Sarah's Snippets

On Call

2012-02-09T21:51:00.000+02:00

After a day (or make it a week) like this I begin to think I chose the wrong profession. I should really have an M.D. or R.N. after my name.

Most Ukrainians I know rush to the doctor at the first sign of a cold. Pharmacies are on nearly every street corner and practically any drug you want can be purchased without a prescription. Nevertheless most people admit that many doctors have bought their degrees and many of the medicines in the pharmacies are fakes or ineffective because of improper handling. That's where I come in. I have a book on my shelf, Where There Is No Doctor, (which I've fondly renamed Where There Are No Good Doctors). I also have access to information in English on the internet and a sister who does have a few of those letters after her name (and she actually studied for those credentials). This is what makes me "qualified" to answer all sorts of questions.

Sunday a mom at church tells me about her two year who was very sick during the night with a high fever, rapid breathing, cough, and what sounds like retracting. They didn't take her to the hospital because I guess they're afraid that with it being a weekend there are no doctors in and they'll just be sent home (they tell me it's happened before). I promise to come over with some of the medicine I have for Matthew's asthma. When I arrive I count her shallow breaths at 40 a minute. She no longer has a fever and her cough has calmed down. I use my nebulizer but the albuterol is 10 months expired and doesn't have much effect. I think she could have bronchitis. I leave them with some albuterol and a baby spacer and teach them how to administer it. I also give them a steroid suppository to use in an emergency. Before leaving, I write down the medicines she's taking in order to check the ingredients and dosage on the internet. It turns out that the one medicine has a concoction of antibiotic, expectorant and something else I could never figure out what. The amount of antibiotic was 12 times less than what a minimum dose should be - but just right for building up a resistance to antibiotics and creating "superbugs".

The next morning I call to check on her. She's better but still breathing fast. I had talked to my sister for 40 minutes that morning and together we had come up with a plan. My sister told me how to listen to her lungs with a stethoscope, what sounds might indicate what illness, and what antibiotic and dosage she should be on if antibiotics are needed at all. I decide to leave the kids with some school work to do on their own and walk on over. I listen to her lungs and can hear a wheeze. I bring with me a different albuterol inhaler and spacer and give her that. It makes a marked improvement in her breathing. Since she's definitely improving and walking in sub-freezing temperatures isn't the best thing for her, I recommend that she use the inhaler every 4 hours. The mom agrees. By the next morning she's completely fine. She probably has a bit of asthma since this a repeated problem but now they have a spacer and inhaler to treat it with. I'm quite positive the doctor would have prescribed antibiotics which wouldn't have helped at all.

Today was a busy day of being "on call". An acquaintance called asking me about her sister-in-law's baby who is 2 1/2 weeks old and not gaining weight. Another friend called asking if I knew what to do for her 7 year old son who stuck his tongue to a frozen pipe and now it's white and swollen. Another friend discussed with me her 2 year old's symptoms which sound like a urine infection. Yesterday we gave advice about how to treat gout.

It really would be useful if I was trained to answer such questions. It's sad that all too often I know more (or can at least find out) than the doctors who really do have those letters after their names.

Let it Snow

2012-01-22T17:32:00.000+02:00

We have the most snow the kids have seen in a long time. With four new inches of snow on top of what we had from a few days ago, Matthew declared, "This is the best day of my whole life!" Walking TO church was animated by giggles and slowed down by the need to form snowballs. Walking FROM church was a constant snowball fight. The sidewalks along most of our path were not cleared so we literally trekked our way to church. Our afternoon was spent making a snowman and a snowgirl. In the center of town, Matthew and Elizabeth hiked up the snow banks and slid down the statue mounds. We really need to take them sledding!

Pulling young children on a sled is the easiest way to get them around town.

Sliding down statue mound - without sleds

Not very many people nor businesses clear the sidewalks but before George left for Kiev on Friday, he decided to do his part and clear in front of our apartment building. Elizabeth helped with the use of the sandbox shovel.

Testimony

2012-01-20T21:51:00.000+02:00

I was asked to write up my testimony for an application and thought I'd share it with you too. The pictures are just an added touch. :)

Me on the left, probably at the age of 5

My life is a testimony of God’s intricate involvement in the lives of His children. None of the events of my life happened by accident but were interwoven by God to become the tapestry of my life.

Setting the Stage for Missions
As the oldest of four children I grew up in a Christian family. From my earliest memories, I have known and loved God. My father was involved in Christian ministry which in 1996 took us from rural Oregon to the suburbs of Washington, DC. My parents’ example of following God and being willing to go wherever He led set the stage for me to do the same. While being home-schooled in fourth grade, I read stories about missionaries and decided then that I wanted to be a teacher and a missionary when I grew up.

Discovering a Love for Teaching
During my high school years I attended a very small Christian school and was actively involved in youth group at our church. During these years my faith became more solid and I developed a love for teaching from the Bible. My youth pastor gave me opportunities to occasionally lead our youth Sunday school class which later gave me courage to lead a campus Bible study during college. For the first time I experienced the pleasure of teaching.

Impacted by Reformed Teaching

My best friends at Geneva College

When I searched for a Christian college to attend, Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA offered me the most financial aid and I really enjoyed the caring atmosphere I felt during a campus visit. I decided to go there, not really conscious of the fact that it was a college of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Up until college, I had attended charismatic, non-denominational churches with my parents. At Geneva College my best friends were Reformed Presbyterians (RP). I started attending an RP church and learned a lot from the teaching, preaching, and interaction with the elderly members of the church. Those years were challenging as I grappled with the vast differences in doctrine and practice between charismatics and Reformed. Through it all, I discovered things about both that I appreciated but I also realized I needed to determine what I believed and why.

Entering the Mission Field

Me, on far right in pink, with other ESI teachers

My fourth-grade dream of becoming a missionary had never left me, but, in fact, had increased as I participated in short-term mission trips to Mexico and to Ukraine. During my senior year of college I did half of my student teaching at a local public school and the other half at Black Forest Academy in Germany. At the end of my student teaching I spent a week in Czech Republic. Following that semester, I felt a strong desire to return to Eastern Europe. I graduated in May 1996 and was accepted to teach English as a foreign language with Educational Services International (now “TeachOverseas”). I intended to return to Czech Republic, but due to factors outside my control I ended up in eastern Hungary not far from the border with Ukraine. I spent three years in Sárospatak, Hungary and absolutely loved teaching English, getting to know Hungarians, and leading student Bible studies. It was during this time that I met my husband, George de Vuyst, who was a missionary with Christian Reformed World Missions across the border in Mukachevo, Ukraine. We married in 1999 and have continued to serve as missionaries in Ukraine.

The Lord’s Purpose Prevails

Engagement in Sarospatak, Hungary - May 1999

As I study the threads in the tapestry of my life, I recognize God’s sovereignty and handiwork. Even though I like to plan ahead and be prepared, many times my plans have fallen apart. Repeatedly, I have had to learn to trust God. Only later do I discover how He is in control and how He incorporates each event into my future. God has provided me with a wonderful husband, three fantastic kids, good friends, and a ministry that I love. Through the early days of my childhood in a Christian home, my non-intentional enrollment at a Reformed college, the “mistake” that landed me in Hungary, and so many other so-called “coincidences” I have witnessed God’s hand at work in all the details of my life. I am who and where I am today because of God bringing to fruition His purposes. There is nothing I desire more than to increasingly love my God and to serve Him the rest of my days – no matter what lies ahead.

“Many are the plans in a human heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.” ~ Proverbs 19:21

Faithful

2012-01-08T19:54:00.002+02:00

Today I was overcome by God's faithfulness which caused our worship service to be rather unexpectedly emotional for me. Today marks one of the most poignant displays of God's answer to prayer - a prayer that we have been praying for eight years. And God has provided more than I could imagine, more than I even dared to ask of him.

Eight years ago we planted a church in our town, praying all along that God would provide a local pastor to continue to lead the congregation when it came time for us to move on. For a few years it seemed as if there would never be such a person. We prayed more. We asked others to pray with us. Time went on and George continued to pastor the church by himself. At a youth festival we hosted in 2007, a youth leader from a neighboring city brought a group of young people. We heard his commitment to God and desire to serve him. We observed his gentle style of leadership and patience in difficult circumstances. We prayed that God would send someone like him to serve in our church.

Robert leads small group discussion at youth festival in 2007

Today that man was ordained as pastor of the Christian Reformed Church in Mukachevo!!! Since that week back in 2007 we have seen so much more in him than we even noticed during the youth festival. Robert Shpontak is a man of God and a man deeply committed to God's Church being all that God ordains her to be. He and his wife, Anett, have been called by God to continue the ministry of this church. They face the responsibility with a healthy trepidation. As we prepare to leave Mukachevo and our direct involvement in the life of this little church is coming to an end, I know that God is the one holding her in his hands. He is the one who has provided a pastor with the skills, vision, passion, and commitment beyond what I could have hoped for. God is astonishingly faithful!

Pastor Robert, Anett, and their son Andras

"Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness." - Psalm 115:1

Disoriented

2011-12-31T03:55:00.000+02:00

Decorating a Christmas tree the day before New Year’s at 2in the morning feels a bit…well, weird. Thereason for this odd convergence of events in time is the fact that we arejet-lagging in Ukraine.

Events: It’s Dec. 31 and later today we’ll celebrate NewYear’s Eve at church. A few days ago (Idon’t know what counts as day or as night) we arrived back in Ukraine afterspending nearly 5 weeks in the States for a growth and renewal retreat. A tagline to that event was celebrating “Grandmaand Grandpa’s Christmas” with family in Grand Rapids.

Time: It’s 3:34am. George is writing his sermon as Itype. Abigail is watching cartoons. Matthew and Abigail just helped me decorate theChristmas tree. Now for those of you notfamiliar with Ukrainian traditions, this needs some explanation. Here in Ukraine a tree is decorated for NewYear’s. We aren’t putting our tree upfor this reason, however, but because Christmas in the Ukrainian Orthodoxcalendar falls on January 7. As a churchwe’ve decided to observe Christmas on the day officially recognized and mostcommonly celebrated as Christmas. Thus,having already done a bit of Christmas celebrations in the US, we are nowgearing up for Christmas here in Ukraine.

But I must admit, I feel disoriented by it all. I can’t make heads or tails of what day itis, what time it is, what holiday it is, and come tomorrow, I will get confusedabout what year it is. If only I couldget some sleep!

Safe Community or False Security?

2011-11-13T14:20:00.001+02:00

With all the buzz about the Penn State scandal and ensuing advice from leading news sources recommending that children never be alone with an adult, I am afraid I do not know how to live in this new American society. This wasn't the America I grew up in. It isn't the America I left behind 15 years ago. Now I wonder, is it safe for my children to play on the playground? Can they walk down the street by themselves? Do I need my eye on them all the time in the grocery store? Do I need to have those conversations about good touching versus bad touching and "don't talk to strangers?"

It also makes me wonder about where I live now. It seems refreshing to live in a place where children can be outside without the constant watchful eye of a parent. Children from the age of first grade walk to school and home on their own. Moms leave their infants in strollers outside the shops as they run in to buy something. Boys and girls change for dance lessons in one open room in front of all the moms and dads dropping them off. Prepubescent girls can go topless at the pool. (I admit those last two make me uncomfortable.) I have never heard a story of molestation or kidnapping. I'm not naive enough to think it never happens but there surely isn't a spoken fear of it happening. But then I wonder, should I fear? Is this culture of innocence just false security? Or has America gone over the deep end by fostering fear and distrust? Maybe the answer lies somewhere in between. I would like to know what that line is. Where do you draw the line between freedom and safety?

I’ve Been Reformed

2011-11-12T20:43:00.001+02:00

I was not born and bred CRC. I cannot play “Dutch bingo.” I did not attend Calvin Collegeor even Dordt. I married into theChristian Reformed Church.

My first exposure to the denomination, and the Reformed faith in general, was in highschool. My best friend was (and stillis) a member of the church that I now call my “home church,” Silver SpringCRC. I used to think it strange thatshe attended catechism and played on a church softball team. Their sanctuary sported an orange carpet and their members ate food with names that I didn’t recognize like oli bollen, hagelslag,and banket.

Since those high school days, God seemed to have had me on atrack to “reform” me. I attended aReformed Presbyterian college, Geneva,not because I was looking for a Reformed school but because they offered mesome good scholarships and I liked the community I experienced when I visitedthe campus. I became good friends withRP kids and after checking out lots of other churches, found my place at GenevaReformed Presbyterian Church. Aftercollege I went to Hungaryto teach English as a second language and landed in a tiny town which just sohappened to have three CRC missionaries teaching in the same Hungarian Reformedhigh school. Coincidence? – I thinknot! Three years into my missionary lifein Sárospatak, Hungary I started datingGeorge. By the time God brought ustogether, I was already pretty much “reformed”.

But it hasn’t been until the last few years that I’ve cometo really appreciate the little denomination and its Reformed faith. What I have uncovered is that the CRC is foundedon solid, Biblical teaching that does not sway from one spiritual movement tothe next. I discovered that the entire Bible,from Genesis to Revelation, is ONE story. I learned that the Bible isn’t teaching moralized lessons such as “dareto be a Daniel” but is where I encounter who God is! I have come to love and value thosequestions and answers that my high school friend memorized. How that little book has helped me findanswers to so many big questions of life!

I appreciate the CRC’s value on the professionalism of theirpastors (and not just because I married one)! I didn’t used to think that studying the Bible’s original languages orcultural context really mattered that much. As a kid, I was taught and encouraged to read the Bible for myself andthat my interpretation was just as valid as anyone else’s.

I have come to respect Christian education and recognize theimportant role teaching from a Christian worldview has on rearing a generationof children who can engage their world and culture and be agents of God’stransforming power.

I am grateful that God brought me along the “reformed” roadwhere I have discovered God’s grace, been rooted in faith, been challenged togrow in knowledge and wisdom, and been enabled to serve my Lord and King!

What Time Is It?

2011-10-30T08:33:00.001+02:00

We turned our clocks back one hour this morning and got an extra hour of sleep. Even the kids cooperated by staying in bed longer than usual. But this change was apparently a very difficult one for the government of Ukraine. It had been made into law that Ukraine would stay on daylight savings time eternally - thus making our time zone essentially Moscow time and two hours different than our western neighbor, Hungary. In October the Upper House rescinded the decision but apparently parliament has failed to approve it. So, what time is it?

To make matters even more complicated for those of us living on the western edge of Ukraine, ethnic Hungarians living inside the border of Ukraine function on Hungarian time which is (under normal circumstances) one hour earlier. So, for example, you are in our town of Mukachevo and you want to meet a Hungarian-speaking person for a cup of coffee you must always clarify: "Hungarian time or Kiev time"? Yeah, it gets confusing.

So, I really wonder...how many people will be on time for church this morning. And what actually is "on time"?

How to Bless Missionary Kids

2011-10-09T21:21:00.001+03:00

I had never really thought about it before. What would be a real special treat for the kids? What would be something so unusual that they would cherish every moment? What would be so exciting that their voices would rise above a crowd? What could awaken their spirits that they couldn't fall asleep at night? Seriously, it had never entered my mind before. But it happened, unexpectedly and thoroughly delightfully:

Lian with the kids at the castle

A nine-year-old boy became a friend.

Lian came with his mom and dad on a short-term mission's trip to Ukraine. His parents came to encourage church leaders in biblical worship of God. Lian came along for the experience, but ended up being a tool which God used to encourage and bless three young missionary kids.

I don't usually think about the sacrifices our children make living on the mission field. Sure, there are plenty of privileges and advantages to growing up overseas. But there are most certainly sacrifices too. We have seen this most poignantly with Matthew. He's usually a quiet boy who prefers to stay at home and play with Star Wars figures. He struggles with speaking Ukrainian and Hungarian and is therefore shy around people. Most of our acquaintances have daughters and there is really no other boy for Matthew to call a friend.

When Lian arrived, Matthew became alive with energy and enthusiasm. There was no language barrier to hamper their imaginative play. Lian wholeheartedly played alongside Matthew as if the three year's age difference didn't even exist.

The children spent just shy of 6 days together - hiking to up to a castle, jumping from one gold stone to another in order to avoid the hot lava, racing cars in the children's room, having a sleep-over, and struggling to piece together a deformed Chinese-made Lego-imitation. They were good, special days.

Who would have known that a nine year old boy could have brought so much joy and blessing to one week in the life of three young missionary kids? Thank you, Lian!

Acrostic Poems

2011-10-06T12:25:00.000+03:00

Abigail's assignment in school today was to write two acrostic poems. The first one just made me laugh!

Drinks coffee
And watches TV
Dreams of golf

I wonder what she would say about me!

Ukrainian is the language
Kyiv is the capital
Russia is a neighbor
An interesting place to visit
I live there
Need to try borsch, shashlik, kvass and pelmeni
Everybody has to come to UKRAINE

HIPY PAPY BTHETHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY

2011-09-14T00:02:00.000+03:00

So Owl wrote...and this is what he wrote:
HIPY PAPY BTHETHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY
Pooh looked on admiringly.
"I'm just saying 'A Happy Birthday'," said Owl carelessly.
"It's a nice long one," said Pooh, very much impressed by it. - A.A. Milne

Sunday we celebrated Elizabeth's 4th birthday. She had 6 friends join her for the party which started off with pin the tail on Eeyore. A treasure hunt followed and culminated with a beehive pinata.

Elizabeth is Turning Four

2011-09-08T09:30:00.000+03:00

Sunday is Elizabeth's fourth birthday. She loves to watch home videos so I made this one for her as a present. She brings us so much joy. These four years have gone by quickly and it seems as if she's always been a part of our lives. I can't imagine a day without her.

Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVymwYhl_Bs

Flashback

2011-09-05T20:45:00.000+03:00

I ran across this little story I wrote nearly 8 years ago. I thought you might enjoy reading it (again) too.

LIGHTS OUT

When you think of new parents bringing home their first baby, a picture of a sleeping baby, a cozy nursery, and smiling parents enters your mind. But sometimes reality is drastically different – especially when you live in another country like Ukraine.

Abigail was born in Hungary even though we live in Ukraine. Hospitals in Ukraine are very bad so we traveled to neighboring country Hungary to have our first baby. After she was born, we waited a month for her passport and visa to Ukraine. Once we had those papers in hand, we could go home. During our wait, our car also broke down and it was taking the mechanics weeks to fix it. Finally, on the day we received Abigail’s visa, the car was also running.

We packed the car to the brim. We had been living in Hungary for two months and had a lot of things to take home. It took us six hours to drive home.

We opened the door to the apartment and tried switching on the lights. Nothing – the house was pitch black. I lit a candle to be able to find our way through the darkness. Abigail was crying fervently so I lit a couple more candles in the temporary bedroom and began to feed her. Meanwhile, George unpacked the car. In the process he broke the big toe on his left foot.

I became thirsty. But when there’s no electricity we also don’t have any running water. George went down the street to the 24hour store and bought me a bottle of water. He had only enough Ukrainian money for a small bottle of water. When George told the store cashier about our situation, she offered to let us put a few things in a fridge. George returned with a box of perishables we had brought with us.

George couldn't find any reason for the electricity to be out but we suspected it had something to do with the repairs being done to the exterior of the building. All the plaster had been chipped off and a wooden fence surrounded the front of the building to keep people from walking under the falling pieces.

Abigail, meanwhile, was greatly troubled by her stomach. Since she was born, she had had a lot of stomach pain. As was typical, she couldn't sleep and wouldn't settle down. By 5:30am George gave up on the idea of catching some sleep and went back to the store to pick up our perishables. The shift was changing and we couldn't leave it there any longer. He then called a member of our small group Bible study who's an electrician. He came with two other acquaintances and they tracked the electrical problem. It was a connection problem as a result of the repairs. Around 8am the electricity was working again!

At 8:30am Abigail finally fell asleep and so did I! The phone rang numerous times - how did anyone know we were back??? Anyway, George ran around and bought some cakes and drinks for the inevitable visitors we'd have later on. He slept a little around noon.

The visitors arrived all at the same time. Let's see, there was Marika and Tanya, Lyuda and her daughter Vika, Juli and Zsolt, Marta, Beci and they their two daughters. Hopefully they didn't look around the apartment much since it was cluttered with our suitcases and belongings. We couldn’t fully unpack because our bedroom was still being repaired and we weren’t moved into that room. There was no place to put Abigail's clothes until we were able to use the bedroom. The crib remained in the study filled with miscellaneous baby belongings - like a high chair. That evening we got the pack n play set up in the "back room" which was substituting as a bedroom. More than anything, we would have welcomed a good night's sleep - and gladly turned the lights out!

Fire and Brimstone

2011-08-30T21:53:00.001+03:00

The way today went, I could have mistaken for Armageddon. First we started off with a fire. As I was checking email before starting school, the lights started flickering. I worried the kids had jammed a piece of bread in the toaster so I yelled from my bedroom, "What are you guys doing?" They hollered back, "FIRE!!" Still thinking it was the toaster, I ran into the kitchen looking frantically around. No fire but I could smell a terrible stench. "WHERE???" They pointed to the little room off the kitchen - our bathroom which also serves as laundry room. The room was full of black smoke and either the kids pointed out or I spotted the smoke coming from the top of the dryer. I shoved the stacked washer and dryer away from the wall and pulled the plug. Then I ran for the camera - before putting a wet towel on the dryer and ruining the picture, of course!

For the following 4 hours of school we put up with the awful smell and three brief electrical outages (who knows why). After lunch I heard loud banging on the roof over our enclosed balcony-turned school room. I opened the back door and leaped to the middle of the yard lest anything fall on me. Up above us our neighbors were installing a new window which subsequently resulted in huge chunks of brick, mortar and plaster falling onto our roof and crashing to the ground. I yelled up to the workers replacing the window and told them they should put something there to catch these pieces so they don't hit a child. Their explanation was, "It's an old building. What do you expect?" I told them I expected them to make it safe. Chunks remained on the roof which could at anytime fall onto the head of one of my children. After their scoffing, I went off to find the owner of the apartment and talk to him myself. He promised me just 10 more minutes. I asked him to then clean up all the chunks and the ones still on the roof. Which, thankfully, he did.

My friend asked after hearing today's story, "When is your husband coming home?" I replied, "I've been asking myself that same question." Why do we get all the excitement when he's 780km away? Now before any more adrenaline rushes, I'm off to bed.

....Ugh, just had another bad encounter with a different neighbor. Can this day get any worse?

Today's Riddle

2011-08-03T22:56:00.000+03:00

For those of you who don't live in Ukraine, can you solve this riddle?

Our washing machine broke and today the repairmen came to take it away and fix it. In the process of disconnecting the water intake, the valve broke and was spraying water everywhere with unstoppable pressure. Water was flooding the bathroom and pouring out into the kitchen. George yelled, "Turn off the electricity!" How can turning off the electricity to our apartment stop the water from flowing?

Prize goes to first person not experienced with life in Ukraine who can correctly solve the riddle. If you live or have lived in Ukraine, you're not allowed to give away the answer.

Giving Up Trust

2011-07-29T18:23:00.000+03:00

When I left America, I gave up something that I used to take for granted - trust. I didn't used to wonder if whether this name brand is a fake, whether this CD player will work a week after I get it home, whether my children's toys will make it through one day of play before they break, whether the DVD I just bought is a re-packaged copied film, whether this person is telling me the truth, or whether the food I buy is spoiled. It is really hard to give up trust, but that is what is required to live in this society. Probably daily we hear of someone or we experience being ripped off, taken advantage of, lied to, and deceived.

Today went shopping at the only "supermarket" in town. As we walked down the aisle of frozen foods we realized that absolutely everything was defrosted - the fish, the vegetables, the ice cream - everything! George asked one of the workers why it's all defrosted and she brushed it off with an explanation that the electricity was out over night. When George went further to say that it's potentially dangerous to sell fish that was frozen, defrosted and then will be refrozen, she brushed off his comment with an attitude of "too bad for you." At the meat counter we asked again whether their refrigerators were also working and the attendant said no. All the meat is sitting neatly out but for the past 8 hours or who-knows how long, it hadn't been refrigerated. No thank you, no meat for us.

A solution isn't so simple to find because this is the possible scenario anywhere you shop. There isn't a single store that I would trust and the market is just as bad. A few times I have bought eggs only to find that a few were completely rotten - the kind that even Templeton the Rat in Charlotte's Web ran away from.

So, today's experience was just another of many disappointments, another reminder that we can't trust anything.

Lead On And I Will Follow

2011-07-23T22:29:00.000+03:00

About this time 15 years ago I was in the final weeks of preparing for my first year of living overseas. I remember sitting through training for Educational Services International (ESI aka TeachOverseas.org) and struggling over which country I should go teach English as a Second Language in. I had initially intended on going to Czech Republic but at that time they had a change in law or something and didn't need so many foreign teachers anymore. Then I thought about going to Romania because my great-grandmother was from there and it would be interesting to explore those roots. In the end, I went to Hungary - a country I knew nothing about. The whole process of getting to Hungary was a battle of wills. I had to let go of control of my life and let God lead me. It was not easy then, and it's still something I am learning now.

I spent three years in Sarospatak, Hungary teaching conversational English at a Hungarian Reformed high school. It was there that I met George and was wooed across the border into Ukraine.

I had been to Ukraine once before when my dad led a two-week missions trip to Kiev back in 1990 and took me along at the age of 16. I don't remember saying this but my mom says that I came home to announce that I would go back again some day.

Here I am! I have lived in Hungary for 3 years and in Ukraine for 12. I have been overseas as a missionary for the past 15 years! And now, what can I say? I am content. I have seen God lead and guide me. Through the {figurative} deserts and beside the quiet waters, I have experienced the ever-faithful guidance of God's hand. I know that there will be new paths to follow and more unknown places, but in the past 15 years I am starting to learn that I am not in control of my life. And that's exactly as it should be!

Horsin' Around

2011-07-20T09:48:00.000+03:00

Eight years ago our firstborn entered our lives. To celebrate this special occasion, Abigail chose to have a "horse party".

We were able to go to the outskirts of town to ride horses and play games. The kids each had a turn riding a horse and they were also able to help brush other horses in the stalls. They admired the two week old foal and fed the ducks.

We played a hoola hoop relay game and bobbed for apples.

Back at home we ate cake and ice cream and then learned a simple country line dance.

Happy Birthday, Abigail!

Languages Around Us

2011-07-07T20:18:00.000+03:00

We made this video for a church's VBS that is featuring our life as missionaries. Abigail did this segment to explain the languages that we hear and 'speak'! Would you be interested in seeing the text and photos for the other 4 segments on our lives in Ukraine?

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0EpVT1nsLE

Candied Love

2011-07-07T16:59:00.000+03:00

Elizabeth wanted to talk to the video camera and here's what she says about her parents. This kid makes me laugh! I guess now I know what her love language is! :)

A Troubled State

2011-06-24T09:04:00.000+03:00

In our inbox this morning was a copy of the independent, English-language newspaper, KyivPost. Here are just a few quotes from this week's paper to give you a picture of the challenges Ukrainians face.
KyivPost

* Freedom House, the U.S.-based democracy watchdog, presented a report last week in Kyiv warning that Ukraine is sliding towards authoritarianism under [President] Yanukovych.

* “Address the systemic and pervasive corruption that…touches the lives of every citizen at every level,” Thomas Mirow, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, said at an investors’ council meeting chaired by [President] Yanukovych.

* Ukraine is a high-risk destination for investment. According to the June Euromoney Country Risk Survey, Ukraine remains among the 10 riskiest countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

* Among those crimes allegedly caught on tape was the Sept 16, 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze, a crime for which [Former President] Kuchma now faces charges of exceeding his powers.

* By 1944, only 700 of 220,000 Jews in Lviv, [Ukraine] were alive

* Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko asked the European Court of Human Rights on June 21 to recognize domestic criminal probes against her as politically motivated…Now in opposition and barred by prosecutors from travelling outside Kyiv, Tymoshenko has been charged with misallocating hundreds of millions of dollars while in office.

* In this homegrown culture of keeping investors out and roughing up those brave enough to arrive, even fast-growing domestic businesses whose owners have political clout no longer dare to raise fresh investment by listing on the local stock market.

* Objective, hard-hitting coverage of two high-profile events involving President Viktor Yanukovych were noticeably absent….While more subtle than outright censorship, we suspect these incidents demonstrate yet another layer of purposeful barriers to make it more difficult for citizens to get all sides of the story, in part by keeping out independent and critical journalists.

* Ukraine’s population has shrunk from 51 million people in 1991 to less than 46 million people today. Besides low birth rates and high mortality rates, millions of Ukrainians have gone abroad seeking better lives.

Source: http://www.kyivpost.com/

Tribute to Dad

2011-06-20T16:54:00.001+03:00

I tried not to think too much about yesterday being Father’s Day. For one, the daddy in our home isn’t home so there wasn’t any celebrating to do here. Secondly, my own father is in his heavenly home so I can’t congratulate him either. But then, maybe, it’s good for me to reflect on the impact my father had on my life rather than just try to avoid the pain of his loss. With the pain may come some new appreciation. So I’ll fight back some tears and write on.

Dad and Me 1999

My kids sometimes ask me about their Grandpa Snyder. I really wish they could meet him, but even more that he could meet them. I know they would love each other. I would love to see them wrestle on the floor, to read a story, to admire cars together. Most of all, I know my kids would laugh because that’s what many of my memories of my father include - laughter. He loved to tell stories and sometimes got so caught up in his own stories that he “forgot” about reality altogether. We didn’t have a DVD player to occupy us on our long car rides but we had dad’s stories. I wish now that I had them recorded.

My dad was liked by nearly everyone he met. In fact, I don’t know of anyone who didn’t like him. He was a diplomat and peacemaker. He loved people and found a way to relate to the old man in the nursing home, to the troubled teen, to the prisoner, to the highest authority in Nepal. He made each one of them feel important.

What I appreciated most about my dad was the time we spent together. I cherish the memories of fishing in the morning fog, contemplating the wording for the persecution reports, pulling the water pump from my car, and watching movies over a bowl of popcorn.

Dad and Me 1974

My dad showed me that I was loved – by him and by my Heavenly Father. From him I learned to treasure the Word of God, to value Christian fellowship, to share my faith with others, and to be willing to follow God wherever he would lead me. I remember my father’s reaction when I told him I was leaving for the mission field. He said something along the lines of, “I always wanted you to go where God led you, but I never knew it would hurt to see you go.”

I am blessed to have known Steven Snyder as my dad and friend.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I look forward to seeing you again one day!

Big Girl Haircut

2011-06-16T15:46:00.000+03:00

Elizabeth has received her first haircut. All the little curls are gone, but this cut is cute and sassy - a good match for Elizabeth's personality!

Dance Performance

2011-06-07T18:45:00.000+03:00

Abigail participated in her dance troop's performance on June 1. I'm estimating over 500 people came for the two hour show held in our town's one screen movie theater. This was Abigail's first year of dance lessons and was considered a preparatory year. We were quite impressed by each of the group's dances! Enjoy the following video of Abigail dancing the quick step. (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPHjBmoJGck)

Piano Recital and Potato Chips

2011-05-17T22:22:00.000+03:00

Abigail performed in a piano recital at her music school on Saturday. This, her second year of playing piano, had it's share of ups and downs and moments of her wanting to quit. But she stuck with it, learned some new pieces and played well at the recital. Video is uploaded to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDGPR28euTg.

On another entirely different topic, one enjoyable aspect of living overseas is encountering foods that we wouldn't find in the States. These are two of our kids' favorite flavors of potato chips. Caviar or crab, anyone?

Victory Day

2011-05-11T08:11:00.000+03:00

May 9 - Victory in Europe Day as recognized by countries of the former Soviet Union, marking the end of World War II. The center of town was crowded with people. Bands played music and speeches were given. We walked around with our new summer volunteer. Wandering further to the market, I took advantage of the smaller crowds and took a few pictures.

Воскресение = Resurrection Sunday

2011-04-24T23:22:00.001+03:00

In Russian the word for Sunday is the same word as resurrection. Today we celebrated Jesus' resurrection with a special service at church. The children performed a skit, sang songs, and recited poems - all the children except for Elizabeth, who for some reason decided not to get off her chair. Here's the video of the children's program at church.

We also sang You Are My King (Amazing Love) in church and it has been our family's song of praise today.

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, You were condemned
I'm alive and well
Your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well
Your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be?
That you, my king. would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
Its my joy to honor you
Amazing love how can it be?
That my king would die for me
Amazing love I know it's true
Its my joy to honor you
In all I do
I honor you

Here's a link to a YouTube video with this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dooif2-yAoI

Pussy Willow Sunday

2011-04-17T21:31:00.000+03:00

Today was "Pussy Willow Sunday" - the name derived probably because palm trees do not grow here and pussy willows have taken their place in the symbolism of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.

We were astonished by the number of cars parked along the streets and the crowds of people in front of the Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches. These are not usual crowds for a Sunday, but are seen only 3 times a year - Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter. Today people buy little bunches of pussy willows outside the churches and stand waiting for a priest to bless their twigs. Some of the very religious will place these twigs in a special place in their homes devoted to the saints. I have heard that some people will plant a blessed twig in each section of their garden to keep away anything that would harm their harvest and so that God would bless it.

In our church today, we did not follow the typical traditions of blessing pussy willow twigs. We did not have an unusually large crowd in attendance. But we did hear a sermon on how Jesus entered Jerusalem as King and people asked, "Who is this man?" We too are left to ask, "Does Jesus reign in my life....or not?" That is the question that has not been asked of these crowds waiting to have their pussy willows blessed.

There is work yet to be done so that all people may say, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Jesus reign in our lives today!"

We Need A Vacation

2011-03-30T23:36:00.000+03:00

The last couple of weeks have been….I don’t even know a good word for it…. difficult, wearisome, tiring. George had to make 5 trips to our regional capital to get our registration to live in Ukraine. Each time he had to wait for hours before the bureaucrat (oh, I mean “public servant”) would take the time to sign a paper, tell him to go get another stamp, or come back and pay tomorrow. To make matters worse, our van had some strange wheel noise which George had checked out and it proved to be bearings in very bad condition. We were advised to not drive it at all. It would take two weeks to get the part in. So George had to ask a friend to take him all these times to Uzhgorod.

Our internet modem died so we’ve had very spotty to no internet for the past week. Now that we have a new modem it still isn’t working properly. Ugh…

We had our outside wall to the corridor of our apartment building insulated to hopefully stop the growth of mold on our walls. It was supposed to take one week and took two weeks.

We were supposed to have left on Wednesday to travel to Kiev and beyond. Because the part for our car didn’t come in when they thought it would, we are having to delay our trip until Friday. Hopefully the part does arrive on Thursday and the van can be in good working order. We planned to visit good friends in Kiev and George arranged meetings with various people interested in church development. Everything had to get pushed back and rearranged. The landlord for an apartment we reserved in Kiev became problematic and is charging us extra for not arriving when we originally expected to. It’s going to be about a 12 hour drive to Kiev and we’re praying the roads aren’t too bad. The roads in our region are terrible following the winter but maybe the main road to Kiev will be better. I’m just not feeling very optimistic.

It’s been one of those weeks when one problem piles on top of another. It’s one of those weeks when we really want to get away. …And hopefully we will…come end of May.

Taken for Granted: Water

2011-03-07T22:59:00.000+02:00

Before I lived in Ukraine I never gave a thought to water. I drank freely from the ever-flowing tap. I took a shower whenever I wanted to. Living abroad is good for recognizing the things that much of the world lives without - such as clean, running water.

In our town, there is running water for five hours every day. For the remaining 19 hours the taps are dry. There are theories as to why this is the case and most likely it has something to do with the poor state of the water pipes. So much water is lost through the old, leaky pipes that the city has decided to ration everyone's water to 2 hours in the morning, 1 hour at noon, and 2 hours in the evening. Just imagine having to structure your life around when there is water - taking showers, cleaning clothes, washing the dishes, mopping the floor, flushing the toilet. Some people deal with this inconvenience by storing water in the bathtub and filling up buckets near the toilet. Others, us included, get more sophisticated by installing a water tank and water pump. The tank is filled during the 5 hours of running water and the pump provides the taps with a constant flow. It's a blessing that is easy to take for granted. (And we're not even talking countries where water is carried from a well or worse.)

So, now that we have "running" water, the next step is to clean it. Some local people drink the water from the tap, even without boiling it. But we've heard enough stories to be more than leery. Hepatitis, typhoid, parasites, amoebas. As a safeguard, our drinking water is processed through an expensive Amway water treatment system. We change the filter once a year and after looking at this past year's filter, I'm not taking my glass of clean drinking water for granted.

I don't think I need to tell you which one is the new filter! :)

Chim Chim Cheree

2011-02-22T22:00:00.000+02:00

Today was another ordinary day full of the unordinary. Actually, today's story started about 5 days ago when three people rang our bell. They were from the gas company and came to inspect our furnace. They wasted no time in finding this and that unacceptable - regardless of the fact that George told them it was the gas company itself that did it that way. For the following three days, George spent hours going from this office to that office to pay this and pay that to get everything up to the NEW STANDARDS! One such requirement was to have a chimney sweep come and check the furnace vent and install a separate air ventilation.

Right as I was preparing lunch, the chimney sweep arrived - but he was not just any chimney sweep but in fact the very one who a statue was made of and erected in the center of town.

Our town's chimney sweep, Berti

Above our furnace, Berti examined the vent and pulled out handfuls of that expanding insulation. I don't know if that had actually been blocking our vent or not but I'm glad to have it out of there nonetheless. Sure sounds like a fire hazard to me. After starting a small fire in the vent he confirmed that the vent was clear. Next he moved on to the separate air ventilation. Above the sink there was an uneven patch of plaster covering the brick in the shape of circle. Assuming that was an old air vent, he tore off the plaster, discovered a hole and removed a bunch of brick. It turns out the hole goes nowhere and he doesn't have the faintest idea where the old air vent could be because the walls have been plastered. To solve our problem he recommended we buy an electric fan to put in the hole. The only reason I can guess we would put a fan in this closed up hole is to give the appearance that everything is in order. Like so many things in this country - it's only the appearance that matters. But that's a whole other topic. Don't get me started on that one!

Since the gas inspectors have been paid, I highly doubt that they will return to follow-up on their demands. But if they do, everything should be fine. Right?

....and probably this summer we'll have to tear that wall apart and find the actual vent.

Matthew's 6th Birthday

2011-02-07T22:58:00.000+02:00

Matthew chose Star Wars the Clone Wars for his birthday theme this year. After a week of intense preparations, we celebrated with a Jedi training and awarded 11 children their Jedi badges. It was a lot of fun. This video will keep the memories fresh for many years to come.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_trjb9HMqE8

Astrology for Christians

2011-02-04T09:33:00.000+02:00

In case you didn't know, Ukraine is predominately a "Christian" nation with 96.2% of her citizens claiming to be Christians (according to CIA factbook). But this article from the Kyiv Post shows how confused Ukrainians are when it comes to understanding their religion. Here are a few quotes from the article, Ukrainian Love for Astrology.

With a horoscope in the morning and a prayer in the evening, Ukrainians are an odd mix when it comes to believing in things supernatural.

Many Christian Orthodox believers partake in the custom, hardly questioning the clash.

This article gives evidence to the state of the Church in Ukraine. If so many Ukrainians put their faith in a horoscope, then their faith in God is very low indeed.

CNN-International Highlights Ukraine

2011-01-18T14:13:00.001+02:00

If you're interested in learning more about Ukraine, CNN International is featuring Ukraine in their I-List programming. You can check out their website for TV program times as well as for lots of articles and pictures. You can even take a quick test to find out how much you know about Ukraine (not so easy for the average person). I highly recommend the brief, picture profile of Ukraine to get a glimpse of the defining moments in Ukraine. Ukraine Picture profile

Check it out! I'd love to hear what you found interesting...

New Years Before Christmas

2011-01-08T10:52:00.000+02:00

It's possible to understand this blog's title in two ways and both would be correct. Being primarily an Orthodox country, Ukraine follows the Julian calendar for their religious holidays but the Gregorian calendar for everything else. Thus, Christmas falls on January 7 - after New Years. Not only does New Years come before Christmas on the calendar but it also trumps Christmas in importance.

Under communism religious holidays were not recognized and celebration of them was extremely limited. But Ukrainians LOVE holidays (during the spring months there's hardly a week without some "saint day" which prohibits some from working) and Ukrainians also know how to throw a good party. I don't know how it actually happened but New Years became the biggest holiday of the year. "Father Frost" (similar to our Santa Claus) comes with gifts and greetings. An evergreen tree is decorated with ornaments and lights. Fireworks and a huge feast typically with lots of alcohol usher in the new year.

The "New Year's" card we sent to family and friends.

Our church started a tradition already 5 or 6 years ago of hosting a New Year's Eve party. This year, as in past years, we started with a worship service followed by a potluck. Church members organized games and we had a great time of fellowship and laughter. Before midnight we all bundled up in warm clothes and headed to the center of town for fireworks. Everyone had a great time and it's wonderful to offer an alternative to the typical drunken festivities.

It is common for people to dress up for New Years or where costumes. Our kids are very happy about this since they don't have Halloween (not a Ukrainian holiday) to dress up on.

Abigail in traditional Ukrainian dress

Matthew as a Star War's Storm Trooper

Elizabeth as Minnie Mouse

We had two "Father Frosts" at church with one reindeer!

The kids at church

Happy New Year!

(P.S. If you're viewing this on Facebook and the pictures and captions are all messed up, you may want to go to the original blog to view. www.devuysts.blogspot.com)

A Visit from Grandma

2011-01-01T10:14:00.000+02:00

This Christmas Grandma Snyder made her fourth trip to see us. We had a wonderful time with the only regret being that the visit was too short. Upon leaving she cried, "You guys live too far away." How real the unsung sacrifice the extended families of missionaries make when their loved ones move overseas. I can only imagine how difficult it is to see your grandchildren only every few years.

To make the most of our rare opportunity to be together, we kept very active. Grandma baked Christmas cookies with the kids.

We went out on the icy sidewalks in search of tablecloth souvenirs and a Christmas tree. We relented to the poor choice of live trees and bought a fake one. For the first year we actually saw some fake trees that looked like trees rather than a bunch of fuzzy green sticks. We are happy with our decision and this tree will hopefully be our companion for the next few years.

Grandma had a very rare opportunity indeed to attend a piano recital where Abigail played a little Ukrainian piece called Father Frost.

You can watch the video clip here:

Since the holidays in Ukraine don't actually begin until December 31, Grandma got to sit out in the hall while Abigail had a dance lesson. She was hoping to watch the lesson but the teacher apparently wouldn't allow her in. Grandma made a bad situation worse by leaving her scarf there and in the process of returning the next day to search for it, she lost her hat. We had a good laugh! And we got to spend some more time on the icy sidewalks in search of a new scarf.

We went bowling together in the newly opened "mall" and had a fun competition trying to make it to 100 points.

Other memorable moments were playing Rook after the kids were asleep (or at least should have been), a leisurely dinner at the Star Hotel, and struggling to get pie crusts to turn out.

Grandma left our house at 11pm on the 30th. That night before she left the kids had a hard time falling asleep and were so sad that Grandma would be gone in the morning. Matthew got out of bed and asked me for permission for Grandma to read them "the last story for a long time." Ahh, yes, they too miss having their grandparents as part of their lives. That's why such visits are so very precious.

DayTrip to Vienna

2010-12-21T10:51:00.001+02:00

We have been waiting around in Hungary for my new passport for a week now. During this wait we did some homeschooling, had a cleaning at the dentist and flu shots, but we also had some unusual adventures as well.

Friday we took advantage of the close proximity of Budapest to Vienna and drove to Vienna just for the day. We met our new CRWM colleagues working at the International Christian School of Vienna. They took us to Schonbrunn Imperial Palace. For the kids' sake we took the shortest tour comprising of 22 rooms and to our surprise the kids really enjoyed listening to the audio tour to the point that the four adults were left sharing two devices and the kids learned more about each room than we did. "Princess Sissi" is Abigail's favorite princess and we learned a lot about her tragic life as Empress Elizabeth.

In the evening we attended the Christian school's middle-school performance of Sleeping Beauty. This was the first time the kids had watched a live performance and Elizabeth was quick to point out that the animals were only kids dressed up in costumes. She got very nervous during the sword fight and cheered when "the bad guy is killed". Thoroughly delightful! I think for her mom and dad, Elizabeth was just as entertaining as the play itself.

Today my mom is supposed to arrive and we will head back to Ukraine. Europe was dumped in snow over the past few days and there's a mess at the airports. Her flight is due late into Munich which may severely complicate her connection to Budapest. Despite all the fun of the past week, we're ready to get back home.

Christmas Letter

2010-12-08T19:40:00.003+02:00

This Christmas will be a bit different for us this year. First of all, Sarah’s mom is coming to spend ten days with us in December. We are looking forward to baking Christmas cookies and spending time together. Although it is quite unusual for us to be with extended family over a holiday, the strangest thing will be celebrating Christmas in January. Our congregation has decided to celebrate the official Ukrainian Christmas which falls on January 7 according to the Orthodox (Julian) calendar. December 25 is a normal school and work day in Ukraine, and although some people (mostly Hungarians) in our region celebrate this day as Christmas, celebrating January 7 is more missiologically sound considering our goal to reach Ukrainians. One more way this Christmas is different is that in addition to our prayer letter, you are receiving a special letter just about us as a family.

I’ll start with the youngest in the family. Elizabeth turned 3 in September and tells everyone she meets that she is “three,” holding up three little fingers as she does so. She feels so big and grown-up now, often reminding mommy that she isn’t a baby anymore but has become “a kid.” Elizabeth loves to color in yellow and can write the first letter of her name. A couple months ago she started attending a private preschool 3 mornings a week. Our reason for sending her was so that she could learn Ukrainian. Lately she hasn’t been happy there, seemingly because her teachers don’t understand her (not because she doesn’t understand them). We aren’t in any hurry so if she prefers to stay home, then we’re happy to have her with us. Elizabeth is a great communicator, even if she doesn’t speak the language of the person she’s talking to. She uses her hands and facial expressions to get across what she wants. One day I heard her say a sentence consisting of words in three languages – English, Ukrainian and Hungarian: “No, ні szabad!” (Translated all into English it means, “No, that’s not allowed.”) Elizabeth is highly task oriented and can accomplish nearly anything she sets her mind to. (In other words, nothing is out of reach.) We see her as a leader someday.

Matthew will soon turn 6. He loves turtles, Star War’s the Clone Wars, and Wall-E. He wants to become a farmer when he grows up. Matthew started kindergarten in our homeschool and is doing great. He caught on to math very fast and is nearly finished with his book for the whole year already. He has learned 12 letters of the alphabet so far and can read some simple books using those letters. He and Abigail made a great lapbook about Ukraine this year. Matthew loves swimming and has just started to move beyond doggy-paddling.

Abigail, 7, fills the role of the oldest child perfectly. She is mature and dependable, paying careful attention to details. She wants to be a ballet teacher, piano teacher, golf teacher, and school teacher when she grows up. There’s definitely some teacher in her! This is her second year of taking piano lessons and her first year of ballroom dance lessons. She has a gift for languages and can communicate in Russian with her piano teacher, in Ukrainian at dance lessons and Sunday School, and in Hungarian with her friends. Abigail loves drawing and coloring, playing with Playmobil, and taking pictures.

I, Sarah, love homeschooling Abigail and Matthew with Sonlight’s curriculum. Ideally, we would like to be able to send our children to a Christian school, but there are not any decent schools in our area, much less a Christian school. I am glad to have studied elementary education and pleased that the kids are happy here at home. Their education down the road remains a question and a matter of prayer. Besides homeschooling, I lead an English bible study at church and participate in an English book club comprised of English teachers from the language school I helped start 7 years ago. I also started a blog this year at www.devuysts.blogspot.com to help family and friends know what we’re up to.

George enjoys his work with the Mukachevo Reformed congregation although this year has presented a lot of new challenges especially with developing healthy leadership. The church’s seminary intern, Robert Shpontak, has been a great blessing. Our prayer is that he will eventually become their pastor. George has especially enjoyed being trained and training others in the Timothy Leadership Training. He sees a lot of potential for (and a lot of work in) getting this program running in multiple cities in Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. If the weather is good and time is available, George appreciates a day of peace and quiet on the golf course. He has to travel to Debrecen, Hungary (it takes at least 3 hours to get there) for such an opportunity but it’s well worth it. George is a great father and husband and no matter how busy or stressed he is, he makes time for his family.

We remain happy living in Ukraine and encouraged by the little signs of transformation we see in the lives we minister to. Even after 14 years overseas, we are constantly learning about ministry in the in Ukrainian context. We pray for God to use us as His instruments.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Snapshots

2010-11-16T20:42:00.000+02:00

Here are some pictures from the last month.

The electricity went out twice today but that didn't stop the children from continuing their coloring by flashlight.

We built the little electric flag in our science class

Abigail with our Ukrainian language teacher, Ira.

No wonder Matthew is confused - he's copying from a Hungarian book into a Ukrainian notebook!

Ahh...that's our charmer!

Tea party

Wanted: 3 Year old bonnet bandit

Play dough party with our friend, Andre, who comes over on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

Did someone say, "wireless"?

Daddy has been gone essentially 4 weeks and there was no shortage of excitement when he came home.

The kids had been sick since the beginning of November. Definitely glad that is over!

Sent Home to Die

2010-10-23T14:32:00.000+03:00

Way too often I hear this scenario played again and again. This time it involves a man who has been attending our church for the past few years. He has a brain tumor. Doctors have decided that it's not worth operating or treating. He has a bum leg and he's poor, therefore, they have decided, he might as well just go home and die. He, of course, has not been told what the diagnosis is nor is he given any choice as to whether his life is worth living or not. The indifferent doctors have made the decision for him. He is at home...and any day now he will die.

What it's All About

2010-10-23T14:25:00.000+03:00

Thankfully, the feelings of not wanting to be in Ukraine were quickly replaced by reasons TO BE in Ukraine. Sure, there are many things that I don't like about life here and those things are not likely to change, but I once again have a renewed sense of purpose and belonging. This week an acquaintance confided in me and asked me to pray for her. I was able to encourage a wife of an alcoholic to continue her new-found courage to stop enabling him. Through my sister's medical advice, I was able to help a woman recover from a bad ear infection that was affecting her hearing. I am grateful for the opportunities I have to listen to others and pray for them. If I can help others get a glimpse of how much God loves them and cares for them, then I know that this is where I am meant to be.

Life is Better Somewhere Else Than Here

2010-10-03T00:30:00.000+03:00

A few weeks ago I experienced a rare emotion. I didn't want to be in Ukraine. I had spent nearly two wonderful weeks outside of Ukraine in a country where life is easier and society functions. I returned feeling overwhelmed by all the reasons NOT to live in Ukraine. I couldn't even think of one good reason to stay. My list of concerns included: I can't trust that the food we eat isn't contaminated, my children aren't receiving the Christian school education that we would like for them to have, I'm repeatedly pushed aside by someone wanting to get to the front of the line, being immersed in three foreign languages is too much, Matthew's personality is repressed because of his inability to communicate, where's the line between helping and developing dependency, and the list goes on.

Slowly over a week these negative emotions began to subside. The concerns remain but I am not looking so intently at the grass on the other side of the fence (so to speak). Today I led an English Bible study and our topic was the Israelite's complaining in the desert. God brought them to the desert to test them and mold them into the people He wanted them to be. If it's not complaining that He wanted to hear when they had no water, when their feet ached from walking, when their bellies grumbled, then what was it? Maybe He wanted to hear them say, "Hey, God, I saw how you did amazing things back in Egypt, please see our needs and provide for us." or "I'll go where you want me to go even though I don't like it." Perhaps my response to life not always being what I want should not be one of complaining but of openness to what God has to teach me and in expectation of His incredible provision.

All this musing brought to mind a song I heard my parents listen to when I was a child - Keith Green's So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt. If I was feeling really creative (and had a ton of time on my hands) I would change the words to apply to my situation. But I have neither the creativity nor the time so if you want you can just listen to the original song.

Elizabeth Turns Three

2010-09-19T17:23:00.000+03:00

Elizabeth at 4 1/2 months old

Our baby is not a baby anymore. She's out of diapers, without a pacifier, sleeping in a big bed, and talking up a storm. Elizabeth turned three on September 11 and we celebrated her birthday with friends the next day. She chose an age-appropriate them of Mickey Mouse and for the party we played games, blew bubbles and ate cake and ice cream.

That same weekend we heard of a "mini preschool" and Monday morning I took Elizabeth for her first day. She told me, "I won't cry, Mommy" and true to her word she let me bring her in and drop her off so that I could return to homeschooling Abigail and Matthew. She attends two mornings a week and so far loves it. We hope it gives her a boost in learning Ukrainian.

First day of preschool

A birthday card Elizabeth received contained a poem that perfectly describes her.

What is a Little Girl

She is a bundle of sweetness,

brightness and fun

The beauty of springtime,

the warmth of the sun

She's innocence covered with mud,

sand, and soot

She's Motherhood dragging

a doll by the foot...

She's a composite picture of

giggles and tears

Of tantrums, excitement,

amusement and fears

A bundle of mischief

and often a tease

A creature of moods

not easy to please...

Who'll capture your heart

with her pixie-like grin

Or chatter and beg till your

patience wears thin

But obedient, naughty,

mischievous or coy

She's her Mom's little Darling and

her Dad's Pride and Joy.

We love you, Elizabeth! Happy Birthday!

Holland Vacation

2010-09-13T22:39:00.001+03:00

Ahh...the breathtaking beauty of Holland! We had a fantastic vacation spending one week at CenterParcs (Het Meerdal) and then three days at George's relative's who we decided is a first cousin once removed.

We took 3 days driving the 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to get there (spending a night in Budapest and in Nuremberg, Germany) but on the way back we drove 17 hours to Budapest without stopping for longer than 45 minutes. The drive was more or less uneventful (if you don't count our GPS getting wiped out) and the kids were superb. We enjoyed a week swimming, riding bikes (although our goal of having Abigail and Matthew riding without training wheels was obviously not one of their goals), playing on numerous playgrounds, bowling, mini-golfing, etc., etc. Elizabeth, unfortunately, had a couple injuries. The first night she got her finger pinched in the hinged side of a door and two days later she scraped her foot on the swimming pool floor coming off a water slide. Although the pinched finger didn't leave any lingering discomfort, the scrape was a real nuisance by not healing and needing antibiotics. (I'll spare you the gory pictures.)

We got a kick out of being in America.

playgrounds were everywhere in the park

The kids spent an afternoon as a knight and princess and another afternoon as painters.

We rented bikes and rode all over the park on the smooth paths.

The three days and four nights spent at Jules' and Dicky's were purely refreshing. We visited an open-air museum and enjoyed an afternoon with more members of George's family. George's father immigrated from Holland with his parents and 9 siblings when he was 15 years old. Other than occasional correspondence and our first visit 1 1/2 years ago with the family still in Holland, we don't know these family members very well. We really appreciated the time we could spend with them and their generous hospitality. And our list of enjoyments of Holland wouldn't be complete without mentioning Hagel Slag, Stroop Waffles, peanut butter, old cheese, dry wine, and Dr. Pepper.

A "summer cottage" in the village of Renswoude where our relatives live. (They live in the village not the cottage. Bummer!)

Bike ride - notice the half bike Matthew is on.

The Dutchman and his family.

Abigail loved this hat of Dicky's and loved taking pictures.

A visit to Holland wouldn't be complete without seeing windmills.

Spending nearly 2 weeks outside of Ukraine was good and bad. We needed the change of scenery and culture, rest, and time together as a family. We reveled in the familiarity of Dutch culture, the order, the cleanliness, and the respect for others (especially children). On the other hand, our time away made it a bit hard to want to return to Ukraine. (The kids were even crying.) Now that we are home, however, and busy getting back into the swing of "normal" life, we are happy to be here...but look forward to another vacation in Holland again some day.

"Tomorrow" Finally Delivered

2010-08-20T22:35:00.000+03:00

For over a week - or was it two? - we've been waiting for Matthew's loft bed to be delivered. Every time we thought TODAY would be the day, we were told "tomorrow". I therefore decided that the word, "tomorrow", actually means "soon". Well, yesterday we were told "tomorrow" and TODAY the bed was actually delivered!

Since the 3 kids are sharing a bedroom and Elizabeth is nearly 3 years old and ready to move out of the crib, and I didn't want their bedroom to be full of just beds, (forgive the run-on sentence) I ordered a loft bed to be built. Now the kids have their beds and floor space. Once Elizabeth has adjusted to sleeping and staying put in a "big bed" we'll disassemble the crib and even more floor space will become available for the dolls' strollers, wheel-barrow, dollhouse, train track, etc, etc.

Matthew likes his new bed but his comment at bedtime was, "I miss my bunk bed."

End of Summer Vacation

2010-08-02T07:39:00.000+03:00

Chairs are arranged. Alphabet letters decorate the wall. Calendar is hung. Lesson plans are ready.

Today is the first day of DEVUYST's SCHOOL of LEARNING. On Saturday I told the kids that we had only one day left of summer vacation. Abigail's response was, "Can't we start tomorrow?" After two years of homeschooling her enthusiasm for learning hasn't waned. Matthew is so proud that he is now big enough to start kindergarten. He found every book he could to put in his book nook.

Before we ended the summer holiday, we celebrated Abigail's 7th birthday.

We took a short vacation in Hungary with our friends from Romania.

Saturday we were invited to a friend's 5th birthday party in which the kids needed to come as knights and princesses. I quickly put together a knight's costume for Matthew which he would hardly take off.

One advantage to homeschooling is that we can vacation when everyone else is in school and therefore prices and crowds drop. At the end of August and beginning of September we are planning a two-week vacation to Holland. Having booked 6 months in advance, we got a huge savings on a week's accommodation at Center Parcs: Het Meerdal - a European chain of resorts. The list of activities for children is astounding. I can hardly wait!

So, I guess there's still some summer vacation awaiting us...after a month of school!

Welcome Home

2010-07-09T20:24:00.000+03:00

After 15 days of being without Daddy, there was much excitement when he finally made it home Thursday night. The kids had painted and drawn pictures. They had prepared a skit, a song, and dance all for his welcome home party. We cooked a nice supper and baked a cake. When Daddy walked in the door Matthew burst into spontaneous song about Daddy coming home.

It got me thinking, "I wonder if this isn't a taste of what heaven will be like when we are reunited with our Heavenly Father."

Sleepover

2010-07-06T21:37:00.000+03:00

"Today is the best day of my life!" is how Abigail expressed her excitement at having her friend, Anna, over for a sleepover - a first for both of them. Tonight there is no bedtime. They can stay up in the living room and watch a movie, talk, play, and giggle all they want. Their conversation is in Hungarian but they're watching a movie in Russian. I'm so proud of Abigail's language skills. I'm thankful she has a good friend to play with. Sweet dreams, girls!

Day 11 and Counting

2010-07-04T19:01:00.000+03:00

George has been in Grand Rapids for Timothy Leadership Training. He departs Monday and arrives in Budapest on Tuesday but he has to go from the airport to Romania to lead a seminary continued education class. He will be back home with us on Thursday after 15 days of being apart. Needless to say, we're missing him!

Our plans to visit lots of friends have been sabotaged by illness. First Elizabeth and now Abigail is running a high fever with swollen tonsils and a headache. We've quarantined ourselves at home, painting pictures for Daddy, watching movies, and creating one too!

On Chores, Meals, and Bandaids

2010-06-25T17:19:00.002+03:00

Ahhh…the lazy days of summer!

This has been an unusual summer since we don’t have a team of volunteers coming this year. We were hoping to be busy with orientating, preparing, and working alongside a group of N. Americans in leading an evangelistic English camp. Unfortunately, there was only one response to our request and even that fell through.

So, instead, I’ve been sleeping in until my kiddo alarm goes off around 8am (when Elizabeth and Matthew wake up). Since there’s no school to start on time, I slowly sip a cup of coffee, read email, and check Facebook. Then the morning routine of pouring a bowl of “Kosmostars” or “Honey Nut Cheerios” (we can buy them here), getting dressed, giving Matthew his morning steroid inhaler, and brushing teeth. By 10:00am, we’re usually more or less prepared for the day – whatever it may hold.

The kids enjoy playing outside before it’s terribly hot. Abigail is usually found on the swing, Matthew playing with a stick or rock, and Elizabeth oscillating between the swing and sandbox.

While George is at meetings or busy preparing for a sermon or Bible Study, I usually turn my attention to the laundry. We have a great little front-loading machine (top-loading ones are non-existent), which holds 6 kilograms of wet laundry. I have no idea how much that is in dry laundry so I usually just pack it in with a little headroom left open. It takes over 1 1/2 hours for a load on the “express” cycle so that’s the only cycle I use. (The “normal” is more like 2 1/2 hours.) When the weather is good we hang our laundry outside to dry. We have a stackable dryer which my grandparents generously provided when they heard we were expecting a baby and couldn’t imagine how we would survive without a dryer (although I would wager that most of the world survives without a dryer and a washer). In the winter it can be a godsend for drying socks, underwear, and towels although it makes a horrible screeching sound before it ends and I have to turn it off.

I’m blessed to have Kati-neni who comes weekday morning for 3 hours to help me vacuum and mop all the floors, hang the laundry, clean the bathroom, etc. She’s been a tremendous help, especially during the school-year when I spend the first half of the day teaching. She, in turn, appreciates the extra income since she and her husband can’t survive on their pension alone. It took me a long time to accept the suggestion of hiring house-help, but after many of my Ukrainian friends were doing the same and most people couldn’t believe I had three children and no help, I gave in. Besides, it costs very little.

We have become European-enough that we eat our main meal at midday – 1:00pm to be exact. I cook a variety of foods from Thai chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, and Hungarian porkolt. When we have guests over I often cook something unusual (like lasagna) for them since there’s not much exposure to international foods. What I don’t do, which almost every other home in country does, is prepare a soup every day. Instead we get our vegetable intake from a fresh salad (when fresh vegetables are available) or from the frozen variety in winter. At suppertime we have sandwiches, pancakes, or perhaps a homemade pizza.

The wonderful husband that I have does most of the shopping at the only supermarket on the edge of town. We get most of our vegetables and fruit at a vegetable stand across the street from our house. We used to rely on the “green market” for our fresh goods but it takes a lot of time to go through the stands and haul the goods back home on foot. I’m thankful for the newly opened vegetable stand. And our shopping wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the bread bakery just a few doors down from us. Abigail is now old enough to be sent out to buy a steaming loaf of bread for the equivalent of 37 cents.

And our day wouldn’t be complete without the application of a Band-Aid somewhere on Elizabeth. It’s amazing how a wound, bug bite, or scratch of any kind can be healed by a Mickey Mouse Band-Aid.

Bedtime is 8:00pm during the school year but in summer they’ve been going to bed around 9:30 or 10pm. All three share a bedroom and go to bed at the same time after a routine of teeth-brushing, pjs, devotions, and prayer.

After a few hours of sleep, another day begins….

Conflict of Cultures

2010-06-08T08:26:00.000+03:00

Expectations. Respect. Honesty. Consideration for others. These are issues that are approached quite differently by Ukrainians and Americans. This week we've been confronted with a conflict of culture. What we expect as Americans (and even more so as Christians), what we consider the truth and a lie, measures that we consider respectful and considerate - all of this has been challenged. Ukrainians may say, "This is normal." But our response is, "This is ridiculous."

We have spent the last week preparing to sign the papers, repair, and move into a 3 bedroom house. Anticipation and excitement was high. The kids couldn't wait for us to get the keys so they could see their new home, discover the backyard, and pack their toys for the move.

Now those plans have all fallen apart. We're disappointed and discouraged. I'm annoyed by the way we were treated and pessimistic that we'll ever be in a slightly bigger house with space outside to throw a ball. Why is it seemingly so impossible to find a home that is in good condition? Why do people just look out for their own interest with no consideration for others? Why do we have to waste time because the other party isn't prepared with basic information to sign papers? Why are we told one thing when we know it isn't true? What other things are we being deceived about? I just want to trust and not question everything we're told. I can't do that here and I'm tired. I'm tired of trying to second guess and read between the lines. I'm tired of trying to figure out where is the lie and where is the truth in what we're told.

It's no wonder people turn to alcohol to escape the "normalcy" of life in Ukraine. It's also no wonder why we teach and preach over and over again that God transforms our lives and we live, think, and behave in a different way. If we are living according to God's plan, his culture, then everyone will notice the difference. We will put others before ourselves. We'll be honest and trustworthy. I hope someday we will see more of God's culture in Ukraine. That's the place I want to live. But for now I will take it a day at a time in a very different culture and do my best to bring God's culture to this place.

Choose Life

2010-06-01T14:48:00.001+03:00

In a rare display of unity, the Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox, Reformed, Greek Catholic, Baptist, and Russian Orthodox joined together to bring awareness to the plight of the unborn in Ukraine - specifically in our town of Mukachevo. There is an alarming rate of abortion in our town alone. One statistic is that 98% of women have had an abortion.

In a country where birth control is frowned upon (and considered a sin by many churches), and adoption is a near impossibility, mothers of unwanted pregnancies are left with very few options. Most choose to abort without knowing any facts about the development of the baby growing inside them. A doctor in our town told a pro-life advocate that he routinely performs abortions but does not consider anything under 10 weeks gestation an abortion (and does not report them as such). He said that these procedures are nothing more than "regulating the menstrual cycle".

In an effort to bring awareness to the development of an unborn baby and the facts surrounding abortion, hundreds of people gathered today in their churches for prayer and then before city hall to advocate for the protection of the unborn. Together we walked to a woman's consultation clinic where bishops from the various churches spoke and the mayor himself shared words of support. A young sapling was planted in the yard of the clinic and balloons saying "Choose Life" were released into the air. Hundreds of pamphlets describing a baby's development in utero were passed out.

My good friend who is taking on advocating for the unborn and counseling women considering abortion as well as those who are suffering with post-abortion syndrome, had one good story to share with me. A young woman met with her doctor to schedule an abortion. She went home to find a new poster on display challenging mothers to choose life. At the scheduled time for her abortion, she returned to the clinic and told her doctor that she had decided not to have the abortion as a result of seeing this poster. It is our hope and prayer that many more women will be informed that a life is forming inside them and CHOOSE LIFE! As George spoke with the mayor and other church leaders he advocated for medical reform, adoption law reform, and general improvement of life conditions in Ukraine. As Christians we have a responsibility to uphold the sanctity of life for all - the elderly, working class, children, and unborn alike.

We're a Homeschooling Family

2010-05-31T08:07:00.001+03:00

Okay, I guess in order to mimic this video, we'll have to work on our "multiplication"!

Abigail has finished first grade! She is such a great student. This year she has learned to read, add and subtract. We have spent countless hours together discovering how the Vikings built their homes, watching a caterpillar metemorph into a butterfly, testing gravity, and enjoying stories about kids who lived long ago.

Homeschooling Abigail has been a great privilege and I treasure being a part of her discovery of the world. In August, Matthew will join our school. He told me, "Mom, when I start kindergarten you need to teach me robotics." My response, "Umm...that's above me. How about I teach you to read and count?" He's so eager to begin school that he's begging me every day to let him do math. "I don't need to read, but I want to learn math," he says. Matthew already knows so much just from observing Abagail's lessons. His adventure in learning is about to begin!

I couldn't say enough good things about Sonlight curriculum. It provides everything I was looking for - classical education, just the right amount of structure and flexibility, and great literature.

As much as I love homeschooling, we would prefer to send our children to Christian schools. Well, for us here in Ukraine, there is no such opportunity. We have been told not to send our children to local Ukrainian schools. They say the education system is weak, the teachers don't know how to teach well, there's no classroom discipline, the students are unruly, the administration is disorganized, etc., etc. Since we've decided to homeschool the challenge is how to keep the children interacting with other kids. Since January, Abigail and Matthew attended an art class twice a week. In September we would like to enroll them in dance. We try to have friends come over at least once a week to play. For now, this is probably sufficient but we'll have to constantly re-examine their needs.

Treated with Fear

2010-05-17T21:50:00.003+03:00

"Sarah, you can't imagine how the doctors are here," explains my friend, Vera. Concern for her friend chokes her voice. "Monica had a baby 6 days ago and now has a high fever. She is in the hospital. The doctors can't find anything wrong but are treating her with lots of medicines. She is not allowed to have her baby with her. She has to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks." As I ask more questions it begins to sound like the mother has engorgement or possibly mastitis but any number of infections are possible. A high percentage of mothers and babies acquire staph infections in the maternity ward from unsanitary conditions. Vera went to the hospital and asked the doctor questions about Monica's diagnosis. The doctor became furious with her for asking questions, telling Vera she's ignorant and stupid. Despondent, Vera gave up. "There's nothing we can do. Monica will stay in the hospital, not knowing what is wrong with her or what she is being treated for. Her family will dutifully run to the pharmacy to purchase whatever medicines the doctor orders and pay the high bribes to the doctor for her care. If they don't the doctor threatens to never treat her again, or worse, just let her die. It's just the way things are done here. Two other women sharing the room with Monica have infants at home and they sit in the hospital not even receiving any medications. The doctor tells them they must stay. They're too afraid to leave."

The stories of the medical care here are endless. This is just today's story. I could recount far worse - even horrifying stories. Numerous times we consult the internet or our family and friends who are nurses and doctors, and give medical advice to those asking us for it. They don't trust their doctors but they will rarely do anything to question or go against the doctor's orders. The doctors treat their patients not with compassion, not with knowledge, but with fear.

"Don't go to the hospital unless you're going to die, because if you do go, you will die." This is the advice we have received from local people. I must say my greatest fear of living in Ukraine is that in the case of a medical emergency I would have to make a decision about whether to risk my child's life by going to a Ukrainian hospital or risk the lost time trying to get to a hospital in Hungary. Thankfully, we haven't been in such a dire state and we have always managed to get to a private hospital outside Budapest, Hungary (about a 5 hour drive away). There are closer hospitals available in Hungary but hopefully we won't ever need them! Local Ukrainians, however, don't have the luxury of seeking medical care in another country. They are left to suffer with a corrupt, outdated medical system where there is no concern for the patient's well-being. Indeed, they have a lot to fear.

You who fear him, trust in the Lord - he is their help and shield. - Ps. 115:11

Here are recent pictures of my friend's stay in the maternity ward of the Mukachevo hospital. This is the delivery room. Two women can deliver in one room simultaneously.

The shower (one for the entire floor) is a new development. The door from the corridor to the shower room doesn't lock so the women improvise by pulling up a single chair to the door so that when someone tries to come in they'll hit the chair and know it's occupied. Just a few years ago there were no showers and only cold running water. After delivery you couldn't clean up or shower until you were discharged from the hospital 5-7 days later.

My friend's room is an average hospital room but exceptional in the fact that there is only one bed in this room. Most rooms have around 6 beds and typically are occupied by 2-3 women and their infants.

The sink has only cold water.

Another relatively new development is that babies are allowed to stay with their mothers in the room. Just a few years ago this wasn't allowed and babies were brought to their moms every 3 hours for feeding and then returned to a common nursery. My friend was encouraged to see posters on the walls describing how to breastfeed. In the past there had been no explanation or assistance at all.

The corridor to the postpartum floor.

Contagious Wedding

2010-05-12T21:35:00.001+03:00

Slavic and Silvia have been regularly attending our church for the past year. They had expressed an interest in joining the church but before they could become members, they had to get married. Slavic told George once, "We don't have enough money for bread. How could we afford a wedding?" George encouraged them saying, "Money doesn't have to be an issue. As a congregation, we can help." Following the church retreat, Slavic and Silvia decided they would take the first step and register their request for the civil marriage. They went in on Thursday expecting to receive a date at least a month later. Instead, they were shocked to hear that since they already had two children, they could marry on Saturday! They promptly called George and asked if he could do the church wedding on Sunday. (A civil ceremony is necessary for a legal marriage. A church ceremony is optional.) The congregation sprang to action organizing a reception, wedding dress, bouquet, suit, rings, etc.

We were delighted to see Slavic and Silvia take this wedding seriously and make a lifelong commitment to each other.

To my knowledge, no one in their extended family has legally married. We were invited to the wedding reception on Saturday just for family and close friends. Silvia's mom, who also has been attending our church for years, commented, "Maybe our wedding will be next." How exciting to see God transforming the lives of children who in turn set an example for their parents!

Silvia and Slavic have taken the first step. Next they would like to become members, be baptized and have their two daughters baptized. May God's transforming grace continue to be at work in this couple's life and in the lives of their extended family!

Future Pianist's First Performance

2010-05-11T22:13:00.001+03:00

Abigail performed in her first piano recital today. She was the youngest student and played two Ukrainian duets with her piano teacher, Ira. We have been blessed to find a gifted and patient piano teacher. She has gone to a lot of effort to find easy pieces that Abigail is familiar with. Abigail goes to the music school twice a week for a 45 minute lesson. Her teacher refuses to let us pay her more than $1.25 a lesson. I think she's a keeper!!!

Abigail and Matthew like to list all of the things they want to be when they grow up. Abigail's list consists of a piano teacher, ballet teacher, figure skating teacher, and golf teacher. I wonder if she'll be a teacher when she grows up??? :)

Suffering Under the Curse of Babel

2010-05-06T21:57:00.000+03:00

русский язык (Russian). українська мова (Ukrainian). Magyarul (Hungarian). Zakarpatian. These four languages are all commonly spoken around us. When you come in as a foreigner, which one do you learn?
     * Ukrainian is the "official" language and is predominantly spoken in western Ukraine. Most children study Ukrainian in school.
     * Russian is very widely spoken by adults, having been the official language under the Soviet Union. Most of the capital city, eastern and southern Ukraine speak Russian.
     * Hungarian is a minority language spoken primarily by ethnic Hungarian living near the border with Hungary. Many of our friends are ethnic Hungarians and speak Hungarian at home.
     * Zakarpatian is a non-written local dialect consisting of a mix of 8 languages from this region (Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian, Polish, Ruthenian, and what am I forgetting...). It is commonly spoken in rural villages.

George studied Russian at a university in Kyiv for a year and knows it fluently. He preaches in Russian and when he's preoccupied, he'll even talk to me in Russian! Living in this region of Ukraine, however, he's seen his accuracy in Russian drop. Hardly anyone speaks any one language purely and Ukrainian and Russian are often mixed. After some time, it's easy to pick up on the "mistakes" and not be so sure of the correct word or spelling or grammatical ending.

Because George spoke Russian, I also started learning Russian. I didn't want to share a conversation with friends in two different languages. I'm ashamed to say that I'm not very skilled but can struggle through a conversation. My excuse is that it's hard to find time to study with three little kids always interrupting.

George and I both speak Hungarian fairly well. I learned it while living in Hungary for 3 years and George learned it because he was initially invited to Ukraine to work with the ethnically-Hungarian Reformed church in their outreach to Ukrainian/Russian-speaking majority. We can both converse easily in Hungarian.

Now, the big question has been - WHAT LANGUAGE SHOULD THE KIDS LEARN? George and I speak Russian. Many of the kids' friends speak Hungarian. Ukrainian is most widely spoken by children in our region. We settled on Ukrainian and asked a friend to work with the kids to teach them. She's now too busy and we're searching for someone else. Abigail knows a lot of Ukrainian and Russian. (She mixes them.) She is also able to play comfortably with her Hungarian-speaking friends. She has a gift for languages and if she could be systematically exposed to just one language, she'd be fluent in no time. Matthew, on the other hand, struggles greatly. Even after weeks of practicing phrases like "What's your name?" and "How old are you?", when his teacher asked him, "What's your name?" he would answer "5". Languages don't come easily for him and he can't tell the difference between Hungarian and Ukrainian which are two completely different language groups. Elizabeth is still concentrating on English but has picked up a few words in Ukrainian, Russian and Hungarian.

There's hardly a day that goes by that I don't wish there was just ONE language spoken around us. It's confusing, tiring, and complicated trying to communicate in so many languages all in one place. In our situation, which language would you choose to learn?

Power of Community

2010-05-05T08:11:00.001+03:00

Yesterday we returned from a two-day church retreat held in the Carpathian Mountains about an hour from our town. It was a great time of fellowship and learning. I think the total count of participants was 42 including two infants. This, our fourth annual church retreat, was the largest so far.

George led four sessions on community including accepting one another, encouraging one another and living in harmony with one another. In small groups we discussed questions and performed skits to demonstrate different aspects of what we learned. I think it was all very good but the "final exam" comes in actually living it out.

Most of our time on the retreat was spent "in community" taking hikes, working on a puzzle, or cooking potatoes in a campfire. I appreciated the time we could spend together and the conversations we shared. Although I wouldn't join the kids in saying I'd like to live there forever (the food wasn't that good), I can say that I love these people and am glad God has placed us among them. There's no other place I'd rather be. May He use us to build His Church here in Ukraine!

Clubhouse Creation

2010-04-28T18:49:00.001+03:00

It's been many months since our little backyard had any attention so I made it today's project. I swept and tidied the tiny patio.

I trimmed the grapevines. I carried 3 loads of grass-cuttings, Christmas tree clippings, and grapevine trimmings to the garbage dumpsters down the road. Then I tackled the cellar. I swept out the spider webs and reorganized nearly everything to make room for the kids to play down there. In the past we've never allowed the kids down in the cellar but with the new arrangement, the paint, tree saw, lighter fluid and other dangerous things are hopefully out of reach behind chain link.

And now there's even room on the shelves for a few of their toys. The kids promptly renamed the cellar "The Clubhouse" and set to making it inhabitable.

Then I finished off the job by mowing the lawn.

Ahhh...that's much better. We don't have much backyard space but we have made the best of what we have. Now the cellar...I mean, clubhouse... gives the kids a little more room to play and pretend.

Longing for a New Heaven and New Earth

2010-04-26T23:14:00.000+03:00

Abigail nearly cried herself to sleep tonight. We have been following the story of a micro-preemie, Gracie Lou, born a little over a week ago. She was born at 26 weeks gestation but developmentally was 22 weeks. Today the doctors removed her from the incubator and gave her to her mother to hold as she died. She's fought hard to live. I don't know this baby or this family but I cry openly.

At bedtime Abigail asks, "Why? Why does God let this baby die?" Don't we all ask this question! In a brave attempt to calm Abigail's fierce and righteous anger at this tragedy, I told her, "God is going to hold Gracie now. She is going into his arms." I turned the conversation to what it will be like when Jesus returns and we live in a New Heaven and New Earth. "No more crying, no more dying. We will run and play as princesses and princes with the King Himself!" Abigail's eyes lit up, "Really? Will I really be a princess?" And Matthew asked, "Can I be a knight?" Abigail added, "-with a noble steed."

"YES! YES! And we will play and build robots and ride horses...." The kids continued to add details to this beautiful scene. Then the inevitable question, "When??? When will Jesus return?"

"Maybe tomorrow, my children, maybe tomorrow.... Sweet dreams."

Traffic in Pedestrian Zone

2010-04-26T21:59:00.001+03:00

Like most European cities, the center of our town is also a pedestrian zone. However, many aspects of Ukrainian society do not function as they should. The pedestrian zone in Mukachevo is over-run by automobiles. Many of the young thugs seem to race their Mercedes down the walking streets without any regard for the moms pushing a stroller or the two-year old running happily along. Once a car honked at me for being in his way. I wasn't in any hurry to be pushed off to the side. In principle, children should be able to run carefree and lovers walk hand-in-hand without fear of being hit by a car. We are only a block from the pedestrian zone and it would be ideal if the children could ride their bikes there. Unfortunately, in order to find a safe and flat place for them to ride, we have to drive them to a park on the other side of town.

Family Update

2010-04-26T20:04:00.003+03:00

Abigail is finishing the last few weeks of first grade and is reading very well. In just the past month her reading ability just skyrocketed and she’s willing to tackle lots of new words. She does very well in math this year since we switched to Math-U-See. We love the Sonlight curriculum and can’t get enough of the great books we get to ready together every day. Abigail loves to draw and color. Every day there are at least two or three more masterpieces to add to the overflowing box of artwork.

Matthew is completely obsessed with Wall-E (If you aren’t familiar with Wall-E, he’s a Disney/Pixar robot.) Matthew eats, sleeps, draws, watches, dreams, Wall-E. On the same day that he learned to write his name, he learned to write “Wall-E”. Nearly every day he tells us which of the Wall-E robots he still needs for his collection. Matthew is very eager to join Abigail in home school. It will be a bit challenging for me to figure out how to balance time with both of them but so many other homeschooling moms do it that I know it can be done!

Elizabeth is now 2 ½ and can say anything she wants to. She isn’t one to wait around for mom or dad to help and will figure out a way to accomplish almost any task that she puts her mind to. This often leaves us picking up the pieces but it’s hard to tie down a “go-getter”. Her sweet displays of affection enrapture us and we never tire of her enthusiasm for life (although we are relieved when bedtime finally comes). We really enjoy seeing the differences in personality between the kids and discovering their individual strengths.

George has been way too busy. We thought that the intern pastor would relieve more of the load, which he has, but there are other responsibilities and challenges that all too quickly fill up that space. There have been many challenges at church. One person in particular has done some things that are in stark opposition to the church’s values and principles. Trying to address these problems has taken lots of valuable time and added a lot of stress. On a positive note, George has been recently approached by a couple of people (one of them a Roman Catholic priest) and asked to mentor them. George is also providing some pre-marriage counseling to a young couple planning to marry in May. George has been very encouraged by the Timothy Leadership Training that he just hosted and he’s eager to see this program grow and develop here in

Ukraine

I spend most of time with the kids but really enjoy leading an English Bible study and participating in a book club. I spend my free time reading blogs and Facebook and sometimes get the opportunity to make a video of the kids or work on their photo albums.

New to Blogging

2010-04-26T19:21:00.000+03:00

I have recently starting reading and following other blogs and for some time have been considering starting my own blog as a way of recording some of the events of our lives. Maybe there are some people out there who would be interested in following along.