October - half November update

Hi, hello, ahoj :)

I am glad I can send this update to you and share what has happened on this side of the world, in beautiful and mysterious Ukraine, in the best city to live, which is Vinnytsia.

(All pictures are under text, unless you saw them all on fb already:)

OCTOBER.

For the first time supported a missionary family with my tithe.

Got "into the TH" (Transition Home) with random help, such as: helping Alla with her college homework, means, build and keep relationship; kept the house safe for a few days while our brave British family traveled to very necessary places (getting a year residency and a wedding of a family member); helping with communication between the British parents at TH and Alla; cleaning around the house.

(Transition Home - http://www.johnandfritha.com/transition-home/ )

Started to build closer relationships in the team, getting to know with whom I serve.

Spent time around the ELOY team with help they needed while they filmed at the orphanages: interpretations and local guiding and guiding one girl to Kiev and the Moldova embassy.

(ELOY project - http://eloyproject.org/ )

Family and church changes: as we lost our church (we were its members for 14 years) me and my mom found another one. For the whole time I am practicing missionary life, just in this year my mom supported me financially directly as a missionary! My dad finally, and praise to God,  found his "with better conditions" job! He is still driving all around EU, but the conditions of life and car and business relationships are much better.

Already saw the first snow of the new season! Though..at the beginning of October was too early.

Experienced this "At the moment staying in our house we have... 4 Americans, 4 British, 4 Ukrainians, 1 Canadian, 1 Mexican and 1 girl from Costa Rica/Nicaragua. Also we have 2 sick kittens and 18 chickens. Strangely I'm never bored" situation.

Launched Skype lessons of Ukrainian for my American friend.

Got to know first my friends are pregnant!

Started to read "Through the dust: breaking the stereotypes about a leader." This means I started a renewing process in my brain about such things.

Hosted friends. Tried new food. Cooked something new.

Had deep thoughts of serving and dedication, calling and using gifts.

Visited the dentist twice.

Got onto staff for the upcoming DTS in Vinnytsia!

Agreed to help one 8 year old boy with English.

Studied Hebrews with my team, had a weekend retreat with them where we shared YWAM values, and just hung out with these persons.

Visited a few worship and concert nights of my American friend (who is a missionary with his family in UA) at Calvary Chapel in Vinnytsia. I got to know one more church and got new friends among whom were leaders of that church.

Went to the theater!

Happily cried.

Spent joyful time at the orphanages, sharing fellowship with locals.

Took participation in leading worship.

Observed people with intentional thoughts to look at them with love, not mattering what they look like. (Try!)

Got a video from my DTS in Czech Republic! https://www.dropbox.com/s/kis38r2m7gn7i8p/Promo%20HOE%20Cheb%20%28fcp1%29.mov

Had thoughts of clear mind and heart desires, to whom I bring a benefit: myself or God?

NOVEMBER.

It just started, but it already has thick blessings for the spirit. You know when you are truly seeking the truth, and just then God is giving you beautiful stuff?

Right here.

Being on staff at YWAM Vinnytsia is a blessing. I am not married yet, but basically all of my team is 3 families. It is hard sometimes, emotionally, but what a great opportunity to learn, especially when I want to learn:)

God is very supportive when we do His things.

He wants us be truly happy and not fake joy.

Remember, get sweat when you pray just in a case you are asking for what had been revealed to just you.

God is very supportive through people: emotions, feelings, atmosphere, food, fellowship, money, clothes, advice, idea, prayer.

It amazes me when I actually think about my actions like that: I am being a channel between God and someone He choose me to provide a blessing for.
Got my visa to the USA!!! Have tickets, and almost don't have a patience to wait untill I go there.
Got a neccessary money suport for doctor's help.
Had creative evenings at home.
Met a new international marriage couple.
Helped homeless.
...
These all what I said here from my life were able to happen just because of the support, people who stays with me in their money and prayer support.  THANK you.

The month is moving, so I am looking forward to see new sides of this life, experience more of God and apply what I've been given by God.

 

money. missionary.

Support isn't just a thing about money and amounth.
Support isn't a thing of termas and rules and paper expetations.

We as a missionaries, I will speak for young, we hesitate to ask people to support our lives with God.

Why do we have such fear and uncomfortable feelings in a troath?
Who have putted that in us: our minds, hearts and mouth?

Support is simply taking a chance to be a part of such great and unnormal, unearth things, which are making by God through people. Through people whom He choose and put to be servants.

Was it our desire or forced wish?

God has relationships with each of us. We have our talks with Him. We make appointments and we may just break into His room just to say how small we feel.

Does God care about us and our desires? Or He just interested in forcing us to go to the hot points, such as Syria, Iran, Africa, ...stan?

HE DOES CARE ABOUT HIS WILL. He does want to perform whatever He wants - the way, the time and the vision He has for that.

He does love us. He cares of our hearts. He is compassionate.

All question is in our faith, indeed, our choice to commit to the Lord.

We love the verse "Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed" Proverbs 16:3

Is that light, easy, pleaseful and again easy, to commit to the Lord? Nope. It is not.
But how coooool it is!
How the life is turning to happen after we made this choice!!

"I love my life because God knows what I love" very often I say.

Do I remember of that when I have times when I feel down, small and not useful?
Do I mind to be a missionary when I face times when I need to find people who would support the ministry I want to do for the Lord?
Do I easily agree to wake up with a though today could turn either danger or uncomfortable?

God is sovereign God. He does what He does.
He seeks those who would leave (but not deny) their families; jobs, studies, opportunities to have secular rich life, friends and desires to live for nothing else but for private satisfaction.

He seeks those who would agree in their hearts "Let it be not easy and hard, let is be painful, but if You do so, it is better for me, then from anyone else".

He wants to have servants who would be available for Him 24\7.
He desires to have passionate servants for His Kingdom.

Why do we think of such people as they would be freeloaders, bummers and just lazy hipsters?

Yes, we might met such. But is that all what do we see?
Is that all what we think of God's Kingdom?

If you would have such imiginations of His servants, my dear brother or sister, or whoever you are reading this, I want to warn you to not play such games.
Think about: if you imagine His servants this way, then, how do you view Himself?

I understand, you might give some money to some missionaries and in the mind's eye you put a check mark for a holy deal.
I understand that you might have weak heart if somebody asks you for help, so you did gave some money to a missionary because it hit your ruth.
I understand that you are rich and have enough money to but each missionary a car, that is why, just because of scale of your bank account, you did so.

Tell me now...whom do you sere then?

God is not a fool, He sees your heart you do such things with.
God is just and pure, He cares about motivations of hearts.
He seeks to make us rich in a mental, spiritual and unvisible meaning first of all.
He wants to wants to bless us with the things we can touch, smell and change a shape of it.
He does both.

Who, my dear, gave you a right to judge what is pure and dirty?
Who, my dear, gave you a chance and opportunity to earn money with your skills?
Who, my dear, gave you those skills, desires, passions, gifts,...?

Then whose merit is it? Merit of all you gain and earned?

Who blessed you with such things you hld in your hands now?
Who planned your life before you were born?

Did I palnned to be a missionary and be focused on serving others? Nope. I didn't, but He offerd, so I took it as my own heart desire and won't regret. He knew that and I won't turn back.
It is not easy, it is joyful, it is danger, it is lovely, it is stresful, it is safe.

To each of us He gave His heart, He gave Jesus.
Each of us He performed to be servants, apostles, pastors, sportsmens, lawyers, doctors, ballerinas, missionaries.

So who are they, that missionaries?
Simply: people who dedicated their full time and energy, thoughts and abilities, to serve the Lord.
They ask you to support the ministries and their lives just because their life bussiness is to be complitely in a service for God, God to whom you pray.

That doesn't mean they will never work to earn money. That means, they trust God to quit the jobs and live on His provision by doing what is in His heart.

Dear suporters of each missionary, do not even think you are doing a wrong, silly or meaningless thing.
First of all, doesn't matter are you christian or buddist or atheist, you serve God, even if you do not think so.
He will never forget what you have done out of your heart to each of them.

Do not be led by benefits of this world, but support because of your grateful heart that God gave you a place and abilities to earn, because of your trust God if you give away you wil not be left poor and hungry, because of your spiritual understandings, investing in someone lives brings treasures in your own.
Because you simply want to honor God and be a part of missionary works and inheritance.

God is up above of all our worries. He does His will through those who allows Him to do so.

And I like this - well said, read the comments as well.

TTK: talk to myself #HEALING

Such examples in a Bible, when people lived with a heavy sicknesses for a veeery long time, they got the healing because of their patience. This ...

This what we focus on the most - the result. But have you consider how many times they gave up and pick up their hope again? How many times they toss tons of questions up to God? How many imiginations they had about the healing? How many tears and bad forecast they heard?

What this healing cost them?

The name of God will be glorified through everything. This is constant. This can not be removed. This is firm and strong.

Is God allowing us to be sick just because He wants to glorify His name afterwhile? Yes.

Does God send this sicknesses? No.

Then why He is using such bad things in our lives? Because His perspective sees more and He is looking for the opportunities rather then focus on a problem.

Have God planned somebody to be sick? No, it would then contradict to His own decision to send His Son on a cross to take away all the sicknesses.

Doctors, who are they? Are they good? They are people created by God, loved the same as any of us. They are good, because through their medical knowledge reveals God's mercy. He knew people will got themselves in a bad condition which will produce sicknesses then He gave a desire and possibilities to certain people be His "healing army". He helps us through doctors. No reasons to be against them.

Who created me? My God.

He knows my stucture and need.

I want to be healthy to serve Him. I want to be able to say - God healed me!

Anyone could go to the doctores. But I so desparately want Him to heal me so I would have a chance to testify His power in my life!
Well.. He is sovereign God. God is God. Whatever He chooses is the best. In other words, I am not bringing a glory to Him because of myself but because of HIMSELF. I do a ministry because of Him, and yet, I have a desire for ministries, just because of Him!.

Think about that.. why me, as a human, need any ministering? Just because have chosen me to do so. Just because He gave me a desire and supplies with what I need for that. Well, even not what do I need, but what I would need to make real what He have chosen me to do!

He will supply.

This I believe.

This life is not mine, though He gave a choice. And I choosed to be in His service.
I have my private life, but how can I separate it from what I am burning for? Isn't it a hypocritical then?

I desire to be the same in any sphere of my life. I don't want to be separated and devided into sections with a sertain amount of "holliness" in each.

I want to be clean and pure. Yet I am sinning. Tomorrow I will.

The reason I still go, is my freedom to choose. So He supported my choice.

I do all I do - for Him.

SO, "commit to the Lord...and your plans will succeed" Proverbs 16:3

My plans are to glorify God. Then I commit this sickness, this healing, in any way it will come: miracle or doctors, I commit. If I commit this, it will succeed and means, will glorify God, means, will make my plan work!>

Who is more precious? Me or God? God, no doubts. But I am becoming precious just when God is in me. We all contain God in ourselves. Give Him a chance. You won't regret. I promisse.

To be sick and in such condition glorify God? - Yes!

I will wait on the Lord and I know He is not silent.

12 km of walk

Yay!

God answered my heart’s desire to serve at a camp this summer!

My morning started early, at 5:25. I left Vinnitsa early on Monday to get to Kiev. I got ready for the trip and my dad helped me to get into the train with all that stuff I carried.

The train was chilly so I couldn't sleep tight. I decided to take a train blanket and come back to rest. I got up and jumped up to reach the blanket on the top and my neighbor woke up. He looked at me and said "All this time I've been trying to get warm and didn't have the idea to take a blanket". He took it for himself and looked at my bags. This was the key to starting our conversation. He said "I am not from here". I asked where he is from and he said he has lived in Rome for 7 years. His name is Andrej (Andrew; right in a picture).

Word after word, I got to explain where I go and why I do so, what it means for me, preached to him about God's love and challenged him to try God so he will not have any regrets.

                                                 

After a while he said a repentance prayer!

In Kiev I was met by my very good friend and brother, Nazar, who was the leader of this camp. I invited Andrew to spend time with us, and during the few hours before he flew back home he got along very quick and well!

So we spent the day in Kiev getting prepared for the first day of camp. I also visited my friend in the hospital who got poisoned that day. We prayed and now he is alive :)

Mytlashivka, Cherkas'ka region, Ukraine.
Fun note: The neighboring village is "Goatslaughter".

We had 6 on our team, but believe me, every time we gathered each of us felt that we have somebody 7^th. We knew, God is with us and we need Him, so we felt like there HAD TO BE somebody 7^th.

back from the left: Denis and Pasha.
middle: Nazar and Vladeek.
front: Anya and I.

Nazar and 3 other people on our team (siblings: Anya, Vladeek and Denis) left to the village very early in the morning to set up camp, find contacts, and get to know the place.

Pasha and I left later in the day by car with the spouse of our host.

On our way from Kiev the car broke around 5 times. The road trip of 3 hours turned instead to 6 hours. We came at the evening late at night when the house was so quiet and the night cold had already come down close to the ground.

We unloaded all the bags from the car and came into the house. Silence, dim light.

Immediately we went to our places to have our short sleep because of our early wake up.

All that day I was curious where am I going? But I was sure this time is going to be a good fruit for God.



Day 1.

A very full day of moving, events, talks and laughiiiing!!))

The way to the village where we had the camp is long: 6km one way, through another smaller village and many fields and a forest. Yep. Walking a lot. Walking dusty and dirty. Sweat. Dusty.

We got to the village school and no children were there. They came later for the repetition for the 1st September (an annual program for the beginning of the study year). They spent an hour for that and some of them stayed with us afterwards. All of them were 5-6 years old. We made a shorter program and at the end we had 2 girls. One girl in the beginning started to cry and I sat near her and she jumped to me and hugged me. So I took her and walked a bit till her mom came and took her away. Another 2 girls left because their parents took them away after a song about God.

So at the end when the parents of the 2 girls who were left came, one shared, "Mom! I just talked to God!!"

We had crafts, songs and a watermelon game. We decided to come back to that village that evening to meet youth on a football field. Again, we had a long walk. When we arrived, they had played already and so we prayed what to do. So we stayed aside and played Ultimate Frisbee. In a while a guy came to us and asked to join. We moved to the bigger field and started to play. In another while we had 2 more guys. It was such a nice game! My team won. The field is just entire dust. Imagine those clouds from our running ;)

The first guy asked what we are doing in the camp and Nazar said that we are talking about God and etc. So that guy asked us to tell him about God.

What an open heart!! He was the first one whom we met who himself asked about God. I am glad those villages are not spoiled by religions and are seeking for the truth.

Day 2.

We had a very peaceful worship in the morning.

The camp was good! No rush, not tense. We had 2 kids, one girl who cried yesterday and her brother. Alla and Bogdan. She cried again today so I came to her to comfort so she spent all the time sticking to me. Cute.

On the way to the camp we met 2 men on a corn field and one politely stopped us to ask, "I see you know your deal. You know what you do. Please, can you tell me about God? What about Gods in Egypt, Asia..? ..oh they are false. So every nation has its own God?” ... "The God is the only One" we said.

"Oh, true. Thank you for your help".

On the way back we met 2 persons: a grandma and grandpa. The first one said, "People see you, and they are curious, and they asked me to ask you to come to us and play some songs for God". So we did that on our 4th day. The second one stopped us and said "Sorry, just a moment. I know you are Christians. I love God. He saved me. I was dead. He brought me back from that world. I felt down from a 20m high height and doctors couldn't do anything. And now I'm good. Another man doesn't believe in God and he still be crooked. But I’m good. God saved me."

What a miracle!! Definitely, it is useful, our long walks are useful. I would say it is my first time I have met these situations. We barely have children in the camp but adults are catching us to ask about God!!

That day I had felt some pain in my foot, but though it will pass away. My suggestions were because of a lot of walking plus caring the bags and etc. I didn’t fall and didn’t hit that.

Day 3.

Morning was quick we slept over :)

I started to walk and my foot started to hurt .I thought about staying but I don't like to be outsider, especially in a ministry. I would go till the end if I am able. Sometimes it is not a good choice :)

We came to the school and it was closed. We sat and waited, played some songs. Then the teacher who opens the school for us came. And still no children.

Suddenly they started to come. Some of them were with moms. We had 8 maybe. They had their repetition and 5 of them stayed with us. Again it was a nice time. We had songs, craft, Bible lessons and a snack.

A pastor named Kim came from Kiev to check on us and brought ice-cream and 2 watermelons. He is Korean, lives in Kiev, and we stayed at his church. Here he had evangelizations and a church in the past. So he spent a few hours with us, we had lunch together and prayed on the place we were going to have worship on Saturday.

That evening we got invited to visit one missionary family with 7 children. That evening visit was sooo nice! Those people are very hospitable and open, wise and blessed. We entered their garden and I saw all those kids, but the atmosphere of order and coziness impressed me. We had good food and played ninja (active game) with their children. It was so nice to hear their story how they got to that village. God is good!! We had a watermelon from their garden :)

Day 4.

24th of August, Independence Day in Ukraine!

I learned that day that I had a sprain on my foot. To move that day was harder. The same as yesterday I limped to the camp. 

No kids. We were waiting an hour. Soon the pastor whom we visited yesterday evening came and brought his 6 children. That day we had the most kids :)

It was Saturday, the day of our "concert" for the grandmas.

We had around 6 songs and between them Nazar was preaching. The grandmas were listening very carefully. Some of them said a repentance prayer. They took our literature and we left.

I got back and couldn't move my foot anymore.

I got a bandage and later we got invited to visit the family again. I so wanted to go but I regret I couldn’t walk anymore so my team found a wheelchair and brought me to that house and back. Fun. Tell ya :) 

Again we met our friends on the cornfield, 2 men. We had a talk about faith and love, providence and church. They were apologizing for their "wildness" :)

Day 5.

The last day of the camp surprised us with a locked lock on the school door. Somebody had put matches in it. While our host tried to open it we were playing games and waited for the kids. Finally he opened the door and we started to take out all of our stuff, and suddenly 3 kids came. Because we had a train later and they came late, we made shorter program. That day they heard about God for the first time.

 

We came back to Kiev, spent some time all together as a team, said thanks and hugged.

It was not an ordinary camp and it was a good influence on each of us.

My personal acquisition was to get a chance to serve in a team with the achievements I got from DTS, such as: flexibility, patience, encourage, stretching and loving.

I was glad to leave a good memories after myself, but all glory and thankgivings belong to God!

If I was to make a main point of this big story, it would be:

"Trust God and offer everything that you have in Him".

Thanks to our hosts!

19-25 August, 2013