THANKSGIVING ON THE MISSION FIELD ~ UKRAINE

 Andrew Kelly was the host of our missionary group Thanksgiving celebration.  Andrew & Jenny have a camp way out in the country where they host groups in summer. 

 Andrew cooked the turkey as he always does and everyone else brings the rest.  It was so good.

 Jeff and Jeff.  My Jeff left and Jeff Crane from Kiev.  A reunion of friends, some of which we don't see all year.

 A time of fellowship and catching up on each other's lives. 

This is Jenny our hostess.  She baked many of the desserts.  Such a treat to have pumpkin pie.  Our thanks to them both for giving us this great "taste" of home.

VALENTINE'S DAY IN THE CHURCH, BUCHA, UKRAINE

 We had such a nice time last month.  It was before all the worries of the current situation in Ukraine.  People were still smiling and war was not the topic of every conversation.  Here the men are about to run and find candy for their wives.  The white head in the middle (green sweater) is my Jeff.

 We had a nice dinner and lots of goodies and games.

 With speakers talking about family values.  Always a good topic for couples.

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A nice turnout for a holiday that has not been a Ukrainian holiday, but as the world becomes more global such things spread around.    A good excuse for a nice time. 

Please be in prayer for Ukraine now as we face the possibility of invasion by Russian troops.  Everyone is concerned about losing their freedoms and taking a step back in time to an old Soviet culture of fear and control.  God knows all these things and I know he has a plan.  It just may include war.  Pray.

ARE YOU LEAVING UKRAINE?

The beauty of western Ukraine shines through in this lovely country shot.  From a distance this could be any where in America or even the world.  I look at something like this and I think....why did God send us here?  It's one of those questions that lingers without an answer, but is part of a bigger plan than I can see and it's his plan.  Several people here have asked us lately if we are leaving to go back to America?  This question always surprises me, but gossip tends to fly around at high speed.  Just like the question of why Ukraine, there is no answer as to when we leave here or even "if" we leave.  Family asks this question every time we return home to the states.  Therefore it is something we've thrown around and discussed.  What we have come down to is this.  We don't know.  When God tells us our time is done then we'll know.  And he'll have to make it quite clear.  As far as we are concerned, until we get clear direction, we are here.  We are at His bidding and if he says we go, then we go.  Where?  He'll tell us that as well.  In the meantime, as God brings us to mind please pray for us that we would be faithful in what He has entrusted.  And for safety.  Know that we pray for you too and we so appreciate everyone who helps with ministry here.  God's blessings abundant to you.

COURAGE?

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24

It takes courage to be different.  Following Jesus is being different from the world.  It takes courage.  It is not the wide path, but the narrow.  Trusting in Him will strengthen you.

WHY DO PEOPLE LIVE IN OKLAHOMA....IN TORNADO ALLEY?

See what Kathi Yeager has to say about it ~

UKRAINIAN HUMOR

Once we were visiting with a friend in the south part of Ukraine called the Crimea.  It's where we lived for over three(of our almost 20) years before moving up north near the capital.  He was talking about the difficulties of life in their little country village.  We understood as we saw the challenging lifestyle he was referring to.  He was not brooding and in fact was laughing and joking.  As he talked I marveled at his "take on things."  I finally said to him that I could see this was a difficult life and yet he laughed and joked about it.  His answer has always stuck with me.  "We laugh because otherwise we would cry."  It is the method of survival for so many in Ukraine when life is challenging, and not a bad one.  I'm sure under the laughter there may at times be some bitterness, but such he did not betray.  When life has given me a bad pill I've looked at it this way.  I can get bitter or I can get better.  I choose the latter.  Trusting in Christ allows me to know he has a plan for my life and it sometimes includes challenging experiences.  His plan is to continue to refine us like silver to be more and more the image of Christ.  I am grateful to be one of His children, to have been chosen to know Him.  Put your trust in Him and he will never forsake you for he loves you like no other can love you.  He is the author of love itself.  God is love, love is of God.  Believe in it.  Trust in it.  He waits for you and joys in your fellowship. 

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephanian 3:17

JOY IN TRIALS

Matthew 6:28-29

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Siberian Iris from my garden.

The verse above speaks to me of how we should trust God in our care.   He has all the details of our life worked out.  This verse refers to our clothing, but it is everything.  "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9.  I'm so grateful that He does direct my steps.  Even through the trials and difficulties of life we can trust him for all our needs.  Lily from my garden.

Isaiah 40:8 

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Crocus in spring.

A "flower" in my life "faded" recently.  It was the passing of my father's life into eternal rest in the arms of his Savior.  He died November 23rd in the early morning hours while his family surrounded him in love.  As the "flower fades," I trust the word of God for this new stage in my life.  His wife of 37 years, Diza, also trusts Him for her next steps.  Please pray for her as her life changes dramatically with a move from California to Florida. In all things we are trusting and accepting.  For this trust,  I may mourn the loss but I have joy in my heart.  I hope that you trust in such a way that you have joy ever present, despite the circumstances.   Iris, also from my summer garden.

THE ATTITUDE OF COMMUNISM

This was a very interesting post a fellow American missionary in Ukraine posted on Facebook recently.  It speaks about the past of this former Soviet country and the way some still think today:

"Spent time listening to a government official explaining how "community" has fallen apart in Ukraine. Under Soviet days, everyone was watched out for and kept in various forms of community. There were workers unions, the Communist Party, Consomols Party (teenage Communist Party) and Pioneers (grade school equivalent of Boy Scouts). Everyone fit into a part of the community that created the Soviet Union. Today, with no parties or unions, people are left to themselves, lonely, hopeless and generally drunk. With no party or club to tell them what to believe in, there is nothing that unites the people."

When you hear such things it helps me to understand how badly this nation still needs to know Christ.  Pray for us as we minister here.

 

33 MINUTES THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Ray Comfort is outstanding in his interviews with young people.  Watch and share further.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS UKRAINE?

Ukraine, isn't that Russia? No, it used to be part of the former Soviet Union, but it was always Ukraine. My geography got a lot better when I moved from the U.S. to this part of the world. Ukraine is just below Russia on right side of the page. How do I feel about it? I love it here.....in our 18th year now. Does that mean I don't miss the U.S.? I do, especially family and friends, Starbucks and the public library, but God gives the grace and as long as He gives us no other directions, we are here. So come visit.

BRAVE GIRLS CLUB

We all have problems in this life, yet we walk around like everything is fine and we look like our life is all put together. The fact is, behind that mask often is great hurt, some tragic event or some challenge we think will engulf us. So, I've left here a link for you to read. It's not long, but will take you a few minutes. Believe me, it is worth the time: http://bravegirlsclub.com/archives/5832

Go there, you'll be glad you did and you'll look at people differently.

Blessings, Coleen

THE MAGIC OF FORGIVENESS

Have you ever struggled with a deep, deep hurt that you just couldn't forgive? Do you have arrows that pierced your heart in childhood or even just yesterday? I found this wonderful video on the internet as I was visiting the blog of another artist. She was dealing with a lack of forgiveness herself. Can't get this to embed, but if you'll copy and paste in a new window you will not regret having done so and you will be blessed. (Crocus from my garden).

http://fairywebmother.blogspot.com/2009/08/forgiveness-and-freedom-of-letting-go.html#links

Honarary Doctorate

On Saturday night Jeff and I were blessed with the honor of his being awarded an honorary doctorate for his many years of work in Armenia. It was also my first time since his work started in 1997 to visit this lovely country. He was also honored to be given the opportunity to speak to the seminary graduates and give them a charge of encouragement for their future. Jeff's was the only doctorate awarded. It was a lovely ceremony and one we will not soon forget. Our gratitude goes out to the Baptist Missionary Association of America for their part in making our work here possible. May the Lord use this for his honor and glory!

Count Your Blessings

Are You Counting?

I found this on the web and just had to share it...

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section.
Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.'

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section..

The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them... 'I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed 'How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked.

'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.'

'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked.

'Simple,' the angel answered. Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.'

'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked...

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.'

'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.'

'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.'

'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.'

'If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.
'If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare.'

'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.'

Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

ATTN:
Acknowledge Dept.:
'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people to share it with.'

Spring In Ukraine

I'll bet you wonder what this is. Spring in all it's wonder is unfurling literally before our eyes. Some things you can see the changes even hourly. This interesting critter is rhubarb. When I was a little girl my grandmother grew rhubarb in her suburban yard outside of Chicago. She would make a sweet/sour sauce with it that my dad just loved. Now here I am, probably close to the age I remember her and I'm growing rhubarb in my Kiev suburban yard. It is so interesting when I think back at the influence she was in many areas of my life. I pray as a mother and grandmother that I too can have a good influence on those around me. Do you ever think about that? She's been gone for decades and yet she still influences my life. What a responsibility we have for the generations that follow. I think I'll make rhubarb pie this summer.

Our hostess on the left, Vicki. Next to Vicki is our daughter, Leah. And friends from South Africa who are leaving soon. Such is missionary life, friends come and go.
Getting ready to thank the Lord for his provision and our fellowship.

Leah made mini-cupcakes for a lot of people.

Though being with family would be priority with all missionaries, we still gather with others and have a delightful time. This was as good as any Baptist potluck. We were grateful to be included in this celebration of the Lord's raising.

FAITH

Just wanted to share this with you.

Faith never knows where it is being led, or it would not be faith. True faith is content to travel under sealed orders.

J. Oswald Sanders

So often we want to know what is next in our lives. What does God have in store for us. We fervently seek his will as if he was just ready to send us an email and spell it all out. Faith is a matter of trust. Trusting that whatever the future holds, the Lord, our God, has us in mind. He loves us like no other and wants the best for us as does a father for his little child. So the keyword of faith is trust. Leaving it all in his hands is trusting. Are you ready to give it all over to him today and trust in his future for you?

May your day be blessed.

Presidential Elections in Ukraine

"Unofficially, Yanukovich has won the presidential election. GOD IS IN CONTROL! We will wait to see what kind of things God has planned for us. Yanukovich has strong ties to Russia, which if Ukraine goes the way of Russia, it is bad news for missionary activity in Ukraine."

"The worst scenario ...we have to leave. The best scenario ...we get to stay."

These are the words of some dear fellow missionaries here in Ukraine, but they express so well what all missionaries now are thinking and feeling. Many missionaries over the years have left Belarus and Russia due to an unfriendly climate towards them there. Many of them came to Ukraine. We know that God holds kings in the palm of his hand, so we are trusting in Him.

"Following"

Hello Friends,

Just wanted to mention that you can follow this blog in one of two ways (or both). You can find the Feedblitz gadget on the right and and it will deliver a message to your inbox each time I update with a new post. Or you can push the "Follow" button (also on the right) and I will have your lovely picture up here and can write to you directly from here. I think ideal is to do both. Have a great day, blessed in the Lord.

Coleen and Jeff

Health Care Reform?