We have our visas and we are leaving for Ukraine this evening! This is a very great news for us and I appreciate all of your prayers. There was actually a different official working at the window today and he let everything go through just fine. He even helped us improve what we were applying for (pointing out that we could ask for multi-entry visas that will allow us to leave the country during our 90 day stay without canceling the remaining part of our visa).
We will take a 9:00 PM train to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and try to make a 30 minute connection for an express train to Kiev. Due to a very clumsy ticketing website and finally the discovery that the booking system will only accept Ukrainian credit cards, we were not able to get any of this process taken care of beforehand. But we'll do our best to quickly navigate the train station and the Ukrainian language and see if we can get back to Kiev around 1 PM. If not, we have a backup option that should get us there by evening.
Thanks again for hanging in there with us. It was nice to know we were not alone!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
What's All The Commotion Been About?
Well, hopefully, just these little documents that are being held by a joyful Jenny. Each one is just half the size of an 8.5x11 sheet of paper. But for now they are our one chance of getting out of Poland and back home to Ukraine! Thanks to our special people back in Kiev who have made these documents a reality!
These are stamps of approval from the immigrations services office in Kiev, Ukraine. We will be taking them to the Ukrainian consulate here in Krakow, Poland tomorrow morning. For those of you in the US, this will happen during the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday. For those of you receiving this as an automated e-mail from Google/Blogger, the event has probably already happened.
So I am going to send a copy out right now to every e-mail address that I have connected with my mission in Ukraine. Here's the prayer request:
We have the documents we need to apply for visas but we still need the consulate to approve our visas. Our previous visas were religious. Because the government has made it temporarily impossible to get the supporting documents for new religious visas, we have had to find a loophole. We are applying now for 90 day private visas, and the documents we just received are government-approved letters of invitation from Jenny's fiance.
The problem: even these documents do not mean the consulate official has to approve our visas. It is his decision. If he doesn't like the fact that we were previously in on religious visas and now are applying for private visas, we will have an issue. In speaking to him last week, we realized that he is rather suspicious of our inability to provide documents for a religious visa. What he didn't know and doesn't particularly care about is the fact that the government has made this task literally impossible for the time being. So please, PLEASE pray that he either understands the situation tomorrow or doesn't care about the change of visa type.
Thank you!
These are stamps of approval from the immigrations services office in Kiev, Ukraine. We will be taking them to the Ukrainian consulate here in Krakow, Poland tomorrow morning. For those of you in the US, this will happen during the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday. For those of you receiving this as an automated e-mail from Google/Blogger, the event has probably already happened.
So I am going to send a copy out right now to every e-mail address that I have connected with my mission in Ukraine. Here's the prayer request:
We have the documents we need to apply for visas but we still need the consulate to approve our visas. Our previous visas were religious. Because the government has made it temporarily impossible to get the supporting documents for new religious visas, we have had to find a loophole. We are applying now for 90 day private visas, and the documents we just received are government-approved letters of invitation from Jenny's fiance.
The problem: even these documents do not mean the consulate official has to approve our visas. It is his decision. If he doesn't like the fact that we were previously in on religious visas and now are applying for private visas, we will have an issue. In speaking to him last week, we realized that he is rather suspicious of our inability to provide documents for a religious visa. What he didn't know and doesn't particularly care about is the fact that the government has made this task literally impossible for the time being. So please, PLEASE pray that he either understands the situation tomorrow or doesn't care about the change of visa type.
Thank you!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas "Letter"
A "Gift"
It would be virtually impossible for me to handle sending Christmas gifts to all of my supporters, so I have decided instead to give you all some fun at my expense. These links will take you to two videos that were recorded a few weeks ago. If you want a glimpse at what I've been doing in Ukraine, check them out. haha. But these really did happen... let's just say that not being fluent in Russian doesn't guarantee me exemption from audience participation.
Merry Christmas Part 1
Merry Christmas Part 2
I have prepared this "gift" from Krakow, Poland, where I am currently waiting for new visa documents. Changes occurring right now in the Ukrainian government have postponed the processing of my paperwork in Kiev and landed me here over the holidays, locked out of the country I am trying to serve. Fortunately for me, Ukrainians don't celebrate Christmas on the 25th but rather on Orthodox Christmas, January 7th. So I've got a second chance at celebrating with my Ukrainian friends and girlfriend!
Why I Am Thankful
Putting together a list of all of you who have supported me in one way or another (or in many and multi-faceted ways) has really put a bright spot in my day. I appreciate all of your help to make my ministry and life in Ukraine possible this year. I also appreciate this chance to look at each name in a substantial list of supporters and remember that you cared enough about me and about God's work in a place far away to give me the chance to be doing what I am doing.
You are having an impact on the young generation of Ukraine. Just as in any country, this is the generation that has the chance to displace rampant corruption, cheating, and fear with grace, service to others, and hearts that long for Christ above all other gain. I get the chance to share the most precious thing in your hearts with young adults on a weekly basis through worship, music and Bible study. I have also recently made a start at preaching, and there will probably be more occasions to follow. To the older generations, you serve with me in worship to heal brokenness of all kinds, to express joy to our Maker, and to assist God's followers in remembering the strength of the One they follow.
God Bless
So Merry Christmas to you all, my wonderful friends, family and family-by-choice (for all of you supporters who are connected in other ways)! I appreciate every one of you and I hope you experience some of God's goodness in a special flavor this Christmas. The family of God in Ukraine is growing and benefiting from your help.
Josh
It would be virtually impossible for me to handle sending Christmas gifts to all of my supporters, so I have decided instead to give you all some fun at my expense. These links will take you to two videos that were recorded a few weeks ago. If you want a glimpse at what I've been doing in Ukraine, check them out. haha. But these really did happen... let's just say that not being fluent in Russian doesn't guarantee me exemption from audience participation.
Merry Christmas Part 1
Merry Christmas Part 2
I have prepared this "gift" from Krakow, Poland, where I am currently waiting for new visa documents. Changes occurring right now in the Ukrainian government have postponed the processing of my paperwork in Kiev and landed me here over the holidays, locked out of the country I am trying to serve. Fortunately for me, Ukrainians don't celebrate Christmas on the 25th but rather on Orthodox Christmas, January 7th. So I've got a second chance at celebrating with my Ukrainian friends and girlfriend!
Why I Am Thankful
Putting together a list of all of you who have supported me in one way or another (or in many and multi-faceted ways) has really put a bright spot in my day. I appreciate all of your help to make my ministry and life in Ukraine possible this year. I also appreciate this chance to look at each name in a substantial list of supporters and remember that you cared enough about me and about God's work in a place far away to give me the chance to be doing what I am doing.
You are having an impact on the young generation of Ukraine. Just as in any country, this is the generation that has the chance to displace rampant corruption, cheating, and fear with grace, service to others, and hearts that long for Christ above all other gain. I get the chance to share the most precious thing in your hearts with young adults on a weekly basis through worship, music and Bible study. I have also recently made a start at preaching, and there will probably be more occasions to follow. To the older generations, you serve with me in worship to heal brokenness of all kinds, to express joy to our Maker, and to assist God's followers in remembering the strength of the One they follow.
God Bless
So Merry Christmas to you all, my wonderful friends, family and family-by-choice (for all of you supporters who are connected in other ways)! I appreciate every one of you and I hope you experience some of God's goodness in a special flavor this Christmas. The family of God in Ukraine is growing and benefiting from your help.
Josh
Friday, December 23, 2011
Another update
I am definitely having to learn the arts of patience and helplessness. DHL International does not deliver on Saturdays and Monday is a Polish holiday. That means our documents will arrive Tuesday and we can apply for our visas Wednesday. We MIGHT make it home Thursday but that would involve some more complications to transportation, so it may very well end up being Friday.
The first couple days were fun. It was a little scary to have things very open-ended regarding the time frame for being able to return, but we made the most of it. It's a nice city. But after staying in hostels over a week the initial desire to return to Kiev grows stronger and more overpowering. But there is nothing I can do to follow through on that desire at this very moment.
Thanks for praying for this situation. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and sincerely hope you find enjoyment in God's goodness this weekend, however that looks for you.
The first couple days were fun. It was a little scary to have things very open-ended regarding the time frame for being able to return, but we made the most of it. It's a nice city. But after staying in hostels over a week the initial desire to return to Kiev grows stronger and more overpowering. But there is nothing I can do to follow through on that desire at this very moment.
Thanks for praying for this situation. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and sincerely hope you find enjoyment in God's goodness this weekend, however that looks for you.
Still In Poland
That's the bad news. We're still here. The good news is we have a backup plan in the works.
Visa laws in Ukraine changed about three months ago. On December 25th (of all days) they will change again. Earlier this week, the Ukrainian government decided to inform us that they will not do anything for our visas until the new law passes. We had done everything they asked. My girlfriend and two of our church pastors had spent two weeks running around collecting the documents they had requested and then the government decided to disregard it all. They will not even give new information about how we will need to change the documents that we will submit under the new law.
So basically, there has been a three or four week window in which it has been impossible to apply for a religious visa. We submitted documents at the beginning of the month and nothing has come of it. At this point, we are back to square one, just waiting to find out what documents they will want us to submit once they're willing to start processing stuff again. And it is really difficult to say how long it will take them to sort things out with the new law and decide how to deal with things. When the law changed a few months ago, the first month or so was very rough for applicants. Also, there are a lot of other people in the same situation as us (sitting and waiting) so the work load is going to be pretty heavy at first. On top of that, the government has a couple holidays coming up over the first week of January.
The backup plan is in motion
Jenny's fiance Vova has been doing everything he can to get letters of invitation for us to come in on 90 day private visas. Thankfully he has friends at his local immigration services office and has managed to speed up the process. He went to that office four days in a row and was able to get the initial "it will take ten days" answer cut down to just a few days. He picked up the completed documents this morning and they should arrive here tomorrow. Then we will go to the Ukrainian consulate here in Poland on Monday, apply for our visas, and hopefully have permission to reenter Ukraine!
The part that needs prayer now
There is still one part of this that is a little uncertain. We need to pray that the consulate will approve our private visas. We already have religious visas showing in our passports. If the official at the consulate wants to give us a hard time, he'll say "Why are you going in on private visas now? Your intentions are religious and I will only approve religious visas." We already tried to describe our situation to him earlier this week, explaining that the Ministry of Culture is not willing to look at religious documents at this time. But that got us nowhere. He would not accept visa applications for a 90 day tourist visa.
So please pray that the consulate approves our private visas and that we can return to Ukraine next week! Thank you.
Visa laws in Ukraine changed about three months ago. On December 25th (of all days) they will change again. Earlier this week, the Ukrainian government decided to inform us that they will not do anything for our visas until the new law passes. We had done everything they asked. My girlfriend and two of our church pastors had spent two weeks running around collecting the documents they had requested and then the government decided to disregard it all. They will not even give new information about how we will need to change the documents that we will submit under the new law.
So basically, there has been a three or four week window in which it has been impossible to apply for a religious visa. We submitted documents at the beginning of the month and nothing has come of it. At this point, we are back to square one, just waiting to find out what documents they will want us to submit once they're willing to start processing stuff again. And it is really difficult to say how long it will take them to sort things out with the new law and decide how to deal with things. When the law changed a few months ago, the first month or so was very rough for applicants. Also, there are a lot of other people in the same situation as us (sitting and waiting) so the work load is going to be pretty heavy at first. On top of that, the government has a couple holidays coming up over the first week of January.
The backup plan is in motion
Jenny's fiance Vova has been doing everything he can to get letters of invitation for us to come in on 90 day private visas. Thankfully he has friends at his local immigration services office and has managed to speed up the process. He went to that office four days in a row and was able to get the initial "it will take ten days" answer cut down to just a few days. He picked up the completed documents this morning and they should arrive here tomorrow. Then we will go to the Ukrainian consulate here in Poland on Monday, apply for our visas, and hopefully have permission to reenter Ukraine!
The part that needs prayer now
There is still one part of this that is a little uncertain. We need to pray that the consulate will approve our private visas. We already have religious visas showing in our passports. If the official at the consulate wants to give us a hard time, he'll say "Why are you going in on private visas now? Your intentions are religious and I will only approve religious visas." We already tried to describe our situation to him earlier this week, explaining that the Ministry of Culture is not willing to look at religious documents at this time. But that got us nowhere. He would not accept visa applications for a 90 day tourist visa.
So please pray that the consulate approves our private visas and that we can return to Ukraine next week! Thank you.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Regarding e-mail updates...
If you would like to reply to any of the update e-mails you receive, please know that clicking the "reply" button will not send an e-mail to me. The e-mails come from an automated service of blogger.com that sends blog updates to those of you who have subscribed to them. Clicking "reply" will send an e-mail out somewhere into cyberspace, never to be found. Send any e-mails you would like, but please send them to joshuaingram@gmail.com. I would truly enjoy hearing from you.
If you are reading this on the blog and don't know what I am talking about, here's the deal: You can sign up your e-mail address on the right hand column of this blog page. Then you will receive e-mails containing any blog posts I make!
If you are reading this on the blog and don't know what I am talking about, here's the deal: You can sign up your e-mail address on the right hand column of this blog page. Then you will receive e-mails containing any blog posts I make!
Update on Visa
Well, I'm still here in Poland of course. The paperwork in Kiev, Ukraine is going a bit crazy. One department sends the paperwork to another. The second says no, we don't want it. Sends it back to the first. The first says, okay did we mention we want another document? The department for the extra document forgets to mention they want a scan of EVERY page of our passports (including covers, blank pages, and backs). The funny thing is that while this is frustrating, none of it surprises me in the least.
Thankfully, Lesya and the two youth pastors I work under are trying to keep on top of things and make sure that they don't take more time than they have to. The extra document should be ready Monday morning. Lesya has assurance from the first department that they should be able to approve things in about an hour once they receive this document. Then the question is, how long will it take the second department to approve things? Hopefully, only one or two days!
So here are the parts to be praying for especially, please:
Thankfully, Lesya and the two youth pastors I work under are trying to keep on top of things and make sure that they don't take more time than they have to. The extra document should be ready Monday morning. Lesya has assurance from the first department that they should be able to approve things in about an hour once they receive this document. Then the question is, how long will it take the second department to approve things? Hopefully, only one or two days!
So here are the parts to be praying for especially, please:
- That the documents will go very speedily from the first department to the second.
- That this second department, the Ministry of Culture, will look at our documents immediately and process them efficiently.
- That the documents will make it to an overnight shipping service or onto an overnight train in time to arrive here Thursday, giving us a chance to apply for visas Friday and get out of here in time for Christmas with loved ones and friends!
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| Subway! Not in Ukraine |
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| Lots of beautiful cathedrals here |
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| Market Square |
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Getting A New Visa Isn't Easy
What to say? I am on a train to leave the country and apply for a new visa to replace the one that expires tomorrow. The good news is I am leaving the country on time in order to not get blacklisted (shut out of the country for a year). The bad news is that I do not yet have the documents I will need from the Ukrainian government in order to apply for a new visa.
The Problem
Mr. President (Viktor Yanukovych) decided to disband the Committee of Religious Affairs a couple weeks before we tried to submit our documents. So where do our documents go now? Most people, even lawyers, had no clue. Thankfully, my wonderful girlfriend Lesya started making phone calls, going from one number to another and piecing together clues about how to make the process work now. Someone along the chain of phone calls gave her the personal number of one government official who was able to direct her to the temporarily correct place for our type of documents to be submitted.
As things stand right now, our documents appear to be in the right hands. The biggest problem is that those hands are swamped with work, partially due to the disbanding of the Religious Committee. They say it could take up to 30 days to get approval. We pray it will be much less!
The more immediate problem is that they want one additional document with information regarding the church. Honestly, this shouldn't be a huge problem but every day counts right now. We sincerely hope our youth pastor will have the time to get this document turned in tomorrow. This could be the difference between spending Christmas in Ukraine or in Poland.
What To Pray For (Please!)
Please pray for quick document processing and approval. Please also pray for government employees to be attentive to their jobs and quickly inform us of any additional details or information they decide they will need. We have already lost time because of this. Things are very much at the whim of human nature. Thankfully God is ultimately in control of everybody involved.
Once the documents are done they will be sent to us in Poland. "Us" is me and the other New Life intern, Jenny. We have hostel booked for eight nights and hope that will be enough time to get the documents done and overnighted to Ukraine. If so, we will make it back on Christmas Eve!
What I Will Be Doing In The Meantime
I will try to make the most of this time that is out of my hands. This will be a time for extra talks with God and asking Him to line up all aspects of my life in order with His plan. I will be seeking out that plan and the next step of His vision for me. I can get through some piles of Russian homework. I will do some Skyping with friends from the US. I'll have opportunities to enjoy not-so-everyday things like going to the movie theater because most movies here are shown in English with Polish subtitles. I will take pleasure from a few Mountain Dews and some peanut butter sandwiches (cheap solution to food but a delicacy after eight months in a country that lives without peanut butter). During all of this, I will be missing my amazing Lesya. But I know God uses different times for different purposes and brings the most out of each.
Then
After we get our visas there will still be a lot of work to be done. Under the new visa law (which has been extremely confusing and which trickles down to different government agencies months after going into effect), we get 45 days in the country. Within that window we need to get temporary residency in Ukraine. This means we need to find someone who will let us register at their apartment. The problem is, this means someone accepts that we will have a say in matters such as the sale of the apartment during that time and that this person can become liable for our actions. So more prayer requests may follow soon!
As things become clearer or confirmed in my understanding of God's vision for me, I will post to this blog and let you know what will be coming up. Thank you as always for all different kinds of support. These have been essential and I appreciate the ways they have enabled and guided the circumstances that have helped me grow over the last eight months.
Contact Me
If you want me to give you a call and want to hear personally what has been going on in Ukraine, let me know! I have a Skype account that allows me to call your phone number with no long distance charges. You receive the call from a US phone number. Send me an email at joshuaingram@gmail.com if you would like to find a time that coordinates over our seven to eight hour time difference. I'd like to tell you about my life and hear about what I've missed in yours.
The Problem
Mr. President (Viktor Yanukovych) decided to disband the Committee of Religious Affairs a couple weeks before we tried to submit our documents. So where do our documents go now? Most people, even lawyers, had no clue. Thankfully, my wonderful girlfriend Lesya started making phone calls, going from one number to another and piecing together clues about how to make the process work now. Someone along the chain of phone calls gave her the personal number of one government official who was able to direct her to the temporarily correct place for our type of documents to be submitted.
As things stand right now, our documents appear to be in the right hands. The biggest problem is that those hands are swamped with work, partially due to the disbanding of the Religious Committee. They say it could take up to 30 days to get approval. We pray it will be much less!
The more immediate problem is that they want one additional document with information regarding the church. Honestly, this shouldn't be a huge problem but every day counts right now. We sincerely hope our youth pastor will have the time to get this document turned in tomorrow. This could be the difference between spending Christmas in Ukraine or in Poland.
What To Pray For (Please!)
Please pray for quick document processing and approval. Please also pray for government employees to be attentive to their jobs and quickly inform us of any additional details or information they decide they will need. We have already lost time because of this. Things are very much at the whim of human nature. Thankfully God is ultimately in control of everybody involved.
Once the documents are done they will be sent to us in Poland. "Us" is me and the other New Life intern, Jenny. We have hostel booked for eight nights and hope that will be enough time to get the documents done and overnighted to Ukraine. If so, we will make it back on Christmas Eve!
What I Will Be Doing In The Meantime
I will try to make the most of this time that is out of my hands. This will be a time for extra talks with God and asking Him to line up all aspects of my life in order with His plan. I will be seeking out that plan and the next step of His vision for me. I can get through some piles of Russian homework. I will do some Skyping with friends from the US. I'll have opportunities to enjoy not-so-everyday things like going to the movie theater because most movies here are shown in English with Polish subtitles. I will take pleasure from a few Mountain Dews and some peanut butter sandwiches (cheap solution to food but a delicacy after eight months in a country that lives without peanut butter). During all of this, I will be missing my amazing Lesya. But I know God uses different times for different purposes and brings the most out of each.
Then
After we get our visas there will still be a lot of work to be done. Under the new visa law (which has been extremely confusing and which trickles down to different government agencies months after going into effect), we get 45 days in the country. Within that window we need to get temporary residency in Ukraine. This means we need to find someone who will let us register at their apartment. The problem is, this means someone accepts that we will have a say in matters such as the sale of the apartment during that time and that this person can become liable for our actions. So more prayer requests may follow soon!
As things become clearer or confirmed in my understanding of God's vision for me, I will post to this blog and let you know what will be coming up. Thank you as always for all different kinds of support. These have been essential and I appreciate the ways they have enabled and guided the circumstances that have helped me grow over the last eight months.
Contact Me
If you want me to give you a call and want to hear personally what has been going on in Ukraine, let me know! I have a Skype account that allows me to call your phone number with no long distance charges. You receive the call from a US phone number. Send me an email at joshuaingram@gmail.com if you would like to find a time that coordinates over our seven to eight hour time difference. I'd like to tell you about my life and hear about what I've missed in yours.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Some Quick Updates
Wednesday Service Online
First, I would like to inform you that the young adult worship team will be leading worship for the Wednesday evening service this week. We will be doing a couple of acoustic sets, which I have not seen done before for the Wednesday or Sunday services. It is great that our team is given the freedom to introduce new styles of worship and, hopefully, communicate that worship is not as much about familiarity with the music as it is about familiarity with God. There will be a live broadcast streaming here at 11:30am EST (10:30am CST).
Me, Preaching!
Secondly, I will most likely be preaching for our young adult service on Saturday the 26th! This will certainly be a first for me. It is also coming sooner than I ever thought I would be ready. But I believe that God has been teaching me a lot of truth about my relationship with Him in the seven months that I have been here, and I am eager for opportunities to share some of this. I also feel that if God asks me to speak and gives me the words, then my presentation and lack of practice are His concern, not mine. Of course, I do need prayer. I may be speaking on one of the judges, but I don't know yet which one we will land on in our series for that particular week. I suspect though that this will be a relevant topic for me as I am growing to understand how decisions to trust and obey God wholeheartedly parallel the triumphs and consequences of Israel's actions. The main thought and experience that comes to mind: following God with one foot in His world and another in our own is a rather inconvenient and disagreeable form of service, but jumping in with little reservation is a joy beyond possibility of obtaining on our natural terms.
ATM Fraud
Lastly, to round out prayer requests... my debit card was duplicated and was used at a couple of ATM machines in Moscow, Russia. Thankfully, I caught it on the second day because this was causing problems as I tried to withdraw funds to pay for my Russian lessons. I called my bank and I think that in the end, things will be sorted out. However, I would still appreciate prayer that the bank agrees to credit the withdrawals and that I am able to find the best way to take care of the paperwork from over here. When I spoke on the phone with them they were not sure they would be able to send the paperwork I need to sign by e-mail, and that could cause a bit of a problem.
First, I would like to inform you that the young adult worship team will be leading worship for the Wednesday evening service this week. We will be doing a couple of acoustic sets, which I have not seen done before for the Wednesday or Sunday services. It is great that our team is given the freedom to introduce new styles of worship and, hopefully, communicate that worship is not as much about familiarity with the music as it is about familiarity with God. There will be a live broadcast streaming here at 11:30am EST (10:30am CST).
Me, Preaching!
Secondly, I will most likely be preaching for our young adult service on Saturday the 26th! This will certainly be a first for me. It is also coming sooner than I ever thought I would be ready. But I believe that God has been teaching me a lot of truth about my relationship with Him in the seven months that I have been here, and I am eager for opportunities to share some of this. I also feel that if God asks me to speak and gives me the words, then my presentation and lack of practice are His concern, not mine. Of course, I do need prayer. I may be speaking on one of the judges, but I don't know yet which one we will land on in our series for that particular week. I suspect though that this will be a relevant topic for me as I am growing to understand how decisions to trust and obey God wholeheartedly parallel the triumphs and consequences of Israel's actions. The main thought and experience that comes to mind: following God with one foot in His world and another in our own is a rather inconvenient and disagreeable form of service, but jumping in with little reservation is a joy beyond possibility of obtaining on our natural terms.
ATM Fraud
Lastly, to round out prayer requests... my debit card was duplicated and was used at a couple of ATM machines in Moscow, Russia. Thankfully, I caught it on the second day because this was causing problems as I tried to withdraw funds to pay for my Russian lessons. I called my bank and I think that in the end, things will be sorted out. However, I would still appreciate prayer that the bank agrees to credit the withdrawals and that I am able to find the best way to take care of the paperwork from over here. When I spoke on the phone with them they were not sure they would be able to send the paperwork I need to sign by e-mail, and that could cause a bit of a problem.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Important Prayer Request
Hi everybody. This will be a shorter post this time, I promise :)
But it’s also one of the most important posts I could ever make. I want to ask you all please, please, please to be praying for my friend Derek. I do not think that he knows Jesus as his own friend yet. But I know that deep inside, he would like to. I also know that once he sees Jesus as a friend and experiences God taking him by the hand, he will never wish to go back to the way things were before. There is no going back once we begin to personally understand who God is and once we become inseparably caught up in His presence in our lives.
So please pray. I want the very best for my friend. I want a relationship with Jesus Christ to be a reality for him. There is no experience I could ever wish more for him. This is the very top of the list! Please pray that God will say, “Hi Derek. Come and follow me. I will fulfill you and give you purpose and hope like no one else. Give your life to me.” And please pray that Derek will be bold and ready to respond.
This is a friend who has supported me more than I can accurately describe, and in various ways. He has supported me in very large aspects and with small details to make my time and my service in Ukraine possible and to add some comforting touches of America for me. And I know he will continue to support me with thoughtful attention.
Derek, I know you’ll read this. Thanks for giving me the “ok” to post this request. I want you to know how valued and supported you really are.
To everyone who has been praying for me: I know you make a difference and I appreciate your efforts and prayers on my behalf. Right now, this friend needs your prayers even more urgently than I do. I am realizing that just as important as being a “doer,” by role as a Christian should be as a spiritual facilitator. I am powerless by myself but I am strong with Christ and other believers standing with me. I am happy to ask you to join me in this way.
Okay, I have to add this photo. Derek had this cake custom-made for my going-away cookout. That's the Ukrainian flag and national colors. I'm telling you, he thinks of the little details!
Okay, I have to add this photo. Derek had this cake custom-made for my going-away cookout. That's the Ukrainian flag and national colors. I'm telling you, he thinks of the little details!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Surrender
My Current Life Lessons
God has been doing a lot of work and spending a lot of time helping to bring me to a place of surrender. Despite its connotations of feebleness and failure, surrender is one of the most empowering realities in the universe! Of more significance than whatever geographical point on the globe I call home, this place of surrender is the place He really wants me to live. This concept does not have a strong presence in popular psychology or self-help/self-esteem manuals. It is a reality that doesn’t make sense. It transcends human understanding.
And that is exactly the reason it is so powerful! It is not rooted in human knowledge or goodness. The sole source is our Father God, our loving and protecting Daddy in heaven. His knowledge and His goodness are the roots of this unexplainable power. The only question that leads me to ask right now is “Why?” Why me, God? Why are your blessings, your light, your watchful and soul-protecting eye, directed towards me? Why do I have such a fierce and crushing consciousness of your liberating love? Why am I smothered by such a dense, beautifully present sense of your peace and goodness? This is an overwhelming influence that I have no desire or need to pull myself free of.
All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired, although not in the hour or in the measure, or the very thing which they ask; yet they will obtain something greater and more glorious than they had dared to ask. (Martin Luther)
God has been using many circumstances in the last month to continue helping me in areas of needed growth. In His wisdom He gives me as many challenges and circumstantial difficulties as I am ready for and willing to learn by. But equally prevalent in His wisdom are the ways He blesses me, reassures me, strengthens me, and calls me into His eternal presence. When I became a Christian, God rescued me from death to life. The process now is about learning to breathe the air of my new life, of this new kingdom.
How This Looks Like For Me
I am going to try to be somewhat brief in mentioning specific circumstances God is using in me right now.
I have been dating a girl for three weeks now. But she is someone who first caught my attention about sixteen months ago! I have remained in contact with her ever since, and she has given me the opportunity to get to know her better and begin to pursue her during the six months I have been here.
At this point, I am pleased to say she has safely passed through the phase of being my best friend to being someone I can mutually have hope of building a life together with. That part is all in God’s hands and one of the challenges is to leave it there. All aspects of this relationship need to be in God’s hands, where He can honor and direct them. This has led to wonderful experiences of dependency and intimacy and at the same time some of my largest lessons and trials of trusting God. But He is the source that turns all things into good (even the very scary and seemingly irrecoverable ones).
Her name is Lesya and she likes to hear that friends and family are behind us no matter what part of the world they are in. She is an amazing blessing and although I try to tell her that often, I am sure I don’t communicate it fully enough! She is more than just a huge help to my life in Ukraine. She is an enormous benefit to my life in all aspects. She is a comforter, encourager, motivator, reminder and teacher. And don’t worry, she speaks amazing English. As Lesya and I seek God’s wisdom and instruction in our relationship, we would like to have your prayers going towards the same end. Thank you!
I have just started leading a Bible study group. I am excited about this and very happy to finally have the process started. The initial preparation and the act of making things happen is usually the hardest step for me. Now that the ball is rolling it will be easier to build its momentum a bit. Our first meeting was on Tuesday of last week, so we are only at the very beginning.
I am using guitar and songwriting as tools to draw people in and find common ground. Basically, we split our time between master classes and Bible study. We are going through a study of Ephesians and I want to help these guys learn how to find and use their abilities for God. A couple of them are very new Christians and it is an honor to help direct their new-found enthusiasm towards lifelong spiritual maturity. Our first meeting was a great encouragement to me because it was the first Bible study I had ever led. Although the group was small, the participation was very inspiring.
Currently the group is all guys who speak English. But that may be changing soon and I will need extra wisdom and practice in how to work casually but effectively through translation. Over all of this project I would really appreciate your prayers as well as any specific insights or pointers that you have for leading a small group. Please feel free, as always, to e-mail me at joshuaingram@gmail.com
Closing Words (Maybe The Most Important Ones)
To everyone reading: thank you again for your care and your prayers and support. I am part of the body of Christ and you are the people God uses to plug me into His picture and plan in exactly the way He wants. We are, all together, the supporting network that pushes each of us personally into meaningful action.
If I may leave you with one expression of challenge, reminder and encouragement, it is this: Surrender. Understand that you are not reliant on your methods or your desires. As much as you may feel dependent on them, they can let you go at any moment and send you into a free fall. But God won’t do that. Even in the appearance of a free fall, where all your treasures are crashing around you and your hands have no ability to catch them or grab onto anything, God is using all circumstances together for the good of those who know and love Him. That “good” is in line with His great plans and purpose for us (Romans 8:28).
Let go. You won’t regret it.
Surrender is the safest place to live. God may redefine “safe” for you but He knows best. After all, He created the universe and reality we live in.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
God has been doing a lot of work and spending a lot of time helping to bring me to a place of surrender. Despite its connotations of feebleness and failure, surrender is one of the most empowering realities in the universe! Of more significance than whatever geographical point on the globe I call home, this place of surrender is the place He really wants me to live. This concept does not have a strong presence in popular psychology or self-help/self-esteem manuals. It is a reality that doesn’t make sense. It transcends human understanding.
And that is exactly the reason it is so powerful! It is not rooted in human knowledge or goodness. The sole source is our Father God, our loving and protecting Daddy in heaven. His knowledge and His goodness are the roots of this unexplainable power. The only question that leads me to ask right now is “Why?” Why me, God? Why are your blessings, your light, your watchful and soul-protecting eye, directed towards me? Why do I have such a fierce and crushing consciousness of your liberating love? Why am I smothered by such a dense, beautifully present sense of your peace and goodness? This is an overwhelming influence that I have no desire or need to pull myself free of.
All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired, although not in the hour or in the measure, or the very thing which they ask; yet they will obtain something greater and more glorious than they had dared to ask. (Martin Luther)
God has been using many circumstances in the last month to continue helping me in areas of needed growth. In His wisdom He gives me as many challenges and circumstantial difficulties as I am ready for and willing to learn by. But equally prevalent in His wisdom are the ways He blesses me, reassures me, strengthens me, and calls me into His eternal presence. When I became a Christian, God rescued me from death to life. The process now is about learning to breathe the air of my new life, of this new kingdom.
How This Looks Like For Me
I am going to try to be somewhat brief in mentioning specific circumstances God is using in me right now.
I have been dating a girl for three weeks now. But she is someone who first caught my attention about sixteen months ago! I have remained in contact with her ever since, and she has given me the opportunity to get to know her better and begin to pursue her during the six months I have been here.
At this point, I am pleased to say she has safely passed through the phase of being my best friend to being someone I can mutually have hope of building a life together with. That part is all in God’s hands and one of the challenges is to leave it there. All aspects of this relationship need to be in God’s hands, where He can honor and direct them. This has led to wonderful experiences of dependency and intimacy and at the same time some of my largest lessons and trials of trusting God. But He is the source that turns all things into good (even the very scary and seemingly irrecoverable ones).
Her name is Lesya and she likes to hear that friends and family are behind us no matter what part of the world they are in. She is an amazing blessing and although I try to tell her that often, I am sure I don’t communicate it fully enough! She is more than just a huge help to my life in Ukraine. She is an enormous benefit to my life in all aspects. She is a comforter, encourager, motivator, reminder and teacher. And don’t worry, she speaks amazing English. As Lesya and I seek God’s wisdom and instruction in our relationship, we would like to have your prayers going towards the same end. Thank you!
I have just started leading a Bible study group. I am excited about this and very happy to finally have the process started. The initial preparation and the act of making things happen is usually the hardest step for me. Now that the ball is rolling it will be easier to build its momentum a bit. Our first meeting was on Tuesday of last week, so we are only at the very beginning.
I am using guitar and songwriting as tools to draw people in and find common ground. Basically, we split our time between master classes and Bible study. We are going through a study of Ephesians and I want to help these guys learn how to find and use their abilities for God. A couple of them are very new Christians and it is an honor to help direct their new-found enthusiasm towards lifelong spiritual maturity. Our first meeting was a great encouragement to me because it was the first Bible study I had ever led. Although the group was small, the participation was very inspiring.
Currently the group is all guys who speak English. But that may be changing soon and I will need extra wisdom and practice in how to work casually but effectively through translation. Over all of this project I would really appreciate your prayers as well as any specific insights or pointers that you have for leading a small group. Please feel free, as always, to e-mail me at joshuaingram@gmail.com
Closing Words (Maybe The Most Important Ones)
To everyone reading: thank you again for your care and your prayers and support. I am part of the body of Christ and you are the people God uses to plug me into His picture and plan in exactly the way He wants. We are, all together, the supporting network that pushes each of us personally into meaningful action.
If I may leave you with one expression of challenge, reminder and encouragement, it is this: Surrender. Understand that you are not reliant on your methods or your desires. As much as you may feel dependent on them, they can let you go at any moment and send you into a free fall. But God won’t do that. Even in the appearance of a free fall, where all your treasures are crashing around you and your hands have no ability to catch them or grab onto anything, God is using all circumstances together for the good of those who know and love Him. That “good” is in line with His great plans and purpose for us (Romans 8:28).
Let go. You won’t regret it.
Surrender is the safest place to live. God may redefine “safe” for you but He knows best. After all, He created the universe and reality we live in.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Pictures Of Gypsy Camp
The church.
Kids in the church during one of our programs. We attempted to teach the kids some simple concepts about animal life, plant life, and the solar system.
The gypsy children often look older than their age. This one is 13.
There were a lot of them around all the time!
Some were adorable.
Some were adorable and dirty.
Some were bossy and absolutely tireless! And somehow still adorable.
The setting of the village is very picturesque.
Building materials are taken however they can be found. I can't imagine these places in the winter.
Bricks of clay and straw are used to construct the main walls of every house. On the left you can see bricks drying, and on the right you can see the area where the clay is taken from. Without an oven to bake them properly, the bricks are very susceptible to becoming soggy in rainy weather and compromising the entire structure of the house.
Final Summer Camp Recap
Hi friends,
A friend of mine has to stay at work late tonight so he had to cancel our plans to meet this evening. Don’t worry, I’m not short on social life here. Last night I got to introduce my favorite board game (Settlers of Catan--thanks Derek!) to some of my friends. It was a success, I think. My best friend over here almost beat me but the dice played to my favor at the last minute. haha.
Anyway, I’m going to take advantage of some unexpected downtime this evening to tell a little about how the end of summer was. I've been looking back at some journal entries I made during the final camp of the summer and I think it is time to tell about it now.
This camp was to a gypsy village in western Ukraine. We slept on the floors in the two classrooms of the church and got to experience the life of outhouses and bucket showers. I personally tried to avoid showers as much as possible, but with the under-cared for and under-cleaned state of the children, it was probably very wise that I took one or two during the week.
Some of the homes in the village were reasonably safe and comfortable, although a simple carpet is usually the only barrier between feet and the dirt floor. Others were one-room shacks with leaking roofs and perhaps three reasonable sleeping surfaces to rest a family of five through the night. All of the homes are in danger of turning into soggy mush during the rainy season. When the dirt bricks get wet, the majority of the village can just collapse almost simultaneously.
The gypsies are usually hated by their neighbors and, generally speaking, all of Europe. They are uneducated and generally do not contribute positively to society. They are stereotyped as untrustworthy and unscrupulous because, well, many of them have earned this image. They despise farming and try to survive by raising horses and children. Unfortunately, they often raise children for the money involved rather than for the family aspects. The Ukrainian government pays a fairly large sum of money to a family for the birth of their first child, even more for the second, and still more for the third. This money is practically enough for a gypsy family to live on in their meager conditions. Although the children seem to have a healthy respect for adults, this respect is often apparent as a sense of fear rather than of love. Many of the parents spend most of their day watching the television (yes, even the most simple shacks have electricity to run solely this one electronic device).
Our team partnered with the church that already exists in the village. The pastor was very glad to receive us. He has been patiently teaching the villagers for years, attempting to lead by example not only spiritually but also economically. After showing how to plant and farm for a couple of years, he left the process in the gypsies' hands. That year, nothing was planted. The church is just large enough to serve as a school for first and second graders. The older children do not attend school and never learn the Ukrainian language. Our role was simply to bring love to neglected children and spread God's light alongside the existing ministry of the church. Our church in Kiev has also sponsored the digging of artesian wells for the village to provide safe drinking water.
This camp was the most challenging one for me for a few reasons. First, the team was entirely Ukrainian except for myself and the other intern. Secondly, the gypsies speak Hungarian, not Ukrainian. Except for a few adult gypsies who spoke some Ukrainian and helped translate, the Ukrainian team was in exactly the position I am used to being in; not being able to verbally communicate with the people we are working with. For me, that meant I had no hope of speaking to any of the kids because doing so would have required two stages of translation--first from English to Ukrainian, and second from Ukrainian to Hungarian. This was yet another opportunity to learn the value of physical interaction and the impact of simply paying attention to someone. These kids wanted us to swing them around in circles, with their feet coming off the ground, literally for hours.
It was very difficult for me to engage in this camp. There was much less structure to this one than to the previous ones. The benefit is that I had a decent amount of downtime that I could spend thinking and praying and journaling. I spent time with the kids but was not required to be with them all the time. I got to develop and deepen some friendships with Ukrainian team members and this was very valuable, but it is a somewhat draining process at times and reminds me that I am not in the United States any more. At that point in time, I was nearing the end of my fourth month in Ukraine. I guess if I ever hit the "culture shock/what am I doing here?" moment that missionaries tell me about, that was it. But it wasn't very low and I quickly bounced back.
God reminded me that he had sent me to Ukraine. I never doubted that. I learned to understand that this is enough, even if I don't understand the "why?" And that's a question I am still learning the answer to. But even while I do not completely know the answer, there are plenty of ways I can be serving and making an impact while I grow to be the man who is ready to receive more of the answer. The key is that following God's direction does not require us to know the future or the outcome.
We are all in a position to work for God's kingdom through the places and occupations in which he puts us in our own lives. That week at camp helped me grow in understanding what it is to work for His kingdom. I am trying to hear His direction for me and narrow my efforts a little to concentrate more in areas He wants me to work. I would like to share a journal entry I made during that week.
“One question on my mind right now is whether or not it is okay to walk away from a camp feeling, ‘Well, this isn’t really my thing. Maybe once-a-year, or maybe not even that.’ It feels like a guilty thought, but I also know I cannot be all places doing everything. I guess the key is hearing God’s ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for each opportunity. Sometimes ‘doing’ all we can pull off physically is a far shot from what we can do if we are spiritually ready, rested, and in tune with God’s specific desires and plans for our life. God can work through us in any situation, but He does have specific plans for us and they involve being His tools and witnesses in exactly the way He has prepared us.”
If you want some lighter news, I can tell you I have my first date here in Ukraine exactly one week from today! This is a huge blessing and this woman has played a very large role in assisting me and encouraging me during my time in Ukraine. She is a very Godly woman and we have learned many things about each other as we have kept up for over a year since I met her.
A friend of mine has to stay at work late tonight so he had to cancel our plans to meet this evening. Don’t worry, I’m not short on social life here. Last night I got to introduce my favorite board game (Settlers of Catan--thanks Derek!) to some of my friends. It was a success, I think. My best friend over here almost beat me but the dice played to my favor at the last minute. haha.
Anyway, I’m going to take advantage of some unexpected downtime this evening to tell a little about how the end of summer was. I've been looking back at some journal entries I made during the final camp of the summer and I think it is time to tell about it now.
This camp was to a gypsy village in western Ukraine. We slept on the floors in the two classrooms of the church and got to experience the life of outhouses and bucket showers. I personally tried to avoid showers as much as possible, but with the under-cared for and under-cleaned state of the children, it was probably very wise that I took one or two during the week.
Some of the homes in the village were reasonably safe and comfortable, although a simple carpet is usually the only barrier between feet and the dirt floor. Others were one-room shacks with leaking roofs and perhaps three reasonable sleeping surfaces to rest a family of five through the night. All of the homes are in danger of turning into soggy mush during the rainy season. When the dirt bricks get wet, the majority of the village can just collapse almost simultaneously.
The gypsies are usually hated by their neighbors and, generally speaking, all of Europe. They are uneducated and generally do not contribute positively to society. They are stereotyped as untrustworthy and unscrupulous because, well, many of them have earned this image. They despise farming and try to survive by raising horses and children. Unfortunately, they often raise children for the money involved rather than for the family aspects. The Ukrainian government pays a fairly large sum of money to a family for the birth of their first child, even more for the second, and still more for the third. This money is practically enough for a gypsy family to live on in their meager conditions. Although the children seem to have a healthy respect for adults, this respect is often apparent as a sense of fear rather than of love. Many of the parents spend most of their day watching the television (yes, even the most simple shacks have electricity to run solely this one electronic device).
Our team partnered with the church that already exists in the village. The pastor was very glad to receive us. He has been patiently teaching the villagers for years, attempting to lead by example not only spiritually but also economically. After showing how to plant and farm for a couple of years, he left the process in the gypsies' hands. That year, nothing was planted. The church is just large enough to serve as a school for first and second graders. The older children do not attend school and never learn the Ukrainian language. Our role was simply to bring love to neglected children and spread God's light alongside the existing ministry of the church. Our church in Kiev has also sponsored the digging of artesian wells for the village to provide safe drinking water.
This camp was the most challenging one for me for a few reasons. First, the team was entirely Ukrainian except for myself and the other intern. Secondly, the gypsies speak Hungarian, not Ukrainian. Except for a few adult gypsies who spoke some Ukrainian and helped translate, the Ukrainian team was in exactly the position I am used to being in; not being able to verbally communicate with the people we are working with. For me, that meant I had no hope of speaking to any of the kids because doing so would have required two stages of translation--first from English to Ukrainian, and second from Ukrainian to Hungarian. This was yet another opportunity to learn the value of physical interaction and the impact of simply paying attention to someone. These kids wanted us to swing them around in circles, with their feet coming off the ground, literally for hours.
It was very difficult for me to engage in this camp. There was much less structure to this one than to the previous ones. The benefit is that I had a decent amount of downtime that I could spend thinking and praying and journaling. I spent time with the kids but was not required to be with them all the time. I got to develop and deepen some friendships with Ukrainian team members and this was very valuable, but it is a somewhat draining process at times and reminds me that I am not in the United States any more. At that point in time, I was nearing the end of my fourth month in Ukraine. I guess if I ever hit the "culture shock/what am I doing here?" moment that missionaries tell me about, that was it. But it wasn't very low and I quickly bounced back.
God reminded me that he had sent me to Ukraine. I never doubted that. I learned to understand that this is enough, even if I don't understand the "why?" And that's a question I am still learning the answer to. But even while I do not completely know the answer, there are plenty of ways I can be serving and making an impact while I grow to be the man who is ready to receive more of the answer. The key is that following God's direction does not require us to know the future or the outcome.
We are all in a position to work for God's kingdom through the places and occupations in which he puts us in our own lives. That week at camp helped me grow in understanding what it is to work for His kingdom. I am trying to hear His direction for me and narrow my efforts a little to concentrate more in areas He wants me to work. I would like to share a journal entry I made during that week.
“One question on my mind right now is whether or not it is okay to walk away from a camp feeling, ‘Well, this isn’t really my thing. Maybe once-a-year, or maybe not even that.’ It feels like a guilty thought, but I also know I cannot be all places doing everything. I guess the key is hearing God’s ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for each opportunity. Sometimes ‘doing’ all we can pull off physically is a far shot from what we can do if we are spiritually ready, rested, and in tune with God’s specific desires and plans for our life. God can work through us in any situation, but He does have specific plans for us and they involve being His tools and witnesses in exactly the way He has prepared us.”
If you want some lighter news, I can tell you I have my first date here in Ukraine exactly one week from today! This is a huge blessing and this woman has played a very large role in assisting me and encouraging me during my time in Ukraine. She is a very Godly woman and we have learned many things about each other as we have kept up for over a year since I met her.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Worship Team watchable online 11:30AM - 1:30 (EST)
I know this is short notice, but if anyone is curious to check out the young adult worship team I am working with, we will be playing for the church's Wednesday evening service today. It starts at 11:30 EST (12:30 CST) and we will begin with three songs. Then there will be a block of preaching, another song, and a second block of preaching. At the end (I am predicting around 1:00 EST/2:00 CST) the service will finish with another block of worship.
The link is: http://nlc.kiev.ua/105410851083107210811085.html
One of the blocks of preaching will actually be by our American youth pastor, so you would be able to listen and understand if you want to get a feel for it.
That's all I have time for right now. I have to be at the church at 2:00 PM to help the band get ready so I should leave now.
The link is: http://nlc.kiev.ua/105410851083107210811085.html
One of the blocks of preaching will actually be by our American youth pastor, so you would be able to listen and understand if you want to get a feel for it.
That's all I have time for right now. I have to be at the church at 2:00 PM to help the band get ready so I should leave now.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
More Summer Recap
I've already written a bit about Live Life Camp (the New Life Church evangelistic camp) earlier this summer. Rather than write more about the camp, I want to write about the follow-up and the continued ministry that is happening after.
I have mentioned Steve Copeland before. He is a missionary from New Zealand who teaches at a university here and owns an apartment which he rents out in order to support himself. He uses his English as a tool in ministry and it opens doors for him to build relationships with students. In the past he has started a school here in Kiev which offered free English lessons as a means of drawing new students to the gospel. He has turned that over to other hands and currently he runs a weekly Bible study and discussion group from his home (along with a home-cooked meal!). He uses this as a way to guide and mentor and evangelize.
A number of Steve's students (both believers and non-believers) attended this camp in July. Two of them gave their lives to Christ at camp and three are actively searching/seeking. They all are keeping in close contact with Steve's group and with myself and the other New Life intern. We have a wonderful opportunity to continue using our English skills as a draw and benefit to our ministry here rather than let our lack of Russian skills impede us. These students all speak English at varying levels and their English is an important part of the education at their university. Opportunities to talk with native English speakers are not taken lightly and discussion groups like this usually happen within a school situation and cost money. Of course, Steve always brings the discussions around to Christ and the gospel. He's not shy about what he's doing and doesn't hesitate to share with students the fact that he does these things for the sake of the gospel that he holds dear.
This camp (and the people who volunteered and helped) made a very real impact in some lives at camp. It was nice that I was already plugged into Steve's ministry before camp and have been able to continue interacting with these students and welcoming new ones to the group. Steve has encouraged me to start my own small group, using short guitar lessons as the draw. The format would involve a short guitar lesson at the beginning followed by a Bible study. Another ministry leader has suggested the same thing at a different time and I know there are already students interested in this.
Please pray for my courage to begin this endeavor if it is what God wants now. It will involve some firsts for me. I am also a little concerned about scheduling but I think that if I do it on alternating weeks (trying to shy away from the weeks I have extra evening rehearsals and services with the second worship team) then it can fit in. This would be a good opportunity to build common ground with some guys and have the regularity and opportunity to build into their lives.
Please also pray for Sasha and Sergei (new believers) and for the three students who are oh-so-close and who keep coming back for more: Eera, Sanya, and Vitya.
Here is a picture of Sasha which I caught recently. But regardless of the particular moment, this guy has not stopped smiling since he accepted Christ a month-and-a-half ago. I actually took this picture during setup for the last New Life camp which finished today. Sasha volunteered to help with the setup and teach a dance masterclass during the camp. He will also be dancing tomorrow in a drama at our church!
Here is a photo of a couple of my guitar students goofing off at Live Life Camp.
And here is a photo of our meeting area for worship and preaching. Some people put serious time into constructing this area. The photo above shows the stage area (which they built up in dirt with a small rock wall in front) and the one below shows the rest of the area. The church plans to put on a permanent roof when they have the funds.
Thanks for reading and supporting me. I know I have been seriously slacking on sharing what God has been doing here and what I have been involved in. I will try to post more information and photos from summer in about a week.
I have mentioned Steve Copeland before. He is a missionary from New Zealand who teaches at a university here and owns an apartment which he rents out in order to support himself. He uses his English as a tool in ministry and it opens doors for him to build relationships with students. In the past he has started a school here in Kiev which offered free English lessons as a means of drawing new students to the gospel. He has turned that over to other hands and currently he runs a weekly Bible study and discussion group from his home (along with a home-cooked meal!). He uses this as a way to guide and mentor and evangelize.
A number of Steve's students (both believers and non-believers) attended this camp in July. Two of them gave their lives to Christ at camp and three are actively searching/seeking. They all are keeping in close contact with Steve's group and with myself and the other New Life intern. We have a wonderful opportunity to continue using our English skills as a draw and benefit to our ministry here rather than let our lack of Russian skills impede us. These students all speak English at varying levels and their English is an important part of the education at their university. Opportunities to talk with native English speakers are not taken lightly and discussion groups like this usually happen within a school situation and cost money. Of course, Steve always brings the discussions around to Christ and the gospel. He's not shy about what he's doing and doesn't hesitate to share with students the fact that he does these things for the sake of the gospel that he holds dear.
This camp (and the people who volunteered and helped) made a very real impact in some lives at camp. It was nice that I was already plugged into Steve's ministry before camp and have been able to continue interacting with these students and welcoming new ones to the group. Steve has encouraged me to start my own small group, using short guitar lessons as the draw. The format would involve a short guitar lesson at the beginning followed by a Bible study. Another ministry leader has suggested the same thing at a different time and I know there are already students interested in this.
Please pray for my courage to begin this endeavor if it is what God wants now. It will involve some firsts for me. I am also a little concerned about scheduling but I think that if I do it on alternating weeks (trying to shy away from the weeks I have extra evening rehearsals and services with the second worship team) then it can fit in. This would be a good opportunity to build common ground with some guys and have the regularity and opportunity to build into their lives.
Please also pray for Sasha and Sergei (new believers) and for the three students who are oh-so-close and who keep coming back for more: Eera, Sanya, and Vitya.
Here is a picture of Sasha which I caught recently. But regardless of the particular moment, this guy has not stopped smiling since he accepted Christ a month-and-a-half ago. I actually took this picture during setup for the last New Life camp which finished today. Sasha volunteered to help with the setup and teach a dance masterclass during the camp. He will also be dancing tomorrow in a drama at our church!
Here is a photo of a couple of my guitar students goofing off at Live Life Camp.
And here is a photo of our meeting area for worship and preaching. Some people put serious time into constructing this area. The photo above shows the stage area (which they built up in dirt with a small rock wall in front) and the one below shows the rest of the area. The church plans to put on a permanent roof when they have the funds.
Thanks for reading and supporting me. I know I have been seriously slacking on sharing what God has been doing here and what I have been involved in. I will try to post more information and photos from summer in about a week.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Summer
I have seen God work through many different experiences this summer. Some of them were ones I was excited about participating in and others were ones I had mixed feelings about. The summer started off great with getting to see some of my friends from Midtown church in Nashville and going with them to Kharkiv to work again with the orphan camp which was my first missions trip experience last year. I have already written about this a little but I want to include my reflections now that we are nearing the end of summer.
Even that camp had it's emotional struggles. My initial sense was of being overwhelmed and not knowing how we could really help this huge number of kids. God brought me through that within the first two days or so, thankfully. He also helped me figure out and adjust to the expectations and time tug involved with participating on both the American team and the Ukrainian team (as a member of the worship team). My experience was actually very much the same as last year's. For part of the trip I was concerned that I was missing something, expecting that my experience should be much different the second time around. But I believe at this point that God just chose to put me in similar roles as last year and grow my abilities within those roles by stretching them a bit.
One thing that I enjoyed seeing in myself on this trip was MUCH greater ease in interacting with the Ukrainian members of the missions team. These are the guys and girls of the coordinating, technical, drama and music teams. I enjoyed seeing the value and opportunity of being a liaison between Americans and Ukrainians and I see this being a role where I can assist and have helpful input in the future! I enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes workings of a camp or program and looking at ways to make people more efficient, more able to communicate their needs, and more appreciated.
Through the yearly commitment of Midtown Fellowship to travel to Kharkiv and work with this same group of kids over and over again, many of the orphans at this camp now display a true knowledge of a relationship with God. The impact of God's people and God's presence is huge when comparing this same setting a few years ago during Midtown's first trip here (From what I hear. I didn't make it until the following year). What these kids really need now is a partnership with local churches who can provide more constant attention throughout the year and give them a support base as they graduate and begin lives on their own which they are desperately unprepared for. Please pray for this need.
I will follow up over the next week or two with more things from the summer. I hope to have time to track down and include some pictures to help put this summer into a more tangible form! Thanks for continued prayer even when I don't give regular updates.
Even that camp had it's emotional struggles. My initial sense was of being overwhelmed and not knowing how we could really help this huge number of kids. God brought me through that within the first two days or so, thankfully. He also helped me figure out and adjust to the expectations and time tug involved with participating on both the American team and the Ukrainian team (as a member of the worship team). My experience was actually very much the same as last year's. For part of the trip I was concerned that I was missing something, expecting that my experience should be much different the second time around. But I believe at this point that God just chose to put me in similar roles as last year and grow my abilities within those roles by stretching them a bit.
One thing that I enjoyed seeing in myself on this trip was MUCH greater ease in interacting with the Ukrainian members of the missions team. These are the guys and girls of the coordinating, technical, drama and music teams. I enjoyed seeing the value and opportunity of being a liaison between Americans and Ukrainians and I see this being a role where I can assist and have helpful input in the future! I enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes workings of a camp or program and looking at ways to make people more efficient, more able to communicate their needs, and more appreciated.
Through the yearly commitment of Midtown Fellowship to travel to Kharkiv and work with this same group of kids over and over again, many of the orphans at this camp now display a true knowledge of a relationship with God. The impact of God's people and God's presence is huge when comparing this same setting a few years ago during Midtown's first trip here (From what I hear. I didn't make it until the following year). What these kids really need now is a partnership with local churches who can provide more constant attention throughout the year and give them a support base as they graduate and begin lives on their own which they are desperately unprepared for. Please pray for this need.
I will follow up over the next week or two with more things from the summer. I hope to have time to track down and include some pictures to help put this summer into a more tangible form! Thanks for continued prayer even when I don't give regular updates.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Two More Prayer Requests
Quickly before I leave...
I need to find a new roommate for my house in Nashville. One of my guys got a job in LA and moved out there last week. So please, please, please pray that God will send a great person who will be a good match for the other two roommates and whose rent money will fill the financial void that opens up with one guy leaving!
Also, I need to find a new place to live here in Kiev. One of my roommates got married a month ago. I stayed here for July because there was only one week of the month that I would actually be home. But I would like to find a new place now in order to give the couple their space. My new place of living could have a huge impact on my ministry and well-being here so your prayers on this matter are very appreciated as well! Roommate(s) and location are the two primary factors.
Thanks,
Josh
I need to find a new roommate for my house in Nashville. One of my guys got a job in LA and moved out there last week. So please, please, please pray that God will send a great person who will be a good match for the other two roommates and whose rent money will fill the financial void that opens up with one guy leaving!
Also, I need to find a new place to live here in Kiev. One of my roommates got married a month ago. I stayed here for July because there was only one week of the month that I would actually be home. But I would like to find a new place now in order to give the couple their space. My new place of living could have a huge impact on my ministry and well-being here so your prayers on this matter are very appreciated as well! Roommate(s) and location are the two primary factors.
Thanks,
Josh
Preparing for a Week at a Gypsy Village
Hey everyone,
I want to ask for your prayers for this next week. I will be participating in a camp from New Life Church which will take place in a gypsy village. These are people truly without nationality, most of whom cannot work legally in the country and who have generally received no formal schooling. They speak their own mix of about four different languages combined with their own words, making communication very difficult even for native Ukrainian and Russian speakers.
Basically, I have no idea what to expect. I know that I will be leaving early tomorrow morning to help someone drive their car full of supplies on the 12-14 hour trip. This will be a cool chance to see more of the country. Beyond this, I know I will be helping lead worship for kids and I know I have been asked to work specifically with a young age group for other aspects of the camp. Other than that, details are pretty foggy. There are some plans but a lot remains to be decided once we see what things look like when we arrive. We may be doing a small construction project as well. Originally the church hoped to dig a well and build a shower facility and source of clean water, but we do not have the funding for that at this time.
Maybe the fact that I do not know details, and hence have not formed specific expectations, will be helpful in emotionally enduring the camp. Still, I have been told this particular experience can be very challenging due to the conditions the gypsies live in and the process of becoming aware of their way of life. Thanks again for your prayers.
Josh
I want to ask for your prayers for this next week. I will be participating in a camp from New Life Church which will take place in a gypsy village. These are people truly without nationality, most of whom cannot work legally in the country and who have generally received no formal schooling. They speak their own mix of about four different languages combined with their own words, making communication very difficult even for native Ukrainian and Russian speakers.
Basically, I have no idea what to expect. I know that I will be leaving early tomorrow morning to help someone drive their car full of supplies on the 12-14 hour trip. This will be a cool chance to see more of the country. Beyond this, I know I will be helping lead worship for kids and I know I have been asked to work specifically with a young age group for other aspects of the camp. Other than that, details are pretty foggy. There are some plans but a lot remains to be decided once we see what things look like when we arrive. We may be doing a small construction project as well. Originally the church hoped to dig a well and build a shower facility and source of clean water, but we do not have the funding for that at this time.
Maybe the fact that I do not know details, and hence have not formed specific expectations, will be helpful in emotionally enduring the camp. Still, I have been told this particular experience can be very challenging due to the conditions the gypsies live in and the process of becoming aware of their way of life. Thanks again for your prayers.
Josh
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Second Camp
It is funny how things work. During the first camp of the summer, I was wondering if my physical interaction with the kids was truly enough, not sure it was the main support I was supposed to provide. That was at an orphan camp with kids and teens running around, all in desperate need of attention.
During my second camp, I worked with university students and young adults in their late teens through twenties. I realized just how much I missed having the physical interaction at the orphan camp and how reassuring it was not only to the kids, but to myself as well. Sometimes it's more difficult to know what's actually going on in the mind of an intellectual university student than in that of an excitable, ADD child who wants to hang onto whichever limb is most easily reached.
This second camp was an evangelistic camp organized and run by New Life Church. I am pleased to say that it was evangelistic both in vision and outcome. This particular type of camp was a first effort by the church and God met the flexibility of the leaders by keeping unbelieving campers in line where stating minute rules and regulations never could have succeeded. The Spirit of God was present at this camp and was seen undeniably in the combined Ukrainian and American team. This is what the campers saw and experienced. This is what touched them. They saw love and servanthood like they had never seen it before. Really, they felt it.
One thing I learned through this experience is just how strong worship is as an evangelistic tool. I always thought worship was to be kept mainly to circles of believers and that unbelievers would simply think it strange and a turn-off. However, I have come to realize that unbelievers can sense the presence of God in worship, however different that sense may be to them at first. And because God is good, His presence and initiation of awareness into the hearts of the unbeliever is good as well.
Thankfully, most of the students in my group were ones I already have connections with, giving me the opportunity to follow up with them and really find out what is going on. Many are students at ICU (International Christian University, although the "Christian" in the name means little these days), where a self-supported missionary by the name of Steve Copland has already spent a few years cultivating a ministry and Bible study which I have just recently gotten involved with. These students also speak English, which is a great opportunity to use my primary language as a strength rather than a weakness. A few of these students gave their lives to Christ during this camp and I feel it will take many conversations in the future to truly understand what they are experiencing spiritually and to build them up.
Again, I just want to reiterate that God put a lot of pieces in place for this camp and that he honored the willingness and God-seeking attitudes of the leaders and helpers. God was invited to this camp and he was certainly present. There are many more things I could share now and there will be more to share in the future as I follow up with some of the students. For now, please pray that I will have wisdom and time and God's energy to continue this process.
During my second camp, I worked with university students and young adults in their late teens through twenties. I realized just how much I missed having the physical interaction at the orphan camp and how reassuring it was not only to the kids, but to myself as well. Sometimes it's more difficult to know what's actually going on in the mind of an intellectual university student than in that of an excitable, ADD child who wants to hang onto whichever limb is most easily reached.
This second camp was an evangelistic camp organized and run by New Life Church. I am pleased to say that it was evangelistic both in vision and outcome. This particular type of camp was a first effort by the church and God met the flexibility of the leaders by keeping unbelieving campers in line where stating minute rules and regulations never could have succeeded. The Spirit of God was present at this camp and was seen undeniably in the combined Ukrainian and American team. This is what the campers saw and experienced. This is what touched them. They saw love and servanthood like they had never seen it before. Really, they felt it.
One thing I learned through this experience is just how strong worship is as an evangelistic tool. I always thought worship was to be kept mainly to circles of believers and that unbelievers would simply think it strange and a turn-off. However, I have come to realize that unbelievers can sense the presence of God in worship, however different that sense may be to them at first. And because God is good, His presence and initiation of awareness into the hearts of the unbeliever is good as well.
Thankfully, most of the students in my group were ones I already have connections with, giving me the opportunity to follow up with them and really find out what is going on. Many are students at ICU (International Christian University, although the "Christian" in the name means little these days), where a self-supported missionary by the name of Steve Copland has already spent a few years cultivating a ministry and Bible study which I have just recently gotten involved with. These students also speak English, which is a great opportunity to use my primary language as a strength rather than a weakness. A few of these students gave their lives to Christ during this camp and I feel it will take many conversations in the future to truly understand what they are experiencing spiritually and to build them up.
Again, I just want to reiterate that God put a lot of pieces in place for this camp and that he honored the willingness and God-seeking attitudes of the leaders and helpers. God was invited to this camp and he was certainly present. There are many more things I could share now and there will be more to share in the future as I follow up with some of the students. For now, please pray that I will have wisdom and time and God's energy to continue this process.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Back From The First Camp
I am back safely in Kiev, at least for today. Tomorrow I will leave for another camp but I am happy to tell you that the first camp has been a success and a blessing.
It is difficult to leave the kids to the situations they are in. We are tempted to feel our work is incomplete. In many ways this may be true. But I do believe we have carried out the good work God called us to for this past week and that God is using this experience to work in the hearts of the kids now and in the future. Please pray over continued communication with the kids throughout the year because writing letters in our absence often has shortfalls in the aspect of getting deep into the lives of the children.
The first day or two of the trip were very difficult for me. In my effort to not have expectations of things being the same as they were last year at this camp, I subconsciously expected my experience to be different. In reality, it was very similar. My role again seemed to be to help create the environment in which the kids were receptive to what others had to say. Most of my communication was either through high fives and countless variations of handshakes or through worship. I am still trying to make sure I did not miss something I was called to, but I do sense satisfaction in the result of this trip. God used this team together as a whole, made of many unique parts.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Camp is Close!
I can tell because the spiritual and emotional battle has begun. I have learned that for myself, strange bouts of hypersensitivity and teeter-tottering sweeps across the emotional fulcrum are a sure sign that things are about to happen. But good things. God things. Because God is good and He is in control. The emotional inexplicabilities are small distractions and they do not have to restrict the child of God from doing his father's work.
Still, please pray for me. Today began as a strangely sad one, accompanied by faint feelings of depression. The result was somewhat crippling at first. I experienced these emotions last year while preparing to leave for this same missions trip that I will begin this week. Last year I thought the main cause was the stress of getting my new house in liveable condition before I left my roommate there alone for two weeks. But hindsight says there was more to it than that.
God is working a lot in my heart right now. There are things I could never have imagined myself being willing to do that I now get excited at the possibility of. In the past I have worried about what God would call me to do and anticipated my own resistance. But I am beginning to trust that whatever God calls me to do, I will truly love and enjoy with all of my being, if my attitude and willingness are rightly drawn from His strength.
So please pray for me, for the team that is coming from the States (many of whom are my Nashville friends!) and for the Ukrainian technical, administrating, and interpreting teams who will begin a week at an orphan camp in just a few days. Pray that we will all be willing tools in the hands of our creator, that we will remember to find the extra mile in Him, and that we will be love in the eyes, minds, and souls of the orphans.
And now I am going to enjoy a bowl of ice-cream before I go to bed. Funny Ukrainian factoid: ice-cream here in the grocery stores comes packaged like huge sausages and is most easily served with a knife rather than an ice-cream scoop :)
Still, please pray for me. Today began as a strangely sad one, accompanied by faint feelings of depression. The result was somewhat crippling at first. I experienced these emotions last year while preparing to leave for this same missions trip that I will begin this week. Last year I thought the main cause was the stress of getting my new house in liveable condition before I left my roommate there alone for two weeks. But hindsight says there was more to it than that.
God is working a lot in my heart right now. There are things I could never have imagined myself being willing to do that I now get excited at the possibility of. In the past I have worried about what God would call me to do and anticipated my own resistance. But I am beginning to trust that whatever God calls me to do, I will truly love and enjoy with all of my being, if my attitude and willingness are rightly drawn from His strength.
So please pray for me, for the team that is coming from the States (many of whom are my Nashville friends!) and for the Ukrainian technical, administrating, and interpreting teams who will begin a week at an orphan camp in just a few days. Pray that we will all be willing tools in the hands of our creator, that we will remember to find the extra mile in Him, and that we will be love in the eyes, minds, and souls of the orphans.
And now I am going to enjoy a bowl of ice-cream before I go to bed. Funny Ukrainian factoid: ice-cream here in the grocery stores comes packaged like huge sausages and is most easily served with a knife rather than an ice-cream scoop :)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
My Status
Hi everyone, I want to give a couple updates over the next few days on my status here before summer camps start. I'll have some prayer requests attached as well.
First of all, these first 2 1/2 months have been blessed. I really was not sure I would feel plugged in and see measurable mile markers this quickly. I have settled in and gotten comfortable in ways only God could have provided for. But therein lies the danger, because I know my tendency to get comfortable and stay in that comfortable place. That's what God pulled me out of not-so-long ago! It would be a shame to fall into that again, only in a new location.
I had the chance to meet with Steve Lorenz and Marti Scudder from MDI (the missions organization I am working here through) while they were in Ukraine two weeks ago. They were excited to see how things are going here but wanted me to know one thing more than any other: When they prayer for my ministry here, they are getting the sense that something big is in the works. They encouraged me to look at my time here so far as preparation but not as the beginning of a routine. Participating in music ministries has been important and rewarding, but is this the final purpose of my being here?
Sometimes I look so much at the details of what I am in the middle of that I forget to consider the vision. I see and pray about the details surrounding day-to-day responsibilities and the situations that arise out of those. Hearing from a few close people lately that they see more purpose for me being here than that which I am currently realizing has been both an encouragement and a kick in the rear.
The timing is perfect. Next week I will leave for my first summer camp, returning to the orphan camp that changed my perspective last year and kick-started my move to Ukraine. I will continue with some specific details and prayer requests in a day or two...
Thank you as always for your support and prayers.
First of all, these first 2 1/2 months have been blessed. I really was not sure I would feel plugged in and see measurable mile markers this quickly. I have settled in and gotten comfortable in ways only God could have provided for. But therein lies the danger, because I know my tendency to get comfortable and stay in that comfortable place. That's what God pulled me out of not-so-long ago! It would be a shame to fall into that again, only in a new location.
I had the chance to meet with Steve Lorenz and Marti Scudder from MDI (the missions organization I am working here through) while they were in Ukraine two weeks ago. They were excited to see how things are going here but wanted me to know one thing more than any other: When they prayer for my ministry here, they are getting the sense that something big is in the works. They encouraged me to look at my time here so far as preparation but not as the beginning of a routine. Participating in music ministries has been important and rewarding, but is this the final purpose of my being here?
Sometimes I look so much at the details of what I am in the middle of that I forget to consider the vision. I see and pray about the details surrounding day-to-day responsibilities and the situations that arise out of those. Hearing from a few close people lately that they see more purpose for me being here than that which I am currently realizing has been both an encouragement and a kick in the rear.
The timing is perfect. Next week I will leave for my first summer camp, returning to the orphan camp that changed my perspective last year and kick-started my move to Ukraine. I will continue with some specific details and prayer requests in a day or two...
Thank you as always for your support and prayers.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Back From Poland
I arrived safely back from Poland yesterday morning. Things did not go exactly as planned (or even remotely close at some points) but they are temporarily behind me. I may only have six months though before going through this visa process again.
First of all, customs officials did give Jenny (other American intern) a hard time about being two days over her 90-day allowed stay. Sometimes it is hard for us to distinguish between bribe and actual fine because an official can show us the paperwork and make everything look legitimate, only to pocket the money himself. Which is what I think happened but I'm not sure we could have done things differently. What we did not stand for was the cost of the fine suddenly jumping from $75 to $150 when only one official was left speaking with us (that after he closed the door to our room)! He made that one a little too obvious for his own good.
Krakow, Poland was a very pretty city. It was much more English-friendly than Kiev and I was surprised at how much easier most aspects of communicating and traveling in that city were. We got our visas taken care of only to find that the Ukrainian Department of Religious Matters has currently given permission for us to stay only until the 15th of December. Please be praying about that. It is most likely something that can be changed but it will take a lot of hassle here in Kiev (putting a lot of extra work on the shoulders of New Life church) and it will probably involve us making another similar trip to reapply for new visas in December.
We had quite a hang-up returning directly to Kiev according to plan so after much walking between train stations, wi-fi hotspots, and bus terminals, we were able to devise an alternate plan for returning. Online train and bus schedules are wildly inaccurate, with errors ranging from discrepancies of arrival times to showing train itineraries that simply do not exist. Basically, you have to do everything in person, on the spot. Trains we expected to take out of Poland were either non-existent or fully booked for two days after our planned departure. Thankfully, we found an overnight bus that took us to Lviv, Ukraine, giving us a place to sleep for the night and also giving me my first experience with claustrophobia.
We spent the day walking through Lviv, which is the center of traditional culture in Ukraine (and a very pretty city). The weather was pretty nice and both Jenny and I had some friends there we were able to get in touch with and see during the day. We were also able to get train tickets for an overnight train leaving that night and getting us back into Kiev Sunday morning just in time for me to shower and make my way back into the city for church. I am very glad I went because there was an American choir from Atlanta leading the worship and they sang some songs in English. I did not have any idea how much I missed worshiping in my own language!
God was watching out for us the whole time, I'm sure. Everything here involves changes to expectations and plans. It's simply a part of life. It's very frustrating and time-consuming, and it drains the energy right out of you, but that's the way it is.
I'll post some pictures when I have the time. The next two weeks will be busy ones of rehearsals and worship services Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
First of all, customs officials did give Jenny (other American intern) a hard time about being two days over her 90-day allowed stay. Sometimes it is hard for us to distinguish between bribe and actual fine because an official can show us the paperwork and make everything look legitimate, only to pocket the money himself. Which is what I think happened but I'm not sure we could have done things differently. What we did not stand for was the cost of the fine suddenly jumping from $75 to $150 when only one official was left speaking with us (that after he closed the door to our room)! He made that one a little too obvious for his own good.
Krakow, Poland was a very pretty city. It was much more English-friendly than Kiev and I was surprised at how much easier most aspects of communicating and traveling in that city were. We got our visas taken care of only to find that the Ukrainian Department of Religious Matters has currently given permission for us to stay only until the 15th of December. Please be praying about that. It is most likely something that can be changed but it will take a lot of hassle here in Kiev (putting a lot of extra work on the shoulders of New Life church) and it will probably involve us making another similar trip to reapply for new visas in December.
We had quite a hang-up returning directly to Kiev according to plan so after much walking between train stations, wi-fi hotspots, and bus terminals, we were able to devise an alternate plan for returning. Online train and bus schedules are wildly inaccurate, with errors ranging from discrepancies of arrival times to showing train itineraries that simply do not exist. Basically, you have to do everything in person, on the spot. Trains we expected to take out of Poland were either non-existent or fully booked for two days after our planned departure. Thankfully, we found an overnight bus that took us to Lviv, Ukraine, giving us a place to sleep for the night and also giving me my first experience with claustrophobia.
We spent the day walking through Lviv, which is the center of traditional culture in Ukraine (and a very pretty city). The weather was pretty nice and both Jenny and I had some friends there we were able to get in touch with and see during the day. We were also able to get train tickets for an overnight train leaving that night and getting us back into Kiev Sunday morning just in time for me to shower and make my way back into the city for church. I am very glad I went because there was an American choir from Atlanta leading the worship and they sang some songs in English. I did not have any idea how much I missed worshiping in my own language!
God was watching out for us the whole time, I'm sure. Everything here involves changes to expectations and plans. It's simply a part of life. It's very frustrating and time-consuming, and it drains the energy right out of you, but that's the way it is.
I'll post some pictures when I have the time. The next two weeks will be busy ones of rehearsals and worship services Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Finding the Right Roommates
Please also pray that I will find the right living situation and roommates! I have two possibilities right now. It's hard to say if either will materialize 100% but that also depends on how much interest and commitment I show. One is with two non-Christian guys (one of whom I know) who speak good English. The other is with a guy from the church who speaks a little English and with another guy who I do not know. On the one hand, living with unbelievers could be a good witness and evangelism/relationship opportunity. On the other hand, it could be spiritually weakening and exhausting. These opportunities both came up today so I'm just beginning to pray about them. I will most likely be moving by the end of June. Please help me pray and figure this out!
Soon to Board a Train
Tomorrow I will be taking an overnight train to Krakow, Poland. I will be traveling with the other American intern from New Life since it is necessary for us to leave the country in order to apply for our visas. The laws for visas and long stays in the country are very inconsistent and inconvenient. In any case, New Life Church has finally gotten our letters of approval pushed through the Ukrainian Committee of Religious Matters (this was the key to applying for a year-long visa). Even after this, we will still need to leave the country once every 90 days. But with our visa, we will be allowed to return immediately rather than spend another 90 days outside the country before coming back.
The train ride will take about 20 hours. A few hours will be spent stopped at the border crossing and another few hours will be taken for removing and replacing the wheels of the train cars. The countries of the former Soviet Union have a different rail width than the rest of Europe so every trip from post-Soviet Countries into the rest of Europe requires this extensive procedure. It doesn't help the price of tickets any either.
Please pray that things will go smoothly. Honestly, this had been a very frustrating process so far. It all began with my passport problem with the Ukrainian embassy in Washington DC (the reason I had to delay and reschedule my flights by a day). In that case, New Life was not informed that I could not apply for a year-long tourist or cultural visa. That whole hassle could have been avoided. New Life Church was also the organization which had to make the connections with the Committee of Religious matters to get these letters of approval and they got a very late start. There was nothing I could personally do.
The other American intern is actually a few days outside of her 90 day stay now so we are hoping we will get out without any problems. Consistent with the common bribe practice, the officials at the border are probably going to hassle us in order to try to get some money from us, all the while having the passport stamped and ready to go. It's really anyone's guess exactly how this will go.
That said, please pray especially for Jenny (the other intern). This stress has been mostly on her because it is her 90 days which has run out (I still have another month so this will be well inside my window). Plans have been scheduled and delayed and rescheduled and re-promised so many times that it is extremely difficult to keep a clear head and have any energy and time to focus on ministry and long-term goals. The flexibility of our internship here is a blessing but it comes at some cost in the areas of organization and logistics.
To summarize other happenings, ministries continue to develop and go well here. The young adult worship team is continuing to bond and I have been giving plenty of room to the other guitar player (mentioned previously) to come around and not feel threatened. I think this has been helping develop a sense of trust and hopefully will foster a healthy concept of leadership for all of us. I am also getting involved in ministry to unsaved and newly-believing university students who have loose connections with New Life Church. Developing friendships with them is good on so many levels. This approach really is the core of my model of ministry and evangelism at this point and it fills needs in my own life for friendships here in Ukraine.
Thanks for your prayers and support.
The train ride will take about 20 hours. A few hours will be spent stopped at the border crossing and another few hours will be taken for removing and replacing the wheels of the train cars. The countries of the former Soviet Union have a different rail width than the rest of Europe so every trip from post-Soviet Countries into the rest of Europe requires this extensive procedure. It doesn't help the price of tickets any either.
Please pray that things will go smoothly. Honestly, this had been a very frustrating process so far. It all began with my passport problem with the Ukrainian embassy in Washington DC (the reason I had to delay and reschedule my flights by a day). In that case, New Life was not informed that I could not apply for a year-long tourist or cultural visa. That whole hassle could have been avoided. New Life Church was also the organization which had to make the connections with the Committee of Religious matters to get these letters of approval and they got a very late start. There was nothing I could personally do.
The other American intern is actually a few days outside of her 90 day stay now so we are hoping we will get out without any problems. Consistent with the common bribe practice, the officials at the border are probably going to hassle us in order to try to get some money from us, all the while having the passport stamped and ready to go. It's really anyone's guess exactly how this will go.
That said, please pray especially for Jenny (the other intern). This stress has been mostly on her because it is her 90 days which has run out (I still have another month so this will be well inside my window). Plans have been scheduled and delayed and rescheduled and re-promised so many times that it is extremely difficult to keep a clear head and have any energy and time to focus on ministry and long-term goals. The flexibility of our internship here is a blessing but it comes at some cost in the areas of organization and logistics.
To summarize other happenings, ministries continue to develop and go well here. The young adult worship team is continuing to bond and I have been giving plenty of room to the other guitar player (mentioned previously) to come around and not feel threatened. I think this has been helping develop a sense of trust and hopefully will foster a healthy concept of leadership for all of us. I am also getting involved in ministry to unsaved and newly-believing university students who have loose connections with New Life Church. Developing friendships with them is good on so many levels. This approach really is the core of my model of ministry and evangelism at this point and it fills needs in my own life for friendships here in Ukraine.
Thanks for your prayers and support.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Worship Team Going To Be Online
The young adult team that I work with will be leading worship for this week's Wednesday night service at New Life Church. This service begins at 11:30 AM EST / 10:30 AM CST and is viewable live. If you miss the beginning of the service but will be around an hour or so later, I expect that the worship team's closing set will begin around 1:15-1:30 into the service.
http://www.nlc.kiev.ua/105410851083107210811085.html
I also play two weeks per month with one of the adult teams for Wednesday and Sunday services. But the young adult team is the one I am most involved in and encouraged by.
http://www.nlc.kiev.ua/105410851083107210811085.html
I also play two weeks per month with one of the adult teams for Wednesday and Sunday services. But the young adult team is the one I am most involved in and encouraged by.
How Things Are Going
This blog is long overdue for an update. I apologize for that. There are a lot of things worth talking about and I will try to get to a few of them here.
First of all, I have started taking Russian lessons. This was the plan from the beginning. The part that wasn't exactly planned was taking them four days a week. But it looks like that's what it's going to take so that's what I'm doing. My teacher is excellent. My head gets foggy in class but she answers as many questions as I need to ask and overall it stays enjoyable. The classes are 2.5 hours per day and the travel time round trip is approximately the same. Add about two hours of homework per lesson and this is eating up some substantial time. The best part: these lessons are costing me about $4/hour. Can you believe that? We're talking about good lessons from a native Russian speaker in a class of exactly two people. Wow.
And the time is worth it. The biggest thing holding me back in the ministries I'm already involved in here is definitely the language barrier. Even when there is someone present who speaks English, it is impossible to translate every prayer and every discussion. Knowing the language will greatly aid my role as the music leader in the young adult worship team. One or two musicians who are able and willing to translate have been an invaluable resource but some Russian language skills will certainly streamline the process and allow me to get more involved on a personal level with my team.
I do have one prayer request in regards to the young adult worship team that I serve as musical director for: I am running into some difficulties with another guitar player. I have not completely negated myself from being part of the problem (ego can be a tricky little bugger) so I am trying to stay open to where I need to grow in this situation. The difficult part is that making him happy detracts from the team spirit and also musical integrity of the band. So far he seems too busy telling me what to do to realize that he could benefit from listening. I don't think he means things personally, but his quickness to become adamant about things without taking time to perceive a situation causes conflict. Anyway, that's some of what I see so far. I need God's help in accurately and patiently perceiving all the ins and outs of this situation and in knowing how to address it.
But aside from that, I am very pleased and encouraged with the way things are going with the worship team. We have some amazing co-leadership happening. One girl is the worship leader and main singer and another guy (a missionary from New Zealand) is overseeing the spiritual development of the team. The youth pastors and people in the congregation have had very supportive feedback and are excited about the atmosphere and sincerity of worship that has been present in the last month. I am very encouraged to be a part of this and it is spurring and motivating challenges for spiritual growth in my own life. God is good to allow me to feel this connection with him and with others in the work here.
And in general, life is going very well here. I enjoy it. I like the city. I am learning to get around from place to place rather than just from my apartment to a couple of church-related locations (separate office and meeting spaces). I still don't see all the reasons, but God has put me where he wants me and is undoubtedly blessing the support of all of you who are supporting me.
First of all, I have started taking Russian lessons. This was the plan from the beginning. The part that wasn't exactly planned was taking them four days a week. But it looks like that's what it's going to take so that's what I'm doing. My teacher is excellent. My head gets foggy in class but she answers as many questions as I need to ask and overall it stays enjoyable. The classes are 2.5 hours per day and the travel time round trip is approximately the same. Add about two hours of homework per lesson and this is eating up some substantial time. The best part: these lessons are costing me about $4/hour. Can you believe that? We're talking about good lessons from a native Russian speaker in a class of exactly two people. Wow.
And the time is worth it. The biggest thing holding me back in the ministries I'm already involved in here is definitely the language barrier. Even when there is someone present who speaks English, it is impossible to translate every prayer and every discussion. Knowing the language will greatly aid my role as the music leader in the young adult worship team. One or two musicians who are able and willing to translate have been an invaluable resource but some Russian language skills will certainly streamline the process and allow me to get more involved on a personal level with my team.
I do have one prayer request in regards to the young adult worship team that I serve as musical director for: I am running into some difficulties with another guitar player. I have not completely negated myself from being part of the problem (ego can be a tricky little bugger) so I am trying to stay open to where I need to grow in this situation. The difficult part is that making him happy detracts from the team spirit and also musical integrity of the band. So far he seems too busy telling me what to do to realize that he could benefit from listening. I don't think he means things personally, but his quickness to become adamant about things without taking time to perceive a situation causes conflict. Anyway, that's some of what I see so far. I need God's help in accurately and patiently perceiving all the ins and outs of this situation and in knowing how to address it.
But aside from that, I am very pleased and encouraged with the way things are going with the worship team. We have some amazing co-leadership happening. One girl is the worship leader and main singer and another guy (a missionary from New Zealand) is overseeing the spiritual development of the team. The youth pastors and people in the congregation have had very supportive feedback and are excited about the atmosphere and sincerity of worship that has been present in the last month. I am very encouraged to be a part of this and it is spurring and motivating challenges for spiritual growth in my own life. God is good to allow me to feel this connection with him and with others in the work here.
And in general, life is going very well here. I enjoy it. I like the city. I am learning to get around from place to place rather than just from my apartment to a couple of church-related locations (separate office and meeting spaces). I still don't see all the reasons, but God has put me where he wants me and is undoubtedly blessing the support of all of you who are supporting me.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Random Kiev Factoid
Crossing the street in Ukraine (even at a crosswalk) is strongly reminiscent of the arcade game Frogger.
In other news, this week has gone well so far. I am filling in on guitar for the teen worship service this Sunday so that has given me more songs to learn and rehearsals to attend and has helped keep me busy. Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to help the teen and young adult teams with running the sound equipment and that has helped make a nice difference in the overall sound of the worship teams and assisted in making the environment more supportive of worship.
I will be attending a training camp Sunday through Tuesday for volunteers working with Radooga this summer. That is the ministry my church partnered with when I came to Ukraine the first time to work with orphans. I will be able to go to the same camp again this year (and it will only cost me about $100 instead of $2400)! I had hoped to also work with one of Radooga's English Language Camps this summer but it looks like New Life's camp schedule will have an overlapping issue.
Well that's the news for the moment. Thanks to all who have helped to put me here.
In other news, this week has gone well so far. I am filling in on guitar for the teen worship service this Sunday so that has given me more songs to learn and rehearsals to attend and has helped keep me busy. Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to help the teen and young adult teams with running the sound equipment and that has helped make a nice difference in the overall sound of the worship teams and assisted in making the environment more supportive of worship.
I will be attending a training camp Sunday through Tuesday for volunteers working with Radooga this summer. That is the ministry my church partnered with when I came to Ukraine the first time to work with orphans. I will be able to go to the same camp again this year (and it will only cost me about $100 instead of $2400)! I had hoped to also work with one of Radooga's English Language Camps this summer but it looks like New Life's camp schedule will have an overlapping issue.
Well that's the news for the moment. Thanks to all who have helped to put me here.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Update and Prayer Needed for This Week
Things have been going quite well so far. Home here is great. My roommates continue to be amazing and helpful friends. They both just left tonight to go to a nine day conference though so I could use some prayers over the next week or so. I have not been lonely yet but a lot of that has been because of them being around. This week will be harder.
I'm still finding where exactly I fit in here. There are lots of opportunities with the worship teams but I think I need to focus on one or two teams to apply myself the most intentionally with those and to leave time for other opportunities. The English language small group is still taking shape but looks like it will be a valuable thing for missionary kids and others whose English/American parents work in Ukraine. I met one of the teens a week ago and I realized that he has nowhere to fit in. He hasn't lived here long enough to fit it with Ukrainian kids and he doesn't seem to have enough other people like himself. The other intern and I are talking about how we can create a community for him and others in similar situations.
I am at the point where I realize I'm not sure what I'm doing and that's a little scary. But I can fall back on knowing confidently that I was supposed to come here, though I haven't figured out all the reasons yet. I need to apply myself diligently but be patient knowing that I may not see an impact for a good number of months. The other thing I am having to remind myself is that if I don't make this trip be all about God, then it just will not work.
Joel (the American youth pastor) has been very helpful in the process of getting settled and is always available to provide moral support. He had me, the other American intern, and some other people over to his place for Easter dinner. He has also had encouraging things to say about the turn we are making with the young adult worship ministry. Things are moving forward, it's just hard to see the impact so soon.
I'm still finding where exactly I fit in here. There are lots of opportunities with the worship teams but I think I need to focus on one or two teams to apply myself the most intentionally with those and to leave time for other opportunities. The English language small group is still taking shape but looks like it will be a valuable thing for missionary kids and others whose English/American parents work in Ukraine. I met one of the teens a week ago and I realized that he has nowhere to fit in. He hasn't lived here long enough to fit it with Ukrainian kids and he doesn't seem to have enough other people like himself. The other intern and I are talking about how we can create a community for him and others in similar situations.
I am at the point where I realize I'm not sure what I'm doing and that's a little scary. But I can fall back on knowing confidently that I was supposed to come here, though I haven't figured out all the reasons yet. I need to apply myself diligently but be patient knowing that I may not see an impact for a good number of months. The other thing I am having to remind myself is that if I don't make this trip be all about God, then it just will not work.
Joel (the American youth pastor) has been very helpful in the process of getting settled and is always available to provide moral support. He had me, the other American intern, and some other people over to his place for Easter dinner. He has also had encouraging things to say about the turn we are making with the young adult worship ministry. Things are moving forward, it's just hard to see the impact so soon.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Video From My Church In Nashville
Here is a video that was shown at my home church in Nashville (Midtown Fellowship) right before I left. It tells a little about what I'm doing and why. The video was done pro bono by a guy named Josh Carter who is also involved with Midtown's missions trips to Ukraine. Check out his website at www.joshbcarter.com. If you need any work done and would like to contact him via phone, let me know and I can provide you with his number.
Meeting Midtown: Josh Ingram from Joshua Ingram on Vimeo.
Meeting Midtown: Josh Ingram from Joshua Ingram on Vimeo.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Blog Overhaul
I have given this blog site a bit of an overhaul today. I have updated information on relevant pages and added new Prayer Requests and Contact pages. Please feel free to contact me just to keep in touch or to find out more about what is going on!
Моя Квартира (My Apartment)
I have taken a few photos of the apartment where I am living. Take a look here. This residential area is a new suburb on the northeast side of Kiev. The building is a large U shape and I estimate there are well over 1500 apartments in this building alone. Identical buildings stretch down the street. In true Ukrainian style, there are many entrances to the building, each with access to only a small number of apartments on each floor.
This building is very new. It was built only about four years ago. It is a relatively nice building but the trade off is that it takes about one hour to get to any major parts of the city. Because our building is new, the hallways are comparatively well maintained. In other buildings I have been in, the mailboxes are falling off the walls, half of the flooring tiles are missing, the light bulbs are either missing altogether or sparse, dim and flickering. Many walkways and passageways are straight out of spy movies.
I have purchased a few items to make my year more comfortable. I got a desk chair which I can wheel out into the living room for additional seating and speakers to make learning tunes each week more enjoyable. I am debating whether or not to buy a new bed or mattress. The mattresses in my room are cot size and have some very defined gullies in the center. Flipping my bed frame around last night helped a lot after I discovered the bottom is made up of two pieces of plywood which met with a crown right underneath my ribs!
This building is very new. It was built only about four years ago. It is a relatively nice building but the trade off is that it takes about one hour to get to any major parts of the city. Because our building is new, the hallways are comparatively well maintained. In other buildings I have been in, the mailboxes are falling off the walls, half of the flooring tiles are missing, the light bulbs are either missing altogether or sparse, dim and flickering. Many walkways and passageways are straight out of spy movies.
I have purchased a few items to make my year more comfortable. I got a desk chair which I can wheel out into the living room for additional seating and speakers to make learning tunes each week more enjoyable. I am debating whether or not to buy a new bed or mattress. The mattresses in my room are cot size and have some very defined gullies in the center. Flipping my bed frame around last night helped a lot after I discovered the bottom is made up of two pieces of plywood which met with a crown right underneath my ribs!
Overdue For An Update
This week has been one of adjusting and settling in. Two of my evening meetings (for the teen and young adult ministries) were canceled this week. I have had time to get out of the apartment with my roommates and learn how to get around a few places by myself. I can handle grocery shopping as long as the picture on the box looks like what's inside the box. Although I have discovered this technique can cause the purchase of some unusual flavors!
I am able to get a few of the essential places on my own now and I will learn the others soon. Typical memorization for transportation routes involves things like "get off the bus after the third traffic circle, when you see the big 24 sign" (buildings here look the same for block after block) and "count two stops and exit the metro station on the side without the television screen." I try not to step on too many toes (literally) or get too many angry glares, but this can be difficult when the buses and subways are crammed during busy times.
Next week will be a lot busier since the meetings will be back to normal and I will have three different worship services to prepare for, each with their own rehearsals. I am still trying to feel out exactly what my place is and how to best communicate with people. There are some ideas I can implement that will help the teams I am working with but I need some time to feel out what they are ready to hear. I am starting with little things, one at a time. Every team and every musician will be different, so this will take some observation and patience.
I am able to get a few of the essential places on my own now and I will learn the others soon. Typical memorization for transportation routes involves things like "get off the bus after the third traffic circle, when you see the big 24 sign" (buildings here look the same for block after block) and "count two stops and exit the metro station on the side without the television screen." I try not to step on too many toes (literally) or get too many angry glares, but this can be difficult when the buses and subways are crammed during busy times.
Next week will be a lot busier since the meetings will be back to normal and I will have three different worship services to prepare for, each with their own rehearsals. I am still trying to feel out exactly what my place is and how to best communicate with people. There are some ideas I can implement that will help the teams I am working with but I need some time to feel out what they are ready to hear. I am starting with little things, one at a time. Every team and every musician will be different, so this will take some observation and patience.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Service Online Tomorrow
NOTE: I HAVE CORRECTED THE TIME. I ORIGINALLY MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE TIME DIFFERENCE.
Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that the "youth" (university and young adult) service will be streaming online Saturday at 11:00 AM East Coast Time, 10:00 AM Central Time. The web address is http://www.nlc.kiev.ua/105410851083107210811085.html
I will be playing bass guitar with the worship team tomorrow since the usual bass players are out of town. It's not exactly my specialty but it will be a lot of fun :)
Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that the "youth" (university and young adult) service will be streaming online Saturday at 11:00 AM East Coast Time, 10:00 AM Central Time. The web address is http://www.nlc.kiev.ua/105410851083107210811085.html
I will be playing bass guitar with the worship team tomorrow since the usual bass players are out of town. It's not exactly my specialty but it will be a lot of fun :)
I'm Here!
Sorry for just now posting this. I am safely in Ukraine! I had no problems with any flights. My passport arrived in New York a few minutes before I did, giving me time to pick it up between my arrival in New York at Laguardia and my departure from JFK. I've been in Ukraine for about 30 hours so far but this is the first time I have had working internet and free time at the same time.
I took a taxi from the airport to go straight to a worship team rehearsal last night. Things there are going to be a challenge but in a good way. The language barrier is certainly a big one. The musicians have a lot of talent but getting them all together in one nicely structured unit is going to take some organization and discipline. However, I think this is an area I can help over time and I look forward to sharing some techniques and leadership in this area. Please pray as I feel things out and devise a bit of a plan.
Today was a settling in day. I let myself sleep in to compensate for a zero-sleep night before the flights. I think I am already adjusted to Ukrainian time. Joel Brown, the American pastor at New Life Church who is in charge of interns, took me shopping today for any necessities I needed and for things to make my room feel a little more like home. Overall, it was a great day spent adjusting and getting time with Joel, his wife, and the other American intern. Truthfully, this room is probably already homier than my room in the States! My roommates here made sure there was a bed and a table and a couple little things to make it comfortable when I arrived!
Some of my friends greeted me last night at rehearsal with a "Welcome Home Josh" sign. Thanks guys. I was too tired to really express my appreciation, but thank you.
I took a taxi from the airport to go straight to a worship team rehearsal last night. Things there are going to be a challenge but in a good way. The language barrier is certainly a big one. The musicians have a lot of talent but getting them all together in one nicely structured unit is going to take some organization and discipline. However, I think this is an area I can help over time and I look forward to sharing some techniques and leadership in this area. Please pray as I feel things out and devise a bit of a plan.
Today was a settling in day. I let myself sleep in to compensate for a zero-sleep night before the flights. I think I am already adjusted to Ukrainian time. Joel Brown, the American pastor at New Life Church who is in charge of interns, took me shopping today for any necessities I needed and for things to make my room feel a little more like home. Overall, it was a great day spent adjusting and getting time with Joel, his wife, and the other American intern. Truthfully, this room is probably already homier than my room in the States! My roommates here made sure there was a bed and a table and a couple little things to make it comfortable when I arrived!
Some of my friends greeted me last night at rehearsal with a "Welcome Home Josh" sign. Thanks guys. I was too tired to really express my appreciation, but thank you.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Friends Made It Happen
There is absolutely no way I could have been ready to leave the country if it were not for the help of friends. Forrest Layton and Derek Gibson especially deserve honorable mention. They kept working when I had to stop packing and moving stuff to make phone calls and backup plans for backup plans! They got me up early and kept me up late to make sure everything got done. Derek pulled an all-nighter to help me get packed just in time for my flight out of Nashville this morning. Without their energy and motivation I would have been at great loss. All the extra time going into passport issues and replanning every day would have kept me from making it out of the country when the opportunity actually arose. Thank you guys.
The last few days in Nashville proved the kind of friendships I have there. Even if that was all I learned out of the passport hassles and flight changes, I suppose it is good enough reason for it all. That's important to know going into a year where I need the support of friends who are far way.
The last few days in Nashville proved the kind of friendships I have there. Even if that was all I learned out of the passport hassles and flight changes, I suppose it is good enough reason for it all. That's important to know going into a year where I need the support of friends who are far way.
Writing From JFK
It took hours and hours of phone calls. It cost expenses for brand new flight tickets to compensate for the late mailing of the passport from the embassy. It came with a lot of uncertainty due to a change of tracking number (not relayed by the embassy) and no ability to contact the embassy to follow up. But I am sitting at JFK airport awaiting the check-in time for my international flight and I do have my passport. I am so thankful for this!
I can say that I had more peace about all of this the last 24-36 hours (although it really looked just as uncertain as before) than I had earlier. I came to the realization that the timing which I think is important is not necessarily the timing God sees as important. And if God knows what is truly best (and I do believe that He does) He will make sure things work out. I need to be flexible. I need to be willing to put the time and extra phone calls and effort in. And most of all, I just need to learn not to be frustrated by frustrating circumstances :)
I should arrive in Kiev at 4:00 tomorrow afternoon, which is 9:00 AM EST. I will be running straight to a rehearsal so I won't have a chance to update immediately when I get in. But I will try to get something up as soon as possible.
Thank you for all your prayers.
I can say that I had more peace about all of this the last 24-36 hours (although it really looked just as uncertain as before) than I had earlier. I came to the realization that the timing which I think is important is not necessarily the timing God sees as important. And if God knows what is truly best (and I do believe that He does) He will make sure things work out. I need to be flexible. I need to be willing to put the time and extra phone calls and effort in. And most of all, I just need to learn not to be frustrated by frustrating circumstances :)
I should arrive in Kiev at 4:00 tomorrow afternoon, which is 9:00 AM EST. I will be running straight to a rehearsal so I won't have a chance to update immediately when I get in. But I will try to get something up as soon as possible.
Thank you for all your prayers.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Not Much Of An Update To Share...
Well, I really don't know what's happening at this point with my passport :) I made 59 calls yesterday to the embassy along with a fax and three e-mails. Probably made more calls than that today. I also was able to enlist the services of my US Congressman's office. One of his aides was extremely helpful. She had me fill out some paperwork and write a letter and headed over personally to the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC (which is where my passport is at) to see if she could retrieve it. Unfortunately it was closed to walk-in traffic at that point (afternoons are reserved for phone call clientele, although that hasn't worked out for me yet either).
It is looking probable that I will be rescheduling my flight to leave on a later day. I am not sure yet what the fees for that will be. I suppose anything is possible so I am not completely banking on that option yet.
Wish I had more news for you! :) At this point I would like prayers for wisdom to know what to do. If I'm supposed to leave at a later date that's fine. But without knowing that it's difficult to move forward in changing flights and plans. Having either direction or resolution would be a helpful measure.
It is looking probable that I will be rescheduling my flight to leave on a later day. I am not sure yet what the fees for that will be. I suppose anything is possible so I am not completely banking on that option yet.
Wish I had more news for you! :) At this point I would like prayers for wisdom to know what to do. If I'm supposed to leave at a later date that's fine. But without knowing that it's difficult to move forward in changing flights and plans. Having either direction or resolution would be a helpful measure.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
An Item to Pray About
The Ukrainian Embassy currently has my passport and I really Really REALLY need it back soon! I have been trying to call all week to ask them to return my visa application and passport (read the March 15 post for more information on my visa status). New Life Church is working out the visa details on their end. But I need to have my passport to get into the country. So far today I have made about twenty phone calls. Please pray that I will be able to contact them. Thank you.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Home For A Bit
I am flying to New Hampshire tomorrow to see my family for a few days before leaving the country. I am looking forward to sharing with my church there about what is going on in my life and what is about to happen. It is a challenge for me to really unpack what events have led to today and where things are going from here. There's not really a beginning or end to the journeys we take because there are influences that exist before a journey and there is an impact a journey makes on us that lives on to affect us after. But I can hope to share what is going on today, in this part of the journey. Thank you New Hope Fellowship for your amazing support!
Follow By Email
If you would like to be notified by e-mail when I post updates on this blog, you can enter your e-mail address in the "FOLLOW BY EMAIL" box on the right hand side of the page. This will be the best way to hear day-to-day or week-to-week news and prayer requests once I am in Ukraine!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Visa Complications
Not an immediate concern but something that could use a little prayer.
The Ukrainian embassy is quite difficult to attain information from. The website is very confusing (with broken links and a copy/pasted mishmash of material) and someone picks up the phone more often to tell you "We are closed" than they do during the four hour period of the day in which they will answer questions. Another intern and I have learned the hard way that getting a Ukrainian Visa for a year will be more complicated than it used to be. But not impossible.
I can spend three months in Ukraine on my Passport, before even needing a visa. This gives New Life Church time to work out how to get me and Jenny (another American intern) one-year religious visas. Unfortunately, they do not have any connections in the Ukrainian State Committee of Religious Matters, which tends to be much more congenial to Eastern Orthodox churches. But since this appears to be the only option, they will pursue that and see what can be done. Once I am in the country and this is taken care of, New Life Church will send Jenny and me across the border to Poland to reapply for our visas.
Please keep this in prayer. Ukrainian government pretty much works on a basis of knowing who to pay to get something done. Otherwise, nothing happens. It's a sad reality but it is reality nonetheless. The whole visa experience thus far has been only a foreshadowing of some of the bumps and aggravation I will run across once I am actually in the country. But that will be part of the experience and growing process!
The Ukrainian embassy is quite difficult to attain information from. The website is very confusing (with broken links and a copy/pasted mishmash of material) and someone picks up the phone more often to tell you "We are closed" than they do during the four hour period of the day in which they will answer questions. Another intern and I have learned the hard way that getting a Ukrainian Visa for a year will be more complicated than it used to be. But not impossible.
I can spend three months in Ukraine on my Passport, before even needing a visa. This gives New Life Church time to work out how to get me and Jenny (another American intern) one-year religious visas. Unfortunately, they do not have any connections in the Ukrainian State Committee of Religious Matters, which tends to be much more congenial to Eastern Orthodox churches. But since this appears to be the only option, they will pursue that and see what can be done. Once I am in the country and this is taken care of, New Life Church will send Jenny and me across the border to Poland to reapply for our visas.
Please keep this in prayer. Ukrainian government pretty much works on a basis of knowing who to pay to get something done. Otherwise, nothing happens. It's a sad reality but it is reality nonetheless. The whole visa experience thus far has been only a foreshadowing of some of the bumps and aggravation I will run across once I am actually in the country. But that will be part of the experience and growing process!
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