My first few days in America

I arrived Tuesday early afternoon in Minneapolis. A good friend picked me up and treated me to a Starbucks coffee which I truly enjoyed! My trip was pretty awesome, God always surprises me with people He places in my path.

I met two Americans in the Kyiv airport, one from Texas who was visiting her fiancée and the other a bio-chemist who is participating in teaching and setting up three neo-natal hospitals in Ukraine. Praise God! More of our precious Ukrainian children will have the opportunity to live, rather than die due to a lack of medical treatment.

Speaking of children, I am working with my attorney and an orphanage close to my home. This is a state run orphanage and in very poor condition. My attorney is a Ukrainian Christian man who personally supports and visits this orphanage monthly. They have many needs, especially gifts at Christmas. I know this is a late request, but gifts are appreciated year round. If anyone is interested in providing gifts, please send your blessing to World Vineyard Ministries, PO Box 26, Champlin, MN 55316, in care of orphanage. The ministry email is bible.ua@gmail.com if you would like to know more.

My trip from Kyiv to Amsterdam was uneventful. My new friend was able to sit next to me and we talked about the Lord and she asked many questions regarding the Bible and the ministry. We had a traditional Ukrainian breakfast on this trip which was quite a shock for my friend. I understand her fiancée did not take her out and she did not have a good experience during her visit. I tried to give her some details of the beauty and share some of my photos with her.

Arriving in Amsterdam safely, I had to briskly walk to the connecting flight. My next flight had 300 plus people, we stood in line and waited for almost two hours to get on the plane. In Amsterdam they ask half a dozen personal questions regarding one’s traveling plans, the reason for the trip, places visited during their trip, and of course the questions regarding our luggage. They also check our passports by the barcode! It is a time consuming ordeal.

Ok – now I am on my final flight to America. There is a nice lady from India, currently working in North Dakota on my left and we spoke for quite some time during the trip and the seat on my right was empty. Hoorah, especially when I was seated in the center section of the plane. The second seat to my right was occupied by a nice jovial man. He greeted me and then pulled out his Bible! He studied off and on and we talked about ministry, he had been in India for a minister’s conference. He has a wife and seven children in Oregon. We enjoyed speaking about God’s work in throughout the world today. He is a pastor of a Church of God and has invited me to visit anytime. I was truly blessed with my comrades for this nine and a half hour trek.
My few days home, I visited some of my grandkids and am currently staying with a dear friend and her hubby. She has driven me around so that I could complete some business and to do a bit of shopping. I am in the process of setting up meetings with different pastors, but if anyone would like to visit, please email me at the above email. I am leaving for Ukraine on January 14th, so this is a short visit. However, I have to get back to my day-to-day work and teaching.

Thank you for your support and prayers. I covet your prayer support. The last four months have been very difficult for me. I was personally spiritually and emotionally empty and depressed. With constant prayer and counseling I am finally feeling like myself and am waiting to get back to work and be productive once again!

May your Christmas reveal new truths and may it be filled with love, hope and prosperity. May God’s face shine upon you.

God bless each of you.
Your humble servant,
Kathy

A Spirit of Thanksgiving

A Spirit of Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday. I pray everyone enjoyed good food and fellowship with friends and family.

I have been struggling with depression and oppression for the last several months and I am finally overcoming it. Please forgive me for my lack or apathy of writing and keeping everyone informed of ministry work. Today, I will write of my Thanksgiving experience, then in a couple of days I will write a ministry update.

Yesterday, I awoke with only 4 hours of sleep with lots of cooking to do. My friend and her family were coming for dinner. Her husband, Michael is an American and I wanted to treat Alyona to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

My new apartment in still being remodeled and the kitchen is the last room to be completed! What a challenge for cooking a large meal. I do not have kitchen cupboards and my dishes and spices are still packed. For those of you who do not know, I have been living in this apartment for eight weeks now! It has been a time of testing for me.

Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and cranberry sauce were prepared the night before. Cornbread for the dressing and pumpkin pie had to be baked before my 9 AM exercising appointment. Using a new stove both the cornbread and pie burned! This has never happened to me before. What a way to start the day.

When I returned home, Vika was already working in the kitchen. She is hanging wall paper so we pulled out the refrigerator and cupboard from the wall, leaving about 24 inches to cook. All my spices, utensils, and dishes are still packed in another room; it was time consuming finding the cooking utensils.

I wanted to serve a nice dinner, celebrating American holidays keeps me in touch with who I am and my heritage. With this in mind, I asked the Lord to give me peace and allow me to be a blessing to my friends.

Preparing the food, I realized that the oven was not working. I made a second pie and the oven would stay lit for ten minutes and then turn off, what usually takes an hour to cook, actually took three. I am glad I did not have a whole turkey to cook, only pieces, which took about 90 minutes to cook otherwise we would not have eaten until midnight!

In this process, I decided to wash some clothes. My washer doubles as my counter space! I thought it would be practical to multitask. My potatoes were on the stove cooking and the dressing was sitting on top of the stove needing to be put in the oven. I left the room to set the table and I heard a bang! I figured it was Vika but she was okay. I was dreading to find out what happened! Sure enough – my dressing was turned upside down on the floor! What a site! My heart dropped. I was so discouraged, but I was able to salvage the majority of the dressing. Needless to say, I turned the washer off. I did not need the vibration to send anything else flying into the air!

Between running into the big room to prepare the table and atmosphere, I totally forgot to make the cranberry salad. The stove continued to turn off, and then Michael called. He was checking to see if the ‘rumor’ was true about coming for a traditional dinner. I told him of the problem and they prayed, and miraculously the oven worked. Needless to say, our turkey was cooked to perfection with the Lord’s help.

My guests arrived and Michael sensed my lack of peace and prayed for me. From that moment on we had peace and awesome fellowship. God has truly blessed me with good friends and much to be thankful for.

God bless each of you. Please pray for me, God is changing my personal ministry and I need His perfect timing in my life.

God bless each of you.
Your humble servant,
Kathy

Mixed Emotions plus Spiritual blessings

I spent the first week of September with a friend praying and fasting. I desperately needed God’s wisdom and guidance. There are major changes occurring for me personally and for the ministry. Personally flowing with the change is ok; but it is much more difficult to uproot a ministry and move it after five years. Yes, I have been in Kyiv for five years this November. Can you believe it?

One of the administrators offered me a ride to my friend’s home. I would normally take a small van for this trip, but it was pleasant to visit and listen to worship music. Several weeks prior to this trip had been very stressful and I had very little peace in my life. During the ride I prayed and thanked God for my dear friends here and the opportunity to serve Him. I asked God to bless my friends and touch their lives abundantly. Little did I know, I would be a recipient of some of these blessings. God continues to surprise me.

Most importantly, God began to fill me with peace, peace that I have not experienced for some time. I know that God is always in control, but I do not ‘feel’ that way sometimes. How about you? I love God dearly and my desire is to serve Him, no matter what. Now, I am experiencing the ‘no matter what’ phase. I am sure you can relate to this experience.

There are so many changes transpiring that my head is spinning with all the details. I have that crazy administrator gifting and I like everything in order! Sometimes this gift can be a detriment. People do not realize I have a lifetime of experience moving and they want to tell me what to do. It is just like people (or us), we always know better than the next person, right? In other words, my way is the only way. I try not to convey this attitude, but sometimes I want to scream ‘I am in charge here, listen to me.’

People react rebelliously to my gifting. They claim I do not know what I am talking about. Ohhhh . . . sometimes, I wish God would sit me in a classroom so I could listen rather than be the teacher.

God blessed me with an overwhelming peace during this quiet time with Him. I am able to think clearly about the necessities that need to be taken care of and the needs of the ministry. Please keep me in your prayers especially during the next two months. A missionary needs prayer continually, but sometimes there is a special need.

I want God’s approval and blessings for the changes that are transpiring. If I am in His will, the ministry will be blessed and grow or change, also! That is a disconcerting thought, is it not? Especially for those of us who have known it to be Dr. Vernette’s work. She did an amazing work here, and the work I am doing is based on her lifetime commitment and obedience to the Lord.
Mom, thank you for being an example of a strong Christian woman.

May God bless each of you and may His face shine upon you.

Busy, busy, and more busy

We had our first administrators meeting of the year Friday; and the last in my current residence! What a contrast! This was a difficult meeting for me. We debated the location of the office and if the college should be handed over to a specific church or union. Of course this was not received well. However, our human nature does not like change and we want to hang out in our own little groups. Am I right? For myself, I dislike change.

We covered the new or updated materials. Luda worked tirelessly on translating the new charts and graphs this last year. I am excited this project is completed. We discussed the new prices and procedures. The new degrees were introduced and the administrators were impressed. One of our administrators worked with an attorney updating the degrees.

Graduation this year will be slightly different. I am unable to attend several services because of the immediate need to find an apartment, pack, and move by the 20th of September. Yes, this came as a surprise, at least so quickly; but as always, I know the Lord will provide.

The last several weeks I planned to go out of town for fasting and praying regarding the ministry for the coming year(s). I spent the last of my money on food for the administrators meeting and the next day was my scheduled date for traveling. I had set aside $50.00 and a friend needed the money for their rent. Even though I did not have money I continued to believe I would be going. I reminded God this was His plan and would have to provide the funds. It always amazes me how God works!

Please pray for me. I need God’s wisdom and patience. I am not sure where to move the office and how to handle the college from this point on. Throughout this situation my emotions run from one extreme to another. One day I want to throw my hands up and say ‘I quit.’ The next moment, I am resolved to stay and stamp on the enemies head! I want to walk in God’s perfect will for my life and the ministry and I covet your prayers.

May God bless each of you and may His face shine upon you.
Kathy

Patience

When you think of patience or a patient person, who do you think of? I think of Abraham. How many years did he wait for his promised son? I believe he waited 25 years. What a great example, right?

Now, we need to ask ourselves; how is our patience? Do we get aggravated when we are waiting to take care of business in the drive through? How about the grocery store checkout line? What is it that aggravates you the most when you are waiting in line?

Next question: what would Jesus do while waiting in line? Have you really thought about it? Jesus said He came to (Isaiah 61 and Luke 4):
• tell everyone the good news
• Comfort those with broken hearts
• Announce freedom to those who are bound
• And set the prisoners free from their prisons

As I see it, our mission field is where we are planted. The people standing next to us in line, who are becoming irritated waiting. A kind word may help soothe that person, or allowing that person to cut in front of you. Are we Jesus’ true examples in everything we do?

This morning, I dreaded having to go to the banks (yes, plural) and take care of business. Last month it took me three hours, to pick up money at one bank and go to another to pay the bills! Can you believe it? This morning as I headed out, I asked the Lord to help me smile at the right people, to say hi, to bless those who really needed it and open a door(s) for the elderly.
God answered my prayer. I was looking for an opportunity to serve Him while completing my own business. What an honor it is to serve our God and Savior. Instead of being frustrated with the wait I was able to look for His opportunities to serve others. By the way, I only waited in line for forty minutes today! Minding God’s business first, made my waiting time seem much shorter and hopefully I was able to bless others today.

Next time you are in line, look for an ‘opportunity’.
God bless you.
Kathy

What Are You Going To Do?

What are you going to do?

As many of you know, I am using this summer to study the Word and write a few more courses for the college. This afternoon I came across the following and found it quite touching. I began thinking about my life and whether or not I impact people for the Lord. There is so much more work to do, I am not qualified, but I am willing.

I cannot take credit for the following, Chuck Missler used it in one of his teachings and he credited his friend for this information. I hope you enjoy the story.

Edward Kimball –who went to a shoe store to speak to one of his Sunday school students
Won the young man to the Lord – the name of this student was . . .

Dwight L. Moody
Dwight was preaching in the British Isles at Meyer’s church
He told of an emotionally charged story of a Sunday school teacher who witnessed to every student in his class and they were all saved

Frederick Brotherton Meyer was inspired to become an evangelist by Moody’s story of the Sunday School teacher.
He visited America several times
One time he preached in Northfield, Massachusetts
He asked ‘if you aren’t willing to give everything to God, then are you willing to be made willing’
This remark affected a confused young pastor in the audience and

J. Wilbur Chapman accepted this call in his life
He became one of them most effective evangelists of his time
A volunteer in Chapman’s ministry watched and learned how to preach from J. Wilbur Chapman, this volunteer was . . .

Billy Sunday
Sunday eventually took over Chapman’s ministry
He became one of the most effective evangelists in the 20th century
His message turned thousands to Christ
Inspired by a 1924 Sunday crusade in Charlotte NC by Sunday, a committee decided to reach their city for Christ, inviting . . .

Mordecai Ham to hold a series of evangelistic meetings
A lanky 16 year old sat in the crowd and was spell bound by the preaching of this white haired preacher
Night after night this lad attended and eventually answered the call of salvation
That teenagers name . . .

Billy Graham – we all know what Billy Graham has accomplished!

Edward Kimball – a nobody, who went to shoe store impacted the world today


Without Him we cannot - Without us, He will not

What do you think?
What are you going to do about it?

God bless you. Kathy

Collecting Stones for Rebuilding the Temple Altar

Collecting Stones for Rebuilding the Temple Altar

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Personal Thoughts

It has been a couple of weeks since I wrote on the blog. I thought I would give you a break from my intense tour of Krakow. I am in Kyiv studying, spending time with God, and enjoying my alone time.

The other day, I visited the Botanical gardens it was a very hot day. I found a couple of paths that were canopied with trees. What a refreshing spot to sit and enjoy the weather and the beautiful gardens. There were many grandmas and grandpas with their grandkids.

During my garden tour, I met two American women who attend a Ukrainian church in New Jersey. It was fun to pray with them and bless them, along with their Ukrainian host family.

I wonder, if I was in America, if I would be as bold about my Christianity as I am here. I guess maybe so, it has become a lifestyle for me.

Traveling to the garden was long and hot. I took one small bus, the Metro, (train) and an electric bus. Wow! It took 90 minutes riding around town. I enjoyed being out and about and away from my intense studying. And visiting the garden is worth the time. I found a less time consuming way home!

Personal reflection:
Krakow has changed me forever. It did not have the same impact as Israel, nonetheless I have changed. I loved Krakow, it is a beautiful city full of rich history. I highly recommend it as a must see!

Auschwitz: it is hard to imagine that a human being could inflict so much pain and agony on another. The trip is very educational, yet so oppressing. I wonder if this type of persecution will be experienced by Christians someday.

I also realized that as many times as Satan has tried to destroy God’s chosen people there is always a remnant that survives. Studying Matthew, the feasts and now doing an in-depth study of the Old Testament, I see all the different attempts to stop the Messiah from coming forth. As Christians, we know the Messiah came and fulfilled the Spring Feasts and will return to fulfill the Fall Feasts. Praise God!

I mentioned that I am making a few personal changes, this week I visited my favorite beautician and had my hair cut and styled. She cut off 8 inches! I could not believe it, don’t worry, I still have hair! It was fun to do something really different for me.

God bless each of you for your faithfulness. Kathy

Tour of Kazimierz, The Ghetto, and Schindler's Factory

Day 4 – Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter and Schindler’s factory

Today, I woke up as early as ever with the sun shining at 4:30 AM. I finished writing today's blog of yesterday’s journey. Did you get that? I am a day late on the blog.
I will be touring the Kazimierz and The Ghetto today. I have been to both of these places on the little golf cart on Monday. I know three hours of walking our guide will provide more historical details and enlighten me even further.

I want to see the Remuh Synagogue it contains the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe. This is a photo of the carving over the synagogue door.

I left the hotel at 8:30 this morning. I had to buy a ticket for the tour and I wanted to sit on the Main Square, drink coffee, and relax. I had about 45 minutes to sit and watch people and the busyness of the morning preparing for another day.

I strolled along to our meeting place. I took a few photos of the Square and the small church; waiting for the guide to arrive. Jacek was the same guide as my Tuesday trip: ‘The Royal Route Tour’. He is interesting and extremely knowledgeable. Rebecca was on the tour to Auschwitz yesterday with me. She is a nice young lady from Australia who is traveling throughout Europe on her summer break. There were two mature women from Sweden, it was great fun to listen to them speak Swedish, at one time in my life, I knew a little bit of the language. The married couple was a Jewish couple from New York! He is a Kohen*. This tour turned out to be surprisingly interesting. I talked to everyone and of course, I had tons of questions.

*Today one is considered a Kohen if he is a direct descendant of Aaron, the
brother of Moses! God blessed me once again with a new friendship.

Once again, we had a small and comfortable group. It was another hot day, with a breeze. We walked for three and a half hours, learning about the Jewish district and The Ghetto. There were so many facts, one I found particularly interesting was the small Jewish trading square had two roads leading through it. These roads connected the market square internationally.

There were 60,000 plus Jews living in Krakow pre-WWII. This was one-fifth of the city’s population. There are/were seven main synagogues in the old Jewish Quarter. The Jewish population today is only 200. The synagogues are used as museums and not worship centers.

We visited the memorial for the Ghetto; it is a large squared area that originally was the entrance point to the Ghetto. It is filled with empty chairs, the chairs are oversized. The chairs are symbolic of the Jewish furniture the Germans throughout in the square, while evacuating the Jews to the concentration camps.

The guard house still stands and is used for a flower shop today. Jacek told us that the ghetto was set up in such a manner that when the Jews entered, they realized they were going to die here. Now, I am unclear of all the facts regarding this, but the wall surrounding the ghetto appeared to look like Jewish tombstones. If that does not make one uneasy, I do not know what would.

We were able to go into the Remuh Synagogue. It is a very small synagogue and contains the oldest Jewish cemetery. The cemetery was used between the years of 1500 and 1800’s. The Germans of course desecrated it by using it as a place for garbage. Archaeologists discovered it many years ago and have restored it. Today, you find pebbles which people bring in to honor the dead. This tradition dates back to the time of the Wilderness wanderings.

A commemorative wall has been built surrounding the cemetery. In Jewish cemeteries they use symbols and sayings on the gravestones. Notice the different symbols the artists used in the wall.

The Kohen immediately washed his hands upon exiting the cemetery. He made the comment that he was not supposed to be in there. I did get a few pictures of him enjoying the sites of Kazimierz and The Ghetto.

We also toured Schindler’s factory. They only have a small part of the new museum opened. However, we were able to read the history of Schindler and his factory. I am sure many of you have seen the movie ‘Schindler’s List.’ If not, I would recommend you watch it. We were able to visit the original sites that were used in the movie!

Today was not as emotional as touring Auschwitz, but the reality of what happened has become real. It is no longer just a story or part of history on the other side of the world. I have seen the faces, their homes and where they died. I witnessed photographs of inhuman abuse of one another. I have seen photographs of Soldiers without a care; sending people to their deaths. Even the innocent children died because someone did not like them because of their heritage.

The point is; will this happen to us as Christians someday? Is the world safe or will we face concentration camps in the near future?

Tour of Auschwitz

Day 3 – Auschwitz and Birkenau

I awoke to another beautiful day in Poland. This morning I finished writing the article for yesterday and uploaded it to the blog. Uploading the photos was very slow, especially for the video.

Auschwitz is sixty-nine kilometers or about fifty-six miles from Krakow. It was a beautiful ride through the country. I am amazed at how clean Poland is, it is so much different than Ukraine. The buildings are maintained, painted and clean. They have beautiful manicured lawns, both in Krakow and the country.

We arrived at Auschwitz and the first thing we see is a sign stating, ‘Auschwitz Museum.’ This struck me differently; I found it almost offensive. The guide did not explain to us what was happening, I felt overwhelmed and lost, I suppose like the people who were brought into Auschwitz on the cattle cars (train cars). She gathered us together and herded us into an area to give us headphones and receivers. We were briefly introduced to our Auschwitz guide who instructed us to set our receivers to channel 1 and we were on our way.

We were given several other instructions. Smoking and eating is not allowed at Auschwitz. We were also told to be courteous and considerate of the memory of those who lost their lives there. We were instructed not to talk or smile during the tour.

I do not know how much knowledge you have about the Germans and the concentration camps, so please bear with me. My group was fairly uneducated of the how and whys. The guide made the statement ‘As people learn about what happened at Auschwitz; we will be able to change history.’ My thoughts turned to the persecution of Christians today and how it will worsen in the last days.

Satan has attempted to wipe out God’s chosen people from the very beginning, when God made the statement that the Messiah would come from the seed of Eve. He has tried to thwart God’s plan and kill the Messiah throughout the ages. Can you count the number of times; beginning with the Nephilim?

This camp was originally built for Polish prisoners and then expanded to contain Russian prisoners as well. Then with Hitler’s plan of purifying the world, it became a death sentence for the Jewish race.

We entered the camp and stopped at the first barrack where people were registered. Out of the million plus Jews brought to Auschwitz only about 2,000 were registered. The majority of Jewish people were marched straight to the gas chambers. Next to this structure was the arch under which they passed. The sign read ‘Work is the way to freedom.’

We walked down rows of barracks that contained prisoners in the past. These barracks now contain some of their photographs and personal items. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside the buildings. There were many photographs telling the story of Auschwitz.

I had a difficult time viewing the two tons of hair which was on display. When the Jews entered Auschwitz their hair was shaved off. In fact when they discovered the hair after the Nazi’s evacuation, the hair still contained some of the gas they used for delousing. They had a bolt of material made from the hair. The material was used to make socks for the German soldiers being it was a very warm material.

There were shoes, suitcases, combs, shaving brushes, even toothbrushes on display. We saw household dishes, covers for bottles and jars, legal identification papers, and arrest papers. Seeing the children’s photographs, clothes and toys was very difficult to see and absorb.

There were several prison uniforms on display, with a winter coat, which looked like light cotton. The prisoner’s wooden shoes were displayed. When the prisoners arrived at the camp, they were forced to leave their personal belongings on the train deck. They were herded into two lines, men in the first line and women and children in the other line. A German soldier would stand there and point the direction or fate of that person. Usually the women and children were sent directly to the gas chambers. Those able to work were spared for the moment from the gas chambers.

Women had a very difficult time adjusting to this lifestyle and the majority passed away within two to eight weeks after their arrival. The children were unable to work and considered useless, the same was true for the elderly and the handicapped. These people were considered useless and valueless and were sent directly to the gas chambers. I cannot imagine this, I have a grandson who has special needs, he is the most lovable child and yet if he had been brought to Auschwitz his condition was a death sentence.

They had a display of talits. The guide walked right past them without a word. I was shocked! I complained on the survey they asked to me fill out. Maybe my heart is too sensitive toward the Jew and their beliefs.

We viewed the firing wall where thousands of men lost their lives. We toured the building where the court was held and the men were condemned to die by the firing squad. We saw the room where the women undressed and waited to be executed. The condemned were brought out two by two and made to kneel facing the wall. They were shot in the back of the head. Polish soldiers who had been found guilty would stand and face their accusers; who shot them in the forehead. The guide told us the ground was stained with blood fifty feet away from the wall.

The firing wall was located between two buildings, the court building also known as block 11, which had a jail in the basement and the hospital housing women and children on the other side. On this building there were wooden slats covering the windows. I am sure the slats did not muffle the sounds of the guns or screams.

The prisoners called the hospitals a death wish. No one wanted to go to the hospital. I will not cover the medical atrocities that were committed there.

We were taken to Birkenau, and only allowed to visit two of the barracks. Both barracks were holding barracks where prisoners were held for the first two months of their stay. It was ironic that there were metal rings attached to the walls. The barracks were originally built to house fifty horses not thousands of people.

Needless to say, we were emotionally exhausted. Returning to my hotel, I tried to write, but could not even think. I tried to relax and fell asleep for about two hours; Auschwitz is very oppressing.

In the evening, I went out to the garden to write and connect to the internet. I met a couple of people and we talked until midnight. The gal is from Poland and the gentleman lives in Welsh, he is a Jew. Our conversation is story for another day.

The Royal Route Tour

Day 2: Tuesday

I woke to sunshine pouring into my room at 4:30 AM. What a beautiful sight, now it is beginning to get foggy, the same thing happened yesterday, but the fog lifted eventually and the sun had full reign of the sky. I hope it becomes over cast, I will be outside many hours today and I do not have any sun screen! Oooops, something I had not thought about.

There is a change of plans because of a slight misunderstanding about my ticket and reservation. So I will visit Auschwitz tomorrow. Later this afternoon I will go back to the Town Square and join a walking group tour. Yesterday my tour was on a golf cart.

I left the hotel about 12:30 because I had to buy a ticket for the tour beginning at 2. I had no idea where the ticket office was. I am glad it left early, I asked for directions and people had me running in the opposite direction of the ticket office. The tour guide from yesterday took me to the correct street and pointed out the building.

I arrived at the ticket office about 1:15, purchased my ticket and decided to walk around and enjoy the sights, people and souvenir stands. As I was enjoying the sights I began to turn bright red, I was getting sunburn. The sun was hot and there was not a cloud in the sky. Knowing I would be outside for the rest of the day, I found a pharmacy and purchased sunscreen. I have no idea what this stuff costs, but here it was $20.

I am covered with sunscreen and ready to tour the city by foot. I was the first of our group to show up and with fifty or sixty other people gathered where we were to meet I asked around if anyone was there for the same tour. I met a woman from Ukraine and talked to her a bit. Then I continued my search for the group. I found them, there were three of us, and my comrades were husband and wife from England. The small group was very comfortable we could hear the guide easily. I really enjoyed making new friends and after the tour we stopped and had a fruit drink and rested our poor tired feet. Ok, my spirit feels like 20 but my body tells me differently.

I truly enjoyed our walking tour. We began at the Main Trade Hall and made our way down Grodzka Street leading to the zamek which is the Polish translation for castle.
It is better known as Wawel Hill, the Royal Castle, Treasury and the Cathedral. We discovered numerous churches along the way. Our first stop and history lesson was at All Saints square where we visited St Francis church and St Domican Church. Our guide is very knowledgeable about Poland’s history and had many great story and legends to share with us.

Many of Krakow’s historical buildings are original. Krakow was saved from most of the destruction of WWI and WWII. It was occupied, but by some strange phenomenon never destroyed. They were bombed with two bombs during WWII, the one bomb detonated but did not destroy a building, and the second bomb is buried and undetonated under the Royal Castle.

The history is very rich and as you can imagine some of the buildings are very old, many are of gothic architect; the Italian architect is unbelievable. Numerous buildings date as early as the 11th century. I will not bore you with all the dates, but Krakow is a very beautiful and old city.

As we continue our journey towards the castle, we pass many churches, the one that I like is St Paul and Peter’s church. The twelve apostles guard the door to the church, the statutes are life sized. We passed several homes of cardinals and bishops. They would mark there place of residence with a symbol of a hat. The sculptures were beautiful, but I got the impression it was saying ‘look, I live here’.

We arrived at the castle and heard many historical stories of the buildings and reigns of kings and their families. The castle was built in the 10th century and the treasury was built in 1502. Outside the castle is a statue of General Kascicihszko. The guide told us that he was friends with President Washington and Ben Franklin. I will include a photo of the General. It was a very interesting story. He also told the English couple that he was the first general to beat England, they laughed.

Leaving Wawel Hill we followed a beautiful park route which used to be the moat for the castle and the city boundary. We passed a beautiful building that served as residence for the SS during the war. We visited the oldest university in Europe and our next visit was another St Francis church. There is a beautiful stained glass window over the entrance of the church. I will include it with the story. At first glance, it appears it may be Moses. It is told that the artist used his uncle’s face who was the town’s beggar at that time.

Our tour brought us back to the Main Trade Center and beyond. We visited St. Mary’s and heard the story about the bugler. The trumpet has played every hour since the 16th century. I am including a video of the sound, (Please forgive me for the orientation of the picture.) Our last stop was the original main gate to the old city. It is beautiful. It is hard to imagine this city is so old; America is only 400 years young.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful tour filled with facts and information. I took brief notes for my photos and to remind me of what I saw. I am curious and want to research the history of Krakow a little more.

Tomorrow I will be visiting Auschwitz.

Traveling . . . What is this?

Well, I left Kyiv on Sunday afternoon. This was the first time I was able to get myself to the airport alone! My bus fair was only 22 HRV or about $2.90 for 20 kilometers. My reservation showed departure time at 20:15 or 8:15. The airlines instructed me to be at the airport two hours early which is normal for international flying. However, my flight left an hour earlier than my itinerary! I do not know what happened.

In Kyiv, unless the agents are at the ticket desk you are unable to enter the airport check in area. This was my first time flying this airline, so I asked a question and the agent misunderstood me and tried to send me to London! That would have been great a year ago, but my friends live in Ghana, now. Oh well, I knew the Lord was with me and I have favor wherever I go.

Hey folks, Wizz Air, does not assign seats. What do you think about that? Hmmm, maybe that is why they are so cheap. Oh well, I arrived at my destination safe and sound.

It is another one of those wonderful days that I can count my blessings and ask God to help me walk in faith once again. I arrived in Katowice in great time. I don’t think we were in the air ninety minutes. We touched ground and I was excited to be in Poland. I know God has something special for me here.


Next thing on the agenda is to get through customs. Entering America as a US citizen is a breeze. However, traveling throughout Europe for the nationals is not ease sometimes. Many of us got into a wrong customs line and ended up at the end of the correct line. Some of us stood in line for customs the same amount of time it took to fly! Just another lesson in patience.

We made it through customs and those of us that were last, had easy pickings with the luggage! There was no one to push, step on our toes or push our luggage away. There is always something good about every situation.

I sighed long and deep when I left the customs area. Now it was time to move onto the next step of my journey. I need to exchange money. I did a bit of research and found that Polish money was PLNs. I found the airport bank to exchange money. I asked for PLNs and the clerk gives me zlotkys! Now, I was really confused but I took my 300 zlotkys for $100. Though, I felt a bit cheated. In Ukraine I get 760 hrv for $100.

The next phase is to find transportation to the hotel. Right? Well, I missed my ride due to the length of time in customs. I had reserved a bus ride. The charge was 80 PLNs for a round trip bus ride to Krakow, so I figured about $60 and put this in my budget. However, I was too late to take the bus because of customs and my only alternative was a taxi. OH MY! The driver told me Krakow was 115 kilometers from the airport so I swallowed hard and asked what it was going to cost. Hold onto your belts! The taxi fair to the hotel was $150. My round trip air ticket was less than $80. Ok, God blessed me with enough money for this trip, now I have to step out in faith or ask for help.

Our excursion took an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the hotel. The first part of the ride was very pleasant the sky was pink with the sun going down and dark, dark storm clouds were ahead of us. The country is so beautiful there are many forests, small and large. It was too dark to take any photos along the way so I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. At times, I felt like I was in northern Minnesota with the forests coming right up to the highway. I was amazed at how much newer the buildings are than Ukraine and how much cleaner everything is.

Along the way we had to stop because of the rain and hail. Finally we arrived at our destination. I registered and went up to my room. I believe I counted 54 steps; I am on the fourth floor. I unpacked and set up the computer, by this time it was about 11 P.M.

I tried to connect to the internet and was unsuccessful. No problem, I walked down stairs and the clerk gave me the password for the wireless network and I returned to my room. I tried to connect again and was unproductive. I decided to go back to the office and see if she had any additional information. She gave me another password and I returned to my room again. Again, I could not connect. I gave up.

I had not eaten or had anything to drink for about 5 hours and I was getting a headache. I walked down to the cafeteria to get some coffee which is five floors. It tasted so good and I finally called it a day.

Just a buzz and a stronghold . . .

Strange title? I hope it worked, if you are reading this, than I accomplished my goal.

Our supermarkets are equipped with those metal things that detect whether or not you are walking away with unpaid product. The stores also have people walking around watching everyone. There is still a mode of distrust but it is not like it was five or ten years ago!

About seven years ago, I was in a supermarket with my father and I took out a pack of gum from my purse and handed some to my father and I partook of a piece. It did not take 5 seconds and someone came up behind me and grabbed my arm and the gum. I thought Oh No! This was my first trip to Ukraine and I could not speak one word of Russian! By the grace of God all ended well and we were allowed to go our way.

Normally I shop alone. I love to go to the open markets or bazaars and shop. I love trying my Russian on the бабушки (grandmas). I purposely go back to the same ladies, they know what I like and understand my poor Russian grammar! The supermarkets are easy; they are like American stores, rows and rows of product and then lines of people at the checkout counter.

If you ever asked God to give you patience and you want to check how much patience you have, please come and stand in some of our lines. I had to do some banking the other day and I waited in line for an hour and then, it took an hour and half to complete the transaction! That calls for patience. As Americans we have a drive through mentality and many of us would not survive in other parts of the world.

Yesterday, it was hot, about 95 when I left the apartment. It was comfortable with a breeze and walking in the shade. I enjoyed the walk three blocks to the supermarket. On my arrival, I entered the store and took a cart; I usually buy more than I can carry while shopping. Sounds like America, right? There isn’t too much difference in Kyiv and America. Now I am not speaking of the smaller towns and villages, some of them are still quite backwards without running water and electricity.

I enjoyed the cool air in the supermarket and watching people as I shopped. There were numerous moms with their strollers and babies. It is so much fun to wink or wave at the little ones and watch their reactions. As I completed my shopping I headed towards the checkout counter.

I unloaded my groceries on the counter and took out my discount card and waited for my turn. The clerk first asks; “Do you want a packet or bag?” Of course I said no, I bring my own and then she swiped my card and proceeded to check each item. I returned the items to my cart, paid the clerk and proceeded to the counter where we bag our items.

As I was returning my cart to the stall, by the way, how many of you do that? NO preaching – on with the story.
I went through the metal and a buzzer YELLED at me and a man grabbed my arm. He began to speak quite rapidly and I asked him to “Говорите медленно пожалуйста” (speak slowly please). He looked at me strangely and I handed him my receipt and told him it was most likely the мясо или колбаса (meat or sausage). He wanted the meat and I gave it to him. He had me walk back through the metal and I didn’t set off the alarms! He walked through with the sausage and he set off the detectors. He made sure that the sausage was on my check he smiled and said спасибо и пока (thank you and bye).

Once again, I survived a day in Ukraine. I am so grateful we serve an awesome God, no matter the situation, He provides all we need. I am learning more and more to trust God in every area of my life. I am glad I have had this opportunity not only to do God’s work but learn to live by faith daily for every area of my life.

Differences in Cultures

How many have attended a funeral of one who went home to the Lord? Now, how many of us watched those without Hope (Jesus); suffer knowing they will never see their loved one again? Difficult questions and complex times – yes.

I experienced these situations the past couple of weeks. I prayed with a dear friend and watched her mourn the loss of her brother. Though she mourns, she is joyful knowing he received Jesus before he left this life. In her brother’s death, she and her hubby have witnessed to several others. They were asked to return and minister to others in the hospital.

We serve a mighty and awesome God who can raise the dead! We believe the young men they have witnessed to will receive complete healing and restoration, please pray and agree with us for Oleg, a young man in the hospital who needs God’s touch physically and spiritually. He is open to listening to the Word of God. Thank you.

Let me tell you the story about a Ukrainian funeral from an American point of view. I say this, because some of my Ukrainian friends will read this and please dear friends, do not be offended or hurt by feelings or my observations. I love Ukraine and those involved in this situation.

The other night my friend called to let me know her brother passed away. She needed prayer and asked me to pray for the children. They were unsettled, loud and difficult to handle. The children are 3 and 6 years old and the family lives in a ONE room apartment! Prayer is an easy way to help wherever we are we can pray. She told me the funeral was the next morning and asked if I would come and pray during the service and I agreed.

I was supposed to meet my friend’s hubby down the street and go with him. Plans changed and my friend stopped by the apartment with her sister. I had no idea of where we were going or what was going to happen. We walked down to the hospital where her brother had been and waited for a bus. They hired a funeral service company to handle all the arrangements.

An old bus pulled up, and drove through a little alley, and we followed. I have seen several busses like this; watching funerals outside the apartment buildings. This was unusual, we went to the hospital. My friend’s hubby bought a suit for the deceased and brought it with him that morning.

The woman in charge took the suit into a little shack, behind an old, old building which was the hospital. My friend told me the hospital was old and very dirty inside, I did not inquire any more about the conditions. The woman took the suit into this shack and a man was standing outside the shack holding a chinchilla. He took the suit and went into the shack. Now, mind you, this shack had a dirt floor! I was wondering what would happen.

As an American, I expected my friend’s brother to still be in the hospital. Well, in a few minutes they carried the deceased in his coffin and his new suit to the bus we were in. They loaded him through a trap door in the back and then placed the cover on, bolting it down lightly with one screw. This coffin is the same type you see in the old western movies; do I need to say more?

My friend’s sister does not know the Lord. When she looked at her brother she began to cry. I felt so sorry for her, I wanted to put my arms around her and tell her that he was in Jesus’ arms and with out pain. But, this would have been inappropriate; so, I refrained.

It is a strange feeling when you have to inquire about how to act, move and what to say at an occasion that one has attended many times. I did not want to offend anyone, and had to be reminded twice to whisper. I had to ask for forgiveness.

We, the family and the deceased and the hired casket bearers rode the bus to the Crematorium office. I went in with the family and observed all the legalities and paper signing along with selecting the final resting place, a beautiful gray and black urn. We returned to the bus and went to the actual crematorium. There was a priest waiting to perform the service and for the family to say their final good-byes. The casket was re-opened for the service.

Photo of the mortuary!

Each of us were given a bee’s wax candle and it was lit for the duration of the service. The casket cover was covered with a traditional Ukrainian cloth embroidered with red and black with a loaf of black bread sitting on the cloth. When the service was completed; on key, we snubbed out the candles, we did not blow them out, we used our fingers, then placed the candles in the casket. We also placed our flowers in the casket prior to the service. The cover was placed on the casket and it was lowered into the crematorium. We stood there for a moment, not a word was spoken. We were escorted back to the bus and left. We were then dropped off at a bus stop to catch a regular bus (marschrutka) home.

I was numb, no tears, no grief, no one kissed the deceased. The priest did not even greet the family members. I am still sitting here wondering where is the unity of a family, the love of a pastor/priest for the people. What is wrong here? When my son passed away, I remember many hugs and warm words. There was nothing at this funeral.

My friend’s sister had to leave for Moscow that same day, I hugged her as she was leaving and prayed with her I told her I loved her and hoped we would see each other again. She began to cry and I cried with her. I wanted her to receive Jesus but . . .

Celebrating A Chruch Birthday

This has been a full weekend for me. I left Kyiv Friday night for Kherson, arrived there Saturday morning and taught until 4:45. We fellowshipped with the pastor and then headed back to Kyiv by 8:30 PM. Arriving in Kyiv at 9:30 AM, I took a taxi which took me to the marschrutka (small bus) that drove me to Cherkasy. Our ride to Cherkasy is normally about two hours; this time it was four. The main bridge was being repaired and we had to take an alternative route. This new route blessed me; it reminded me of the back roads of northern Minnesota. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Arriving in Cherkasy about 2:15, I met Sasha, my friend’s son. We walked to church, it was hot and I was tired, but the walk felt good after riding all night and morning. I was concerned about being late but God got me to the church on time!

The service was wonderful; the churches love to celebrate their birthdays with dance, drama and worship! Please review the attached video and photos. I cannot remember how many pastors were there to honor the church and its work. I do not know the pastor personally, but I know his fruit. I have been working with members of his congregation for three years and am close friends with some of the members. Their lives and servant’s attitude says a lot about their pastor. I commended him for his faithfulness and doing the Lord’s work.

After the service, the church blessed the pastors with a party, great food and wonderful fellowship. The theme was ‘a children’s birthday party’. We had to wear party hats as a ticket to get into the party and all the women received a balloon animal! They had children’s games with everyone participating. The pastors formed a band, using children’s musical instruments. They tied balloons to the men’s shoes and each pastor tried to pop the others. The women participated in other games, also. It was a great time. We were able to be regular people having fun just like children!

Jesus said "Let the little children come to me. Don't keep them away. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them."

Alyona had an amazing program for the church birthday. She is the children’s pastor and has a heart to teach them worship and is introducing them to the Lord’s feasts or celebrations. She is truly anointed. She has allowed God to take her to a higher level in worship and dance. (Dancers – this is the fruit of a heart pursuing to worship God and sharing that love and joy with others! Please be encouraged and do not stop dancing.)

Listening to the Still Quiet Voice

Attending the prophetic conference heightened my sensitivity to hearing the Holy Spirit. Now, I need to learn what to do with this information. Sometimes the answer is obvious and other times it is not.

To make a long story short, I had anew interpreter this weekend. We met at the train station and became quite caught up in ministry immediately with our roommates. Do not be shocked, we only had 2, we could have had 45-50! We use regular Ukrainian transportation. We purchase seats/bunks in a coupe (train room) with four beds, it is the most efficient and safest way to travel.

On my way to the Metro, (the city train) I met a young man who is attending the Seventh Day Adventist seminary. He was anxious to practice his English and I enjoyed the visit. It was exciting to hear about his plans to minister in the villages. I prayed with him for God’s blessing and will to be performed in his life.

On the train, our roommates were like night and day. One gentleman is Greek Orthodox and full of questions and believed in a personal relationship with Jesus. I was so excited to hear this. His wife teaches hermeneutics and linguistics in the Orthodox seminaries. We visited for a quite awhile. In fact our neighbors were upset about our religious conversation and asked us to stop! Maybe she was feeling a little conviction? We closed our door to honor her request.

The other man has had an unhappy experience with religion. His wife left, both her and his son are believers. He does not know how to have a relationship with his son. He is angry about his wife’s belief and resents his son reading the Bible. Please pray God opens the door for a new relationship between them.

Class was interesting; once again the students stretched me and kept me humble. The class flowed very well and it helped that Olga and I flowed in the Spirit together. My desire is that this will happen more and more in every class. (This depends on the interpreter’s attitude and beliefs). I want the Spirit to open the student’s eyes to more revelation. This class was introduced to the thought that law and grace co-exist and we discovered the reality of Jesus’ physical suffering on the cross.

Photo: worshiping before class

The Kherson college would like to continue their studies through the summer. I need the Lord’s wisdom and guidance in this area. I was going to use the summer to write more courses. I do not have time to do this during the year, while I teach and travel. Please pray God gives me wisdom.

May God richly bless each of you.

Catch up time . . . Priestly Blessing

Since my last blog, there has been so much happening. I attended a two week prophetic seminar. Anita Giovannoni is from South Africa and her teaching was absolutely wonderful. Every student experienced a deeper move of God personally. The seminar was spiritually refreshing.

A friend and teacher in the college also attended. He began to move in a new way in prophetic painting. Please pray God continues to move in his life. The conference directors instructed my friend to sell his paintings the last day of the conference. Every painting sold; which was an encouragement and a blessing for him.

During the seminar, I was scheduled to teach in Dnipropetrovs’k. With a renewed spirit the studying, preparation and teaching was easy to do. During class, the Holy Spirit fell, there was singing in the spirit with interpretation. This was a sweet and special time worshiping and fellowshipping. There was another singing in the spirit, this time in Hebrew, it was the Priestly blessing.

During my preparation time, I was reading the Priestly Blessing and God revealed something new to me.

Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: (5) The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: (6) The LORD lift up his countenance (face) upon thee, and give thee peace.

Notice the phrase “May the LORD lift up His face toward you ...” this provides a picture of God holding us up in His arms, as a delighted father might hold up his young child in joy ... God ‘lifts up His face’ as He holds us up in divine joy!

Praise God, I love the picture of God holding me above His head playing with me and loving me. How about you?

This month the topic was ‘The Life of Christ’. God provided new and additional information for the class. We used maps and diagrams to further our understanding regarding Jesus’ travels during His ministry. We also discussed the medical aspect and history of crucifixion. New insight to the pain and agony Jesus really suffered on the cross affected us in a more personal manner. We also discussed the Jewish perspective of the Torah and touched on ‘law versus grace.’

Tonight I travel to Kherson to teach the same class. Please pray God moves in a special way. I have a new interpreter for tomorrow. I am praying and believing the Holy Spirit will visit us in a new and refreshing way tomorrow in class like He did in Dnipropetrovs’k.

Last Seder of 2009 - Plus

April was a busy month of traveling and fellowshipping with friends during the Passover season. Our Passover Seders are part of the college program. We have a great time experiencing a traditional Jewish Seder plus learning of the traditions and Biblical roots of the Seder.

Our last Seder was held in Kherson. We started late, but enjoyed our time together. There always are issues when the administrator is absent. The group is like a flock of sheep who don’t know what to do! So, with a few instructions everything falls into place. The Lord touched each of us in a special way. The college did not make arrangements for photos during the Seder. I apologize for this.

Kherson’s Pastor shared with me of his Jewish roots. He has attended an Orthodox Seder, of course which is different than the colleges program. We teach about the Seder and how it reveals the Messiah.

Please continue to pray God opens and softens hearts to receive His word.

While in Kherson, Luda and I visited an old fortress including a church founded by Catherine the Great! It was interesting to see the well, where they dug escape tunnels and to photograph some of the church statues and walk through the park. Seeing history is much more exciting than reading about it.
It is hard to believe that over 200 years ago, Catherine persevered and was victorious in obtaining access to Ukraine’s southern regions. She built fortresses and cities during her conquerors. Kherson is one of these areas. The walls were mounds of dirt, with an iron gate. Catherine’s goal was to retrieve access to the Black Sea to increase Russia’s shipping potential.

Personal note: This past week, I had an opportunity to visit a dentist! I have not been to a dentist to have my teeth cleaned in about five or six years. Luda called and checked prices and cleaning methods. We found a dentist in our building that is reasonably priced. Wow! I was in for quite an experience. They use ultra sound and a machine like a pressure washer! Am I behind the times or is this a new treatment? I know one thing, it cleaned my teeth! I feel like a new person.

Thank you for your prayers, we covet them greatly.

Passover Seder and Theatre

Truth Church – Seder:

This past weekend I spent in Cherkasy. There were twenty-eight students attending the Seder and everyone had a great time. This Seder had more of a teaching atmosphere so in order to make it more enjoyable we did pantomime. When we poured out our cups of joy (the 2nd cup) with the ten plagues, we broke into groups and acted out the plagues! There was darkness flies, boils, plagues on the cattle and even death. Unfortunately most of my photos did not turn out; it is difficult to be teacher and photographer at the same time.

Again, the Holy Spirit presented Himself in a strong and mighty way. Each of us received new revelation regarding the Passover. Even the instructors! The class asked to learn the Hebrew prayers which surprised us. In order to fulfill this desire the Hebrew prayers will be added to our Haggadah for next year.

I was truly blessed once again by the openness of the students and their desire to learn more of God’s Word. I am blessed watching God mature His children. My desire is to be filled with more of His word in order to teach others.

Word of Life Church – Pesach:

Sunday, we celebrated the Orthodox Pesach. We do not call it Easter. It is strange that America has chosen to use a word with pagan roots to refer to the resurrection of Christ. Well, it is worth some personal thought.

I attended the children’s church at Word of Life for Pesach. Alyona is the Children’s minister, my friend and gracious host while I stay in Cherkasy. She had an amazing program for the children.

The children were greeted by Pharaoh and immediately were tied at the wrists in their slavery. They were forced to make bricks (color bricks on the walls) and were whipped (soft yarn rope)! Ok, get the picture? These children experienced slavery in a fun way. As we left the service adults were tearing up because Pesach now had a new meaning for them.


Now, Moses was in the wilderness where he encountered God, or God came to meet Moses and call him to lead the Children out of Egypt.

The little folks who were not tied up, became frogs; they had frogs banded on their palms. They invaded Pharaoh’s home and Egypt! They had a great time hopping all over the place.


Moses used hyssop and covered the door with blood. The children entered and when the death angel appeared, they were saved. Moses led them to the sea (long blue cloths) which parted when he prayed. Moses led the children through the sea on dry ground. Pharaoh followed the children and the sea swallowed him up!

To bring the entire story to a close, Alyona had a miniature Passover Seder for the children. She explained the Seder plate and what each item meant. She served the children maror (horseradish), bitter herbs (parsley) and wine (grape juice). The children enjoyed the theater and went home with a new understanding of Pesach. Passover is the story of freedom and redemption!

The question now is why as adult Christians do we not recognize Jesus in the Passover? Why then, do we not desire to know Him more intimately in the Old Testament? What does the Passover mean to you? Do you realize that each item and even the prayers are messianic prophecy of our Messiah? Questions I will leave for you to ponder . . .

May God be gracious to you and smile upon you and your loved ones.
Be blessed

Passover Seder in Kyiv

Greetings from sunny Kyiv!

The Kyiv Passover Seder was absolutely awesome! This Seder had a family atmosphere, though we included teaching. Michael a Messianic Jew and his wife Alyona assisted with the Seder by adding to the atmosphere of an authentic Passover. Michael prayed in Hebrew and helped with teaching while Alyona lit the Seder candles with the traditional Jewish prayer and conducted the music portion of the service. The Hebrew prayers added a special touch or reality for everyone.

We had a large group attend the Office Seder including students and friends. One friend is a new Christian and another is a helper in the office from time to time and does not know the Lord personally. These two ladies were impressed with the atmosphere of a Christian function and how well everyone cooperated even though some of them did not know each other. The Seder was a great testimony for these ladies. Pleas pray God touches them in a special way.

This past Saturday was not only Shabbat but also Passover. The Seder included several additional prayers for this occasion. We believe the office Seder was a success!

A friend videotaped the event and we will share a clip with you.

Our Passover meal included a traditional Jewish meat dish. This surprised Michael and he truly enjoyed it. One student diligently shopped for lamb. Eventually, she was successful; so we were able to add lamb to our matzah sandwich with the maror and haroseth. Lamb is no longer a part of the Seder because it was replaced with matzah when the temple was destroyed.

Saturday we have another Passover Seder, this time in Cherkassy. I understand we will have some special guests, there are several Americans visiting the Church of Truth who will attend the Seder. I am truly looking forward to serving the people of Ukraine.

Continue to pray for the office and the help. We need a mighty move of the Spirit to begin here and spread out to the colleges. We desire a new and deeper relationship with the Lord for everyone.

Thank you for your prayers and support of this ministry.

Greetings from me to you!

Saturday was our first Passover Seder. I spent Friday night on the train and did not sleep well. When this happens I always pray. Saturday morning my spirit was soaring however my body was not!

Victor, one of the students picked me up and we went for coffee. I arrive in at 7 AM and class does not start until 8:30. This class began later due to the Passover celebration and meal which is included in the teaching. Victor brought his friend Sasha who is a Messianic Jew; he grew up as a practicing Orthodox Jew.

God incredibly orchestrates life to the smallest details. Sasha had listened to the teaching on the Jewishness of Jesus and placed his stamp of approval on it. You may ask, ‘Why does this matter?’ Receiving approval on the teaching material provides confidence in it. I never want to teach heresy.

Needless to say our meeting was incredible. We worshiped and prayed with Jewish music there in the restaurant. The other customers did not seem to mind. God used my inability to sleep to prepare me spiritually for what was happening that morning/day. Words cannot express what happened, all I can say is the Holy Spirit showed up and we walked out of the restaurant drunk in the Spirit! The presence of the Holy Spirit gave me physical strength to conduct and teach the Passover Seder.

The celebration (Seder) was amazing. One of our students is Jewish and she blessed us with saying the prayers in Hebrew. This made our Seder even more special. Each and every one of us left with a new insight into the Lord’s Supper. During the Seder, there was not a dry eye and God provided a miraculous healing. One lady was struggling with a headache, we stopped and prayed – in God’s presence there is healing, peace and comfort.

After our Passover Seder, I was blessed to visit the Messianic Congregation in Dnipropetrovs’k. I enjoy the dancing the flags and the atmosphere. They are focused on worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Thank you for your prayers, God showed up in a mighty way for all of us.
May God turn His favor towards you this day.

Hallelujah!

This past weekend was fulfilling. God continues to amaze me with all the ministry opportunities. Last Sunday was a day off for me so I went to Cherkasy to visit friends and enjoy some great worship and preaching. It takes 2 ½ hour ride to get to Cherkasy, so my day began at 4 AM. To make it to the 10 AM service, I have to be on the bus by 7 AM. Complicated, right? Well, it is inexpensive transportation and I love the chauffeurs! I can leave the driving to them whether it is raining, sleeting or snowing.

My two and a half hour ride was amazing. I met a couple who are missionaries here, also. They are Mormon! What an opportunity, I was able to witness to them the entire time. Also they are going to attend our Passover Seder in Kyiv! What an even greater opportunity to witness about Jesus Christ. They are truly interested and desire to learn more about the historical significance of this celebration. Praise God!

While visiting Word of Life Church, I helped in the children’s ministry. The leader, Alena, is my friend who opens her home to me. While Alena stayed with me in Kyiv during a conference I taught her how to use the tambourine. She learned a couple of basic movements and was so excited about the opportunity to teach her children, that I gave her 3 tambourines. Thank you Edie, your gift continues to give! I was amazed to see the children had already learned a pattern in a few weeks. God keeps expanding the field of worship. Of course, this is my heart, so I get so excited to see it spread across the country.

There will be four Passover services this year. We are updating the material and preparing for the services. In preparation, we visited King David Synagogue (store) to purchase matzah and a Seder plate. They permitted us to go into the sanctuary. Sitting in front of the door of the sanctuary, was a menorah with the servant’s candle and two lions sitting on each side of it. Immediately my spirit jumped, though they don’t know Jesus, it is in their spirit. Even in the sanctuary, they have 2 lions guarding the Word (scroll) along with a crown above it! What awesome symbolism. I am at a loss for words. I felt the Spirit of God so strongly in the Synagogue and throughout the rest of the day.

While in the sanctuary, one gentleman was teaching on the ‘afikomen’ which is a broken piece of matzah which is hidden during the service, redeemed and taken as communion at the end of the meeting. It is this matzah that replaced the lamb sacrifice when the Temple was destroyed. Luda was translating for me and I stood there in awe, I received affirmation of what I am about to teach to Christians about our Lord Jesus Christ and His feasts!

God blesses me in so many ways. Yesterday was a renewal of peace and comfort for me. Orthodox Christians truly love G-d; however they do not know Jesus. Let us pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and the exposure of the Truth!

"May the Lord bless you and take good care of you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace." Num. 6:24-26

Our God-given Gifts and Passover

Greetings again!

This past weekend I traveled to Dnipropetrovs’k. We had class for two churches and the Master program. This month we are teaching “Discovering Your God-Given Gifts.” Everyone enjoyed the class. Taking the tests surprised even me! I discovered my third gifting. This class gave us insight into how and why people function they way they do. This information will help us in our personal relationships, work relationships and ministry relationships.

Do you know what the oldest religious holiday celebrated today is? It is Passover.

We are preparing to teach the traditional Jewish Passover Service in April. In this teaching, we add the New Covenant (Jesus) to the traditional Passover Seder. This year the material has been reviewed and approved by several Orthodox Jews.

Please pray hearts are open to seeing Jesus in the Passover service. Scripture tells us to study and practice the ‘Feasts of the Lord.’ As we study the feasts we are able to see Jesus in these feasts. There are seven feasts, some have been fulfilled and we all look forward to the rest being fulfilled!

"May the Lord bless you and take care of you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favor and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

Time is flying!

It is already March 10^th! I cannot believe how quickly time has disappeared this year. Ukraine and Europe celebrated Women’s Day on Sunday. We were in Kharkiv for a seminar on Saturday and stayed to enjoy the service on Sunday. If you would like to see the seminar, the web address is; www.good-news.in Please feel free to check out the site. Be warned: the site is in Russian.

We had a great time during the seminar even though we had a late start. We took an express train which was an electric train and during the night it rained becoming ice by morning. Everything was so beautiful with icicles. However the train could not make the electrical connections needed to run the train. We waited almost two hours for a diesel engine to rescue us!

Saturday evening, the Pastors wife, Nadia, took us to an organ concert. Now this was not your ordinary organ this is one of those huge pipe organs. The concert was fabulous. The organist was Taras Bagenets from Russia.

Sunday was a special holiday, much like our Mother’s Day, there was a special program. Of course, the signing was my favorite part! Many of you know that I love worship dance and I learn so much with signing.

The office has completed reviewing and updating the first four years of material; including our maps and charts. Now we will begin to translate the Master and Doctorate materials.

This spring we will have a conference in June. which will include graduation for all the colleges. The administrators are excited about getting together to fellowship. We will have two keynote speakers. In the afternoon, we will have graduation. Each college will have a special presentation throughout the day. We are looking forward to something new this year.