Posts Tagged ‘Odessa’

Encouraging Words

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Proverbs 17:25 says, “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.” I can attest to that!

When preparations for upcoming speaking engagements, writing deadlines or missions trips overwhelm me, I find huge encouragement if someone says to me, “I’m praying for you.” Those words bring added encouragement if that individual actually prays for/with me via phone, email or in person. The reassurance that someone cares about me lightens my worry-load.

I remember one instance in particular. Last July, I was one hour from leaving for the Vancouver airport enroute to Romania. My husband and I were leading our first volunteer team to a camp for young adults living with HIV/AIDS. The prospect excited me, but I felt a little anxious about details such as how the team would mesh, how travel details would work out once we landed in Budapest, how effective we’d be, etc. Then the phone rang.

The caller was a local pastor – a man with whom I’d attended Bible college in the late 70s. I’d had no contact with him since because our lives had taken different directions. He was calling in response to a magazine article I’d written about dealing with the fear of financial insecurity. “Thank you for addressing this topic,” he said. “Where did you gain your insights?”

“From life experience,” I said. “My husband and I are missionaries, and we deal with it all the time.”

“Really? Tell me about your ministry,” he said. And so I did. I started by telling him that we were headed for Romania later that day. Guess what he said? “Let me pray for you right now.” Those words, spoken at that moment, stripped my worry away. They were like a hug from heaven, a divine reminder of God’s presence and blessing on us.  

Perhaps you can relate. If you’ve experienced an encouraging word, please tell us about it. I guarantee – your words will be an encouragement to those who read them.

In the meantime, here’s a word for you today: “There is no one like the God of Israel, He rides across the heaves to help you. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you” (Deuteronomy 33:26,27).

Have a great weekend!

It seems like forever, not a mere 12 days, since we visited the "Mother-in-Law" bridge in Odessa. These padlocks are posted by young couples to signify enduring love.

"Mother-in-Law Bridge" in Odessa, Ukraine

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Devotionals | 1 Comment »

Photos from Poland and Ukraine

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Good morning! I’m trying to post a few photos but something’s seriously wrong with the process — only one photo shows up, and all the captions from the other pictures are written beneath it. So, I’ll post one picture/day for a couple of weeks unless I figure out the problem first. I’ll start writing devotionals again on Wednesday. Enjoy!

Open meat market in Odessa. Note the fuzzy bunny feet -- they help to identify the product!

Tags: ,
Posted in Devotionals, Travels | No Comments »

More Ukraine Musings

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

It’s Good Friday and I’m looking forward to attending a service to commemorate Christ’s death. I grew up in an evangelical church and in all honesty, took the salvation story for granted most of my life. Jesus died on the cross and rose again three days later – big deal. I memorized John 3:16 and then stashed its truth into the same mental box as the Garden of Eden and Noah’s ark. Only recently have I begun to fully comprehend how big a deal Jesus’ death really is.

Having opportunity to see the difference between religious rote and a relationship with the living Christ has made the difference for me. While in Odessa, for instance, I visited one of Europe’s largest Orthodox monasteries, located minutes from the Black Sea. 

one of Europe's largest Orthodox monasteries

 In order to enter the buildings, my girlfriends and I had to cover our legs and heads with scarves.  Once inside, we could not whisper a word. A half dozen worshipers sat in chairs lined in a row against the right wall. Three or four sat on a bench along the back.

dressed up for church

 

Paintings of various saints adorned the front of the sanctuary. Candles burned before them. Beneath them sat several wicker baskets containing food and a bottle of Coke – offerings waiting for a priest’s blessing.  

a typical display in a sanctuary

The room was silent except for the sound of one man’s snoring. His filthy clothes, unkempt hair and beard, and the stench of urine made me wonder if he was a homeless man seeking refuge from the rain and wind. He jerked his head and opened his alcohol-glazed eyes momentarily when a worshiper turned to him and growled something in Russian.

We wandered around the grounds and poked our heads into a second unlocked building. Several women were on their knees, scraping hardened wax drippings off the ornate floor in the gold-bedazzled sanctuary. A small cemetery outside held the graves of a select few. Pussy willow branches decorated the tombs – having been blessed by the priests, these branches are thought to bring good luck for the next year. As we exited the facility, we walked past a black BMW parked beside one of the chapels. A bottle of vodka sat on the cobblestone beside a rear tire. A few feet away stood a little booth with items for sale – crosses and pictures of Jesus and various saints.

The atmosphere in this place was one of religion in form and finery. But it was dead. Stone-cold dead – like my soul apart from a relationship with the living Christ. Because of what He’s done for me, I have life. Not merely eternal life but hope-filled life today and tomorrow and every day until I reach my heavenly home.

Thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection, I’m not a slave striving to please an angry God with good deeds. I’m not a woman engaged in empty religious rote. I’m a ransomed sinner, a sojourner filled with purpose and peace, a prisoner set free. And now it’s my duty and privilege to share the Good News of Christ’s sacrificial love with those who have never heard.

Psalm 72:14 speaks of a king’s rule and his attitude toward his subjects. It says, “He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.” This verse has taken on new meaning for me this week. It reminds me that Christ came to earth to redeem mankind, to save them from the penalty of sin because He regards people as precious.  

Do I feel the same way? Do I regard other people as precious enough to sacrifice my comfort and well-being to share the Good News with them? If not, why not? This thought is turning me upside-down inside. It’s challenging me to examine my values and my Sunday school theology. I don’t know where this process will lead, but I’m sure of one thing – if Jesus Christ died on mankind’s behalf, then God must desperately want to release spiritually dead people from the trap of religion and infuse them with life that comes from relationship with Him.

May I be a joyful and willing participant in this endeavor, and may the Church rise up and accept the challenge and privilege of partnering with Him to accomplish this task.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Travels | No Comments »

Ukraine Musings

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

 We arrived home last evening and jet lag has hit me like a ton of bricks today. I guess that’s part of my occupational hazard! Before I shut ‘er down for the day, I’ll share a few musings about my Ukraine experience.

* The Odessa neighborhood in which we stayed reminded me of areas of India that I’ve visited. Narrow, broken roads made driving a challenge. 

the street outside our accommodation

 Stray, barking dogs interrupted our sleep at night. Steel gates and high fences protected homes from unwelcome visitors. Downtown Odessa was a different story – beautiful buildings with ornate design and carvings lined cobblestone streets. People sat on park benches and meandered through a square where vendors sold their touristy wares. 

tourist wares in downtown Odessa

 

* I asked one of our translators about the average monthly wage. She said it’s equivalent to $200. A couple might spend approximately $120/month on food and $75 on bus fare. Do the math. For this reason, it’s imperative that both husband and wife work. And most young marrieds live with their parents because they can’t afford to rent a flat.

* There is an 85% alcoholism rate among men. Is it any wonder when vodka costs the same as a bottle of drinking water (many people drink bottled water for health reasons)?

* Small city buses transport people wherever they need to go. On one of our daily jaunts, I realized that passengers rarely spoke to each other. If they did, it was in hushed tones. No one made eye contact with us, let alone smile. This lack of trust and congeniality is probably left from Communist days when people didn’t wish to draw attention to themselves lest they were singled out and persecuted or betrayed.

* Guards stood at the doors of modern grocery stores and asked to see our receipts when we exited. Someone explained that one store, in existence for only six years, had posted a security guard on each aisle when it opened. That was necessary to prevent people from stealing products off shelves – the temptation was too great for them to resist after not having access to material goods for most of their lives. BTW, this store sold more than groceries and dry goods. It also sold rifles and handguns.

* One of our national missionaries, a pastor, became a father two weeks ago. Interestingly, he was not able to see his baby until she was six days old. He was allowed to visit his wife but not when the baby was present. This was due to health care concerns and the fear of quick and unstoppable spread of contagious diseases.

* A governing body or person in the city government decides when to turn the heat on and off in buildings via a main switch. It will likely be turned off in April, so hopefully the weather will warm up soon. Concrete apartments can get very chilly! Unless an apartment has an electric water heater, showers will be cold until the heat is turned on next November.

* Ukraine’s history bears a lot of pain. For instance, between 7 and 10 million people died of starvation in the early 1930s while storehouses filled with grain sat nearby.

Our time in Odessa gave me new insights into the immense physical and spiritual needs of this place. It gave me a deep appreciation for the missionaries working there. And it created within me a desire to return and encourage them, and to partner with them in the future as God leads.

My time there also gave me a surprise personal link to the Ukraine. My whole life, I’ve known that my father was born in Russia but didn’t know what region. Last Friday, I discovered his birthplace was in present-day Ukraine, directly above the Romania/Moldova border.

I pray that God will shine His glorious light into the Ukraine. As Easter approaches, I pray that His Holy Spirit will lead the people into understanding that He doesn’t desire their religious rituals. Rather, He longs for relationship with them.

Knowing Christ and His transforming power will set individuals free from alcoholism and the dysfunction that accompanies it. Knowing Christ will give them freedom from mistrust and fear. Knowing Christ will heal them from a painful past and give hope for the future. As individuals are changed inwardly, so society will follow. Will you join me in this prayer?

On Friday I’ll post a few photos of sights around Odessa.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Travels | 2 Comments »

Stay Tuned

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Hi there! I’m in  Budapest again — just arrived an hour ago from Odessa, Ukraine. My oh my, for a few days I felt like I’d been transported back to India. The suburb in which we stayed was characterized by broken roads and barking stray dogs. But it had its pretty places, too — it was only a few minutes’ walk to the Black Sea. And the downtown area was beautiful with its pre-Communist buildings.

I haven’t had internet access for a few days. Neither have I had time to sit and write my blogs, so I’ll keep this short and post some reflections with photos on Wednesday.

We fly home tomorrow. This has been a fantastic month of ministry, but it’ll be good to get back into my routine again. Thanks for your prayers. Stay tuned for Wednesday’s post :)

Tags: , ,
Posted in Travels | No Comments »

Feeling Overwhelmed

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life’s wind and waves? I have. I think I’m feeling like that right now. We’re headed into Odessa, Ukraine in 48 hours to teach marriage seminars and I feel ‘way too small for the task.

Over the past couple of days, we’ve chatted with some missionaries who invested nearly two decades in the Ukraine. They’ve told us of perceptions of marriage in that country. They also told us that the principles we plan to teach about communication and companionship, etc. might be regarded as fairy tales.

I’m fully aware that this could happen – we saw the same response in Slovakia two years ago. Fidelity within marriage, respect between spouses – these values are challenged as impossibilities, and we appear as wealthy North Americans trying to push western philosophies rather than ordinary husbands and wives who have experienced the fulfillment that comes from doing marriage according to God’s Word.

Another challenge – we’ll be speaking through a translator. That means we must cut half our material out in order to respect the time allotments for each session. What stays? What goes?

Would you please pray for God to accomplish His purposes in and through our team of four speakers? And would you please pray for our physical protection and health during our time in Odessa? We’ll be there from Wednesday through Monday. I don’t know how much internet access we’ll have there – I’ll post if I’m able.

In the meantime, I’m finding encouragement in Matthew 14 – the story of Jesus coming to the disciples in the storm at sea. They were afraid, but He reassured them of His presence. In the end, He calmed the storm and the disciples worshiped Him. May my heart be one of worship amidst the wind and waves!

Also in the meantime, I’ll be speaking three times in the next 24 hours at a retreat for our single women. The theme is “Divine Encounters: Glimpses of God in Unexpected Places.” I’m looking forward to presenting this material and praying that it will minister deeply to our women’s hearts.

I must dash. Breakfast will be served in a few minutes, more goodbyes will be said as our families head back to their homes in Romania, Poland, and the like. And then the singles’ retreat will begin at 9 A.M. That’s 1 A.M. PST!

view from my conference room

Tags: , ,
Posted in Travels | 4 Comments »