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May Day

IMG_9074It’s Monday! I’m generally home on Mondays and behind a screen planning, keeping in touch with people or preparing for the Bible studies of the week. Today I will also meet with one of men from the rehab centre for an hour or so… but that isn’t something normal for a Monday.

Today is May Day. This is likely the last year in which Ukraine will celebrate with a national holiday “May Day”. In our efforts to distance ourselves from Russia, we have decided that anything with communistic associations must also go. I know many people who feel as if it is really just for show that all these changes are taking place and that there are so many inconsistencies in logic that it isn’t funny.IMG_8903

On that subject, the government has changed the street name on which the reb centres are located. The old name: Radyanska St. The new name: Dzherelnya St. But the lads out there changed the sign on our fence to read “Christian St.”

The Ladies Rehab Center should be ours by Wednesday. We have had to wait on the sellers for a few different things over the past two weeks, but everything seems to be in order now and we expect to go to Kiev in two days time to sign the docs.

We collected a new drug addict a few days ago. Oleg is about 30 and seems like a nice guy. He is going through withdrawal pretty nastily right now, but will come good in a week or two. It was good to hear that after church, he went back to the center and went over to his bag and unpacked… a sign that he’d decided to stick it out. Pray that he would repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oleg.

IMG_9070The ladies just got back from their annual spring retreat – this year in Obukhiv again – a city about 30 minutes away. From what Pris says, the speaker was wise and successful in communicating her heart for the Lord.

Angel is away at a location in a village not far from us preparing to serve at a camp for kids later in the year. The people who do this camp happen to be from a church group we will probably end up affiliating ourselves with over the next couple of years. She’ll probably volunteer out there for at least two of their camps this summer and is really looking forward to it.  Her health problems affecting her face keep on going through the cycle of “better then worse”. 

Elle is outside playing with Leah… a friend from the orphanage just around the corner from us. They’ve spent the morning together and have developed a good IMG_9113friendship over the past few months. She’s actually doing a Bible study with Leah and another friend each Sunday after church which sounds kinda crazy to me. 12 years old and preparing Bible studies?? That’s something I never did.  Last Friday, I caught her in a typical 21st century pose… (pic to the left).

Pris is doing well. Every second Tuesday, she is still leading a ladies discipleship night. I often prepare presentations for her or hand-outs and am impressed with the teaching these ladies are covering. God is glorified.IMG_8988

The sauna season is officially over. (I’m amused that I even think of such a thing as “the sauna season”.) It was a really good event each IMG_9025Saturday evening hanging out and heating up. If you’re ever wondering how to share the gospel with a friend, may I suggest that you invite them to a sauna for a couple of hours one night. I “believe” in saunas! I will eagerly look forward to opening the season up again towards the end of this year.

“Shane’s” boys group continues to meet here on Tuesday nights. I have another four weeks with these guys before Shane gets back. We normally have about 8-10 “eaters” and I am astounded at how much they can put away! Tomorrow, we will be looking at I Peter 2:1-3 and thinking about the goodness of milk and how to keep God’s Word before us and live in His presence more.  This is my prayer for you, reader.IMG_9055