David & Katya

I still get comments, questions, and various responses to the fact that I don’t live in Russia. When I say that I live in Ukraine, it still confuses some. I remember speaking in a church and, after explaining where I lived and what I did, the youth pastor prayed for me and my work in “that part of Russia.” The hilarious and sad thing was that there were 5 Ukrainians that I met in his congregation in that service.

So, just to clear up some of the confusion, here is an explanation of where I live, where Russia is, why they are different, and a possible answer as to why everyone is so confused. The following are basic facts about both countries, just in case you didn’t know them.

Basic facts about Russia

• Largest country in the world according to land mass
• President – Vladimir Putin
• Capitol city – Moscow, founded before 1100’s AD
• Population – 143 million (2012 estimate)

Basic facts about Ukraine

• Largest country in Europe, not counting Russia, according to land mass
• President – Victor Yanukovich
• Capitol city – Kyiv, founded 400’s AD (possibly oldest city in Europe)
• Has been controlled or conquered by other countries since about 1200 AD (i.e. Russia, Poland, Germany, Austria, the Turks, the Mongols, and the USSR). August 24th, 1991 (the Ukrainian Independence Day) was, in fact, the first time that Ukraine has been free in about 700 years.
• Population – 45.9 million (Estimated 2010)

Much of Ukraine has been Russianized. Most of the inhabitants of Eastern Ukraine don’t speak Ukrainian as their first language, including many in the capitol city, Kyiv.

A friend told me that, often when you meet a Ukrainian in America that is from Eastern Ukraine, when asked, “Where are you from?” they often say, “Russia” rather than explaining, “Well… I’m Ukrainian, (that’s a country in Eastern Europe) and I speak Russian, because I’m from the side of the country that speaks Russian instead of Ukrainian.” It also could be partly because Ukraine has been, partially or as a whole, part of the Russian Empire or the USSR in various parts of their history. Aside the fact that we Americans aren’t usually good at trans-continental geography, this could be one of the contributing factors of why we have such a hard time and ask, “So… Ukraine, right?… is that a part of Russia?”

Please don’t feel too bad – most people in the world aren’t that good at “trans-continental geography.” Ask anyone in Ukraine where Missouri or Maine is, and they’ll usually have trouble finding it unless they have relatives living there or they’ve been there. Isn’t that like all of us?

 

Please be praying for Ukraine right now. Europe is gearing up for the Euro 2012 soccer tournament, which is being hosted in Poland and Ukraine. There are four cities in Poland and four in Ukraine that will be hosting soccer matches. I don’t know the four in Poland, but the four in Ukraine are Kyiv (the capitol), Kharkiv (where Nate Medlong lives), Donets’k, and L’viv (my city, of course).

Why would I be so concerned and send a call out for prayer because of soccer? Well… sex is a big industry here. One of the major exports of Ukraine is women. Once, in a speech to an Asian country he was visiting, the current president of Ukraine invited visitors to come here, saying that the women were beautiful and didn’t wear much clothing. He took it back as a faux pas later… The sex industry here is gearing up for a huge influx of profit during those tournaments. From what I’ve heard, in the U.S., the largest human trafficking event of the year is the Superbowl; it looks like the same thing is happening here in Ukraine.

I hope none of my friends here in L’viv are involved in this. L’viv is a more religious, conservative city than most of the cities in Eastern Ukraine, so I haven’t seen anything advertised or blatant on the streets… It could be that God is just shielding my eyes from that (which, I don’t really mind not seeing that as a single guy… thanks, God!). Either way, I’m praying that God will break the back of this movement. It’s so wrong. They are making profits on ruining the lives, scarring the hearts, and physically destroying young women. I don’t know if this is true, but I heard that the border stations are forcing the older women to take an unpaid leave so that younger, prettier ones can be the “first face” of Ukraine as the visitors pour in… They are, in effect, telling older women that they aren’t worth anything if they’re not young-looking and pretty.

The only real answer I see for all of this is the Gospel. We can make all of the laws we want and legislate all of the morality we want, but that won’t change the hearts of men and women. It’s completely illegal in America to do this, but it still happens. The Holy Spirit is the only One that can truly change the hearts of the U.S. or Ukraine. If the men get saved, they won’t visit the brothels. If the pimps get saved, they won’t run the brothels. If the women get saved, they won’t work at the brothels. Jesus is the real answer for sin and all of its effects.

Please pray with me for the Gospel to go out in both nations so that these young women will be saved from such a wretched existence.

 

The other day, I was able to make pancakes for myself. I not only made pancakes – I made banana pancakes. You want to know what’s even better? I had them… with syrup!

This is primarily possible because, while I was in America, a couple of friends of mine took me to the grocery store and asked me a simple question, “What do you want?” Two of the main things on my list were syrup and baking powder.

“Baking powder!?” you say. “Yes,” I respond. “Neither of those can you buy in Ukraine, and both of them are essential for a proper pancake breakfast.” You see, if you don’t have a pancake mix (which is also an impossible find in Ukraine), you can’t make real pancakes without baking powder… and what’s the use of having pancakes without syrup? Little things like this can make a missionary’s day. I think little things like this could make anyone’s day. You don’t have to buy someone a new car to show them that you care about them and want to see them smile (although that would make me smile…). You can do it simply with a note, a text, or a small can of baking powder. Sometimes, that’s what makes all the difference.

Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a distant land. (Proverbs 25:25 NASB)

Thanks from all of us missionaries to all that are sending care packages with little goodies, reminders of home, verses, and useful things we can’t obtain elsewhere! God bless you all!

 

I love unexpected opportunities.

What do I mean by that? Have you ever had an opportunity to bless someone or minister in some way that was completely unplanned? I love being able to do that. I love it when God is “spontaneous” (if that’s possible to call Him that…).

On Saturday, I had one of those opportunities. I was visiting a youth group in Sykhiv, one of the southern regions of L’viv, and the youth pastor asked me to teach that night, just sharing what was on my heart and what happened during my time in America.

I shared with them some of the challenges that I faced during that time, reading from Psalm 23 and Joshua 1. Katya translated for me (I’m still working on speaking Ukrainian in regular conversation… I have been able to teach with it before, but definitely not spurr-of-the-moment). I challenged them to be brave, to do what God is calling them to do, and to trust God with their lives. It was a good thing, I think.

I want to encourage you guys to be people that won’t be surprised if God gives you an opportunity to minister or bless someone in a strange time or in a strange way. What led to me being able to share at that youth group was the fact that the youth pastor didn’t have keys to unlock their rented storage room and get out the projector equipment for the film they were supposed to be watching that night.

God can use anything for good… He is amazing. I hope that you can get a glimpse of that tonight. Instead of freaking out because something doesn’t work, look for what He’s doing in the background, and, if you can’t see it, trust Him that He is.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NASB)

 

I like it how needs can push us to our finest moments of creativity, ingenuity, genius, and discovery. For instance – how many inventions have been made simply because a farmer needed a better way to complete a process or a laborer needed a better way to complete a task? The cotton gin, the assembly line, interchangeable parts… such things are echoes of the Industrial Revolution. All of these things attempt to answer the same question, “How can we do something new or better with what we have?”
I love to take the same question and apply it to dinner. This is a very important field of innovation to me, because I’m often challenged by the ingredients, or lack thereof, of what I’ll have in my cupboard. It’s not that I’m lacking in the means to provide for myself… I like to blame it more on the fact that I’m a bachelor that’s constantly on the move, and I’m not used to shopping and cooking for myself, yet. Because of this, I’ve had to improvise in my cooking a few times. Yesterday was one of those times.

This is a picture of my latest creation. I think I’ll call it Garlic Peppercorn Chicken. Even with the exotic name, it actually doesn’t taste that good… yet. 😀 I’m still working on the recipe. I let the chicken marinate for 24 hours in a bag with red onions, peppercorns, bits of garlic, mayonnaise, and some white wine vinegar. Fortunately, the chicken came out tasting pretty good… Unfortunately, the sauce that I tried to make from the marinade tasted pretty much awful. I left the peppercorns in (BIG MISTAKE), and one of them almost got stuck in my teeth. I had to spit them out while I was eating.
I think next time I’ll just toss the marinade and use the chicken, because even the onions weren’t that good, even after I tried to sauté them. Like I said, the chicken was good, but that was the only good part.
Notes for next time:

• Toss the marinade after use (I know it sounds like a waste – but it served its purpose)
• Make an Alfredo sauce to go with some thick italian noodles (like fetuccini noodles or something) and add it to the chicken
• Eat it with a fresh salad and some strong, red grape juice

So… what have I learned from this? Life is like cooking – sometimes we can make mistakes, and there’s always something to clean up afterwards, but there are tasty times to enjoy. In the end, if you’ve made something bad, keep cooking.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 NASB)