Well here I am at 4:30 in the morning, back home and wide awake… the effects of living eight hours ahead for 3 1/2 weeks.

In trying to “summarize” this trip I keep coming back to the word “encouragement.” We are preparing for a trip to Israel in January and were required to read a book entitled The Light Force by Brother Andrew. Before that I read God’s Smuggler by the same author. I was really convicted about the times that we have spent with people and “idle” chatter. How many times had God sent someone across our path and in our “insensitivity” we didn’t see their need? So as we planned for this trip, realizing that there were no real building/construction projects (except for helping Pastor Igor on his house) we determined to be an “encouragement” and to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. It is amazing when you “determine” to do this just how many opportunities come your way. I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend one on one with young moms and others who when we take a group with so much “to do” I just don’t have the time. They were sweet times of sharing and praying, tears and hugs that I have carried home in my heart. How much we miss because we are so busy.

The Church in Kalinovka is alive and well! The Youth “Chat” Club which meets every Sunday night is going well… continue to pray for them! This is a great outreach in a much needed area. The women’s group meets the first Sunday night of each month and is going strong under the leadership of Ala, Pastor Igor’s wife. Wednesday nights there are three “cell” groups of adults meeting with two groups going through The Purpose Driven Life. Two church “plants” in Bogdonovka and Omelyonona are also doing well. Pray for Valera and Valodia — the men who are leading these baby congregations.

While there with monies from First Cov we were able to purchase study books, Sunday School materials, food for the coming year, a portable sound system for the Youth Club and church plants and guitars for a new guitar class.

We attended two Sunday services, three women’s meetings (25 women attended), a couples meeting (15 couples attended), a men’s meeting (about 10 men attended), we took the youth out for a bowling/pizza/ice cream party and spent hours of one on one time.

Keith was able to wallpaper three rooms in Pastor Igor’s new home and one of my favorite times was an evening of one on one time with Igor and Ala. What a joy to hear Igor and Ala’s “story” and how God has worked in their lives.

I left Ukraine with a new determination to pray. In one of the ladies meetings the women wrote down their prayer requests for me to bring home. In almost all of our encounters the question was asked, “How can we pray for you?”

From Ukraine we went to Berlin and Prague where we met with two Missionaries that First Cov supports. Again, being able to hear their story and see firsthand what God is doing in their lives was such a great experience. Pray for the Prudeks and a new church plant in Czech Republic. Pray for Kelly as she works with women teaching English, using the Word of God and for her work with prostitutes and in the prisons.

One of our last stops was in Terezin. It is the site of a concentration camp run by the Nazis during the occupation of Czechoslovakia, a place of suffering for over 150,000 prisoners. More than 35,000 Jews lost their lives in the camp’s ghetto. It was an awful place with horrible living conditions. Things that most Americans only see in movies and seem unreal. I wish I could transport family and friends to this place. Suddenly all our “problems” seem so small in light of the suffering that took place there. I couldn’t help but think of my family, safe in their homes. How we take that for granted. We are not separated by armies in the night, yet we let words and “feelings” separate us.

Thank you to all who have read this Blog along our Journey this year. I hope it has given you a picture of what God is doing in and through His people overseas. Please pray for Ukraine and our brothers and sisters working for Him as well as those in Czech Republic. Know that we go on behalf our our Church who continues to have a heart for Missions at home and around the world.

In His service,

Keith & Darla