leave August 15 for Ukraine! Yeah!

Courses I'm Teaching

Hey everyone,

I now know what classes I'll be teaching this next year!

They are...

7th grade Bible
Geometry
Algebra II

This summer I will definitely need to be working on my geometry skills. Though I taught a couple units of it during student teaching, it was not the entire class, and it was within an 8th grade pre-algebra course. Fortunately, I got a bit of a refresher this semester as I tutored a high schooler once a week. :)

The Bible curriculum is as follows, according to the headmaster: 7th is a semester on the life of Chirst (ACSI) and second semester on the book of Judges (Daring Deliverers-ACSI).

If you have any resources that will be helpful for me teaching these classes, let me know -- I can't take everything with me, but I may be able to use some stuff! Thanks!