Well, it has been a full week and next week will be even busier! The girls and I will be boarding a plane headed back to America on the 22nd. Before that, we will have an 8 hour train ride. We found out on Saturday about a missionary here who has to go back to America and Eric decided to send me back with her because of my health. Without the help of family, it wouldn't have been possible. Tickets have gotten so expensive and Anna is now charged almost full price for a seat. I know that they are all excited to meet the girls and I'm glad that they will get a chance. I'm excited to see family and friends, go to Walmart, and be able to DRIVE. It is so hard for me to get out and around too far from the house here because Eric is usually not home during the day and public transportation is not the easiest with two kids. The only downside is that Eric is not able to go with me. He cannot get away for 2 reasons: 1)there is no one else to take over the ministry and 2) we have to be moved out of this apartment by the end of August. He is going to be working like crazy to try to have it in a liveable condition by the time we come back on August 25th (that's so long to be away).
Besides working on the house, Eric has been very busy visiting with an elderly gentleman named Yuri. He is the father of one of our church members and has been very sick for a long time. Eric spent almost all day yesterday over there and also had a chance to ask Yuri about his salvation. Yuri said that he had repented of his sins and trusted Jesus Christ to save him. We are so thankful that we were able to hear that for we found out today that he died during the night last night. When someone dies, the funeral is done right away. Eric was asked to preach at the funeral and was over there most of the day. I was going to go to help by watching a few of the kids while the adults went to the cemetary, but Eric and Valentina said that it would be too much for me because of how sick I've been lately. Eric was also concerned that I might have an attack while watching their kids. Thankfully, today has been a very good day. Pray for the family and friends that were there. Many are not saved. Eric was able to pass out many books on salvation and he preached a salvation message.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
The past week has been a very rough week for me. My cough has been extremely bad. We are pretty sure that because of the pollution of the city and possibly something in this apartment, I have developed severe asthma. I had it under control for a little while naturally but then stopped everything good that I was doing, and it came back hard. This time, everyone convinced me to use an inhaler and pills instead. They don't seem to be helping at all. I've had to use the inhaler 4 times today and I took the 3 pills suggested. In spite of all this, I have still wheezed all day and felt mildly suffocated. I am having a very hard time trying to control it now and am in a lot of pain from coughing. I just started going back to my natural remedies, and it seems to be calming down. I am very exhausted from lack of sleep (I wake up now at least once, last night twice, having an attack) and would cry if it wouldn't cause an attack. The nights when I do not wheeze, I am so excited about breathing that I can't sleep. I just lie there breathing and praising God because it feels so wonderful! How often I took breath for granted before all of this! Please be praying for me.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
LESS FOR ME=MORE FOR GOD
"This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:6b-9
Oh, how much we see that here! These Ukrainians would rather give their time to pray to icons, and their money to greedy priests than to just trust in Jesus Christ and the Bible! And what does this bring them? Nothing. No peace. No joy. No future security. I went out by myself the other week, first time in a LONG time. I usually don't take public transportation much because it is too difficult with the girls. I can pretty much get everything that I need within walking distance, and if I can't, Eric picks it up for me on his way home. But the other week Eric let me go to the second hand store after the girls went to bed. When you are out with someone, you don't notice the people around you as well as when you are by yourself...especially if that "someone" is two little girls. By myself, though, on the metro I looked into their faces and it broke my heart. Their lives are full of sorrow, worry, no hope...it's overwhelming to see. I also met a lady who was asking for only 50 kopayek...that's about 5 cents!!! She was trying to STEAL it from the company she was working for! (She was asking you to give her 50 kopayek instead of paying 1 griven for riding the trolly bus and she would keep it and you would ride without a ticket.) Can you imagine? To be so desparate as to be stealing a nickel??? I said that I could not do that because I am a Christian. I gave her 1 griven and 50 kopayek...griven for my ticket and 50 kopayek for her.
I see how little they live on and wonder how they manage to survive. God has continually been weeding things out of our lives...starting even before we came over. Sometimes it is such a hard process! We greatly desire to give our all to God and we're willing, but when He actually brings something to mind, it's hard! Sometimes I want to go into my pouting child stage and say, "It's not fair, Lord! I've already given up family, friends, my homeland, my kids having grandparents, Walmart ;)...what MORE do you want?" Then I think, "Is HE not worth it? Is a soul not worth it?" One of our neighbors said once to Lina about us, "They're poor aren't they." Praise the Lord! It is ONLY when they look past our material possessions that we can start reaching them with the Saviour! Pray for me. I greatly desire for Christ to be seen in me and for more to be purged from my life. I desire to have more time for him as well as money. Pray for us as we learn to live on less and use our time wisely FOR THE GLORY OF GOD that Kharkov, Ukraine will see something different and desire to know our Lord and Saviour!
Oh, how much we see that here! These Ukrainians would rather give their time to pray to icons, and their money to greedy priests than to just trust in Jesus Christ and the Bible! And what does this bring them? Nothing. No peace. No joy. No future security. I went out by myself the other week, first time in a LONG time. I usually don't take public transportation much because it is too difficult with the girls. I can pretty much get everything that I need within walking distance, and if I can't, Eric picks it up for me on his way home. But the other week Eric let me go to the second hand store after the girls went to bed. When you are out with someone, you don't notice the people around you as well as when you are by yourself...especially if that "someone" is two little girls. By myself, though, on the metro I looked into their faces and it broke my heart. Their lives are full of sorrow, worry, no hope...it's overwhelming to see. I also met a lady who was asking for only 50 kopayek...that's about 5 cents!!! She was trying to STEAL it from the company she was working for! (She was asking you to give her 50 kopayek instead of paying 1 griven for riding the trolly bus and she would keep it and you would ride without a ticket.) Can you imagine? To be so desparate as to be stealing a nickel??? I said that I could not do that because I am a Christian. I gave her 1 griven and 50 kopayek...griven for my ticket and 50 kopayek for her.
I see how little they live on and wonder how they manage to survive. God has continually been weeding things out of our lives...starting even before we came over. Sometimes it is such a hard process! We greatly desire to give our all to God and we're willing, but when He actually brings something to mind, it's hard! Sometimes I want to go into my pouting child stage and say, "It's not fair, Lord! I've already given up family, friends, my homeland, my kids having grandparents, Walmart ;)...what MORE do you want?" Then I think, "Is HE not worth it? Is a soul not worth it?" One of our neighbors said once to Lina about us, "They're poor aren't they." Praise the Lord! It is ONLY when they look past our material possessions that we can start reaching them with the Saviour! Pray for me. I greatly desire for Christ to be seen in me and for more to be purged from my life. I desire to have more time for him as well as money. Pray for us as we learn to live on less and use our time wisely FOR THE GLORY OF GOD that Kharkov, Ukraine will see something different and desire to know our Lord and Saviour!
Friday, July 3, 2009
~Otkroshka~
(Or Cold Soup)
5 potatoes (diced and boiled)
4 cucumbers (peeled and diced)
1-2 smoked ham (usual), cooked chicken breasts, or desired meat (leftovers are great)
4 eggs (boiled and diced)
To taste:
green onion
dill
sour cream or mayo (mayonnaise doesn't spoil as quickly)...about 8 oz.
salt and pepper
sour milk water* (or bouillon from boiled chicken breasts & lemon acid or vinegar to taste)
Everything is finely diced and mixed together when cool. If you use the bouillon it needs to be completely cooled before you mix the rest of the ingredients into it. Then refrigerate until use. It will taste better if you can let it sit for at least an hour.
*Okay. Let's see if I can explain the sour milk water. (If you live on a farm, you know what it is. I didn't know until recently.) After milk from a cow sits for a little while, you end up with a thick, buttery layer on top and sour milky water on bottom. The bottom is what is used. I have NO clue what it is called in English, because before coming to Ukraine I had never bought it before.
5 potatoes (diced and boiled)
4 cucumbers (peeled and diced)
1-2 smoked ham (usual), cooked chicken breasts, or desired meat (leftovers are great)
4 eggs (boiled and diced)
To taste:
green onion
dill
sour cream or mayo (mayonnaise doesn't spoil as quickly)...about 8 oz.
salt and pepper
sour milk water* (or bouillon from boiled chicken breasts & lemon acid or vinegar to taste)
Everything is finely diced and mixed together when cool. If you use the bouillon it needs to be completely cooled before you mix the rest of the ingredients into it. Then refrigerate until use. It will taste better if you can let it sit for at least an hour.
*Okay. Let's see if I can explain the sour milk water. (If you live on a farm, you know what it is. I didn't know until recently.) After milk from a cow sits for a little while, you end up with a thick, buttery layer on top and sour milky water on bottom. The bottom is what is used. I have NO clue what it is called in English, because before coming to Ukraine I had never bought it before.
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