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.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
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.
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