More pictures

Friday + Misc Pictures

It is now Saturday and a few people have given me their camera's to pull some additional pictures. Pray today for the team as we are spending most of the day at an all church picnic/outing. We will be there with most of the church (both workers and regular attenders). It is our last day with the local Ukranian believers. Pray it is beneficial to all.


Friday we paid a visit to the Catacombs of Odessa. They are underground mines of limestone from which building materials are pulled to build many of the structures of the area. They have also been used for shelter and protection in times of great distress.




This photo, in particular, had significance to many of us who have been working here. Our tour guide, who was not a christian, explained this photo as "two hands delivering the light" Without the "light" the hands can only deliver darkness but the light can affect the entire area with open hands that deliver it. I am not as eloquent with the interpretation but nearly everyone can understand the biblical application here. Much like the song This Little Light of Mine, sung as children in the USA. The example says "hide it under a bushel, no, I'm going to let it shine".


It was very interesting to see world war 2 weapons sitting around that the Russian soldiers had used fighting the same German army's that we were fighting. It is like looking at the same war from the other side of the front.




Our tour guide was supposed to speak English and when we showed up he was not able to do so. Denise, our van driver, and Mox (a Tajikistan based missionary who happened to be with us this week on occasion) translated and at the same time were able to witness to him. It was a real world (outside of the church) example of Christ's love pouring out of them and humbled many of us in the group. We don't often do the same when we are given the opportunity.

If you want to read more about the significance of the catacombs in World War II you can
read about it here.

We drove past several cemetery areas on the way to the catacombs. Grave plots here are fenced in individually and often have a chair and a table in them. Each year there is a ritual here where people go to the cemetery, clean up the grave site, prepare food etc and sit and talk to the spirits of the dead. This sounded a bit strange until I thought about it. My grandmother does much of the same on Memorial day each year at my father's grave site.

I am thankful to know that my father is not in the grave but is with God in heaven. The example he led in the years I was able to know him produced a legacy that has given me encouragement in my walk throughout my life. He was a very special christian man with a heart for missions. Our house was always the place the missionaries stayed and where we got together when missionairies were in town. I have no doubt that as I got older and we were able we would have traveled to the field just like we are this week.

Things never happen by coincidence. This week we have met missionaries from West Michgan. They are our age. They have kids our children's age. They are even missionaries supported by the church I grew up in. This is both humbling and an encouragement to all of us. We are so thankful to meet each of the people here.

Many know I had at least one child that was not a willing participant in this trip. You need to know that Jordan has gone from unwilling participant to actively working in ministry here this week. In fact yesterday on the van ride back to the seminary he asked if we could come again and even said "I could live here, at least until I hated it". In Jordan speak that is a big move from where he was prior to the trip. His heart has obviously softened for the people and I've seen evidence that it's "not all about him". This is perhaps to me one of the greatest accomplishments of the trip. Jordan, in many ways, has the same internal spirit I have fought with most of my life. Living life for others and not just about "me" is a natural human struggle and only when God works in our lives does that become secondary to sharing Jesus with others.

Ok. More pictures:


Jim and Kristie Hoekwater with Anton. Anton was born in the Urals and is a student in the seminary here.







Anton has been a great encouragement to all of us and we are thankful to have met him. He worked side by side with us throughout the week at VBS.

This photo has Kent and Amy with Anton as well.




Most everyone in the group has become close to Oleg this week.

This is a picture of Steve Gibson with Oleg. Pray for Oleg that he will find the type of occupation that he is passionate about and that will provide a living for himself and (if God provides) his future family. He has a heart for Jesus and currently works nights and volunteers at the church during the day.

He asked me many questions about real estate and income properties and had been reading books on the subject from Donald Trump and Robert Kyosaki. I was fortunate to know specifically what he was talking about and was able to give him a few Dave Ramsey style pointers. Both Donald Trump and Robert Kyosaki are big "borrow your way to wealth" guys. That kind of choices often spell financial disaster and a life of trouble. It has brought Donald Trump to bankruptcy multiple times and cost him several marriages. I am hoping I can get a Dave Ramsey book in Russian and am looking into it. I am thankful that Dave Ramsey teaches fiscal responsibility and a relationship with Jesus Christ. His books have affected me and my choices greatly. I am hoping they could help someone here (including Oleg).


Lena and Margarite' are two of our translaters. They have been with us all week and we are thankful to have been able to get to know them.










This is a picture of Jim with Lena.











Pastor Kamil with Yuri. They are both brothers in Christ and good friends. I mentioned in a previous blog that Yuri had just finished working on their apartment and we were the first guests. Apparently Kamil helped him with this project. It is good to see christian brothers helping eachother.





Two brothers from Islamic countries that made the men's bible study and are returning to their homeland after work at Odessa Theological Seminary. The stories of persecution and trial in these countries have been incredibly moving this week.





More men at our mens night fellowshiping after the sessions.








Some things in the church look the same no matter where you are. Food and church seem to go together everywhere :-)







This is Olga (Yuri's wife) with Anush. Anush (sorry for spelling is wrong) is from Armenia and came as a refugee of the war between Armenia and Ajerbaijan (please excuse spelling, no time to look it up right now). Armenia is a christian nation surrounded by muslim nations and has a history of war due to this fact. The country sits at the cross roads between Asian and Europe and anyone wanting to go anywhere via land seems to overrun Armenia in the process. Pray for the christians in Armenia. I have known several in my life. They are a wonderful people and because the USA has no real interest in the area (and the people want to survive on their own), the country continues to experience significant challenges with it's neighbors.

One last photo to show something I see everywhere that is "different" than at home. What you see here is not power lines. These are plumbing lines. Water lines are often elevated and run from house to house on poles much like we do with power lines. Ukraine appears to bury most power lines and elevate most water lines. I am not quite sure why and find it very different. They are subject to freezing temperatures and pipe bursts due to this arrangement and make for a less reliable system.

Well we are off to prepare for the church picnic. I didn't get to the pictures from dinner last night. I hope to get to them tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers!