Little Opportunities

While in Krivoy Rog and on our day off, Ed Dickson took us to Sunshine Orphanage.

What beautiful children live in this special home. We noticed the pride of this young teacher working here with a group of little girls.

Creativity is encouraged. This blind student made the paper designer dress and when the teacher asked us to take one, I chose his.

Marg with the youngest in this facility. Adorable!

So happy and carefree; little girls and giggles. Contagious!

Here were are with a teacher, Marg, Ed Dickson, the director and Ruth. All the staff stop when Ed arrives. Named 'the year round Santa,' he spends much of his time looking after the needs of twenty-four orphanages. From Leamington, Ontario, Ed felt a call to leave Canada and move here. Not only has he made a tremendous contribution to this society for fourteen years, he married a gorgeous Ukrainian and has three beautiful children.

These 'givers' have made a huge difference in the lives of so many children. What an honour to have spent this time with them.

Who's Plans are they anyway?

Paraphrase of Proverbs 16:1 "I make my plans but it is God who has the final word."

After spending last night regrouping, repacking and visiting with newly-found friends, we three, Marg, Bob and I nodded off for a few winks. Our driver arrived at 3:00 am to take us to the airport for our homeward flight.

Dragging all our luggage (somewhat heavy due to Roshen and a parcel going back to a Ukrainian family in TO), we endeavored to leave this place quietly, down the three floors and on to Ed's van.

Most of our travel these past two weeks has been by subway and taxi. How grateful we are that Ed willingly stayed up all night to give us the ride to catch our flight.

Even more grateful that he stayed with us to check-in and discover why our flight was cancelled.

None of us can speak the language yet!

A major snow storm in Britain caused many closures. At 5:00 am, we turned around to make the trip back to 'our home here in Kiev', not so quietly!

The exciting part in all this is that we get to do it all over again tomorrow at 3:00. This morning must have been the practice run. Poor Ed!

One simple thing: the storms continue. Maybe, more opportunity awaits!

Calls made to our 'rides' from TO airport are both available Wednesday. Wonderful!

Thursday Dec 2, about a hundred women will gather in Elora Central Pentecostal Church for a Christmas celebration to end this semester of Bible study. The speaker? None other than Marg Gibb. However, she is now repacking and re-planning this week's agenda. Plan B is now in effect for Ruth Maclean and her committee there.

Many of you have made this life-changing discovery: To be part of this kind of travel, Gumby is a 'key word.' (Remember the flexible toy of the 70's?)

Stop by soon for 'Little Opportunities'

Bob's assignment in Krivoy Rog

So much was accomplished while in Ukraine. One of Bob's completed assignments is shown above.

Just look what it looked like before they started the 10X10 room in the Boys rehab centre.

The above picture shows the re-bar welded around the room, which needed to be removed with a grinder before starting the renovations. In Canada the project should take about a week. Here in the Ukraine, with neither proper tools or materials, it took a week with a bit more to be completed by locals.

Bob really enjoyed working with Dima, his Ukrainian translator and 'son in the faith.' He learned a lot from Bob's inductive Bible study on Titus.

More to come. Stop by again!

Day 8- Sunday Service in a former Soviet Hall

Here we are on Sunday morning, Marg up at 6:00 am to grab the bathroom first before the added house guests arise. Terry and heather Burns are amazing Canadians who have given four years to teaching and working with missionaries here in Kiev. Their home is an open door, even though there are bolts and locks every fifteen feet.

Three more men arrive to share this apartment space so hence the run for the shower!

Our translator, Julie, arrived at 8:30 and off we went in another van, with her, Olga and Peter, the driver. The two and a half hour drive took us to an eleven hundred year old city, Pereyaslav-Khnelnytsky. (Say that in a hurry.)

In 1990, this group below went to the director of a pagan festival and asked permission to sing! "Yes, you can sing after the men jump over the fire and people are going home."

This singing ensemble grabbed the opportunity and began to sing as many festival-goers left the gathering. The more they sang, the larger the group that turned around, returned and stood to hear the gospel through the songs.

The worship team led in variety of quality music, from classical, contemporary to traditional Ukrainian ensembles.

An accordian/soloist.

picture of congregation in the theatre of the building.

This day marked a twenty-year anniversary, this church birthed just one year before the collapse of Communism.

For seventy years this nation was forced to write and repeat, "There is NO God!" How interesting that today and each Sunday, this body of believers meets here, a former Soviet building.

Many years earlier, Pastor Urgys wife participated in the required writing of the atheistic regime, BUT God intervened and today, what a celebration!

As the first and only Christians in the beginning, Pastor Urgy and his wife were the laughingstock of the town. They prayed and believed for just a convert or two.

Today, over two hundred and fifty believers crowded into this theatre that once housed 'God-haters.'

Four new churches have been launched from this mother church.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she smiled, "Look what God has done. I can hardly believe it."

Drama and stories from their history kept all of us captivated by God's greatness and faithfulness.

Marg topped off the morning with the telling of her wonderful Ukrainian legacy.

The three hour service seemed like an hour, for the 'joy of the Lord filled the place."

Is it possible that a Greater joy is birthed out of deep pain? We believe we saw the results of that thought today.

Stop by again for there is more!

Day 5, 6 &7

Welcome back!

Our sightseeing day is over and work begins!

This three day conference brought with it many stories, songs and laughter.

Thursday and Friday focused on pastors wives. Although we were the guest speakers, we learned so much from them.

Here is Luba and her daughter Aloina, holding a diary of Luba's father. In the 40's and just a teenager, he was taken to Siberia and imprisoned because of his faith in Jesus Christ. He was held there for ten years, three of them hard labour and torture. While there living in the settlement, he met Luba's mom and the legacy of faith passed down.

Below:

Yuliya (Julie), our translator, barely 80 pounds, has an English/Psychology masters at 22 and works in a travel agency to make enough money to survive.

Oh how these women love to dress. Just look at the footwear! Marg and I are thinking of some additions to our shoe rack.

I've learned much about Marg and her family heritage. Did you know that her grandfather also

spent three years in prison because this formerly atheistic society hated Christians?

One official in particular made sure that her grandpa stayed in prison and made life very difficult for Karp Hrycauk. God's design. Also in prison were several German Bible professors. Imagine this. Grandfather Karp learned God's word while in prison.

Later her grandparents immigrated to Canada and settled in Alberta. With Bible close at hand,

he began house churches to new German, Polish and Ukrainian settlers.

Strangely enough, the man responsible for Karp's prison time also moved to Canada and to the same Alberta area. After hearing from some townsfolk that there was another Ukrainian holding house church meetings, he determined to attend and make fun of Karp again.

People arrived on horses and sleighs on that cold winter night and the group waited for their preacher.

When Karp walked in to the assembled group, the man stood and pointed at Karp, saying,"You're the one, you're the one. I believe in your saviour."

Forgiveness, redemption and God's grace took place and the two men and their families became very close friends. You'll see Marg in the picture above with Luba, Aloonia.

We are amazed at the hunger and thirst for God's word and the willingness to participate in memorizing. When I asked for volunteers who desired a deeper challenge in memorizing, all seventy women eagerly walked up to the front. What an adventure and such incredible results in just two days together. Psalm 8 in it's entirety with signing, singing and reciting. Watch for the final presentation on Youtube coming soon.

Don't forget to come back for the next heart-warming, overwhelming story of our great God!

Day 2-First pics from Kiev!

Hello friends,

So glad you stopped by to see some of the beauty of this Ukrainian city, Kiev. Independence came in 1991, and with it a whole new world of opportunity. Still there is much to be done! Average income for professionals such as teachers: $150.-200. per month; doctors: $200-400;

nurses: $75.-100. per month.

Kreschatik - main street of Kiev! A street with 50+ year old buildings and beautiful arches! Look in the arch... descending cars.

Downtown Kiev - Kreschatik street! Big sidewalks with enough space for people to both park and walk!

I read yesterday in a book published in 2008: An average of 50,000 cars were newly registered each month since Oct 2007. No wonder they have to park on the sidewalk!!

Small orthodox cathedral, located on the corner of two major roads!
Beautiful St.Michael's orthodox cathedral! Originally built in 1139!

The more domes - the merrier! =)

This is why people purchase SUV's in Ukraine - to park on sidewalks!

Ruth, Bob and Vova (our fantastic translator and guide)

This building used to be Stalin's headquarters in Kiev. Now it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine! Nice change!

A part of Independence Square downtown Kiev, where Orange Revolution took place, November/December 2004.

Independence Square - the very heart of Kiev!!!

Join us often as we explore, walk and share in this incredible environment, the Ukraine, land of Marg Gibb's heritage.

Enjoying the journey