Tuesday, March 28, 2006

short term team coming!

On Thursday, March 30th, I have three ladies from America who are coming for a twelve day fast paced short term mission trip. The focus of this trip is to:
1.  further the ministry of Healing Hearts International in Ukraine, specifically in Kiev and surrounding areas through Women’s ministry meetings at different churches
2.  offer encouragement and teaching from the Word of God to current Ukrainian leaders
3.  handing over the ministry during this time to three Ukrainian leaders

I’ve been busy the last month doing all the administrative work involved in a short term team coming. We will be travelling between three different cities, from Kiev in the north of Ukraine to Lugansk region in the south of Ukraine and two cities in bewtween! PHEW! I’m already tired! I never realized how much work goes into the planning of a short term team, I have new appreciation for all of those short term leaders who travel all the time!  I have learned much in the process though and am thankful for the opportunity.

However, this will be my last planning of teams with the ministry of Healing Hearts International. I’m filled with a myraid of emotions as the time comes to hand the ministry over. Pray that “it is not I who lives but Christ who lives in me”, that I will reflect this when the team is here, and when the team is gone.

Posted by Vanessichka at 12:30:05 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Monday, March 20, 2006

Mr. Policeman!

Monday-March 20th. I am on my way to a friend’s for lunch. As I step off the marshuka (mini van used for public transportation) I glance down at my directions, look up, and see three policeman coming my way. I ignore them and start walking. Suddenly, Mr. Policeman stops me and salutes. BUMMERS!!!!!!! I get stopped by the militia (Police) always-and usually on a day like today when i am minding my own business.Mr. Policeman asks me where I am going and I reply “just going to a friend’s house for lunch-she lives in Poznaki” (for those that don’t live in Ukraine, that is an area of town. I had a piece of paper in my hand with her directions-the wind was whipping my hair everywhere..Mr. Policeman then recites his name really fast, and says again, documents please. I am thinking in my head (whatever! Do i look African? [in Ukraine they are always stopping Africans and harassing them. Some Africans are here illegaly, some aren't. But to the police here, anyone with dark skin of any kind is African]..Ok sure, my skin color is brown so i MUST be African..and if i were African..why did you stop me when all i was doing was walking) so I pull out my passport and he asks me where do I live-I say Kiev. :) (Which is true. I live in Kiev!) Then at the same time i drop some kind of advertisement from Timoshenko-oh GREAT I think-now he thinks I am in her camp and I like her-what will he do now? So, he takes a look at my passport and asks “where are you from”? I say “AMERICA!!”!!! (I am thinking..the land of the free and the brave) he says “America”??? like he doesn’t believe me..I say “America” he asks me again, where do you live? I say Kiev, Tremkie (that is the area I live in for those who don’t live in Ukraine) and I give him my address. (I begin to hear the voice of a good friend of mine in my head saying, “act dumb, act like you don’t know Russian. Don’t ask questions and don’t give them more than they ask for.” Then i think-GREAT I blew it-I am answering ALL his questions AND giving out more info!!SHEESH when will I ever learn!!!) Along with this police guy are two of his helpers, I shall call them “henchmen” for lack of a better term. They really aren’t doing much except standing there, gawking and smoking. So Head policeman tells henchman with cigarrette in his mouth to write down my info, which henchman does but just on a plain piece of paper. I start thinking …”ok..hmmmm..why are you writing down my information on a plain piece of paper. If this is official business shouldn’t it be on offical paper? So I ask..”why are you writing down my info”? Once again I hear my friend’s voice in my head..”keep your mouth shut and don’t ask questions..ya ne poleedenik [I don't understand] is what you are to say..) Mr. Policeman answers my question and I have no idea what he is saying so I finally I just keep my mouth shut and say “ya knee poly del knick!!! He looks at me really strange. :) Then he wants to see my VISA, so I show him, and he is not satisfied with that and wants to see my registration..so I show him. He says “expired”. I say I have 6 months from last entry so I don’t need to leave till mid April. Then he gets this serious frown on his face and wants to see my last re-entry date. I am having problems finding it because there are so many stamps from leaving and re-entering the country and somehow the border people can NEVER stamp my passport in the correct place. Then Mr. henchman with cigarrette in his mouth hanging out and blowing smoke in my face (excuse me, but can you please do something with that cigarette-it is really bothering me), he just keeps writing down all my info and gawking at me when he thinks I am not looking. I turn a couple of times away from them to get away from the cigarrette smoke and cuz the wind is blowing my hair in my face (ahhh..that’s it-he is enchated with my hair!!!) I go to close my passport thinking they have all they need and mr henchman with cigarrette says he isn’t done-(what’s taking you so long buddy?? can i help speed up the process a little??) but I just say, “oh sorry” . Mr. Policeman capitan says “where are you going” I say..”to be a guest of some friends of mine..he says..who? I say, I don’t know their family name,” and I tell them their first names..he says “ok”, hands me my passport and they walk away.
I think as I begin to walk away “so, what was all that about, too weird. Well, at least I wasn’t nervous this time…just talked too much!! :) Yea yea I know. ya knee poly del nick!! :)
Lately I’ve noticed there are more of capitains and henchmans all around..they are hanging out more at train stations I have heard..hmmmm, hope i don’t have problems with “capitains and henchman with cigarrettes dangling” when I go to Poltava…oh well.I am in the right and they can’t do anything to me cuz I am not doing anything wrong. I just need to learn to not ask questions, pretend i don’t understand the language (that is hard) and only give out what they ask for. (I need more lessons from my friend:)
While I resume looking for my friend’s apartment I muttering to myself “ya knee poly del nik, ya knee poly del nick” :). I sure hope these elections don’t make “Mr. Capitan Policeman and his henchman with cigarretes dangling out of their mouths” appear more often…hmmmmmm

anyway-just a day in the life of Vanessa…:) heard any angel wings lately?

Posted by Vanessichka at 21:46:58 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Friday, March 17, 2006

Listening and waiting

Recently, Paul and Melanie Billings, missionary friends of mine who live in Kyrgyzstan, recently wrote an update on their prayer request. They had been waiting for several months to receive official permission to begin religious work in Kyrgyzstan. Many phone calls later and going back and forth to the officals office, they finally received ‘verbal” permission but were awaiting the “official paperwork with the official stamp” . With Kyrgyzstan being a former Soviet country, some of us who have been missionaries in the former Soviet countries for some time, understood the waiting, the going back and forth to the officials office, more waiting, promises from officials. Ah ~ the list could go on. And so it seemed that Paul and Melanie might be stuck in the “Soviet system.” Would they really get their official paperwork? Or would they constantly heare empty promises from the officials. But, many around the world who know or have become acquainted with Paul and Melanie, continued steadfastly in prayer. As did Paul and Melanie. Then, yesterday the word came, “It’s official! They rec’vd the “official paperwork with the offical stamp” HURRAH HURRAH HURRAH! Praise God Praise God Praise God!!!! Three months and 3 days of waiting, praying, etc.

So you may be thinking, “why are you writing about Paul and Melanie?” Well, I’ll tell you why. :)

After I reading their email, and Praising God for the good news, the Lord impressed upon me that this process wasn’t just for Paul and Melanie, but an example to me, to you, to those who had been praying for them, of His faithfulness and bountiful blessings. You see, it would have been very easy for Paul and Melanie to give up and return to Ukraine. Melanie has been sick all through her pregnancy and I am sure there are times when she would have liked to be closer to her family (in a physical sense). And Paul could have gotten tired of going back and forth, calling, and only hearing “come back tomorrow” again and again. But no, they hung in there, they continued in earnest to pray steadfastly. I even heard that Melanie’s father, Pastor George Markey, prayed for them first thing every morning when he arose. Many continued all over the world, steadfastly in prayer. And the result? An abundance of blessing, the fruit of waiting on the Lord. You see, the Lord just didn’t bless them with the “official permission” but He blessed them with the DATE of the “official permission” starting from yesterday (usually, whenever a person applies and then receives official documentation, passport, visa, etc. the date begins on the date in which you applied, not the date in which you rec’vd). That was blessing #1. Blessing #2 is that because the “official date” begins on the day they rec’vd their paperwork, they now have four more months PAST the time in which their visa’s expire. Which means, when the time comes for Paul, Melanie and little Titus to renew their visa’s, the officals will see “oh, you have permission to be in kyrgyzstan to do religous work. That means you have a reason to return. Ok, we can grant you another visa”. (I am sure there are many other blessings, and if the Lord shows you of any through Paul and Melanie receiving their official permission, please do not hesitate to share)!

Abundance of blessings come from being faithful in prayer and waiting on the Lord for His timing to bring all things about. We get impatient so many times in prayer “I’ve been seeking the Lord and seeking the Lord, why is nothing happening”. Or, “It’s been so long, I’ve been praying and praying and praying. How long must I wait?” Oh my friend, Oh ye of little faith. (this is as much for me as any of you out there). Wait, and again I say wait on the Lord, and He will bless your obedience, He will bless your steadfastness in prayer in ways that you may have never imagined! Maybe it will take “three months and three days”, maybe less, maybe more. God knows, because it is all in His timing AND He already has our days ordained.

I’m sure that Paul and Melanie didn’t expect for me (or anyone) to get this much out of a Praise God we have our permission” email. But the Lord will speak to us through many different circumstances, as well as other peoples trials and joys, if we would only be still and listen. Perservere my friend, perservere, and be still and listen. You never know how the Lord might bless your time.

So, that’s it for this blog. Keep waiting, keep seeking, and He will bless your socks off. Pretty simple isn’t it, but so hard for us to do.

Shhhh…what’s that I hear? Ahh..it is the sound of Angel Wings.

~ Thanks for listening :)

(you can read more about Paul, Melanie, and Titus Billings on the Calvary Chapel Ukraine website. www.ccmukraine.org)

~please do not hesitate to make comments on any of these blogs, I’d love to hear what the Lord is saying to you!~

 

Posted by Vanessichka at 09:43:11 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Friday, March 10, 2006

A still small voice

When I first arrived in Kiev, four years ago, I sought the Lord as to how long I was to stay in Kiev. Why? Because when I lived in Russia I moved about every year.  So, I wanted to know, was Kiev the last stop or would I be moving on soon.  He gave me this scripture “Stay in the city until you have received power from on high.” Luke 24:49 (paraphrased by me). So, I stayed. And have stayed for four years.  I have thought about leaving a couple of times, but the scripture wouild come back to my heart so fast and strong, and I would remember, and stay.  Then last night, the Lord spoke through a ”still small voice” and I received “my marching orders” so to speak. But I am not sure what to do next, so again, I wait for Him to speak and to show me the way I am to go.  That was the background, how I got to this point, so here is fast forwarding to the present.

 

Since November, the Lord has chosen to speak to me every now and then through this “still small voice”.  The first time it happened I didn’t understand what was going on.  But the voice kept talking, one line sentences, till I “got it” :).  This small voice happened to me when I was in Poltava recently.  I was in Poltava longer than I expected helping a friend who’s back had gone out.  I was praying if I needed to stay longer or return to Kiev, this still small voice spoke to me and said “go home”.  That’s it.  Nothing more. I tried to make my brain say more, change it’s mind (oh why do we test God so when we know it’s Him?), but to no avail.  So, I went home. 
 
Then it happened again, last night. I was curled up in bed reading the last book in the Mitford series. Now I want to clarify, I wasn’t reading my Bible, a devotional, or anything spiritual. Just a regular fictional book. I had read maybe two paragraphs before God spoke.  I put the book down and just prayed.  God if this is you, speak to my heart please.  I wasn’t scared, just being honest with the Lord.  
 
So, what happened, you might be wondering. This still small voice spoke to me (no it wasn’t audible, it was more like it was in my brain…but wasn’t).  The voice said, “you have the power.”  Ok, so that got my attention real fast! I put the book down and started praying  and asked the Lord what He meant, and the Lord impressed this upon my heart.
 
When I first came to Ukraine I lacked confidence and strength in Him..I relied on myself and mostly other people for strength and confidence-and now I am looking to Him for my confidence and strength..that was part of why I got so sick-taking me to nothing (literally) to something-I had to rely on Him because there wasn’t anything in me to rely on anymore. After becoming seriously ill I had begun to feel very alone.
 
The bottom line is that I have this “power from on high” because I am now looking to Him for strength and confidence.  No longer am I looking to others-or to self.  All these past four years I was thinking this power was going to be some big kind of revelation, perhaps  one of the gifts of the spirit that would just explode itself upon me. Or maybe even that this power would be so evident in how it came upon me that I couldn’t help but notice it-like a lightening bolt or a thunderstorm kind of thing. But the Lord was showing me last night that this power is confidence and strength in Him, that was what I was lacking.  And the reason it didn’t come like a lightening bolt or a thunderstorm is because this has been a gradual process as I learned to trust Him more.
 
So, what is my power? My power is just the simple confidence and strength in the Lord. To look to Him and not self or people for my all in all and whatever I need. He will provide. He will bring it to pass (whatever that “it” might be). He is there for me, I just needed to fully understand and accept this concept.  Before, there were parts of me that were doubting…oh sure I still doubt-don’t we all?? but the doubting is turning to confidence-confidence and strength in the Lord.
 
You may think I have gone crazy. I really haven’t. And I am not always such a deep spiritual thinker. All I can say is that since I had pancreatitis a year and a half ago, the Lord has been speaking to me in some amazing ways. And usually when I least expect it.
 
So, that’s it-just wanted to share that little piece of revelation. Thanks for reading.
 
later ~
 
 
 
Posted by Vanessichka at 23:02:46 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

New Beginnings

Well…this is my first time doing this blog stuff.  To my blog        friends who keep telling me “you need to do a blog”, I’ve thrown in    the white flag!!!!! Sooo…since I am guessing at what to do I might   as well just keep writing.  Since this blog is about new beginnings, I am in a spot of new beginnings~transitioning from one ministry to      another.  Sure it has been done before, by many missionaries, and even I have done it to some degree, but this feels much different.  I am    really leaning on the Lord for this and looking to Him–sure I did     that before-we have to if we are going to really truly survive, but    this feels as if it is a stronger kind of leaning than before.   One   day as I was praying the Lord gave me this analogy.                   

In life there are many gardens. I have been in one garden for a while, cultivating the flowers and taking care of the earth.  Now, this garden is done, someone else will come along and maintain this garden to keep it looking beautiful.                                              
                                                                                                                                         

But there is another garden that needs my attention, one that is bedraggled, has many   stones and rocks, bad dirt, icky bugs that eat all the good and beautiful  things in a garden etc.  This new garden will need all of my attention as I help it to  grow and become beautiful.  I had a great time in my old garden, and I learned many things about taking care of a garden, but there is no longer anymore work that I can do  on it. So now as I look at my new garden, I am filled with anticipation as to what it will become and what new things I will learn from cultivating this garden.  Oh, it will be hard work and there will be times that I will get discouraged or want to give up.  But I know that the Master caretaker is with me at all times, and He will help me to take care of this garden just as He did the old garden.

So, there you have it-my first musings on my new blog.   There will be more musings as they come to me, and as I try and figure out how to do this blog stuff :).  All my blogging friends say “oh it is really easy!”  We’ll see, I think this will be fun as it might bring some of the creative side of me out-well, I guess I can’t get TOO creative…..                             

Now that I am done with my first musings, how do I close this? Like a letter? Like a journal? I guess it is up to the individual blogger.  Hmmmm…..I guess I’ll just close with a simple

~later :)

 

Posted by Vanessichka at 15:34:01 | Permalink | Comments (1) »