Arrival in Kiev...

Although I am bathed in the warmth of so many loving prayers, my first shower when I arrived tonight in Kiev was freezing!  Not as cold as the mountain streams of Colombia but it was a worthy runner up!
  Just now as I am writing this blog entry in my ‘hosts’ apartment, two bombs just exploded not far away!  Yesterday was the Ukrainian Easter, which meant nothing to the Russian military who continued the bombing throughout Ukraine in high density areas for maximum casualties.  They have continually attacked power stations for the last several months resulting in power outages throughout the Country.  Jobs sites, schools, businesses and especially private homes are left without power, heat and water!  Much of the cell service is cut off, sometimes by Ukraine itself, because many of the more sophisticated bombs, cruise missiles and rockets coming from Russia, tap into these gps systems!
  Another bomb just went off- the people here are really worn down!  I hope to bring some refreshment, God’s hope and certainly light in this darkness that comes only from Him- John 8:12! 
  No one was at the train station when I arrived in Kiev tonight, it was 3 hours late because of electrical problems at the border.  But the tracking system they use for public transport said the train still wasn’t scheduled to arrive for another hour!  
  I grabbed something to eat while I was waiting, thinking that would be it for the day but when Dr. Lev showed up he told me we had two dinners already scheduled that evening!
  After all these dear friends have been through, I am continually overwhelmed by their love and care for me! Paul felt something similar in Gal. 4:14.  Tonight at the dinners, we laughed and told stories and had a few tears as well… at the end people kept saying how refreshing and life- giving our time together is!  After our time together There was a renewed sense of purpose and hope, by God’s grace, with confidence that what we have seen Him do for us in the past, He can do again… that’s not all that happened today but it was a great first day in Ukraine!!