3 Weeks!!
After three weeks of settling into life here in Berdyansk, this is my first post from within the country. Things are settling in quite nicely here. Thank you all so much for your prayers in regards to settling in and homesickness, I feel those prayers at work daily.
Things will most surely start to progress more rapidly as soon as we figure out our routine. As of now we are simply working on planning the English classes that we will be teaching. We will be teaching two beginning English classes, one for adults and one for youth. In addition to the classes, we are hoping to facilitate a bible study/fellowship group for college students and/or young professionals. With all of our classes, Russian lessons, and volunteering at the youth center and orphanages, I’m sure we’ll be quite busy.
The ministries that are occurring here are amazing! It is so wonderful to be a part of a missions organization whose goal is to equip nationals for evangelism, and that encourages them to take ownership of their worshipping community. The Home of Hope is the main focus here in Berdyansk. It houses the church that meets every Sunday morning at 10 o’clock as well as a youth center that provides a safe alternative for kids in the area. Even as the building is still under renovation, the ministries that are contained within it continue to flourish. It is in the Home of Hope building where we will hold our English classes starting on Tuesday.
The youth center is open four days a week for five hours a day, providing kids with plenty of opportunities to come in and play ping-pong, table games, and to develop relationships with the adults who are taking time to invest in the lives of young people. So far, Shushan and I have spent our last several afternoons at the youth center engaging with the kids, and attempting to persevere through games of ping-pong, foosball, Connect-Four, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, and Rack-O (Oh what we must do in service of the Lord!).
Along with the youth center, we have also spent some mornings going to one of the orphanages here in Berdyansk. This particular one is known as a First Stage orphanage, meaning that when children are orphaned, abandoned, or parents decide that they can no longer take care of them, or for whatever reason children are removed from their home, they are brought here. Children are only at the First Stage orphanage for 90 days, during which relatives are sought out for children to stay with, or sometimes parents decide to take them back. After the 90 day period the children are placed in a larger, permanent orphanage. Because the children are so transient at the First Stage orphanage, people are unable to adopt from there.
So far we have only spent two mornings there, and already the children are warming up to us. Because of their recent circumstances, each and every child there needs to know and to feel that they are loved. I can hardly bring myself to think about what these kids have been through in their short lives. It really makes me realize how extremely blessed we are in America, the fact that I’ve just had to explain the workings of an orphanage truly shows how fortunate we are.
Things that you can continue to pray about:
*Please pray for continued protection against homesickness for me, I feel how well those prayers are working and it would be wonderful for that to continue!
*Pray that God would grant me a loosened tongue so I might utilize my Russian, and that He would work through the weaknesses that we have in the language barrier.
*Also pray that Shushan and my relationship would continue to grow and flourish as it has been so far.
*Please pray for God’s guidance, strength, and perseverance to cover us the entire time that we are here in Ukraine.
Until next time,
Sarah
Lesson from abroad #1:
Always plan your road trips/days in the city according to where the best restrooms are. If there are none in a particular area, drink less or be sure not to spend too much time there. (For added comfort and hygiene, be sure to always carry tissue and hand sanitizer for those unpredicted pit stops.)
Lesson from Abroad #2: Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd? Never!
When using public transit, there is always room for more! Disregard maximum occupancy signs and squeeze your way onboard! When the bus seems completely full, people standing up, there is room for more. When people are standing on the steps, out the doors and windows, as well as sitting on the driver’s lap, there is room for more. In short, the moral of this story is…when using public transportation, there is always room for one more.
Things will most surely start to progress more rapidly as soon as we figure out our routine. As of now we are simply working on planning the English classes that we will be teaching. We will be teaching two beginning English classes, one for adults and one for youth. In addition to the classes, we are hoping to facilitate a bible study/fellowship group for college students and/or young professionals. With all of our classes, Russian lessons, and volunteering at the youth center and orphanages, I’m sure we’ll be quite busy.
The ministries that are occurring here are amazing! It is so wonderful to be a part of a missions organization whose goal is to equip nationals for evangelism, and that encourages them to take ownership of their worshipping community. The Home of Hope is the main focus here in Berdyansk. It houses the church that meets every Sunday morning at 10 o’clock as well as a youth center that provides a safe alternative for kids in the area. Even as the building is still under renovation, the ministries that are contained within it continue to flourish. It is in the Home of Hope building where we will hold our English classes starting on Tuesday.
The youth center is open four days a week for five hours a day, providing kids with plenty of opportunities to come in and play ping-pong, table games, and to develop relationships with the adults who are taking time to invest in the lives of young people. So far, Shushan and I have spent our last several afternoons at the youth center engaging with the kids, and attempting to persevere through games of ping-pong, foosball, Connect-Four, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, and Rack-O (Oh what we must do in service of the Lord!).
Along with the youth center, we have also spent some mornings going to one of the orphanages here in Berdyansk. This particular one is known as a First Stage orphanage, meaning that when children are orphaned, abandoned, or parents decide that they can no longer take care of them, or for whatever reason children are removed from their home, they are brought here. Children are only at the First Stage orphanage for 90 days, during which relatives are sought out for children to stay with, or sometimes parents decide to take them back. After the 90 day period the children are placed in a larger, permanent orphanage. Because the children are so transient at the First Stage orphanage, people are unable to adopt from there.
So far we have only spent two mornings there, and already the children are warming up to us. Because of their recent circumstances, each and every child there needs to know and to feel that they are loved. I can hardly bring myself to think about what these kids have been through in their short lives. It really makes me realize how extremely blessed we are in America, the fact that I’ve just had to explain the workings of an orphanage truly shows how fortunate we are.
Things that you can continue to pray about:
*Please pray for continued protection against homesickness for me, I feel how well those prayers are working and it would be wonderful for that to continue!
*Pray that God would grant me a loosened tongue so I might utilize my Russian, and that He would work through the weaknesses that we have in the language barrier.
*Also pray that Shushan and my relationship would continue to grow and flourish as it has been so far.
*Please pray for God’s guidance, strength, and perseverance to cover us the entire time that we are here in Ukraine.
Until next time,
Sarah
Lesson from abroad #1:
Always plan your road trips/days in the city according to where the best restrooms are. If there are none in a particular area, drink less or be sure not to spend too much time there. (For added comfort and hygiene, be sure to always carry tissue and hand sanitizer for those unpredicted pit stops.)
Lesson from Abroad #2: Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd? Never!
When using public transit, there is always room for more! Disregard maximum occupancy signs and squeeze your way onboard! When the bus seems completely full, people standing up, there is room for more. When people are standing on the steps, out the doors and windows, as well as sitting on the driver’s lap, there is room for more. In short, the moral of this story is…when using public transportation, there is always room for one more.
posted by Sarah C | 10:30 AM
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