Ukraine

We just spend twelve days in Ukraine and had a wonderful time. We went to visit our friends, Nick and Kerry Laper, who we met in Malawi. They managed the medical mission in Malawi for eight years and now they manage the medical missiong in Ukraine. It was wonderful to see them again and catch up. They were terrific hosts and our visit would not have been as enjoyable without their help and the help of the staff of the medical mission.

We flew into Kiev at about three in the morning and we were picked up by a counselor and driver who work at the Medical mission. We then drove to the Christian Life Center (pregnancy counseling center) and slept there for the night. The next morning we took off for Ternopil six hours away. Thankfully we all slept in the car and caught up on some sleep.

The next two days we relaxed, went for walks in the park, hung out with the Lapers, played with their dog Ivan, and saw a bit of the town. It was very interesting to see the market and I realized how much I miss going to the market. It was interesting to see what was available and see the different kinds of food that are popular in Ukraine.

A few days later we started doing our sight seeing. We first went to Pochaiyv, a Russion Orthodox Monastery. It was absolutely beautiful and the pantings were gorgeous. The Monastary could seen from miles away and the gold gilding glittered in the sun. After visiting the Monastery we visited Saint Ana's spring. It is a natural spring that stays at 6 Celsius year round and people believe that if you swim in it you will be healed of any illnesses you may have. Even infant babies are taken in the water. It was very entertaining to see people run into the pool, dip their heads under water and cross them selves three times, and run up out of the water, shivering. On our drive that day we passed many rape seed fields and had our picture taken by them. What a beautiful contrast.

Maria had her birthday while in Ukraine and it was a nice day. We ordered a cake from the grocery store and had them write, "Happy 3rd Birthday Maria" in Ukrainian. She loved the gifts she received and kept telling everyone she was three. It seems she had been waiting for her birthday for months and had been telling everyone that she was already three.

We also spent a day in Lviv and saw the sights. The best part was visiting the Opera house which is considered one of the most beautiful in Western Europe. We enjoyed the sightseeing train ride and the beauty of the town. Lviv is one of the few cited that was not damaged during world war II and has been part of Austria and Poland over the last few centuries. There was a mix of Ukrainian heritage along with Austrian and Polish in the architecture of the buildings.

The next day we spend traveling to see the mobil clinics that provide medical and dental service for children. The clinics are two large RV buses that have been converted into clinics. It was very interesting to see how well equipped these two buses are for the work that needs to be done. Later in the day we drove to see a possible sight for the clinic to work at. It was very interesting to see all the details that need to be sorted in order to make the clinics work efficiently.

At the end of our trip we returned to Kiev on a night sleeper train. It was very interesting to sleep on a train and the girls did very well. We arrived early in the morning and for the first time stayed in a hotel. We all crashed and took naps and at noon hit the town for some more sight seeing. We covered alot of ground in a few hours and saw the Opera house, Saint Sophia, Saint Michael, and the Golden gate (old city gate). We returned to the hotel to get ready for the ballet and grab a bit to eat. A highlight of the trip was going to the "Sleeping Beauty" ballet. It was gorgeous and very well done. The girls loved it and hopefully they will remember it.

The next day we slept in again and then did just a little sight seeing. It was Saturday and the main road in the downtown was closed off for pedestrians to walk on it. There was music, food, dancing, and a jumping castle for the girls. We saw Independence square where the Orange Revolution took place a few years ago. We also strolled through a huge park and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Kiev.

The next morning we caught a 5:30am flight and by noon we were back in Portugal. It was a great trip and we are very thankful we had the chance to go. We are thankful to the Lapers and all the people who helped us. It is a trip we will never forget.

Change of Plans

Our lives have suddenly taken on a completley different direction. We will no longer be going to Mozambique as missionaries, instead we will be returning to WI to find "normal" jobs. We receieved the news last Saturday that WELS (our church) no longer has the money to support the mission work that was planned for Mozambique. Due to the economic crisis in the world, WELS is also facing severe money problems, and unfortunately these money problems have trickled down the ladder. Many home and world missionaries have lost and will loose their calls (jobs).

As we plan the next step in our lives, we find ourselves dealing with many different emotions, and the most common emtion is a feeling of great sadness and loss. Bill has worked for nearly three years to get to Mozambique and we have been in transition to get there for two. It has been a long and difficult two years and it is hard to believe our hard work will not accomplish our goal, to proclaim Christ's love to the lost souls in Mozambique!!! We are so willing and ready to do this work and yet......we will not be going. How does one come to accept this and move on?

The only way we can come to accept it is to focus on Christ. We do not understand God's plan for our lives at this time. We do not understand why the Lord is not using our gifts in Mozambique, but we do trust Him. He knows what is best for us and will use our gifts somewhere else. He will give us the peace we need to move on and accept the new path our lives are going to take.

As we deal with our emotions and try to accept the direction our lives are taking, I find myself thinking of the many other people affected by these budget cuts. There are many other missionaries who have lost their calls and are dealing with many of the same emotions we have. There are many national church's in many countries that will be left without missionaries. Are these national churches mature enough to take care of themselves and do the work? Are the national pastors equipped to shephard the sheep that have been left behind? And what about the souls that have not year heard about their Savior (Mozambique)? Who is going to tell them? Who is willing to leave their family and homes to go live in a foreign land and tell them? So many lives are affected by the budget cuts, and yet the Lord is still in control Our earthly minds can not understand these problems, but the Lord understands and will take care of all who are effected. What a GREAT GOD we have!

I once again ask for your prayers. Please pray that we come to accept this decision and find peace. Please pray for the many other missionaries and pastors who have also lost their jobs. Please pray for the souls in Mozambique and around the world that Christ's love will still be proclaimed to them, despite us not being the ones to tell them. Thank you for your prayers!!!