Highlights: October 10-14

The days have become so full and blessed that it has become difficult, even late at night, to be able sit down and write, so I will try to write a little overview and share more when I return home!

As I mentioned before, Monday was one of the best Bible Study experiences I have ever had- it was again, on Forgiveness!  God's timing, as always, was impeccable!  Last weekend Ukraine tried to blow up a bridge that connects Crimea with Russia and Russia took that as an attack on its own territory.  The Russian army unleashed a terrible bombing flurry all over Ukraine which has closed schools, grocery stores, hospitals, knocked out power grids, stopped internet service and damaged water supplies.  We had dinner with three young Seminary students tonight and one was sick from being in a cold, damp bomb shelter for 6 hours on Monday while all this was going on!

Tuesday, I had a chance to get a little workout in, then lunch at the home of a dear pastor and his family. After this we headed to the bus station to pick up Gabrielle Weber from the U.S. She came to meet our friends here and see the work we are a part of in Ukraine...

Her travel turned out to be a herculean task by the time she arrived- 7 hours at the Polish border to enter Ukraine, driving until 3 am with her friends and then another 6-hour bus ride to get to Chernivtsi!  Gabrielle has been a wonderful asset here and great encouragement to all the leaders!

Tuesday night we gathered some of the team from our first discipleship group that God called into ministry in Chernivtsi. Every time we get together it is "sweeter than the time before"!  They are 15-20 years older now but all flourishing in ministry and faith!

Wednesday, we had a breakfast meeting and then a lunch with friends and local leaders!  These meetings have been amazing and to the point. It is not wise to mention names, but God has done the most extraordinary things in one set of lives after another!! 

Then Wednesday evening, I spoke at the mid-week service on "Hearing the Voice of God". People are so hungry for God and, especially now, learning how to seek and obey His the voice!! It turned out to be a great evening!

Thursday, another workout in the morning, more meetings and a farewell lunch with Pasha and Susan Tseona who were our homestay hosts!! They are amazing saints and are constantly hosting others- refugees and friends alike! We did some errands around the City of Chernivtsi that day and then I had a couple hours to prepare for two radio programs that I was asked to record before we left town!  Finally, Friday we were up early to leave for Ivano-Frankivish to meet with some dear ministry friends who provide work for refugee women, and they in turn, sew warm clothes for Ukrainian soldiers. It was a great time with two of our dearest friends, Vova and Alina!

After lunch we connected up with Dr. Lev.  This dear man got up at 4 am to drive from Kiev to Ivano-Frankivisk just to pick us up and drive us to the next City, Lviv.  

When we arrived we had dinner with three of our favorite young women, who are fully devoted followers of Jesus- Anna, Nastya and Alyona! We had a wonderful time together catching up on the amazing things our wonderful God is doing through their lives!  Russia's bombing flurry on Monday and Tuesday of this last week forced people into cold, dark shelters for hours at a time and Anna was not feeling very well ...

Dr. Lev and I will be heading further East soon (while Gabrielle heads back home). The constant bombing has been  wearing people down- but they keep coming back with great courage and resolve!  Everyone believes if the Russian Gov't is not stopped here, it will be disaster for the rest of Europe and maybe more.  

My roommate, Dr. Lev, told me air raid sirens went on throughout much of the night, but I was sound asleep, it was like a story in Mark 4 when my best friend was riding in the back of a boat...