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.