Gifts...

Generosity always starts with the character of God- John 3:16...  

It is amazing how this one character quality can change so many circumstances and lives!  

There were many big events on this last journey to Ukraine but the ones that had the greatest impact on me were the personal one on ones!     There were more "I love you" expressions from even casual friends, both men and women,  than I can ever remember before! This was probably the smallest amount of money I had for the needs here, less than I've taken since we started in Ukraine.  I found myself saying throughout the trip, "I know there is great need but I have very little to offer this time...except myself and my love!" I thought there would be visible disappointment but instead, with great affection they responded, "That's all we need!" What a sweet gift of friendship!  

In Chernivtsy, Doug Burleigh spoke and I shared a little bit, and afterward the Governor of the Chernivtsy region talked about the crisis with refugees from the Eastern part of Ukraine.  Chernivtsy is a city of 300,000, but they have had a continual rotation of 100,000 to 120,000 refugees overwhelmng their city- with 30-40,000 of that number being children!  Housing, food, medical care etc. has been a tremendous challenge!  He thanked us for what our part has been over the years and then gave Doug and I watches from their regional Parliament after which we all circled up and prayed for God's help and blessing over the governor, his staff, all the volunteers and the 1000s of refugees trying to grapple with a  totally new and unforeseen life! A sweet gift of time, literally and figuratively!  

In Ivano-Frankivish I was given a military shirt that our friends there make for the Ukrainian army- made with love, and given the same way!  

In Kiev, the Capitol, we were blessed and loved-on by our friends who are all part of this amazing medical team, the Prystupiuks and Zhenya and Anna, who housed us and fed us and did our laundry without saying a word!    

Everywhere in Ukraiine, cities are being bombed but no more than in Kharkiv!  Again they housed us, fed us great meals, filled out the schedule with speaking every day of the week we were there and they were able to get us in to three hospitals that were caring for wounded soldiers, which was no small task since they are so heavily guarded by the military and hospital staff!  Those days with the soldiers were some of the most important of the entire trip! God did such an amazing turn around in spirit with these wounded warriors that they couldn't express enough appreciation- a couple even tore off their units' insignia from their uniform to hand them to me. And one big soldier, named Jury, came up to me and said this is the most important possession I have, "My son won this bracelet in an athletic competition and wanted me to have it when I left for the War.  Now I want you to have it."  I resisted for a bit, I felt like it was just too much, but I think he was  touched by the time we all had together and was thinking when he headed back to the front lines again he didn't want it to be lost. So, I have been wearing it ever since!    

Our last stay was in Dnepro, Eastern Ukraine, where we always stay with Stepan and Vera Bokoch.  He is the regional pastor of over a 100 churches and a very humble and godly man!  His sons and daughters all came into town from different cities, and despite all of the bombing and difficulties with travel, everybody found a way to celebrate a birthday and make life joyful for a whole weekend!  

Theyre are a number of other gifts and cards, for which I am leaving clothes and shoes behind here to make room for in my suitcase so I can bring them back home. The value of such things is all in the relationship, and God has made me a rich man wherever He has sent me! It's overwhelming!  

I was thanking God for such  things and His overwhelming  kindness as I left Ukraine and made my way to Duren, Germany, which is where I'll be for three days before I head back to Seattle!

I finally made it to the Kushnir house pretty late, the night of the 3rd but they still had dinner waiting!  While we were eating they said we want to buy you a pair of tennis shoes tomorrow morning!  I don't think this has ever come up before and I wasn't sure what to say. I know that money is very tight here and Taras doesn't have a job right now, but my protesting was of no avail because they felt God had given them this task with a verse to go with it- Isaiah 52:7, and the next morning I had a new pair of shoes!  

This has been an amazing journey and God filled every moment of it with His overwhelming Presence and Power- all Praise and Glory to the Wonderful Name of Jesus!!  

War changes things but the Living God changes them even more!  How can I thank you enough for your partnership and all the ways He has used you to intervene and change lives through prayer, fasting and sacrificial giving!  You are a great gift and inspiration to me dear friends!!  In His love,  jerry