Discouragement vs. Hope & Vision

As I stated in my last post my trip to Kiev last week was rather thought-provoking. I learned a lot and am sure that there is much more to learn on my next trip there, whenever that should be.

The thought that has been most prevalent in my mind when I think about everything is a differing opinion I have on the overall atmosphere of the country here. I’ve heard visitors and other foreigners who have worked here say that they feel as though Ukraine and the people here are angry. That there is a spirit of anger and frustration that makes it feel unpleasant at times to be here.

I beg to disagree.

After my trip to the Great Patriotic War Memorial and the ghost cities of Pripyat and Chernobyl I have to say that I don’t think Ukraine is angry. I would, however, say that at times feels discouraged.

Wouldn’t you be discouraged if your country had faced such things as Stalin’s forced famine, WWII and the Chernobyl explosion? If your country lost millions of people only to have things like this be true: “Ukraine’s role in the war [WWII] is basically unknown in the world. For example, one American encyclopedia of World War II does not even include an entry on Ukraine.”

Really? Ukraine wasn’t even mentioned?! The losses in that country accounted for 20% of all in the entire war! The War Museum just made the whole scope of WWII so much bigger in my mind. I walked through a part of it literally choking back tears because the reality of it was so horrific. I imagine it would be easy to get discouraged if every time it felt like your country was getting back on its feet something else knocked it down again.

Yet there is HOPE and VISION in this country too. Hope for all that Ukraine is and a vision for all that she can become. Perhaps I’m just lucky enough to be working with idealistic students, but I really don’t think that is it. Even when I talk (usually through translation) to the elders here in Ukraine I detect the same hope and vision, even after all they have lived through and seen their country endure.

I don’t think it is unpleasant or unenjoyable to be here. I am not bogged down by an overwhelming spirit of anger. I feel the pain and the history of this country bearing down on its residents a bit more heavily than the history of my country does on my generation at home, but I see even more people willing to envision a brighter future and to find ways to work toward it.

For more information on the events mentioned click below:

Stalin’s Forced Famine

WWII in Ukraine

Chernobyl

When Kaci went to Kyiv…

Well, first of all her name is not Kaci, it’s Katie, but who can be upset about a mispronounced name when the host family you are staying with is so unbelievably sweet?

I just returned from 3 days spent in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. My oh my. For months now I’ve been telling people how draining it is to be living in a city for the first time. How everything feels so big and busy and loud compared to the lovely little cul-de-sac I live on at home, far away from any rush hour traffic. But after 3 days spent in Kyiv I am ever so glad to return to L’viv! Kyiv is HUGE! Bigger, louder, more confusing, more rushed. It was a nice visit, but I will forever be counting my blessings that my placement as a Mission Intern is here not there.

The reason I was visiting Kyiv in the first place was to meet up with a former professor of mine from my days at Indiana Wesleyan. By a happy coincidence I found out he was bringing a group of his current students (from Oklahoma, where he’s teaching now) to Kiev and Moscow and invited me to join them. Not knowing if/when I would get another opportunity to see Kyiv I took him up on the offer.

The best highlight of the week for me was staying with the lovely host family myself and 2 other students were staying. The mom seemed to enjoy the fact I knew a little Ukrainian and we had lots of fun trying to communicate and playing charades. Her daughter knew a little bit of English so helped translate a bit the second day I was there, but I think we did pretty good on our own too.

Other highlights included seeing Swan Lake, the guided tour of the Great Patriotic War museum/memorial, seeing the Ukrainian Parliament and going to Chernobyl & Pryipat city.

Overall a very informative, enlightening and fun trip. All of my pictures can be found on my Flickr site, the link to which can be found to the right of this post.

Ukrainian Parliament

Patriotic War Memorial

Kurt and I at Swan Lake

Pryipat City

Reactor 4

I have several more thoughts and ponderings to share about specific places I saw and events I learned about. However, to catalogue them all in one place would be rather boring I believe. Stay tuned for more stories and thoughts about Kyiv, but until then know that it was a great trip and I am probably a better, or at least more informed and thoughtful person for having gone.

 

Off to Kyiv

Just a heads up for all you loyal blog followers - I’m leaving for Kyiv at midnight tonight and will be there Mon-Wed, hanging out with one of my former professors from Indiana Wesleyan and a group of his current theatre students. I will be back sometime on Thursday. Do not fret that there will be no posts the first half of this week, I’m sure I’ll have some good stories to tell when I return. Pa-pa for now!

I’m being taught so much

Yesterday at Pilgrims our buddy Sam showed up again. I wrote about “Sam” in an earlier post. He’s been a more or less regular attendee for the past few months, and even came the night we started knocking down the wall in the new student center.

When he walked in last night we were already about halfway through the sermon which was being given by our student pastor. Sam walked right down the center aisle to shake Volodyia’s hand, right during the sermon. I will tell you this – I have no end of admiration and respect for our student pastor, he’s handled every odd, strange and potentially awkward situation with such love and grace. (You can read about an incident at church he handled rather well here.)

As Sam spent the remainder of the sermon and service popping up and down, leaving the room and reentering to resume his seat in the front row it was interesting observing the rest of the room and how everyone was handling the situation. With the exception of one person who couldn’t seem to hold in their giggles I think the community did very well. One thing is for sure, Sam is teaching me so much about how to act and behave and accept people during worship and other times I am not used to the behavior I am seeing. During one instance yesterday when Sam left the room to answer his cell phone I leaned over to my friend Maryana sitting next to me and whispered “I love him,” without really thinking about it.

But you know what, it is true. I love that guy, his weird social quirks and all. I love everyone who comes to Pilgrims and who attends church on Sunday. I realize I am far from knowing all of their struggles and challenges and needs, and most likely will not know most (if any) of them. And not just because there’s a seemingly insurmountable language barrier, but because it’s not really any of my business. But I know God loves them, and that God loves me. It is because of this love that we are able to love each other. And last night I verbalized it. I pray I can follow the words and the talk with actions and my walk.

I am certainly being changed and educated here by those I’ve met here in Ukraine.

What Love Smells Like

Recently we’ve been having 2 homeless gentlemen coming to church on Sunday mornings. This is exactly what we want to have happen at church, right? No matter where a church is located isn’t its primary objective to be the hands and feet and light of Christ to its surrounding community? To welcome everyone without judgement, offering a place of safety and acceptance. As Christians we are called, as my pastor at home used to like to say, to be “Jesus with skin on.”

Yesterday when the service began I was just finishing poking my head in on Shannon in the other room to make sure she was alright and didn’t need me to take one of her boys. When I got back to the sanctuary it was pretty well filled for our tiny church and the 2 homeless men were sitting in the same row where I usually do. I quietly slipped into the chair in between them and our Ukrainian pastor at the back of the room.

Now, back to the “Jesus with skin on” comment. Jesus was human, just like us. And he loved everyone. But he also had a nose. I’m guessing he could smell things pretty well. The same goes for most of us. As I sat down yesterday I have to admit I almost immediately wanted to get back up and find a seat on the other side of the room. The gentlemen who have been coming do not have adequate access to regular showers and reek of alcohol every week. In short, it isn’t very pleasant to be near them. But I sat and stayed where I was.

During the service I began to ponder about things like smells and love. What does love smell like? The roses you give your significant other on Valentine’s Day? The home cooked meal you prepare for your family every night? Handmade chocolate given as a Christmas gift? The perfume or cologne you wear on you Saturday night date? These are the kind of pleasant scents I think of when I think of love. But aren’t they all a bit generic? Certainly they are all very pleasant. Kind of like the feeling of love, the butterflies-in-your-tummy love.

What does real love smell like? The smell of the love you have to choose to give. I’m thinking that kind of love smells more like the alcohol-soaked person who walks into your church. The smell of unbathed children longing for physical touch. The smell of the sick, of the dying. Even the smell of your childs poopy diaper. All the unpleasant smells that most of us would rather avoid or pray someone else deals with.

I may not have the strongest nose (or stomach!) out there, but I am going to pray that God uses these 2 homeless gentlemen to teach me what it is love smells and looks like. That they teach me and our church what to do and how to best be “Jesus with skin on” to our community. I’m sure I have a lot to learn.

4 Students and a Police Officer

Yesterday I was invited by Michael to go out to a nearby town to help with a Friday evening speaking club. For those of you who don’t know or who have forgotten Michael is one of the other GBGM missionaries here in L’viv along with the Gorans, Nick and myself.

Michael has been teaching classes at the university this semester and was invited out to lead this speaking club by one of the other teachers at the university. So I tagged along too. It was a pretty fun evening.

We arrived at the language school a bit early so all of the kids classes were still going on before our adult club members arrived. While we were peeking in on the classes the older kids were watching a video about jobs. It was a song asking “What do you do?” and then it would show a cartoon drawing of different career people – Firefighters, Police Officers, and other jobs with too many syllables for small children just learning English to pronounce.

After the video finished the teacher had each student turn to the child next to them and ask “What – Do – You - Do -?” and each child was supposed to respond “I – Am – A – Student.” This went well for 4 of the children. One little girl when asked, however, answered excitedly “I – Am – A – POLICE – OFFICER!” It was ridiculously cute.

The speaking club participants we had were nice but had very elementary language skills. Michael prepared a discussion around photoshopped images and the debate on whether or not fashion and other magazines should have to label images that have been altered. For your consideration here is the video he showed the group:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

You know I love making you all think. And after you watch this video if you want to ACT I encourage you to click HERE and sign the petition by Julia Bluhm asking Seventeen Magazine to commit to printing one unaltered photo spread per month. Do it. You know you wanna.

It’s the little things

It’s the little things, like finding 2 pieces of mail in your mailbox on the same day that can totally brighten up an otherwise kinda “blah” week. Sorry I haven’t written for a few days, but there really hasn’t been too terribly much going on and the weather has been gray and dreary. My mood’s been off and I’ve been homesicky and didn’t want to be spewing my off-week all over. So today I am grateful for 2 pieces of real mail, a somewhat sunny day and an afternoon full of pancakes!

Bring on the weekend!