December has come and gone
This is the letter we sent out earlier this month. Since doing so, things have continued to go well without any major hiccups. A Christmas tree brightly decorates the corner of our lounge room. The kids have bought presents for a surprising number of people and are excited for Christmas to come round on the 7th of January. I’m looking forward to next week when I’ll take a break from the cold mornings on the building site. (They are killers!)
Priscilla’s parents are coming here in a few days to spend Christmas with us and we’re looking forward to that time.
May God bless you and keep you during 2012!
Greetings from a warm room in a small village overlooking a wide river in a troubled country.
Today, I’m forced to sit down and bring you up to date on all that is happening here. I wish I was on the building site, but being here does give me opportunity to type. I was at work this morning cutting blocks for the walls when I went to lift up a block and put my back out. I cried out realizing that it was going to be a pain to fix and went in search of a masseuse. I found one and ended up sitting down and talking with her husband, Victor, and handicapped son for an hour or so as she was out. I enjoyed talking with him and look forward to doing so again. I was reminded of the balance that needs to exist between contentedness and striving to better ones lot. He is a man who is making an attempt at both but slowly giving up on the latter. I’ve noticed many people in Ukraine end up placing all their hopes in their children as they get older and manage to just get by on the pretty miserable salary they are paid. It is true that no matter your financial condition or prospects, if you are a Christian, then you have an incredibly strong reason for living – that of living to maximize the glory you give to God. That bears thinking about.
In 10 minutes I will pick up the wife of Victor to see if she can help get me back on my feet.
Three hours later… She didn’t impress. J She worked on my back for 15 minutes and it felt like she didn’t really know what she was doing… but we’ll see. I could be wrong. But I am pretty pessimistic on this one.
Pris and kids are well. Friday nights we invite young people from the dorms here in town to come to a youth group type meeting. Jess and Mim have both given themselves to getting involved in the lives of the students – most of them three or four years older, but seemingly willing to accept them as equals.
School continues. Elle is reading and enjoying school… although I did just hear some tears over something to do with mathematics. Short-lived tears. Angel is doing much better after her “system meltdown”. In September she was terribly unwell from head to toe and in between! She is staying clear of gluten and about 10 other things which she proved to be allergic to and is much improved. Pris is… fine. There are people with titles in God’s church who don’t do much and then there are those with no title who make a big difference. Pris is precious to God’s people here.
Vlad, who was unjustly convicted of manslaughter in a road accident case, sits in jail and awaits his appeal date which has been set for January 12. The judge was bribed and gave Vlad 6 years… ignoring the testimony of witnesses and findings of the police. We are concerned that his lawyer may not be the best or may be himself corrupt. It has been a topic of our prayers now each time we gather. Vlad is a special brother. His wife has not given her heart to Jesus. She and their 11 month old son are presently living with her parents. Two other lawyers were recently approached and asked to review the case. Please pray for your brother who is in jail and very uncertain abou the upcoming appeal.
We’ve also had some painful experiences with a few girls in the church over a couple of different matters. Tears don’t come easily to me, but hurt and sadness… the last couple of months have seen them work me over. Sin is an awful thing. Sin without repentance is so much worse. Please pray for hearts to be tender to God. Pray for our hearts to be full of love and wisdom and for God to strengthen us when our hearts feel bruised.
On the positive side, the time spent with the students and with Igor and Kolya on the work-site is great. I sometimes feel like Igor and Kolya teach me. We invite different students to come work with us and it is working out pretty well. Vitya and Vanya come most days. Vanya is the quiet sort who I think may be something of a genius. He is a great worker and has made some sort of commitment to the Lord. Vitya is also a good worker. His mother died a few years back and he and his two siblings were put with a couple who agreed to raise them. I found out a couple of weeks ago that they are actually Christians. I am hoping that God is answering their prayers by bringing Vitya into our circle. There are also four or five other guys who come and it works out pretty good. Diana is one of the few girls who come to our place Friday nights.
Friday nights continue to go well. About 20 of us from the Friday night group went bowling last Saturday and then came back to the ministry center to eat and hang out. We keep praying for the souls of these kids. Some of them are 15 years old and living in a city several hours from home. Friday nights are a highlight. We keep on sharing the gospel and sowing seeds. Pray with us that these friendships would result in them becoming your brothers and sisters.
The foreign element in Rzhyshchiv is paring down over the Christmas break and have gone back to Canada or will be going back to Australia. Our kids have had to find contentment over that fact as they have really enjoyed spending time with those who are gone.
There are numerous things we are involved in as a church in addition to the things mentioned about. We’ve just opened up a clothing-for-the-poor ministry. We continue to hold ladies meetings, kids clubs and men’s breakfasts. The Lighthouse café is coming along and depending on funds, planning for a May opening.
Priscilla now: These past two weeks have had lots of tears in them for me; perhaps they could be called dark weeks. That is very unusual. I stopped one morning to see if looking at the bigger picture would give me any insight. It has been a year full of beauty, but also those unusual things which, to put it positively, add colour to life. There was Daniel’s stoke in May and all the days of doctors appointments and extra care for the month following. With that came the pleasant realization of just how much I rely on this man that I love so dearly for so many things—like car care, heavy tasks, tucking little girls into bed at the end of a long day, and dozens of other quietly done, necessary things. I feel like until this last week I never really caught up with my end of caring for the family and household. It was good to realize the fragility of life as we know it to see if I am still willing to accept God’s goodness anyway. I do not feel ready for him to be handicapped or die (the docs continue to find no reason for the two strokes he has had), but I am willing to cling to my Saviour and trust Him and His love for me. Summers are always special, busy in their own way. In September we began the tests to check how Daniel was doing. My Mom has been unwell (she and Dad are missionaries living 6 hours away from us), so I was happy to help her chase up different doctors in Kiev, the capital. (After all these years to finally give a bit extra to her and Dad was a joy.) Angel’s health crashed and we ran around trying to see what was up in her young body. Our little car which might have eased some of the travel is still not up and running after five months. I caught a nasty bug which sapped my strength for several weeks. All of this was happening while school was starting, different ministries starting up again, and a bit of prep to speak at our ladies retreat was taking place. Then some different ‘issues’ came to the light within the church body which simply make my heart ache. It is good to love, but, oh, how much it hurts at times. … There was more that went on besides this list, including Daniels run-in with an angle grinder, cutting his hand requiring stitching (which Shane courageously put in saving hours of time), and Dan almost being unable to move with his hurt
back. Even just looking at this paragraph now, I see simply LIFE--nothing outstanding, only a few curves. A time of tears is not bad and in the midst of ‘lowness’ are lots of moments of joy and sweetness because God is real, with me, helping, comforting, leading, even breathing into me. I am glad to be His.
What has been a wonderful discovery is that Angel and Elizabeth (whom we checked out as well since she had very, very frequent stomach aches) are both bothered by wheat/gluten. There are two sides to that coin—no more tummy aches for Elle, and Angel is vastly improved. The other side is cooking without wheat. How often I have thought of those expensive but precious stores that sell gluten free all-purpose flour and ‘stuff’! I didn’t realize how much I bake until now. Pancakes, muffins, cookies, rolls, cakes…. =) Even in these adjustments, though, I have seen God’s love. Another missionary friend who lives a few hours away, and whose daughter has celiac, shared some bags of flour and pancake mix with me. Funny how pancake mix can have the power to make ones heart tremble with thanksgiving! Certainly that is a precious gift in Ukraine where you cannot buy these things!
Another dear friend shared a book with me called Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman. It was given at just the right moment. God loves our trust and obedience and gives joy even if the path goes through valleys. I am glad.