The Good, The Bad and The Amusing--Life in Ukraine

The Amazing Race/Journey of Faith

2009-11-01T13:40:00.004+02:00

Pine Needle Camp in Kolentsi, Ukraine

A couple months ago several of us who are involved in ministry in Ukraine were holding a planning meeting for future outreaches. Our friend Andrew, who has a wonderful new camp northwest of Kyiv, said he wished they could use the camp for women’s conferences but he didn’t know where to get a speaker. A chill went across my spine. So, I must go back a little and explain why.

Before Richard and I moved to Ukraine, I had been involved in giving a couple of conferences on prayer. It was something I thoroughly enjoyed doing and as God led us to Ukraine and unknown ministry, I hid the desire for this type of ministry in my heart. Moving, learning to live in a foreign culture, Richard’s dental ministry and other things took precedence over my own ministry. But as the years rolled by, I was getting restless and began to wonder what I was doing here. Distributing literally tons of clothing, necessities, and gifts to orphans, widows and other organizations to distribute was a lot of work, sometimes fun, but not very challenging. Living with the mess that sorting piles of goods necessitates, drove me crazy. God kept reminding me that I had said I was here to serve, no matter what, even if it meant scrubbing toilets—which fortunately I had not had to do much of.

Our third year anniversary of lining here came and went. I prayed for guidance and for peace. I wanted to find my niche in this country and the world of missions. I asked God to show me. Nothing happened. I asked God to make me content to just keep supporting Richard’s ministry and take care of the house when he went on outreach. And God gave me peace. Yet, I am human and I feel God puts dreams in our hearts, dreams for His glory, dreams for personal fulfillment.

So when Andrew mentioned women’s conferences/retreats, I jumped at the chance. I offered to help put one together and to even share from my experiences if they wished. So we set a date and decided to gear a retreat toward Ukrainian women. During a couple of Mission to Ukraine camps, I had worked with mothers of disabled kids and my heart was touched with the struggles that women have raising kids—whether disabled or healthy. Those who are in ministry also need encouragement and support. God put into my heart to talk about Faith’s journey, help ladies on their own travels, and give them encouragement.

A couple weeks later, I talked with Olha, a lovely woman who along with her husband are in ministry with Andrew and Jenny Kelly. She was so excited about the conference and told me she had been praying for the camp to be used for such purposes. I felt confirmation in this task. At first I had my doubts that many would come, but others assured me this was a great need and would be welcomed. Assembling a team was easy. Several friends immediately wanted to help. We went ahead and put together plans for the maximum 56 people that the camp could comfortably handle. (After watching the movie Facing the Giants, I felt I had to prepare for rain since I had asked for rain.) I gave the project into God’s hands and told Him that since it was His conference, I would gladly go along with whatever He planned whether few or many participants.

Then I attempted to advertise it through church, Facebook, our conference team, and flyers. A couple of different ladies told me they could easily find women who would want to attend. We kept the price down to a fee of 150 griven—an equivalent of $19. This was enough to cover the food and lodging only. I offered to find sponsors for those who couldn’t find even that amount in this time of crisis. Yet no one from the Kyiv area seemed interested or they had other plans or. . . But several ladies from Zhitomer were very excited about it and others were coming from farther west.

During this time I began to work on my talks. Let me tell you, I LOVE the TV show, The Amazing Race. I see so many things related to this race of faith I am on in the weekly episodes of this series. The apostle Paul likens our personal spiritual experience to a race and I really wanted to link these ideas together yet I knew that this show was not seen here and relating to it would not work. So we called it The Amazing Journey of Faith. Once I started working on the talks, the enemy decided to hit me with every doubt and fear that I had carried for years. As I thought about leaving behind the baggage and junk that a person carries, God brought to me the excess luggage I have toted for years. Moments of depression, discouragement, past disillusionments, lost dreams surfaced in my mind and heart. All my past failures and attempts at ministry came back to haunt me. But God has kindly, gently, helped me to see them for what they are and I am slowly discarding them. He is helping me to humbly know that everything on this journey needs to be done His way for His plans to succeed. And I know in my heart, if not always in my head, that His plans are much, much better than anything I can imagine or dream.

My friend, Coleen, has an amazing ministry teaching women to scrapbook their faith, journal their gratitude and/or prayer. She began designing a journal for her classes at the conference. Another friend, Tanya, works with family ministry and prepared to teach women about self worth and faith. Friendship evangelism discussions were organized. Others volunteered to interpret, translate talks and worksheets, perform skits, be prayer leaders and the worship team. The Kelly’s planned wonderful meals. Welcome packets, many door prizes, a Hawaiian banquet and a prayer room were prepared. A friend from America brought Mary Kay samples for each lady. Facials and fingernail polish, and crafts would be offered. Yet we had more staff than participants signed up. But the ones who were coming were very, very excited about the prospect. So we continued with preparations.

Last Friday, the H1N1 flu pandemic became a problem in Ukraine. Because of several deaths, Western Ukraine was quarantinesd and travel restricted. Oops! The women from there cannot come. We have heard that tomorrow, our area may also be quarantined. So far large public gatherings have been banned and schools have been closed for the next three weeks. As of this writing, I do not know whether the rest of the ladies will be able to come on the 13th or whether we should postpone it until the first of next year. Actually, I am amused and amazed at what God knows and does. Cancelling the retreat with only a few would be much easier than if there were many. And possibly the retreat will still happen. This is just part of the race—missed boats and delayed flights, anticipation of what’s ahead, the challenge of things beyond our control.

There have been lows the last couple of days but they are always followed by highs. All I can say for now is that God is gracious. He does have a plan for me and each lady this conference is meant to touch. Somewhere, somehow He will show us His plan. Until then, I am still His daughter and His love will sustain me through the detours and roadblocks of life. He will do the same for the other women. Whether a journey or a race, it doesn’t really matter. In the end, what counts is the destination (pit stop) and the One who is waiting there to receive us with open arms.

Christmas Card from the Nelsons

2008-12-16T12:52:00.005+02:00

We want to thank each of you who have suppported Smile Alliance International with prayer, encouragement and by donating funds and goods to continue the ministry. A special thanks to those who were part of the six teams we worked with, joining us in ministry in Ukraine. At least 2500 people have been blessed this year because of your faithfulness.

Breifly, I am working on updates on my blogs for those of you who are interested in what has transpired during 2008. Right now we are in the middle of distributing 900 plus gifts to widows, moms and kids through SAI and our partners. Smile Alliance International and Manna Worldwide are signing the final paperwork for a formal partnership which will eventually finish the Smile House Project. The first floor is half finished now but without dental equipment or furnishings. SAI will be responsible for the clinic. A transition home for 16 year old girls who graduate from Komorivka Orphanage is planned for the second floor and will be managed by Manna. Other plans for the remainder of the building are being worked out. So if you are interested, please check www.smilealliance.blogspot.com for general ministry updates, www.smilehouse.blogspot.com for the dental ministry updates, and www.livinginukraine.blogspot.com for everyday life updates.

The Smile Alliance International website www.smilealliance.org is functioning but still needs a lot of help. We are posting a list of needs on it along with other pertinent information. God has been very faithful and your support has made this ministry possible. Thank you again. May you be indeed blessed this Christmas and in the year to come.

The Nelsons and Smile Alliance International

Sometimes It's Hard being so far from America

2008-11-26T04:39:00.002+02:00

It's the middle of the night and I can't sleep--again. The call of God to this country and my own selfish desires to live where I can deal with things conflict inside me. The past four months have been extremely busy and I stayed up late getting started on the packets for widows and orphans. I am tired.

Our electricity wows were finally, I hope, taken care of yesterday after two years by an electrician putting in stablizers but the cost was unbelievable. We are Americans so we are taken advantage of over and over. I know it. And I know God called us here. It just doesn't seem fair. But life is not fair. I know many people here who receive less than $200 a month. The electician charged over $100 an hour. He was good. Got the job done. We needed it. It's just frustrating.

Then the holidays are coming and I am missing my family and the life we used to live. There are many good things and God just sent us a huge amount of food through our Smile Alliance Board. He takes wonderful care of us. He provides. I spent many hours excitedly unpacking boxes--there were things for the kids and widows but so many things for us as well. And I know with a certainly that we are blessed. It's just that just sometimes it is very hard. In this day and age of uncertainty, I know there are many who are sad and afraid and that don't have the Living Hope that transends all fear. And when I remember that and our reasons for taking on this challenge and living this new life, then I can deal with it. It's just sometimes, in the middle of the night, that I am sad and it seems hard. It's a part of life.

Our Amazing God and His Provision

2008-06-02T10:33:00.018+03:00

I want to share an amazing story of God’s love and provision. There are myriad details—fascinating to us but perhaps boring to others—that I have written out in longer form. If you are interested in more detail, write me. I’ll send you the long story. But here is the story, still long but as brief as possible..

When God helped us buy our house in November of 2006 we could not purchase the land with it because the land had not been privatized. Only a lot of paperwork and haggling with governmental agencies could accomplish it. Last summer we checked with the realtor to see how much the land would cost. Six months later she called and had a price, the paperwork done, and a large bill for us. Though not our intent, we now had the paperwork but no money to purchase the land. Told we had until the end of 2008, we wanted to find out for sure, so friends helped us meet with the village mayor. We discovered that half of the purchase fee was due by the end of April and the remainder by July 31st. We still had no money.

Many prayers went up on both sides of the world. Our efforts to provide the funds by borrowing it proved futile. We had to place the land entirely in God’s hands and trust the outcome, favorable or not, to Him. My mother’s death in April was a difficult time for me. Plans and schemes were set on a back burner. But in the end, a legacy of love from became a possibility for funds by the end of May. The city council gave us an extension until the end of that month with the stipulation that the entire amount be paid at that time.

That’s when delays ensued—banking errors, national holidays, UPS and postal snafus, time zone differences that caused missed deadlines. Dear friends and family, bank employees, postal and delivery workers all attempted to facilitate a quick resolution but to no avail. Meanwhile, the value of the dollar plummeted worldwide and the exchange rate for Ukrainian griven versa dollars fell steadily from 5.1 to 4.4 at the lowest. It may not sound like much but it is huge—at the difference between these rates what would have cost us $1000 to buy in February cost $1159 by mid-May.

During this time, Richard and I really felt at peace (of course, there were a couple of times that I freaked out but not as much as I would have a few years ago.) We knew God had a plan, especially when we looked back at all the details. Finally, the money (which had to be paid in griven) was deposited into the village’s bank account at 5:00 PM on Friday, May 30. How’s that for coming close to the deadline? But this is NOT the end of the story.

We are both very, very thankful for the land and to everyone that helped us obtain it. Now we don’t have to worry about someone else privatizing it and buying it out from under us. We praise God for His continual provision and abundant love. But I am most excited over a legacy of love for my mother.

Without delays, the funds would have been available the third week in May, on Thursday. The dollar hit its lowest point that day, 4.4 at our bank and 4.5 everywhere else. Our bank is always lower than other exchange places. I laughed as the realization hit me that either God was delaying the transaction so the rate would go back up or we were being taught a big lesson in trust if it continued its downward spiral. I felt impressed to make a pledge to God that if there was a higher rate when and if the transaction went through, that I would give the difference (between 4.5 and whatever it might be) to God for some special project for His choosing. If not, that was okay as well. After all, it is all His money and He can supply funds for any of His projects from His reserves.

Within a day, I knew God’s project was a playground for a special needs orphanage we had visited a couple weeks earlier. Eighty boys, ages 5-26 years, live there. They have only one teacher who does mostly paperwork. The director and staff are very good with the boys but the state has classified them as Imbeciles (I kid you not) and unable to learn. It was the most difficult place we have ever gone to. Mission to Ukraine staff are visiting once a week and teaching basic words and concepts and that God loves them. They desperately need a playground with special equipment to stretch unused muscles and to give them something to do.

The dollar rallied at the first of last week but started to fall again toward the end. When our banker called to say the transaction had been completed, we asked what rate our dollars had exchanged for. They had traded the highest in over a month at 4.8. The next day the rate was down again. The difference? $1966.25 I am ecstatic. My mother would be so very excited. Already the project is taking off. A friend has pledged more money. A lady at church has offered to help us find teams to help build the playground. She also has an occupational therapist coming in July to visit a baby orphanage in Zhitomer and we are setting up a meeting with MtU at the same time. The therapist may be able to help them design the playground. This all goes to reinforce my belief that God is in control of all details of life. If we allow Him to work, He will work everything out for our good. Even if the land sale had not gone through, I would still have believed. I probably would have questioned why, but in the long run, it’s better to trust and walk with Him than to try to do it my own way. I wasted too many years doing that. Praise His name!

Saying "Good-bye for Now"

2008-06-01T18:51:00.003+03:00

In April, my mother, Rosa Naomi Claridge, passed away. Mixed emotions fill my mind as I write this. Deep sadness and loss floods over me. Hearing her voice and giving her hugs, her encouragement and support, and her mischievousness are all things I will miss. Her gentle, kind, generous heart endeared her to not only me but many others. Yet I know she is at peace, with no more pain or loneliness. But best of all, I know I will see her again and together we can walk and talk and visit to our heart's content. I am also very grateful that our loving Father orchestrated events so that I was able to spend her last day at her side and that my sister and I were with her when she died. She was not able to acknowledge my presence but I know she knew I was there. But, again, I will miss her.

I am, also, very grateful to my sister, Karen, who spend the last few years ferrying mom to appointments, watching over her living situation and finances, and being on call for all kinds of requests. Without Karen, Mom's last few years would have been indeed difficult and Richard and I would not have been able to have followed God's call to our ministry. Thank you so much, Karen.

Mom will be missed by all of us but we were very blessed to have her in our lives all these years. And she lives on in our hearts and in her many journals, poems, and stories. Good-bye for now, my dear mommy.

Joy and Smiles

2008-04-10T14:19:00.005+03:00

It’s my youngest son’s 32nd birthday and I am on the opposite side of the world. The Internet makes it possible to send greetings. I can also purchase and send a present through this same technology. But there’s something personal missing. That’s the most difficult part of being a missionary, trying to follow God’s leading and living our lives within His will. I miss my family. I miss playing with the grandkids and having long talks with my mother. I miss going out to celebrate special events with our children and their spouses. And I miss playing water volleyball with my sister and her friends..

Last week I was the city hall in our village and one of the workers and I were trying to converse. My Russian language skills are limited at their best and my Ukrainian is non-existent. She asked me a question and then she mimicked crying. She was asking if it made me sad to be here. I had to tell her that sometimes, yes, it makes me sad.

But there are many things that give joy if I watch for them. I praise God for new friends and a place to live. I praise Him for his faithfulness and the words of encouragement He sends through friends, both old and new. I look out my window and see new buds on the trees. I hear the birds singing songs of joy. I know that someday, I will have lots of time to be with my family. I know I have eternity to spend with them but I have only a short time here to perhaps make a bit of difference in this distant land. So, in spite of these temporary lapses into self pity, I forge ahead and do what I can to make someone smile.

That's not too difficult because I think a lot of the people I meet tend to think of me as a crazy American woman. I don't mind. As long as I can get a smile from them. When we walk in the afternoon, we are now getting smiles and greetings from almost everyone we see. We are beginning to feel accepted in a way. If people think of me as the crazy American I can get by without putting the correct endings on words or following the strict codes--because most of the time I am not even aware that I am breaking the rules. And I can smile.

Then I look for things to make me smile--just smiling AT people helps me but there are little things I find to chuckle over. I love to see what the roadside vendors are displaying. Last spring, I saw a pig's head sitting on a bench in the warm spring sun. The next day it was still there but the next it was gone, probably a buyer had been found for it. It makes me laugh to see the unfamiliar. A visiting friend took the picture of the pig's head in one of the markets in Kyiv. I hope it gives you a chuckle. A couple weeks ago there were live chickens in cages with an egg displayed to show how well they produced. Another chuckle to add to my collection.

I may live on the other side of the world but the people are the same, they need a good chuckle or at the very least a smile. And in the end, the homesickness is replaced by a radiant joy and my lips turn up without even trying. I recommend it. Try it. It works.

Connections

2008-02-14T14:05:00.003+02:00

My morning routine involves turning on the internet when I get up. First, I like to check to see if America is still intact and secondly I check my email to see if my world of friends and family is also still intact. Living in a foreign country has its plus and minuses. Being able to speak and understand the Russian language would be a plus but since neither Richard nor I do this well it is a BIG minus. Communication, whether with loved ones via email or strangers face to face, breaks down when words are either absent or unrecognizable. Richard and I live constantly with communication breakdown. Some days we cope, other days we want to stomp our feet or turn tail and run.

It is the little things that wear away at a person’s sense of capability. This morning my communication with America was cut off. Although we paid our internet bill on Monday morning, CDMA turned off our access to it yet again. Cultural differences are once more evident. For years all I had to do was write a check, send it on time to whomever I owed money, and that was it. In recent years that same process could be achieved rapidly via online banking. In Ukraine, there are no checks. Even if it was available, online banking would be definitely hazardous (another subject). All bills have to be paid at a bank—the catch here is finding one that will allow you to pay your bill. Then there is the endless waiting in line to give the clerk your cash and have your bill stamped with an important looking seal. This should take care of the problem.

I have not figured out how the bank gets the payment information to the business (in this case just down the street) but in time it seems to happen. Computers do not seem to be used. Today I understand that it is a even slower process than I realized. Apparently three days is not sufficient time for this process to be completed.

Another frustration is that for a few months we were paying our internet/phone bill in advance to keep this from happening. While we were in the US, the bank would not let our friend who paid our bill for us do this and after our return our internet was disconnected as soon as our usage time had been used up. After paying the bank a couple of weeks ago, we went into the CDMA office with our stamped receipt to get it reconnected. The representative knew a tiny bit of English and we tried to explain that we wanted to pay in advance. She said our next bill would allow us to do that. When the bill came, we took it to the bank and tried to pay for this month and next. Impossible! Again a big language barrier! Now I sit unable to find out how my mother is doing, if a team is coming in March, and if the world is in one piece. Richard will have to drive 35 miles into town, burn expensive fuel, brave the traffic, and take the stamped piece of paper to the business to have things reconnected.. Go figure!

It will happen. I will be reconnected with my world. I can live with it. But it’s just another frustration in the life of one totally unprepared for living in a foreign country. It shows me again that it is only by God’s grace that we can live here. It’s the little things that chip away at a person’s sense of well being. It’s the small, daily frustrations that can turn our hearts away from the desire God has instilled there. Only with His help, a daily connection with Him, can I live this life away from all I have ever known. Without Him this would be impossible. I am so very thankful that even if I turn off the connection with my Heavenly Father, all I have to do is turn it on again. He will never sever the connection. He will never require an official stamp. He only requires my desire for the connection.

Richard's BIG Jubilee Celebration Ukrainian/American Style

2007-11-25T17:37:00.000+02:00

This was originally posted on http://www.smilealliance.blogspot.com/

on Monday, October 22, 2007 but I feel it is more appropriate here. I have added a short report of our trip at the end.

We are off this morning on an adventure. Richard turns 60 on Wednesday so we are taking a few days to visit friends in Rivne and go into Poland for the first time.

In Ukraine every five years of life is called a Jubilee and the birthday person is given a party. We had a party for Richard this weekend. American food was served--it was fun to let our Ukrainian guests sample American fare. I cooked for many, many hours since everything was made from scratch--except the lasagna noodles. The Menu: Three salads (including a green salad with ranch dressing), two lasagnas (red and white), Swedish meatballs, chips and salsa, vegies and dip, tea, coffee, juice, soda,cookies and two different carrot cakes. I thank the internet for the wonderful recipes I found there and our pastor's wife from many years ago for the carrot cake recipe she emailed me through Connie. (Praise God for the internet! Honestly, it is our connection to the world. I hope to get back to my blogs after this trip.)

28 of our favorite people were at the party including many Ukrainian friends--Sergiy and his sister Yelena, Mr. S and his whole family, and Yura and Tanya's family and Tanya and Sasha. Our American friends, Forrest and Darcy and family, Paul and Christine and kids, Jeff, Greg, and Ahn and Natasha made the day even more special. Please say a Birthday prayer for Richard on this special day and I know he would love to hear from you.Our sons and families sent his present back with me from the states--A Nintendo DS Lite. As you can see in the picture, he is as crazy and fun as ever. Being 60 doesn't mean we have to grow up. It will be fun to see if the old guy can figure out how to use it. I know he will enjoy it once he does so.

We did go west and spent two fun days with friends in Rivne. The 24th found us up early heading to the Polish border southwest of L'viv. Unfortunately we spent 8 hours in line and were unable to cross into Poland because of a strike by Polish government workers.

Finally at 9:30 that evening we found a new hotel and had a nice dinner to celebrate Richard's big day. The next two nights we spent in Ternopil and explored this area. The leaves were lovely and all in all we had a very good time. We are indeed learning to be flexible.

Reflections on Lost Lives

2007-11-18T17:47:00.000+02:00

The sun shines on drifted snow creating a serene winter wonderland outside my window. I thank God for the gift of life and eyesight so I can enjoy this picturesque sight. After reflecting all morning on life and grace and trust, I say another prayer for those who are sorrowing, sad and unfulfilled.

Even with the beauty before me, I feel sadness over the loss of life that occurred yesterday. The man who so carefully cared for our home this summer while we were on outreaches, Valeriy, was tragically killed in a car accident along with his wife, Svetlana, and twelve year old son, Bogdan. I feel a deep sorrow because of the short life that this young boy led. I remember how excited he was to spend time at our house with his dad and the constant smile on his father’s lips. But I am grateful for the chance to have known both of them. I wish I had been able to get to know the wife/mother. And I know there are many family members grieving for this family, especially a very dear sister, Luba. In times like these, we cannot help but as the question, “Why?” But I have come to the conclusion that I must trust the One who cares the most and leave that in His capable hands.

Ukraine is changing and emerging into a modern and capitalistic country. I am not sure that is especially a good thing. The number of cars on the road increase dramatically on a daily basis. And a “me first” attitude seems to rule all activities in many lives. This attitude along with poor driving ability often causes serious accidents. Alcoholism also figures into this equation. Unless some serious changes are made soon the numbers of accidents will continue to increase. More families will grieve. I pray that the authorities will intervene soon and drivers will obey safety and traffic laws. But I fear this will not happen any time soon.

Valeriy was a kind hearted, cheerful man. Ukraine was a better place because he lived here. And the world was a better place because he lived to serve others. He was an example to us of love in action and going beyond the norm to help others. I would have to say, he lived what he believed and he will be truly missed.

It’s only through grace that we live each day and I am more than ever determined to try to live each day that God gives me in a way that will glorify Him and help others. And I plan to enjoy those I know and love to the fullest. So to each of you, whether stranger, acquaintance, friend, or loved one, I want you to know that you are special and appreciated. May you be blessed and may you enjoy each day of your life.

I will go outside and breathe deeply of the cold winter air in remembrance of this family.

Viewing the Past

2007-06-30T21:29:00.000+03:00

Three days of vacation—what does one do? If you want to see the country, visit places of historical and general interest, you do what we did. We took our interesting and knowledgeable friend Yuliya with us. She was a wonderful tour guide and found some great, obscure places for us to explore. On a lovely Wednesday morning in June, we headed southwest from our home to Kamianets-Podilsky, close to 400 kilometers away. The trip ended up taking about 10 hours because of many interesting side trips.

For some reason my favorite place was the first one we visited. It was just ruins of a beautiful home, probably a palace of some sort. The place—Denyshi. I am including several pictures of it here.

Our next stop was at a Catholic Church in Lyubar—quite old but not really very interesting. Some of these places were very hard to find. But I did take a couple of pictures I really liked of a horse drawn cart loaded with cargo for a local Mom and Pop grocery store. A colt ran along the mother horse. It was so cute. The other is of a bicycle. We first saw a lady riding it but on our way out of town, I saw it leaning against a fence.

Lunch in Samchyky was on the grounds of some kind of agricultural foundation. The building was very old and beautiful. We lunched on cheese, bread, chicken and tomatoes—a real picnic. (Of course food is always fascinating for me.)

The last side trip on our way southwest was to Starokostyantyniv to an old fortress or castle with a church at one end. It was on the end of a causeway that we walked out to get to it. A thunder and lightning storm raced us back to the car. We won.

During this stop we found a tower--part of an old church--on the property of an Orthodox church. The young priest told us to look for icons that had mysteriously appeared on the wall. A boy working on the property showed them to us. Yes, we could see two faces but what they looked like to us were faces from a previous picture painted on the wall at some time in the past. You can decide that for yourselves.

We stayed in what we would call a B & B in America but without the Breakfast. It was very clean and we had two rooms on the upper level, the third room housed the owner's granddaughters. I believe we had their usual rooms. We had a nice bathroom with a shower on our floor. It was very clean and only cost us $12.00 each a night. Actually, it was much nicer than some of the hotels we have stayed at in this country.

Because I want to do a thorough job telling about the castles in Kamianets and Khotyn, I will continue this in a week after our return from Uhzgorod. So good-bye until then.

Bila Tserkva Park

2007-06-14T16:02:00.000+03:00

Recently some friends from YWAM invited us to accompany them on a trip to Bila Tserkva (Ukrainian)—Belaya Tserkov (Russian). This city is 80 plus kilometers south of Kyiv. By the way, were you aware that a few months ago the United States changed the official spelling to Kyiv (Ukrainian) from Kiev(Russian)? I guess the Ukrainian vs. Russian language issue here is a discussion for later blog. It was a trip that we are very glad we did not miss. There is an absolutely beautiful park on the outskirts of the town. The following information is from the Welcome to Ukraine website:

The park was laid out by Duchess Oleksandra in 1797 close to the river called Ros. The land for this landscape marvel was given to her as a gift by her husband, Count Ksaveriy Branytsky, a Polish aristocrat. Their estate was bringing in good profits. Besides, Oleksandra, a lady-in-waiting of Empress Catherine the Great, was the niece of Prince Gregory Potyomkin, the Empress’ favourite, and received generous gifts of money from the Imperial Family. In other words the Branytskys were wealthy enough to afford a park. In fact, they spent four million roubles in gold on turning a piece of land with meadows, a wood and a field into a masterpiece of landscape art. For that much money one could build in those times an immense palace worthy of an emperor.
http://www.wumag.kiev.ua/index2.php?param=pgs20064/68 This website tells a lot about the park.

Yura, Tanya and their sons spent Friday night with us and then we were treated to a ride in their “new” VW van. We are very happy for them—this is their first vehicle. They definitely deserve it after 14 years of marriage (27 or more moves), a lifetime of using public transportation or the organization’s vehicles, and 14 years dedicated to working for God with YWAM.

The weather was quite warm even with overcast skies and humid. But the park—Wow! It was so very green. There were many ancient trees—I believe at least one is 350 years old. A Ukrainian wedding tradition: Photographs at all the landmark monuments and parks near where the ceremony takes place. We saw over 20 brides and their friends and families in the park while there. But it is such a large area that it was not the least bit crowded.

Our picnic lunch by the Ros River was great fun. I enjoyed watching the many dragonflies playfully doing loops, dives, and flips in the reeds on the river’s bank. Frogs, many birds, ducks, geese, and other small creatures were active. A tree full of huge beetle type insects—some of them four inches long—caught our attention. I think one of the things that impressed me the most was the variety of trees in the park. Cedars, firs, pines, birches, spruce, larches, you name it—they were there. This diversity shows up in some of the pictures I am sharing here.

Ice cream, brides, dragonflies, good company, beautiful scenery, good friends—all in all, it was a very special Sabbath day and a little taste of the beauty heaven holds in store for us.

Speaking Russian and Gardening Don't Mix

2007-04-18T23:54:00.000+03:00

My Russian language skills are not progressing very well although I have been studying and studying. So this week I decided to take the bull by the horns and try to communicate with some of the people in our village. Everyone seems to be getting their gardens ready for planting. I have never had a garden so I decided that this is my big chance. There’s a tractor that is going around the village and plowing different plots. Before the tractor comes a load of manure is delivered either by a horse drawn cart or a dump truck.

Monday, I decided to take my inline skates and get some exercise. While I was doing that I noticed the blue tractor working in a large garden down the street. I returned home, showered, dressed and walked down to where the tractor was plowing. I said a quick prayer for some communication skills and about that time the tractor backed up right in front of me. A youngish woman and another lady about my age were standing there so I introduced myself. After we learned each others names the conversation stopped. I had written my address on a pad of paper so I turned to the young man who was driving the tractor and told him that I was the American from down the road. He nodded as if he already had that one figured out. Then I pointed to the tractor and my address on the pad. I thought he said he would come at three that afternoon. That was Monday. This is Wednesday night. Perhaps he told me three on some other afternoon or next year. Or perhaps he realized that I didn’t have any manure on the garden to work into the soil. Anyway he still has not come.

So today I looked out my window and saw the horse drawn wagon was delivering manure to my neighbor’s garden. I went outside and hailed one of the men who were shoveling it out of the cart. He came over to the fence and I told him I wanted to buy. . .I didn’t know the word so I pointed to the cart. He named a price—it was either 15 or 50 grivens (I get those two words mixed up). I didn’t know how much manure I would get for that amount but I said okay. Soon he and his helper left for more manure. When they came back the next time I was upstairs working and had my camera ready to take a picture of the cart. He motioned me to come down. I did. He kept patting his chest and hips as he talked loudly to me in Russian. His nose was dripping and it was rather comical. I just shrugged my shoulders, told him I didn’t understand but then I began to feel a bit uncomfortable as he went on and on and kept looking at my chest. So I went into the house. Once in the house I began to think about the whole thing and suddenly I got to thinking that perhaps he thought I had propositioned him rather than asked to buy manure. I stayed in the house when the cart returned later to my neighbor’s. No manure was delivered.

I called my husband at work and told him my story. He said I probably shouldn’t try my language skills out again for awhile, that perhaps I should do a little more studying first. Besides he thought I am worth more than even 50 grivens.

I have some seed packets. I have decided that the seeds will stay in the packages. I don’t want to have a garden this year. It’s too difficult and I just don’t know what I might ask for next. Besides by the time the tractor driver decides to come the growing season will probably be over. And from now on I will watch out for drivers of horse drawn carts. Go figure.

Cars and Furniture

2006-12-04T18:59:00.000+02:00

There are so many things that are difficult and challenging to do here. An example: Richard left early to take the van to Zhitomer-- 1 1/2 hours away--to have the belts, oil, etc. changed. He thought he could be back by mid-afternoon but he called and said the mechanic told him it would take all day. So he probably won't be back until 7 or so.

We are so happy to have the van. It is a panel van and came straight from Germany. It had about 100,000 Kilometers on it but it is diesal and I guess the engine goes a long time. (I'm not very mechanical.) Anyway, we have a temporary registration and must register it as a panel van. But this can only happen if we get registered in Ukraine. We went to the district office with a translator and they told us we didn't need to be registered. (You are supposed to unless you go out of the country every 4 months and come back in.) We told them we had to register because we had bought a house and a car. Finally a lady gave us some papers--this was an hour and half later--but said we needed another paper from the purchase of our house. We called the Realtor and they said that wouldn't come for three or four months. So, we heard of an attorney in Kyiv that could register us. It cost $390 and he got us registered in a week but with a Kyiv address. Now we find out that the papers on the truck were sent to our district and that is where the car must be registered. Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After registration, then we will take it to Zhitomer and they will put in windows and seats-in one day--costs about $1500. Then we re-register it as a passenger van. I guess this saves us a bundle of money but it is very frustrating. I wanted seat belts for the passenger seats (we have them in front) but they didn't know where to get them. So we have to try to go to the auto market (there are many, many small stalls that sell things) and look. But that is one and a half hours on away. And then we may not find them. People just don't use seat belts here. It is NOT easy to get anything done.

Yesterday, Sunday, some furniture we had ordered was to be delivered at 3 o'clock. It arrived at 6:30 and the delivery guys had to assemble it. They spoke no English but were nice. They left about 11:30. A piece from the desk is missing--a top piece--and a whole piece that contains drawers was also missing. The chest of drawers for the bedroom had clear tape holding it together and they tried to get it off but couldn't. So there is sticky stuff all over it. We will have to go to the "showroom" in the market place tomorrow and take it to the lady who sold it to us and see what she will do about it. Another piece was not the right size--we had ordered a wider than normal size. So I sent that back with them. There were also black felt tip pen marks on several pieces and pencil marks. They told me to remove them with Acetone--of course, I don't know where it is sold. I removed them with facial astringent--at least most of them came off. It gets really silly after a while. I think God is working on my Type A personality and trying to get me to learn patience. I actually did quite well yesterday with His help.

These kind of things are the reason that not much gets accomplished in a day. But it certainly keeps life interesting.

Scenes from Pylypovichy--Our Village

2006-11-11T21:17:00.000+02:00

This morning we went for a walk through the village and some people actually smiled at us. We said good morning to several people and got various responses. One lady found out we were the new Americans and acted very friendly then asked us for money. We stopped in one of the three tiny stores just to see what they had. The lady there was very, very nice and we had a good “conversation”. I am so proud of Richard. He does very well putting sentences together. I on the other hand. . . Let’s not discuss that one.

This afternoon we went for a ride on back roads. It is really beautiful even without leaves on the trees. I can imagine what spring will look like. It snowed the other morning and there were some snowflakes in the air today but not much stuck. Our village is Pylpovichy (that’s the name on the bus stop in the picture.) There are three small stores in the middle of the village and another one on each end. There are about 2000 people—we have heard that anyway—about the size of Cle Elum, Washington where we come from. The streets were paved this summer because a big factory is going in behind our house. It is a large area. We have heard that it is an automobile factory. May be very loud but we hope it will make house values go up. We hope to buy the land that the house sits on in the spring but it may cost too much by then. We own the house and the buildings and rent the land.

Garbage is dumped in holes along the railroad track. There are several garbage “dumps” around the town and actually everywhere you drive in the country. Many people in the villages still use horse and wagon transportation. It is very picturesque but I think it would be cold riding in the wagon. This last picture is the view from our kitchen window.

The Good and the UGLY

2006-11-09T17:18:00.000+02:00

Life in Ukraine lately has been a mixture of very good and very bad and today it was very UGLY.

The Good! We were able to purchase a used van from Germany. It is a 2002 panel van. We take it in next week to have windows and seats put in. I am having a difficult time finding seatbelts here to put in the back. I asked the people who do the refurbishing to put them in but they didn't have a source. Go figure! We actually have WORKING ones in the front. (If you try to put on a seat belt in a taxi or when riding with others it is an insult to the driver who feels that you don't trust his driving.) We are excited. The experiences with the Lada were enough to make us decide that we needed something safer. I told God how scared I was in the Lada and an hour later we got a call that they had finally located a van for us that we could afford. We will use it for the ministry as well although it is our own and not part of the Smile Alliance family. We are asking God to bless it and the people who travel in it. Now we are looking for insurance-liability. It is expensive here.

Our new home is mentioned in the Smile Alliance blog. We are very excited about it and moved in two weeks ago. We are having fun being creative, making shelves out of cardboard boxes, using the large kitchen cabinets for storage, etc.. It's almost like having our first home. The picture was taken on our first day in the house. I am too heavy for Richard to carry across thethresholdd but he bought me lots of flowers. Also today I received our new couch and chairs that we ordered from the factory last week. They said the order would take three weeks but it only took one. No THAT would not happen in the US. It is much faster here.

Richard was gone to Zhitomer for three days on a dental mission. Pictures and story are on the dental ministry blog. It was interesting being by myself here for two nights. It seemed like a lot longer. Monday, our electricity was out for 5 ½ hours and there was snow outside. It got kind of cold, not miserable though. The people who had purchased the former owner's couch and chairs, satellite dish, and other things (before we found the house) came and picked their things up so I had no place to sit and no TV to watch. BUT I had our smaller TV and my Gilmore GirDVD'sVDs so I watched them while sitting on cushions on the floor. It was really kind of fun, just me and the beasties, the mice, mosquitoes (I don't know where they are coming from this time of year), and the spiders.

I did go to Kyiv by myself on Tuesday. (Did you know that the US has officially changed the spelling of Kiev-which is Russian-to Kyiv?) What an experience! I will write about that later. Suffice it to say that I spent over four hours on a train, four buses, and in a taxi. I was proud of myself but not sure I want to repeat the experience again any time soon.

I mentioned the bad in my last blog and don't want to dwell on it. Then today things turned UGLY and brought an end to our hopes that our winter things were still at Mostysche. We noticed that things in our stored boxes had been rifledriffled through. We picked up a bunch of boxes with the moving van and went through them last weekend. I found one wool coat and my good boots, two sweaters, two tops and one pair of warm boots. There were three or four shirts of Richards and that was all. We went back today to get the rest of the boxes and even more things had been taken. NONE of our winter things are left except the things I just mentioned. We had purchased lined jeans, sweaters, coats, robes, etc. to get us through the next few years and we sent them over. Also, every dress, winter skirt, winter pair of pants, hats, wool dress jackets, party dresses etc. is gone. So far I have added up how much it would cost us to replace the things we can think of and it is several thousand dollars at original prices. (I bought most of things on sale and over the years but there was a lot there.) What makes me even sadder is that a lot of the shoes for the kids, beautiful winter coats, socks, and other things have been stolen. And we are just beginning to realize that many of the things for Smile House are also gone.

I don't understand how people can be so cruel and ugly. We feel like we have been kicked in the stomach. I have prayed and prayed that God will help me not to hold it against the orphanage since it is not the kids fault. But I look at the people there and wonder who has my robes, my coats, my other things. I brought extra to share but this is not how I planned to share things.

Yet the kids helped us take the boxes to the van. Some came up and hugged and hugged me. It is not their faults. They are the ones who are being used and abused by someone's greed. The director is on vacation but I am going to let her know about this. I know it will disturb her because she has a kind heart.

This country has many wonderful people in it but there are many, many who are selfish and just down right mean and dishonest. It goes to show that there is a great need for God's love and mercy. I am asking Him to help me show mercy. Please pray for these people and specifically for the ones who had stolen these things. Pray that God will be able to save them from themselves. And pray that forgiveness will fill our injured hearts.

S0. . . an added note. It's interesting how God puts people in our lives who can encourage just when we need it. Last night after writing this we went into Kyiv for a couples study group. It was the first time we went. After prayer, I shared with the ladies what had happened. One gal that I had just met shared a story from I think it was Albania. They were with YWAM several years ago and one morning people came in and destroyed the YWAM base and looted all their personal things while they were fleeing. Everything was taken-all their wedding presents and special things-everything except one suitcase of things they grabbed on their way out. She said that the night before it was as if God spoke to her and asked her if she had given everything to Him and she had replied "I am trying Lord. I really want to." Wow! That's really what I have been thinking about all this. Perhaps I was holding on to these things, trying to do it myself (again), and not letting Him be Lord of my life. When we moved here, we committed ourselves and everything to Him and this is all His STUFF. We will be fine without it. We will survive. And hopefully we will grow closer to Him in the process. We came here for the children-those who need love-those who are hurting and don't know anything better. We are still here for them.

Up Against Authority

2006-11-04T23:04:00.000+02:00

Three recent encounters with authorities have led us realize that our first six months in Ukraine were indeed blessed. I believe we were under a special blanket of protection while we became acclimated to our new way of life. Now, in a small way we are seeing how the people of this land have lived for centuries. Now we are beginning to understand their natural fear of those in authority and their reluctance to trust strangers.

One Thursday afternoon, we sat for grueling three and a half in the Russian Consulate in Kyiv. A week before we had taken our passports and visa applications in to get visas for this month’s Commission for Children at Risk conference in Vladimir, Russia. The lady we talked to had been very nice. We told her about our organization and she asked if our purpose for going to Russia was religious. We told her it was humanitarian. At that time, I felt I should say that although SAI Soniachnia Svitlo is humanitarian that we are Christians. I felt God wanted me to witness to her but I was afraid to do so. Now I realize that I was being called to witness and I really blew it. Since we needed our passports the next week in order to buy our house, she told us there was plenty of time and to just drop them off when we were ready.

That Thursday, Richard took our passports in while I attended a ladies study group. When he did so, she told him to bring me back that afternoon so she could ask us more questions about why we wanted the visa. She told us to come at 3:30. We were there on time but were told we had to wait until 4:00. I didn’t want to get in trouble with the woman, so I tried to tell them that she had told us to come at 3:30. I probably should have kept my mouth shut. Finally, they told us to come in and sit down. We waited and watched many others in line and after 45 minutes thought they had forgotten us. So I got into the end of the line. A bit later, a man came up to me and told me to go sit down again. Those of you who know me well, know it is very difficult for me sit still for a long time. She never did ask us any more questions. The man told us there were problems with our visas as well as with several other American visas. After 3 ½ hours they told the five remaining people in the large waiting area to come in—we were all Americans. One very nice young woman that we had been talking with had her application ready but they had only taken her passport and written invitation. When we entered the lady’s office, they asked her why she was going to Russia. She told them she was going to see Moscow and attend the conference. This was another mistake we had made—not mentioning the conference. They told her that her letter of invitation was good but the rest of ours were not. This was a lie but they used it as an excuse. One man assured them that he had nothing to do with the rest of us and was going to a different conference. Our letters of invitation all came from the same agency. They didn’t ask us anything else. Anyway, we were denied our visas and now a stamp in our passports basically showing that we are persons non-gratis. I was disappointed but also felt we had been trying to do this on our own and when we are called to take a risk and share our faith, we need to do so. Our visas could not have been denied any more than they were and we would have stood up for our faith. So we learned a valuable lesson. With all that has been going on, I am glad we aren’t going now. There’s just been so much to do and we are both tired and stressed.

The next Thursday, we moved to our new house. We hired a van and Mr. S sent a ProMed truck as well. We filled this truck and took the larger one (which was half full) out to the orphanage to pick up boxes that we had stored there. (We had discovered that our things had been rifled through and many of our winter coats and clothes were missing so we wanted to get them out of there.) The truck wasn’t big enough to get them all but we packed it full. We were driving our “new” twenty-three year old Lada—a Russian built car. It had come with the house and we had chuckled because Richard had often said he thought it would be fun to have an old Lada. It only took him a few days to realize that fun was not exactly the word to describe this vehicle. The top speed is around 50 mph, the clutch sticks, and it bucks and snorts down the road.

Anyway, driving ahead of the moving van, we saw two policemen waving different vehicles over. They ignored us but waved the moving truck over. (This is a common practice. For ten to twenty grivne, they will usually let a driver go. It’s a way to supplement their income—even though it is really illegal.) We stopped and waited for the truck but after a few minutes Richard and our friend Yuliya, a lawyer, who was with us, walked back to see what the hold up was. After another 10 or 15 minutes, Richard called me on the cell phone and said the police were threatening to confiscate all of our things. They said it was contraband and illegal. We have vowed not to pay bribes. This just enables these people. They were looking though boxes and found a box of crayons—these had come on our humanitarian shipment to be used in the dental clinic. We had written permission for all the things—it was in the ProMed truck which was waiting for us out at the house. Yuliya was telling them that what they were doing was illegal. A customs agent appeared—he had to have been waiting down the road to be called to put pressure on detainees. He had a smirk on this face and kept saying they were going to take everything to the station. Yuliya told him that was okay but that we would be documenting everything and we would see how legal this was.

Finally, Richard and I did what we should have from the start. We went apart, bowed our heads and prayed. A couple minutes later, I was talking to Galyna at Mr. S’s office and she asked if we had one of Valeriy’s business cards. Richard had his Rada card which shows that he is a consultant to parliament. It is very official looking. We informed them that he is the director of SAI Soniachnia Svitlo. Three minutes later we were on our way. We felt this idea was a direct answer to prayer. It had been a cold, frustrating hour. But it was even harder on Yuliya. She could not sleep that night thinking about the corruption in her country.

Five days later, we left the apartment for good. I had stayed until the last day so I would have high speed internet and our Vonage phone. We have a radio phone in our village house and we are thankful for internet even though it is slow. But my long phone calls with family and friends are now at an end. When I took my modem back to the VoliaCable, I waited in the usual long line. My turn finally arrived but I had to call Richard to bring my passport in. He had been staying with the car because it had all our computers and technical equipment in it. He brought in the passport and almost stayed with me but decided to go back to the car. He had only been gone about three minutes but as he looked toward the car, he saw a large truck by it. Men had put locks on the wheels and they were getting ready to put it on the truck. He ran to it and discovered that he was parked in a no parking zone. (In this town, we didn’t even know they had such things. People park everywhere and every which way.) They finally took pity on him although they were getting a kick out of telling him it would have cost him much money. They also said that he should have parked on the sidewalk—that was okay but parking on along that side of the street was not. Go figure. We are just thankful that Richard didn’t linger in the cable office. We would have just thought the car had been stolen. We would not have known where to look for it or what to do. So we are still being looked after by our guardian angels but we are also experiencing some intense opposition. Things often come in threes. We are glad to have the three times over with. Last Thursday afternoon went well and we are now happily settling into life in a village. I’ll let you know how that that goes.

Holidays and Parties

2006-10-07T16:16:00.000+03:00

The people of Ukraine love to take time off from work. There are many, many holidays, especially in the Spring and summer months. Parades and celebrations are not uncommon. During the month of May, we found there are two plus weeks when businesses close and people plant their gardens or just enjoy life.

Ukrainians also know how to party. Last Sunday, Richard, Patty, (visiting from the US), Natalia and I were invited to the 10th Anniversary Celebration for UniMed--a division of the ProMed group. Eugene S. is the head of this company. Over 100 guests were bussed to the Wild West "Resort"for an evening of entertainment, eating and celebration. We were graciously welcomed and meet a couple of lovely young ladies who enjoyed speaking English with us. They have become new friends and we met with them a couple of nights ago again. The company they work for also helps orphanages and they were interested in our ministry.

I still haven't figured out how to dress for these occasions. I dressed in denim thinking that it was after all a wild west adventure. Everyone else dressed in evening attire. Oh well! One of these days I may remember it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. A DJ entertained us and intoduced different people who toasted the company. Two different groups of perfomers entertained the group--one with a juggling act and another with soap bubbles. The picture shows Patty inside a large soap bubble. And there was an over abundance of food. Still suffering from jetlag and constant activity, we opted to leave with a driver before the bus took the rest back to the ProMed building.

Using an Umbrella in the Bathroom

2006-09-25T08:23:00.000+03:00

I wanted to share this story from our first weeks of living in Ukraine in April. Typically apartments here have two separate rooms for what Americans call the bathroom. The toilet is in one and the bathtub or shower and sink are in the next. I kind of like the arrangement.

A few days after moving to our apartment, we discovered water pouring out of the ceiling and straight into the toilet. The wallpaper on the ceiling was starting to hang down as well. For the next few days I carefully checked before using the facilities. Then one day, I was in a big hurry and sat down on very, very wet seat. Ugh! I didn't know where the water was coming from and it was quite unsettling. In fact, there was water everywhere. We had our friend Yura get in touch with the landlord but it took him a week or so to come. The flow of water got worse each time this happened which was about every four days. So I started to use an umbrella each time I had to be in there.

When the landlord finally came, he visited the upstairs neighbor who said there was no problem in his apartment. Later that day, the man came down and explained to us that it wasn't his problem. (This was all explained very loudly in Russian so I can't tell you for sure that is what he said but it sounded like it.) So the next time it happened, Richard and I went upstairs together and knocked on his door. He again told us it couldn't be his problem and threw open the door to his toilet room. We were greeted by about several inches of water on the floor. He was appeared to be very surprised.

Again we called the landlord and this time we went up and talked to our neighbor. He found out that this happened when the man took a shower. He had put in a new shower and hadn't sealed it so it was leaking. Fortunately he only showered every four days. (We try never to share an elevator with him.) He promised not to shower until it was fixed and eventually it was. We now have new ceiling tiles (instead fo the traditional wallpaper) and no more leaks.

My mom got a real kick out of the story (she wanted a picture of me using the umbrella but I declined) and I have giggled many times thinking back on our introduction to apartment living. It was definitely a unique way get acquainted with the neighbor.

Recycling Ukrainian Style

2006-08-26T22:55:00.000+03:00

We have some new friends, Forrest and Darcy, Nicolas and Natasha. They have only been in Ukraine a week but took the time to have us over for dinner the other night. Now that’s hospitality. They are dear people and will be taking the DTS (Discipleship Training School) at YWAM in September. They moved here early so the kids can get started in their new school. After selling everything in America, they moved here with a commitment of at least 10 years. Five years ago, the children were adopted from an orphanage in the Eastern part of Ukraine. God has been putting it on their hearts to come and serve ever since that time. Lovely family!

Anyway, Darcy mentioned that she is so used to recycling that it is hard for her not to do so. It looks like there is no such thing here. At least, it looks like that at first glance. I was able to share our recycling secret. Her name is Baba Halya. She’s maybe a little older than I am—but that’s hard to figure out. She works outside our building early in the morning and late in the evening. She cleans around the front stoop but her main function is to sort the garbage. She has quite a system. The cardboard boxes are neatly folded and bundled—I don’t know what happens to them after that. Glass bottles are put together. Used clothing and shoes are sorted and the good ones go into a little building. I think she may sell some things out of it—I saw a lady getting a purse there one day.

She also takes a little cart and picks up junk around the building. She is always cheerful and greets us. She tells me that I must learn Russian so we can talk. One day she had picked up a bottle of beer and was drinking the little bit that was left. We “chatted” as we walked together toward our entrance. She told me how much she loves Ukrainian beer. I am including a picture of her. She was thrilled to have me take it—I just wish she had still had her bottle of beer with her. She is a kick.

So that is my recycling secret. It just goes to show that things are not always as they first appear.

Shopping for Food can be an interesting experience

2006-08-22T23:09:00.000+03:00

Shopping for food in Ukraine can be a real experience. I talked to some new friends today who have been here less than a week. They were saying they’d like to tag along with us sometime so they can learn about some of the items that a person can find on the shelves. They had just found some wieners that their kids were ecstatic about—they said they tasted just like Oscar Meyer wieners. Makes a person want to break out in song.

A Ukrainian friend told me that when she was a little girl (she is in her mid-thirties), her mother would get her and her twin sister up at 5 AM so they could stand in lines to get things at the store. The more people in a group, including the kids, the more you could get. I can’t imagine what it was like. Sometimes they would stand all day and then the store would run out of whatever it was you were waiting for.

Today, there are things absent from the shelves—at least the things that I want to buy—like peanut butter. Very few people like it here. My problem is that I want things I am used to America. I am spoiled. Rang Hee from Counterpart International sent a jar of Jiffy to the Counterpart office in Kyiv for us. We got a call saying there was some kind of butter in a jar waiting for us. They were wondering if it would spoil if we didn’t get it immediately.

It took me a long time to find baking soda but I finally did so. Cornstarch seems to be non-existent. There is potato starch that we can thicken things with—it just makes really spongy lumps which are a little unappetizing. There are shelves full of mayonnaise and ketchup. It is difficult to find a plain one of these two items though. Meat flavored mayonnaise seems to be the favorite. There are also many other flavors, each with a unique taste. Same thing with the ketchup. Plain potato chips don’t seem to be available except for some boxed ones that are more like pressed strips. Chips come in ham, cheese, chicken, mushroom, shrimp, and several other flavors. We have found very small packages of corn chips at our closest grocery store but that is the only place we have found them. I can make “haystacks” and which I have always loved. Yeah!

The fresh produce in the spring and summer is fantastic. There are a lot of little open air markets as well as little ladies who sit along the street and sell produce. We have even found lettuce in a few places—it’s not very popular except for a garnish. Right now peaches and melons are abundant and cheap. A form of zucchini has been a staple in our diet for a few months. I really love the produce and it is inexpensive. I am sure that will be different during the winter months. I can’t bring myself to buy chicken or any kind of meat in the markets. You can see Richard in the picture and what looks like rubber chickens next to him. This was taken on a very hot day. And NO they are not rubber chickens.

Tomatoes and cucumbers have been beautiful and plentiful throughout the spring and summer. Cabbage and potatoes are also staples. And many different kinds of fruits are available if you are willing to pay the price. Ukrainian chocolate is great. We really like the 76% bars and some of the other dark, dark candy. Yet we have never found chocolate chips. Also, no liquid flavorings are available. You can buy powdered vanilla in very small packets but it is very bitter so if you don’t get it all mixed into a recipe it can ruin it.
I will write more about shopping at a later date. Just suffice it to say that it is interesting and can be a very daunting experience as well.

Looking for the Perfect Cup of Coffee

2006-08-11T08:00:00.000+03:00

So. . . here is the continuation of my sad saga of my quest for a good cup of coffee. Over the years we have purchased two different coffee makers to use with SAI teams. I brought a large amount of paper filters with me—thanks to Costco. I also brought my favorite blends of both Starbucks and Pioneer Coffee with me. Since the tap water is unsafe to drink, I am using the bottled water we buy in large bottles. I have actually tried several brands of water but alas even with all these options, I have not been able to brew a decent cup of coffee. I finally shelved the coffee maker.

The sale of instant coffee is big business here. Often when we go to orphanages, we are invited to have coffee or tea with the director. I quit asking for coffee after a few encounters with instant-Ukrainian style. This picture is of my friend Maria having a cup of coffee at Mostysche Orphange. In the next picture you see director Natasha and our other friends.

This is how they make it: Take about four large spoonfuls of instant. Place in a small cup. Add about 6 ounces of water. Stir and drink. With this recipe, I am able to stay up for a couple of days without even nodding off. So now I ask for TEA.

Don’t feel too bad for me though because I have discovered MacCoffee. I kid you not. It is wonderful. In fact, MacCoffee went over so well that many different companies now make their version of it. (See the picture.) Individual packets are available in a number of different flavors. The 3 in 1 blends include coffee, creamer and sugar. I drink one sugar free coffee and creamer packet plus one of the flavored ones like mocha, amaretto or hazelnut. Otherwise the mixture is too sweet. Just last week, I discovered a Russian brand (MacCoffee has English writing on it and the words “American Taste” on the front. Hmmm! Wonder where that comes from.) I have liked every flavor so far. And best of all, each packet costs between 10-12 cents. So my coffee maker will remain on the shelf and I will just keep drinking MacCoffee. If you come to visit me, I will share this experience with you.

A note on the coffee establishments that I mentioned in my last email. In December when Mike and I were waiting for the container, we were walking by the metro at the Golden Gates. We noticed that there were some boards being put together about 15 feet out onto the sidewalk. When we passed the spot the next time, walls had been framed up and heating ducts were being installed. By the time we left Ukraine three weeks later, we actually had a cup of coffee in a completely finished, new coffee house. We sat at modern tables set on ceramic tiled floors in the space that people had walked through for years after exiting the metro. We watched people walking by in the cold on the other side of the large plate glass windows. This building had literally grown there in a very short span of time.Sidewalks are being used for many things now. Small buildings appear very quickly and normal traffic routes have to be revised. Lately the biggest challenge is to not get run over by a car or bus while walking on the sidewalk. I will write more about that in a subsequent email. For now, enjoy your coffee and think of us.

Finding a Cup of Coffee in Ukraine

2006-08-11T07:50:00.000+03:00

I’m going to have fun with this blog. This is the place that I can share all the weird and wonderful things I have encountered in Ukraine—most recently during the last four months living here yet with the history of many visits over the past eight years as well. It is 3:00 on Sunday morning and I can’t sleep so I decided that this is the time to write about coffee in Ukraine. The reason I can’t sleep has to do with over consumption of the stuff—I think. On my first visit in 1998, I learned that getting a cup of Joe was very expensive and getting a second cup was virtually impossible. Our International Bible Society team stayed at a hotel in Kyiv before flying to Crimea. (The hotel, The Bratslava, is near where we now live. I also remember that we had no hot water on that visit.) Breakfast was included in the price of the hotel. Cindy Reynolds and I got up early—jetlag does that to a person—and tried to find a cup of my favorite beverage. (Remember, I am from the Pacific Northwest where coffee shops, houses, and kiosks abound.) We were the first ones in the dining room and breakfast was not ready. Looking back I see that I had no idea of proper protocol in this situation--first we were early and second I asked for a cup of coffee. I received a strange look. (I had been warned not to ask for a second cup at breakfast so I thought I could order one ahead of time.) The coffee eventually came and I tried to pay for it but they wouldn’t take my money. I tried to tell the waitress (since I didn’t speak the language this didn’t work very well) that I wanted to pay for the coffee and put money on the table. Then the others arrived for breakfast. When I asked for another cup it became immediately apparent that I could not do so. I learned that coffee was very difficult to obtain at that time and the fact that I had asked for more was very inappropriate. They would not or could not bring me another cup even if I wanted to pay for it. Now, eight years later, there are coffee houses practically on every block in the center of Kyiv. Starbucks has not found its way here yet—which I feel is a bit sad. Where are the paper cups with 16 and 20 ounce lattes? As I was writing this, I realized that our section of town doesn’t have a single coffee house. (I guess I should amend that statement because in the local grocery store there is a lady who has a small espresso machine and she will make you a shot of pure espresso. I have never seen a line there though.)I haven’t figured out what to order since each different chain or individual establishment has its own definition of a latte (most of them don’t even have lattes), cappuccino, and espresso. Cappuccinos are the closest thing I have found to an American latte. It does have steamed milk in it. All the drinks are small in size and cost around three to four dollars in the coffee houses. This is too expensive for our budget so it is only on a rare occasion that I indulge. There is a pizza place, Uno, by the Golden Gate where I can order a cappuccino for $1.40. Once in awhile, I will splurge after leaving Mr. S’s office.We also recently found a Frappe at one of the chains. It is blended but with a small amount of ice and has a lot of whipped cream in it. The barista also adds the sweetened condensed mile that is very popular here. On a hot day, it is better than nothing.It’s time for sleep—it will probably be short since the sun comes up in another 30 minutes. Next time I will write about my troubles brewing a good cup of coffee at home. I have found an alternate which I love—so until then. Sweet dreams!!!!!! If I can’t sleep, I’ll just go count cups of the elusive lattes.