On Sunday, October 12, Keith and I are off to Ukraine.  We were trying to think if it is our 9th or 10th time……times flies by!  What was to be a group of seven sifted down to a “group” of two!

Here’s what we will be doing.

Our first three days we will be staying with Alex, Nadia and Dianna in Irpen, just outside the capitol of Kiev.  Nadia is our translator who lived with us in the states for one year.  Keith is usually quite busy fixing things around the apartment - last year he put in the kitchen and worked in the bathroom.  It will be so good to be together with our “Ukrainian daughter” and her family for this short time.

We will then go to Kalinovka where First Covenant has a Sister Church.

Construction - Pastor Igor has been working on his house and Keith will spend his days helping work on the inside finishing.  Last year he wallpapered the upstairs rooms, so this year will most likely be the downstairs.  It is one block from the Church, so he can walk to work every day.

Special meetings - Each night there will be meetings for men, women, youth, couples etc.  I will be cooking, serving, cleaning up for these meetings.  Also we will give a “ladies tea” with a butterfly theme where I will be speaking as well as doing the food.  Please pray for me - speaking is out of my comfort zone.

On Sunday we will celebrate the Harvest Celebration - usually celebrated in September with the congregation at our Sister Church.  This is a wonderful day when people bring in their “tithe” from their gardens.  During a great (and sometimes long) service we will celebrate the blessings of God.  Keith will speak, we will sing and then help serve a traditional Ukrainian lunch for everyone.  It is a great day!

We will also continue a project started last year - Fill the Root Cellar.  The Church has a great root cellar that is used as their benevolance “fund”.  This is an important ministry to those in need during the long cold winter.  The members provide potatoes, carrots and other vegetables, we provide canned fish, pasta, rice, oil and other “special” items.  It is a great shopping day that helps minister to those in need.

As internet is difficult in this small village, we may not be able to update our web site very often.  We will try to find an internet cafe, but can’t promise.  So please keep checking the site and if not while we are there, a full report will be posted when we return - October 27.

Please pray for safety in travel, health and most of all that we can be instruments of love, peace and encouragement.  We never take it for granted that we can go to represent First Covenant in Ukraine.  To be servants of Him who demonstrated such grace to us, is amazing.

Darla