Reflections

Looking back....Looking forward

In a few days I will be in the Ukraine! This years trip is both sweet and bitter-sweet. It is the first trip with out Dave Hacquebord as our leader. You really don't realize how many little details a person takes care of until they are no longer there to take care of them! Also, it may be our last time to minister to the people in Horodok...people that have become friends and family over the past 6 years. It is great to head back again knowing the people in the town are waiting our arrival. Can't wait to see friends who have become "Ukraine Family"...

Looking back I remember our first trip. We had plans to stay in a hotel in Horodok. Shortly before leaving America we found out that they would not let us stay in the town. We had to stay in Livi and travel to Horodok each day. How new and different everything was; the language, the food, the customs... I remember we asked Jennifer, a missionary, what our role was for the week. She said, "Pretend this is a circus and you guys are the main act. A lot of these kids have never seen an American before. You are what is drawing them to summer camp." We spent the week smiling at the kids, playing the games and helping with the crafts. What I loved most about our week was the fact that it wasn't about us or about what we wanted to do. We worked along side the Ukrainian team....helping them with a program they had planned and put together. We would leave at the end of the week but the work in the town of Horodok would continue all year!

Year two rolled around quickly. Good news- this year they allowed us to stay at the hotel in town!! Not only were we able to work with the kids at camp all day, but also spend the evening visiting with them. We spent a lot of evenings at the soccer stadium, us girls chatting while the boys played soccer. We were building relationships and forming lasting friendships. Trust was growing....

Year three was one of my favorite years. This is the year we moved out of the hotel and into a house to "live" with a family. What fun we had teaching Natalia how to play Yahtzee over hot tea and cookies in the evenings. She spoke very little English. Her husband was a prominent doctor in the town, very well respected by his peers. He spoke great English and enjoyed sitting outside asking questions about our lives in America, our purpose for coming and our God. It was a sad day when we got the news that he had died of a heart attack.
Year three was also the year they gave Ron a key to the school...I don't remember what door it opened-it doesn't really matter. To us it said, "We trust you, thanks for investing in the lives of our youth.

Year four was a challenging year. This is the year a group of youth came with us...the challenge wasn't the youth, it was the size of our team! Some stayed in the hotel and some stayed with Natalia. Natalia was still grieving the death of her husband. The first few days I wasn't so sure it was a good thing for us to be in her house, but as the week continued I realized it was a comfort to her having us there.
The kids in Horodok LOVED the American teenagers. What a great addition they were to our ministry in Ukraine...their impact was far reaching.
This was the year they told me., "Merrie, you are in charge of the craft room." I realized we had become "family" and we were no longer the "main act in the circus." We were part of the team...they knew they could trust us....we had proven ourselves.

Year five rolled round and a group of youth joined us again. The Ukrainian youth were delighted to have all of us back. It was exciting to return to a place that felt very familiar and spend time with people we had come to love. More than once we saw evidence of how our building relationships the past four years opened doors to allow us to do new things this year. This was the first year half of the team stayed for 14 days and the other half stayed for 21 days. It was a great trip....who knew the changes that would happen before year 6 rolled around.

So, here I sit looking forward to year six and wondering.... Wondering if it will be our last time in Horodok. Wondering what it will be like with out Dave and Kyle McLane and his family.(The McLane's are now missionaries in Africa.) Praying over our plan to be bold very intentional in sharing Jesus this year and wondering how it will be received. Excited to see our Ukraine friends but wondering what I will say to them when they ask if we are coming back next year. Wondering what stories I will have to share when we return . So glad I don't have to wonder about Jesus and the part He plays in all of this...for He knows the plans He has for us. I am looking forward to being part of His perfect plan as I minister in Ukraine this year.

One week away...

As I sit here one week from us leaving, I am growing more and more excited with each moment that passes. All of the preparation and sacrifice that has been put into this year's trip is about to become tangible in a matter of hours. My prayer is that the people of Ukraine are ready and willing to listen to the message that we have to share with them. That message is the gospel of Jesus and what he has done for each of us that are going. The hope that we have in Him has allowed us to continue moving forward with a purpose and a vision.
This year's trip is a little saddened with the passing of Dave Hacqueboard this past spring. Dave was a person who loved the people of Ukraine and did all he could to make sure that the message of Jesus was preached to all who would listen. Again, the hope we have in Jesus is what we hold on to knowing that we will see Dave someday in glory, but for now must continue on and be bold with our faith in 2010.