CELEBRATING ADVENT: Jesus Christ

INCARNATION

In the beginning when the world began, God was there -

He is eternal and unchanging, as the Scriptures declare.

The God who created everything by His Word alone

Chose to come to us and make Himself known.

And all those who believe and place their trust in Him,

His Spirit indwells and transforms them from within.

~ Darlene Koop, Dec. 31-2012 ~

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14 ~

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ~ 1 John 4:9 ~

What a miracle, that the Son of God was supernaturally conceived and miraculously born of a virgin -- God come to earth in human flesh! For the One who spoke the whole world into existence, this was not impossible, and it was the way He chose to make Himself personally known to mankind.

Yet even more incredibly miraculous is the way that God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, can live inside us and change us from the inside out! This is why the incarnation is not confined merely to the celebration of Christmas -- because the greatest miracle was the redemption that Jesus Christ purchased for us when He died on the cross and rose from the dead.

And though Christ's incarnation is complete, we have not yet been fully glorified. This is why we eagerly await the second coming of our Lord -- when we will finally see Him in all of His glory and we will know Him and live with Him the way God intended it to be from the beginning.

Without Christmas, without the cross and the empty grave, this hope would not be possible. And so, although for many of us the celebrations are over for another year, I issue this challenge:

Let us celebrate the miracle, the incarnation of the One and Only King, Lord and Savior of the world, all year long, remembering that without Him we would be nothing. Let us eagerly await and pray for His return, always keeping it in view. And may we accept His work in our lives, allowing the Potter to mold us so that daily we become a little more like Him.

Father, please help us to keep this reminder in view and to live more like You each day. Thank You for the great and incomparable love that compelled You to send Your only Son to save us and bring us into fellowship with You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said..."Oh, righteous Father! The world has not known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." ~ John 17:1a, 25-26 ~

CELEBRATING ADVENT: Joy

REALIZATION

Was it in the moment when Mary first heard the news?

Or when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited King of the Jews?

Imagine their exceeding great joy when they saw at last

The fulfillment of prophecy from long ages past.

And our hearts can all be filled with joy, still today,

In realizing God's greatest gift of salvation and grace.

~ Darlene Koop, Dec. 31-2012 ~

...and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. ~ Matthew 2:9b-11a ~

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant...For He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation." ~ Luke 1:46-48a, 49-50 ~

I am happy and I have joy in my heart.
For some people, those two words -- happiness and joy -- are synonymous, but there is a difference between them. And many people say that they want to be happy, when the real and deepest desire of their hearts is to find a true joy that lasts.

Friends, the message of the Christmas season brings us that joy that our world is searching for -- but it is not always realized or recognized because of the way in which God revealed it.

People look for happiness and joy in things they can see and touch, but those things will always disappoint. Happiness can be found in circumstances, but is usually temporary -- joy comes from knowing a truth that will not change, no matter what happens in our lives or the world around us.

So what is the joy that we celebrate at Christmas? Certainly, the birth of Jesus Christ. But if we stop there, we miss what Christmas is really all about.

The miraculous thing about true joy is that it continually increases and satisfies our hearts in a way nothing else can. The exceeding great joy that the wise men felt as they saw and worshiped the King of Kings that first Christmas was because they realized WHO HE WAS and WHY HE HAD COME.

And we, too, can experience that joy in ever-increasing measure, because of what happened after that wonderful, holy night just over 2000 years ago. I don't know if the people who were living on the earth at that time fully comprehended the reason for Christ's birth...that may be what Jesus meant when He said to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

This world is not all there is -- and though this is where life begins, it does not end here. Jesus Christ is coming again, and for we who have believed although we have never seen Him, there are no words to describe the joy that we will know on that day.

The Savior of the world came - into the dark, smelly shadows of a stable on a night that was perhaps cold and dreary - and His first advent brought a joy and hope that people had never known. But the plan was not complete with His birth, or even His death and resurrection...for behold, He is coming again!! And His second advent will be even greater than the first -- for "every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

Then will we realize in fullness who He really is...and so until that day, let us continually find our joy in the only One who can satisfy our hearts -- Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord, and King!

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith...may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and glory, receiving the end of your faith  - the salvation of your souls. ~ 1 Peter 1:6-7a, 8-9 ~

CELEBRATING ADVENT: Peace

PROCLAMATION

Beginning in Genesis, and through to Revelation,

The Bible is one incredible proclamation.
Messengers don't need great power or even to be well-known; 
They simply have to share the truth they've been shown.
If we will proclaim God's true message of peace,
He will touch people's hearts and cause faith to increase.
 ~ Darlene Koop, Dec. 24-2012 ~

"Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, to Zion who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' " ~ Isaiah 52:6-7 ~

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord...that He may be glorified." ~ Isaiah 61:1-2a, 3b ~

There are all kinds of proclamations made in our world today, and especially during holidays like Christmas...but it may not necessarily be the truth that is proclaimed.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but in essence, we are celebrating more than just that one glorious event -- we are celebrating Him and the reason WHY He came to earth as a baby, as a human. Yet that truth is not universally proclaimed and it is often tagged on at the end of the rest of the activities that we seem to think are so important.

I am thankful for my family, for the abundant blessings God has given me, and for all the things that make Christmas such a special time -- beautiful songs that proclaim His truth, lights and beauty, events that bring friends and family together to make memories -- but I feel the most joy when I celebrate Jesus and all that He is and what He has done for us.

The peace He came to bring is more than just a feeling -- it is a radically different way to live, to think, to love. And it can only be realized in our hearts and lives when we allow Jesus Christ to be at the center, to lead us in His way and to learn His truth and share that with others around us.

So what are we are going to proclaim this Christmas? And let us not just proclaim the message of Jesus Christ because we should, but because of what it says in Isaiah 61:3 -- in order that God may be glorified. Because,  it doesn't stop at the end of December, when our celebrations are finished and we return to the regular routines of life.

Through Jesus Christ, God has brought peace and joy to us who believe -- but His plan is not yet complete. There is still sin, evil and pain in our broken world, and He longs to set everyone free, to bring hope, freedom, life and joy to every person. And one day, every single person in the world will know and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and in the new heaven and new earth there will be perfect peace and harmony like never before for all those who believe in Him.

But some may never know unless we speak the truth, unless we proclaim what God has made known to us and what we see when we recall how Christ was born and why He came...

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised... honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns...For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His truth."
~ Psalm 96:2-4a, 6a, 9-10a, 13 ~

CELEBRATING ADVENT: Faith

ANNUNCIATION

From ages past God has been heard

through messengers who spoke His Word;

Although His face they could not see, still His truth many would believe.

On the day Mary heard God's voice, in her heart she chose to rejoice -

The angel's news changed her life evermore

as she humbled herself before the Lord.

And still in our lives today, when God speaks we must obey:

Trusting when we can't understand - this faith is a blessing from His hand.

~ Darlene Koop, Dec. 7-2012 ~

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God"...Then Mary said, "Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. ~ Luke 1:35, 38 ~

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord"...Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ~ Luke 1:10-11, 17-18 ~

Many people do not believe that God still speaks today like He did in times past. Most of us probably have not seen an angel personally deliver a message to us from God, but He does still speak and the question for us today is...when we hear His voice and understand His message, how will we respond?

I listened to a powerful sermon the other day in which the pastor spoke about the difference in Mary's and Zechariah's responses to the angelic annunciations they received...Zechariah doubted and Mary believed.  But before we criticize Zechariah for his doubt, I think we need to search our own hearts and honestly acknowledge that there have been times when we have not believed the message God made known to us.

Why is this so important? Because, as it says in Hebrews 11:6 -- "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

God has declared in His Word that all those who believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, receive Him and are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). The real treasure of Christmas is the truth that Jesus Christ came to provide salvation, which comes through faith in Him (Romans 1:16-17).

So, amid the wonder and beauty all around us and in the joy of sharing the love and abundant gifts and blessings God has given us, let us also announce the truth of the gospel in the hope that someone may hear and believe.

"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began..." ~ Luke 1:68-70 ~

CELEBRATING ADVENT: Hope

EXPECTATION
From before time began God had a marvelous plan;

The Bible is the story of His revealed glory.

Long years of waiting, His people anticipating - 

The day that would come, bringing the birth of God's Son.
And we are waiting still, for God's plan to be fulfilled:
When we shall see our Saviour, Jesus Christ, in whom is our delight.
~ Darlene Koop, Dec. 3-2012 ~

The celebrations and preparations that surround us at this time every year often give me pause...even as much as I enjoy the lights and the decorations and just about everything else associated with this season, what we truly celebrate at Christmas has so much more significance!!

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." ~ Micah 5:2 ~

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." ~ Isaiah 7:14 ~

We live in the time after Christ's birth, so those prophecies have already been fulfilled, but there is still a sense of expectancy and hopeful waiting. Why? Because Jesus Christ is coming again!

The birth of Jesus Christ was the catalyst for the greatest miracle of all -- the miracle of bringing sinful broken people into reconciliation and relationship with their Creator God. But the story doesn't end there...God's plan is not yet complete.

Jesus Christ is coming again, and just like His birth, no one knows when it will be except God the Father. This second coming is the reason for our hope -- that one day we will see Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Let us not place our own expectations on when or how He will return, but simply wait and trust -- and let us give Him the honor and the worship He deserves. It is truly all about Him.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us..." ~ Titus 2:11-14 ~

A Special Trip

I took a little trip last week (since I had a couple days off from class for American Thanksgiving) and although I didn't take many pictures, I thought it would be a good opportunity for a blog post.

Waiting at the вокзал (train station) in Kiev for our train to arrive.

I went to the train station via маршрутка и метро (taxi-bus and subway) on my own - and I had no problems with boarding once the train arrived. I boarded around 9:10 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 20 and we pulled out around 9:25 pm. I was very hot on the train - Я была очень жарко на поезде - but otherwise it was fine. I even had a little bit of sleep. I interacted a little -- in my limited Russian -- with the ladies who shared the train berth with me.

Daryl Porter and our friend, Victor Dantsev, were both at the station to meet me when I arrived at 6 am the following morning.

We did some shopping after breakfast and I had a little nap in the afternoon before Curtis, Tanya and Vika arrived to take me to the orphanage with them. This was the first time I had been with the team during a regular visit to the orphanage. Some of the boys were familiar to me -- I had met them last June -- and so that was exciting!! I did not understand very much, but I was glad to be there.

Thursday was a nice relaxing day -- I did some studying and some reading and enjoyed visiting with Daryl and Molly Porter, who hosted me for the 3 days I was in Krivoy Rog.

Getting ready for a game of Dutch Blitz at the orphanage.

On Friday afternoon, the team picked me up again to go with them to the orphanage -- this is only one of the orphanages where they have opportunity to be involved. This time Janna and Roma joined us -- two of the young people who have been impacted by our team's ministry and want to be involved.

This time, I understood a little bit more, and we played a game of Dutch Blitz (which just happens to be one of my favourite games). I was also able to give a bag of knitted toques and mittens to the kids which had been sent to me just the previous week by a friend and supporter. It was fun to see their excitement!!

Going to the train station in Krivoy Rog for my return trip.

After supper, Daryl and Molly went with me to the train station for me to return to Kiev. It's dark so you can't see it too well, but the building is beautifully designed. It was very cold outside, so the temperature in the train was a little more bearable this time.

I slept a little better on the way back, but still not very soundly. But I was very glad for the time away and the opportunity to see my friends again. Am looking forward to going back during the Christmas break.

EXPECTATIONS, LETTING GO and TRUST

This blog post has been a draft for about a month now. I knew that I needed to write it, but I needed to experience a few more situations first...and now I'm ready. Sometimes putting my feelings and thoughts into words gives me courage for the challenges ahead, so here goes:

Living here in Ukraine and trying to adapt to the culture and the challenges of studying seems to bring out both the best and the worst in me, and that's a good thing, although it doesn't always feel like it. When God in His grace redeemed me and called me to Himself, He began a process called "sanctification." Sometimes I forget this, and then my Heavenly Father lovingly chastens me and reminds me that the goal is to change and transform me to be more like His Son, Jesus Christ. There are times along the way when I may receive unexpected encouragement or glimpses of the miraculous changes that He is bringing about, but it is important to remember - especially when it's hard - that He will complete the work He started in me because it is all about Him.

"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." (Philippians 1:6)

EXPECTATIONS -- sometimes we realize that we have them, and sometimes we don't. In both cases, there is often disappointment and hurt and a wide range of emotions. But there is also great opportunity for grace. I think probably one of the hardest aspects of understanding expectations is acknowledging that some of them are not important and truly desiring to change the way I respond to circumstances. I will never be free of expectations in this life, but I am so thankful that in His mercy God understands my weakness.

LETTING GO -- once I have honestly faced my expectations I must move to the next step - learning to release my grasp on them and the emotions attached to them. This is really a shift in perspective, because in order to let go I have to be willing to change. Too often I find myself thinking, "Why is this so hard? Why can't I just do it the way I want to or have done it for so long?" This is stinking pride -- the root of it is that I want to feel knowledgeable or important or that I have been able to achieve something, and so instead of being willing to learn from others and looking for the positives, I gripe and complain about how difficult it is to change.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” (Galatians 2:20-21)

Were it not for this truth, for the reality that Christ lives in me and is working in me, it would feel hopeless. But I can press on because I know that this is true.

TRUST -- it is a daily challenge to trust that God's plan truly is the best and to translate that into how I build relationships and respond to circumstances that come my way. I have to trust that there is a reason, even if I cannot see it now and I must trust that if my heart is truly willing, my Father will enable me to do what feels impossible to me at the moment.

These insights have come out of my experiences in learning to live in close quarters with people I don't know who think and act differently than I do, and in studying a language and culture that is in many ways foreign to me. I want to relate to the people in my life and to build relationships with them, and in order to do that I have to be willing to develop new ways of thinking and acting, but the old ways must go first.

I appreciate your prayers and encouragement on this journey -- God is at work and I want to joyfully accept what He brings into my life and allow Him to transform me into the person I need to be. I am in the service of the King and He must be Lord of all.

Today's CULINARY Delights

Сегодня Я пошла на рынок, и Я купила овощи и фрукти. Здесь это фотографии. Today I went to the market, and I bought vegetables and fruit. Here are the photos.

 cucumbers = огурцы

tomatoes = помидоры

peppers = перцем

onions = лук

apples = яблоки

bananas = бананы

mandarin oranges = мандаринов

This was my supper. Это была мой ужина.

I sauteed some diced onions in butter, chopped up some yellow pepper and sausage (колбаса), and made an egg-scramble seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and basil.

It was very tasty. Это была очень вкусня. 

I am very pleased with myself -- I purchased everything I wanted at the market, I had fun, AND I learned how to ask in Russian for only half a kilo = полкило.

I even got to taste a piece of the mandarin orange to make sure that I liked the produce before I bought it! I think that is pretty standard; the sellers in the market will let you taste most things before buying.

We Are One ... Through Christ

On Sunday morning at church, we celebrated Communion for the second time since I arrived here. But this time was very special for me because of how God touched my heart through it.

Communion has always been both a serious and a joyous time for me... It is a serious time, because we remember the reality of Christ's death on the cross and what He suffered:

...who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him... (Hebrews 5:7-9)

But it is also a joyous time, because we celebrate reconciliation and peace with God the Father as a result of Christ's sacrifice:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:1, 10-11)

And another joy to celebrate is the fellowship we have with others who also believe and have been reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation...And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone... (Ephesians 2:13-14, 17-20)

Although the Communion service is familiar to me, it was really special this Sunday.
I am in a country far away from my native land, and although in most respects I feel "at home" here, there are still times when I feel out of place. But on Sunday, hallelujah! It was the opposite. I had tears of joy in my eyes as I thanked the Lord for what He did on the cross, because that is the reason why I can gather with believers in Ukraine, to be warmly welcomed into their fellowship and to know that I belong, even when my understanding of language and culture is limited. We are family, joined by the blood of Christ, and that is one of the greatest blessings I think we can experience on this earth.

In his book In The Breaking Of The Bread, J. Lee Magness says this:

"Communion must take place in the community of believers...And community, Christian community, must always be centered on Communion. The fellowship of the saints would not even exist if God in Christ had not transformed us through the very event this meal commemorates...We fellowship not only with the Host, the Saviour, but also with the other guests, the saved. We celebrate the death of His body on the cross, and we celebrate the life of His body, the church."

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for making a plan to reconcile us to Yourself and for loving us so unendingly. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making the sacrifice to atone for our sins and to bring us into fellowship with You, with Your Father and with each other. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for always being with us, quickening our spirits, and binding us together in unity.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

This weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving.

It is not always celebrated at the same time or in the same way in Ukraine, but thanksgiving is not merely a holiday -- it is something that Christians are to display in our lives all the time! So I want to share a particular thought with you about having an "attitude of gratitude"...

Many of you probably know the song "Little By Little" - well, I thought of that as I was reflecting on the process of learning a new language...it truly IS 'little by little' and 'step by step'. Unfortunately, most days my tendency is to desire it to come 'by leaps and bounds!'

It is good to have goals, and my goal is to successfully complete this Russian language course by May 2013 (usually students would study 2 years to complete the course) so that I can transition into full-time ministry here in Ukraine.

The language is difficult, and with the time constraints and intensity of the instruction, it sometimes feels like I will never accomplish the goal! Some days are particularly hard, when I think I've made some progress and I'm beginning to understand the current concept, and then I realize that I've forgotten a few of the important points I learned at the beginning of the course. There is just SO MUCH to remember!!

My teacher continually reminds me that my frustration and challenges are normal and she is very encouraging. She has told me several times recently that I am doing very well, and I am grateful for that.

I am a high achiever, and I want to do well in everything I do, so I am usually really hard on myself when I make a mistake. This can be a good thing, but only in moderation. Well, this past week I realized that my attitude towards this language learning needed an adjustment.

I had been so focused on "the goal" that I had forgotten to enjoy the process and be thankful for the steps along the way. And this means being thankful for even the mistakes and the hard times when in my human weakness I feel inadequate.

Yes, I DO need to make realistic goals for myself and work hard to do well at this task which has been entrusted to me. Everything I do I must do in such a way to please my Lord and also to be able to do effectively what He has asked me to do. But I also need to trust that in His wisdom and grace He will keep me and will enable me to do what I am not able to on my own.

So I'm working on my attitude of gratitude...

...In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

THANKS-GIVING: A Feast of Blessings

The idea for the title came as I prepared a special meal on Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving...

Boiled potatoes and carrots seasoned with butter and Italian spice, home-made stuffing seasoned and fried in butter, pan-fried seasoned chicken drumsticks, and delicious apple-grape juice (the best I've ever tasted!)

I realized that besides the food - which actually DID seem like a feast to me - I also have a feast of blessings around me every day! I call it a "feast", because when I count my blessings and give praise to the Giver of these wonderful gifts, my soul is satisfied and contented in an even richer way than enjoying a table full of delicious food!!

BLESSINGS:
- Uninterrupted time spent in preparation
- Listening to Tanya singing praise songs to the Lord
- The appetizing aromas filling the kitchen
- The satisfaction of being able to sit down and enjoy a meal
- Leftovers to enjoy in the coming days
- The abundance of fresh vegetables and food available to me

I had also planned a special presentation for Monday at school ... I wanted to show my language teacher, Galina, how thankful I am for her kindness and understanding and the excellence of her teaching. Friday, Oct. 5 was Teacher Day here in Ukraine (День учителя), but I didn't know about it until I asked her why all the schoolchildren were carrying flowers that day.

When she asked me why I was giving her flowers, I told her that it was Thanksgiving Day (День благодарения) in Canada, and that I wanted to say "Thank You," which led into a discussion of why we celebrate Thanksgiving - a great way to begin my Russian lesson! I gave her a handmade card as well which I had written in Russian -- it may not have been fully correct, but I could tell that she appreciated it very much, and that was all the response I desired.

BLESSINGS:
- Sweet fragrance of flowers moistened by the rain
- The unexpectedness of a surprise
- Joy in giving a gift to someone else
- Opportunity to learn some new vocabulary and share reasons for being thankful
- The Lord's faithfulness and new mercies every day
- Bringing a smile to someone else's face

When I arrived home, I had a special gift of my own to open ... my prayer partner, Vicky, had sent along several envelopes for me to open on special days of the year, and today was the first one! It contained a letter of encouragement and a little sticky-note pad.

I was very excited -- the sweetness and personal touch was a wonderful reminder of how blessed I am to have the love of so many people in my life!

BLESSINGS:
- The suspense of expectation and the fun of opening a surprise gift
- Quiet time with the Lord, meditating on Him
- The contentment of feeling loved
- A personal letter from a special friend
- Happy tears

And then... to top it all off, I received a phone call from a missionary friend here in Kiev, inviting me to their home for a special meal so that I wouldn't have to be alone on Thanksgiving. She had also invited another missionary to join us for the meal.

PHOTO, L to R: Amy R, myself, Agarim, and Kellie Benge.

What a special time! The food was great -- and I was hungry, because we didn't eat until after 7 pm -- and the company was even better!! We enjoyed talking, laughing and just spending time together.

BLESSINGS:
- Eating with friends, and not having to prepare a meal
- Common faith and various ministry experiences
- An unexpected invitation
- Laughter and sharing with one another from our lives
- Delicious home-cooked food and rich dark chocolate for dessert

These are just a few of the many blessings... there is not enough space here to list them all! As it is expressed repeatedly and eloquently in the Psalms:

"O, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

GRACE ALONE

Yesterday morning I woke up with a song that was playing over and over in my mind... I can't count the number of times this happens for me or the ways that the music blesses and ministers to my soul! I know it is a gift from the Lord, because every time it happens, the message of the song is just what I need at that particular moment, and that is definitely a work of God!

The song I was singing all day yesterday and today as well was "Grace Alone," written by Scott Wesley Brown and Jeff Nelson. This one has always been special to me and it was just what I needed yesterday. So I decided that I wanted to translate this song into Russian... and since I don't know all the rules and words yet, I'm using Google Translate to help me out. :)

But before I share with you my translation of this song, I want to tell again just how real God's grace has been for me this week...

I was feeling just a little discouraged earlier on because I was struggling with understanding the formation of certain phrases and words and I wasn't sure if I could make the transition to thinking differently. I also had a couple of late nights and so I was tired yesterday morning when I went into class.

I ask the Lord each day to help me with the tasks ahead of me and I know that He will but sometimes I feel unworthy of that, which is exactly the definition of grace - receiving something we don't deserve. So His gift to me was that yesterday I was able to grasp the concept we had been studying earlier on in the week and I made some progress. Today, I was able to communicate not only with my language teacher, but also with my landlady IN RUSSIAN and this is amazing, considering I have only had 4 weeks of language classes!

I started by translating the words of the chorus and that's what I want to share with you today. The words are not always a direct translation, but as accurate as possible to what the English words mean:

Grace alone, which God supplies.

Только благодатью, что Бог снабжает.

Strength unknown, He will provide.

Великая сила, Бог обеспечит.

Christ in us, our Cornerstone -

Христос в нас, наш фундамент.

We will go forth in grace alone.

Мы будем идти вперед в благодати только.

So remember, whatever you are facing today, you can go forth in God's grace alone -- it is sufficient for our every need!!

MESSAGES FROM GOD

This is an exciting post to write!
     I'm not surprised, since I know that God does this, but when you experience Him speaking to you and the reality of the message applies directly to where you're at in that moment, then it's time to pause and give thanks to the One who knows us so well and knows just exactly what we need.

* Sunday morning was one of those times.
     I have been here in Kiev, Ukraine now for 4 weeks - THAT'S really hard to believe - and I'm just barely scratching the surface of understanding the language. So as I went to church, I hoped but did not expect to feel a part of the service, especially the sermon (проповедь).
     However, with my Russian-English parallel Bible I was able to follow along somewhat with the Scripture reading (I still make a few mistakes with some of the letters in the alphabet, and he was reading quickly), so I at least knew what he was speaking about. My vocabulary is growing slowly, but there were times when he slowed down or emphasized certain points, and I was ACTUALLY able to understand a few of the words and phrases!
     The Scripture passage was Daniel 1:1-20, and he read and spoke on it in sections. I don't know what the main points of his message were, but here's the really awesome thing: God spoke a message from that Scripture passage to my heart during the sermon and it was EXACTLY what I needed to hear!!

What was the message?
     Well, you know that Daniel 1:1-20 recounts the beginning of the time that Daniel and his comrades, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (otherwise known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) spent in Babylon as exiles. Under Daniel's leadership, they requested - and were granted - the privilege of abstaining from the king's chosen food and drink in order to stay true to the Lord God, and Daniel was confident that they would not be found wanting. After a 10-day trial, they were found to be better in appearance and health than the other young men and verse 17 also says that God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom.
     The message that God spoke to my heart was this: that putting Him and His desires for me in the place of primary importance is what will cause me to prosper. Now, I'm NOT saying that I am expecting God to instantly give me supernatural insight and skill with the language (even though that would be amazing), but I realized that if I want to have success in what I do and be pleasing to my Lord and King that I MUST make sure He has first place.

     I'm trying to get into a new routine here, and daily devotions have been a little irregular over the past couple of weeks, so I made a conscious choice that despite everything else, I would make sure that the first thing I do to prepare each morning is to take my quiet time with God. I pray and ask Him daily to help me with the language learning and whatever challenges will face me that day, but I also have a responsibility to walk in relationship with Him as He desires me to. And I know that when I put Him first, I will have the proper perspective and responses to the situations I face.

* The other message was one that I received today, so that is why I am writing it down now.
     I receive a daily email devotional from "Joni and Friends," the ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada, and it is always encouraging to my spirit. Today's message was exactly what I needed to hear and, God-incidentally, it was the first thing I saw when I opened up my email this afternoon.
     The title of it is called "Fruit Comes Through Struggle" and it talked about how a grapevine needs to struggle in order to produce excellent fruit, because if it has an easy time growing, all the nutrients will go into the leaves and it will only look good.

     The challenge, of course (kонечно), was to apply this to our lives: to see the struggles that we face as coming from the Lord's hand, and to realize that without them we will not produce the kind of spiritual fruit that He wants to see in our lives.
    Why was this particularly applicable today? Because I had a difficult language lesson today -- it felt like I was running into a roadblock to understanding the concepts I was being taught. I don't like to struggle - I want to feel competent, to see myself making progress and to understand. But as I read the devotional I realized that these language lessons are not merely for learning the language -- they are a potter's wheel for developing character and if I can learn to humble myself, accept my mistakes, be thankful for the teaching AND the struggles, and keep pressing on, then I will eventually produce fruit. I'm fairly certain that I won't be fluent, but God knows what I need in order to be involved in this ministry He has called me to and He is sovereign over ALL the circumstances of my life.

So bring on the challenges!
     With my Lord walking with me and my eyes on Him, I cannot fail and He will cause me to bring honour to His Name for the things being accomplished in and through my life!!

 

ALL FOR A PURPOSE

Romans 8:28 says this:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Once this truth is firmly fixed in our hearts and we trust God to guide us in His wisdom, we will begin to see how the details of our lives are fitting into a specific plan that only a sovereign God could have designed. Even though we may not yet understand exactly what that plan is.

Yet along the way some circumstances don't make sense and we wonder, "Just how exactly does this fit into the big picture?" We don't always have the privilege of discovering the purpose of these events and we simply have to walk by faith, knowing that God will use them in some way. But sometimes a long while afterwards we can look back and see in reflection at least part of the reason why certain things happened in our lives.

Today I had two of those moments. The first came when I was reading email responses to my latest ministry update, and a special friend wrote these words to me:

"Remember once when you and I were talking,

and you said that you wished you had met the right man so that you could be married and have children because you love children so much? God always has a better plan,

better because He finds a way for Himself to be glorified and as a result we receive blessings too. 

Now you will have MANY children to love and care for, not just the one or two

that you could have naturally."

I still pray and believe that God has someone special for me someday, but what my friend shared is true. Had I been involved in a relationship, or perhaps married with a family, I probably would not be where I am today, preparing for full-time ministry to needy children in a country halfway around the world from where I was born. God knew that and He lovingly and carefully kept me for a special purpose that I could never have dreamed of and that now fills me with an inexplicable joy and hope!

The other moment came as I was doing my supper dishes. I have discovered that in Ukraine, things are done a little differently than what I'm used to -- here we use a sponge with a little bit of dish soap and some running water to wash the dishes. We don't fill up a sink with water, and there's no second sink to rinse in. And I have to wash up the dishes after each meal, because of the size of the kitchen and the relatively few dishes we have. Once the dishes are washed, they are put away in the cupboard - still wet - and left to air-dry. (I dry them sometimes anyway, because I prefer to do that.) Well, it occurred to me that God had prepared me for even this interesting change...

Back in 2005 when I moved to Cambridge, Ontario, I shared a 3-bedroom apartment with 2 other young women. I'm once again sharing an apartment with 2 other women, but that's not where the comparison stops. In that apartment in Cambridge, I quickly found out that my room-mates expected me to wash up my dishes and put them away after each time I used them, rather than letting them pile up on the counter or in the sink. At first that was a bone of contention with me because I was used to doing dishes only once a day. But it was her home, and I realized that I needed to accommodate her wishes.

I did not carry on that tradition over the past 5 years, but learning to do dishes in this way again has been a relatively easy adjustment -- in part because I had already developed the skill years ago. I used to think that was just for that time, but I realized today that even that living experience was preparation for what I would need to do 7 years down the road in another country! (Interestingly, back in 2005 I lived with a young woman named Tanya, and again, one of my apartment-mates is named Tanya!)

Psalm 139:16 says this:

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

None of these circumstances are a surprise to God, and let me tell you...it is a pure delight to be able to look back and realize how God has lovingly and carefully arranged the details of my life that most of the time I would deem inconsequential. Not only is nothing hidden from His sight, but He has planned it all before I was even born -- now that's amazing!

I hope this encourages you today that ALL that happens in your life is FOR A PURPOSE. Embrace it with faith and hope, looking to the Lord God, and you will be able to rejoice and give thanks "in everything."

GLEANINGS

So...I've been reading in Proverbs lately for my devotions and in case you haven't read them recently, just one chapter gives a person enough to chew on for a while.

I've been reading only a chapter at a time and meditating on it, asking God to speak to my heart through His Word...and He has!! (Really, I shouldn't be surprised, because He said that He would.) There are so many wonderful nuggets of truth in the Proverbs - I think sometimes we read too quickly and miss taking these precepts to heart.

So here's a few of my reflections from Proverbs 19 and 20...

Proverbs 19:3 says that the foolishness of man causes his heart to fret against the Lord. I believe God is saying through this verse that when we worry, we're not fretting over circumstances, but rather against Him, who is sovereign over every aspect of our lives. Puts a different spin on worry and reminds me of the other Biblical commandments regarding anxiety...

Proverbs 19:8 is a profound verse...stating that the pursuit of wisdom is not merely an intellectual act, but a spiritual one also. And also that keeping understanding - especially the understanding and insight that God gives us by His Word and His Holy Spirit - will help us find good.

Proverbs 19:11 cut me to the quick because this is so opposite to our natural human inclination. We would rather judge a transgression than "pass over it," but to practice this is to reflect a little of what God is like -- because He is patient with us, deferring His anger, and passes over our transgressions with His divine grace.

Proverbs 19:17 - it truly is important to God how we treat the poor...Jesus declared in Matthew 25 that whatever we do to those who are considered "the least" we are doing unto Him. I think this applies to everyone -- if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus and we follow Him, then whatever we do for anyone, ultimately we are doing for Him. And God is the One who will repay us out of His bountiful grace if we do good to others for His sake.

Proverbs 19:21 struck me...it doesn't matter what we plan for in our hearts, God's purposes will stand. So because of this - if we choose to surrender our plans to His purposes, ultimately we will find great joy and fulfilment.

Proverbs 20:3 -- it's true that it pleases God when we choose not to fight or argue or cause strife, but if I truly believed it to be an "honour" to cease from strife, it would change my attitude greatly, because I want to live an honourable life.

Proverbs 20:6 is a simple but challenging admonition - rather than talking to everyone about ourselves (our good deeds, character, etc), we need to just be faithful with what God gives us to do.

Proverbs 20:12 - at first glance, this verse seems to be a reminder to give thanks to God for our hearing and sight, but I believe it goes deeper than that. Since the Lord has made both our ears with hearing and our eyes with sight, we should seek to only listen to and look at the things that please Him...as that would bring Him honour for the great gift that He gave us.

Proverbs 20:22 - it is not for us to get revenge and ensure that judgment is meted out for evil...we are to wait on the Lord and He will save us. This is hard to do when we see so much injustice and wrong around us, but if we truly know in our hearts that our God "is mighty to save," then we can wait on and trust in Him.

Proverbs 20:24 is very profound - basically, God has laid out our days and our steps for us, so we should never think that we are in control of our lives, but daily ask God to show us His way and what His will is for our lives.

And finally, verse 29 -- Scripture makes it very clear that gray hair is beautiful. Why then do we fight so against it? If a gray head is beautiful on an older man, wouldn't it be the same for a woman also? Can we not believe God's Word and thank Him for the beauty of growing older? We can choose to be frustrated by the aging process and what we no longer have, or we can be thankful for the days that God has given us. 

Lord, please remind me to always walk in integrity, no matter what I do.

Help me to seek wisdom and keep the understanding You have given me, to use discretion both in words and actions and to forgive transgressions.

May I not become lazy or complacent - as this does not reflect well on a servant of the Lord - but to do everything as unto You. Help me to have pity and compassion on the poor, to accept counsel and instruction and to discard advice that does not match Your truth.

I want to trust You, to wait for Your salvation and to seek You in everything I do.

May I always be thankful for the days You have given me, rather than wishing for something else. And most of all Lord, help me to continually surrender the plans in my own heart to You so that You can truly lead me in the way you would have me go. In Jesus' name, amen.

WITH EVERYTHING...

With every day I see... new aspects of life here and new things to enjoy -- like beautiful purple morning-glory flowers on the way to language school, and places to try exciting new foods!

With every class I realize...how little I know and how to gracefully accept my mistakes -- and I trust that I will remember what I am taught.

With every word I learn...how to communicate what I need for living here -- and yet it is just a drop in the bucket, since there is so much more I want to know!

With every step I feel...a little more adjusted to the way of life here -- and I don't even mind the calluses on my feet so much. I'm getting a lot of exercise and it feels good!

With every hour I find...that time works differently here and I need to adjust my expectations -- the things I need to do will get done, just maybe in different timing that I wanted, and that's okay.

With every prayer I praise... God for His blessings and for the endurance, patience and grace He provides -- He truly is my sufficiency!

~ In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~

Shopping and Other Things...

Покупки в Украине
Shopping in Ukraine is a very interesting experience. There are little street-side markets (like a mini farmer's market) on many of the streets, where you can buy anything from shoes to fresh fruit to flowers, and often a little cheaper than you can get at the bigger stores. These street markets often don't close until late either, so it's quite handy -- but only if you know enough of the language. I bought a pair of sandals the other day and I didn't understand the lady, so I gave her a larger bill and she was frustrated with having to give me so much change, but...oh well.

I needed a good purse/bag -- most of the ladies here carry very large purses, so I don't feel out of place at all carrying my newest purchase... (see picture below)

I love the colour, the size, the fact that it zips closed, it fits perfectly over my shoulder, AND I can carry all of my school supplies in it as well, so I only have to carry one bag most days!! It's also big enough that if I go shopping for a few small things, that I can just fit them in my purse instead of having to carry another bag.

But speaking of bags, it is extremely helpful to have a bag along in your purse that you can put your purchases in, so when I found this little treasure the other day, I just HAD to buy it!!! (See below)

This is when it is opened up -- it's a medium-sized canvas bag.

And this is when it is closed back up! (It looks just like a little wallet and fits perfectly in my purse without taking up too much space!!)

I also bought a light jacket with lots of pockets, which zips up the side (I haven't taken a picture of that yet), and I like it a lot. Plus, it was a good price. AND...I bought it at the second-hand store here, kind of like Value Village or Salvation Army.

Good footwear is a MUST here, since we do a LOT of walking!! I got a little sore on the back of my foot the other day from my shoes...I must not have worn them that much back in Canada. So then I had to figure out how to keep walking without scratching the skin completely off. A wet wipe folded and wrapped around the back of my foot just inside the back edge of the shoe helped for a bit. I asked a friend if there were bandaids here, since I knew that would help, and she said that we probably wouldn't be able to find them. Well, we did!!

But I am having fun figuring all this out and discovering how well I can adapt to a situation that I've not usually experienced before -- God's grace IS sufficient and He DOES care about the little things that concern us!!

First Week in UKRAINE

Where do I begin? I AM here in Kiev and settling in pretty well, but it still feels kind of surreal. It's been a whirlwind of activity for the past 5 days and I am having a WONDERFUL time! Let me share a few of these exciting adventures with you...

I forgot to bring my camera cable, so you'll have to wait a little for pictures...

     On Wednesday, a new friend took me around Kiev to get acquainted with the bus (marshrutka) and Metro systems, to do some shopping and to get familiar with how things are done here. I love walking, but it was so much more than I've been used to lately, and EVERYTHING is concrete or stone, so I had a case of shin splints as a result. Ouch! A couple doses of Acetaminophen, some Deep Cold muscle treatment and almost a full day's rest...and I'm good as new.

     There are large supermarkets here just like in N. America, and similar types of items, but sometimes less selection than I'm used to. But in the first few days of being here, it is information overload, BIG-TIME! Some of the labels make sense when I read them in Russian/Ukrainian, but others I don't know because my vocabulary is still really small. Then there's the currency exchange -- I want to try to figure out if it is a reasonable price or not, but everything here has to be divided by 8 (that's the exchange rate of a Canadian dollar to a Ukrainian grivna), so that takes some time. And then, of course, things aren't always where I think they should be, so I wandered around looking for things -- which, on the positive side, is a good way to acquaint myself with the store.

     So, within my first day here, I had bought myself a few grocery items - bananas, milk, butter, bread, cheese, yogurt, water - as well as several miscellaneous items - towels, basket, garbage can, hangers, butter knives, mug, kleenex, a map of Kiev, notebooks, and a wallet. I also was treated to lunch at a Ukrainian buffet and I enjoyed a bowl of salad, meat-filled pancakes called "bleeniy" and cherry-filled pastry called "verenekiy." I also learned how to purchase tokens for the metro and pay for riding the bus.

     On Thursday, some more new friends took me downtown and we did a little shopping at the sidewalk vendor stalls -- I bought a few mementos and trinkets and a purse. Today (Friday), I experienced the largest open-air market I have ever seen!! It's like 200x bigger than the Thunder Bay Farmer's Market -- a whole city street is blocked off for the day and it's just a mass of people buying and selling everything from garden produce to fresh fish to clothing!
     Just about everything is less expensive than at the stores, and you can walk from one stall to another until you see what you like -- I bought 1 kg of potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, plums, apples, a container of raspberries, some oranges, and a couple of peppers all for less than 100 grieven, which is like $12.50 CDN. Then we ate "soshli," which is meat and potatoes barbecued Ukrainian-style, and BOY, did that taste yummy!!

     I have had some contact and communication with the other tenant in my apartment -- my landlady gets home this coming Thursday -- and she's really nice. I think we're going to get along just fine, especially when I can communicate more in Russian!! I am figuring out the trick with the toilet and bathroom doors (yes, the bathtub and sink are in a separate room from the toilet) and am working on arranging my food items in the kitchen. I enjoy sleeping on the sofa, my room is pretty well organized now -- YAY -- and the only drawback is that I have to go to a friend's place or take my laptop to the language school to use Internet. Hopefully it's just for a time...

     I also saw some tourist-y sites yesterday...including a walk all the way up to the top of the bell tower at St. Sophia's Cathedral - WOW! I got some awesome shots of the huge city of Kiev, Ukraine! We ate lunch at Celentano's Pizza (you pronounce it "Chelentano"), and enjoyed a few treats from "Lviv Handmade Chocolate" -- delicious!!

     Well, that's about all I can put into words at this point -- I have really been welcomed by the family of the SEND missionaries here in Kiev, which is awesome! I am SUPER excited about attending church here tomorrow and about starting language school on Monday!! Jet lag is not a problem, and I am feeling quite settled, which is a miracle and something for which I'm really thankful for!!

God is SO good ~ ALL the time!!

Miraculous, Mysterious, Wonderful Ways

"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;

He does great things beyond our understanding." ~ Job 37:5 ~

          The other night, a couple of weeks ago, I was having trouble getting to sleep. My mind would not be stilled, and so I got up and began writing down my thoughts. This has been happening quite a bit lately, and I was beginning to wish that I could just go to bed and sleep like I used to.

          I started praying too, because I needed to finish preparations for speaking at soccer camp on Aug 20 - 24, and I was struggling to put together one of the lessons I would be sharing. Well, that night I was able to complete the lesson - even though I didn't get to sleep until after 1 am - and I realized the following day that God had kept me awake so that in the quietness of the night, with no distractions, that I would be able to hear His voice and accomplish the work He wanted me to do. Now I could give Him thanks for the sleeplessness!!

"I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds.

Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples." ~ Psalm 77:12-14 ~

          My visa application was sent to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto on July 23 and they received it 2 days later -- along with my passport -- and I made all the appropriate preparations, hoping that the visa and my passport would be returned to me in time for my travel at the end of August. I knew that it would take some time, so I was waiting and trusting, believing that if it was the right timing that God would make it possible.

          Last week, only about 9 days from the time I was supposed to fly out of Canada, I still had not received the paperwork and the tracking number for the package was not yet registered in the postal system. Every time I was tempted to worry, I prayed and surrendered my concern to the Lord, affirming again that I knew I could trust Him to work it out for my good and His purposes. I sent out an email to all my contacts, requesting them to pray for the situation, knowing that I needed to have the passport in my hands by Friday, August 24th.

          Well, on Monday after soccer camp, I checked online with the tracking number, and the package had been DELIVERED to Ashcroft, affirming that God was opening the way for me to go! It was a miracle -- because usually it takes a long time for visas to be approved -- and we all rejoiced because we had been trusting God and He proved His faithfulness once again!!

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." ~ Isaiah 55:8-9 ~

These are just a couple of current experiences in which my faith has been tested, and it is a privilege to know that not only has my faith and relationship with the Lord been strengthened, but others have been encouraged through this as well! Indeed, our God is a mighty and awesome God!!

PACKING & PREPARATIONS

Well, almost a month since my last post -- I intend to make my postings more frequent once I am in Ukraine and having lots of new experiences!

What a journey I have been on these past few months, preparing to leave for my first 2-year-term overseas! I'm thankful for the experiences I had in travelling to Lithuania in 2008, and then to Ukraine last June, because they have prepared me somewhat for the process of packing...but it's still challenging!

I'm taking mostly just the basics as far as clothing, a few books, my laptop (of course!) and a few personal items. One suitcase is fully packed (after 4 times of unpacking and re-packing), and the second one is almost finished -- I'm finally starting to feel the excitement and the reality of my impending journey!!

I am so thankful for Esther Lang, a special friend in my church here in Ashcroft, BC -- she has made several trips to Ukraine, and her experiences and knowledge are a huge blessing to me! God knows exactly what we need and He is so good to put people into our lives who can help us along.

Emotionally and mentally, I think I'm as prepared as I can be at this time...there's so much that I just don't know -- and won't know until I get there -- and I realize I just have to keep taking my concerns and fears and thoughts to the Lord in prayer and leave them in His hands. I'm also very thankful for my good physical health and strength.

Financially, I have almost 100% of my support -- praise the Lord, my Jehovah Jireh, for His marvelous provision -- and I have a huge prayer support base, which I am so very thankful for!!

Spiritually, my times of reading/studying God's Word and prayer have become so meaningful as God meets me and reveals Himself to me, and I hope that I never lose sight of that.

Isaiah 48:17

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

STEP BY STEP

Wow, God has brought circumstances together so quickly in the past few months! It hardly feels possible but, Lord willing, I will be leaving for Ukraine on August 27th!!

God has already laid out the path, and step by step He is revealing that to me. I continue to be amazed at how He is at work in my life, and I hope that never changes, because He is an awesome God!!

My visa application is filled out and pretty much ready to go; I'm just waiting to receive the LOI (Letter Of Invitation) that is on its way to me, and then I can send it off to be processed. The plane tickets have been purchased and paid for - hooray!! And I am slowly but surely making progress with the packing.

My financial support is still lacking a little bit -- I continue to pray daily that God will raise up the people He wants to partner with me in this ministry so that my support will be at 100% by the time I leave.

I have a wonderful team of prayer supporters all across Canada -- and words are inadequate to express just how thankful I am!!

This past week I just finished my Pre-Field Orientation at EFCCM Home Office - it was very challenging, but also very encouraging as we shared our journeys and learned and gained insights from a couple who have been missionaries for many years. I am looking forward to the next steps of the journey!!

"Oh God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You! Oh God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You! I will seek You in the morning, and I will learn to walk in Your ways, and step by step You'll lead me and I will follow You all of my days."

More Than I Can See

How often we think that "I know what I'm supposed to do and why I'm supposed to be here" and then God bursts our bubble in a gentle way and reminds us that He has a plan so much greater than we can see.

This is what happened for me the week of June 24-30 at Lake Of The Trees Bible Camp -- I went to help out for a week, to assist with admin duties and whatever needed to be done, and thought that would be my main job. And in a sense it was, but God was doing such a work of healing and revival in the hearts and lives of the staff that were there for staff training that some of those more routine things took a back seat.

About mid-week, God lovingly showed me that even though I was there to help with practical tasks (which I did), that He had also placed me there so that I could be an encouragement to the young people who were struggling with letting go of the pain in their past and learning how to trust God and walk in obedience with Him...

There was more going on than I was able to see at the time, and at the end of the week I was so overwhelmed with joy and peace that He had chosen to use me in that way -- far beyond what I had expected to take place!

I praise God for the moments that He opens my eyes to what He is doing, which is often more than I can see in the midst of everyday life.

I need to remember this -- as we all do -- because it's so easy to focus on what we can see, and we may miss some blessings and the little glimpses God gives us of His plan, which is so far beyond our vision and comprehension.

As I prepare to go to Ukraine, I know that there is more than I can see happening in the lives of the people here in Canada who are part of this ministry, as well as the people whose lives I will be part of in Ukraine...and I am excited about that, even if I never get the full picture!