I have arrived!

Goodbyes have been said, bags have been packed (and lost), flights have been flown, old friends have been visited, trains have been ridden, and now I have arrived. This past Sunday, my train arrived at 5 AM, and after a short drop off of things at the hotel, I attended my first ever church service in Kyiv. The following day, I stepped foot on the school grounds for the first time. At this point, my classroom is ready for my students (although I am not yet).

Goodbyes

I was in the Philippines for most of the month of July. This gave me an opportunity to meet up with and say goodbye to many people who have blessed me during my two years in the Philippines. A special shout out would go to a group of guys I was with every Tuesday for “cards and prayer”. Because I wasn’t leaving until the end of the month, I was also able to help out a little with Faith Academy’s new staff orientation. This gave me a chance to meet the new teachers, have a good discussion with the young man who will be replacing me, and also serve on a cultural awareness panel.

Bags & Flights

On July 27-28, my flight went from Manila to Bangkok to Frankfurt to Krakow. The first leg of the flight was delayed by nearly two hours, and so I found myself one of 21 passengers rushing from one gate to the next with airport staff at every turn guiding and hurrying us along. In that mad dash, I left my carry-on at a security check. When I got to the plane and realized it was missing, I was told they would not wait for me to go back to it. After trying with the airline, the airport, and Expedia, I have come to the conclusion that this bag is lost to me. Although there was nothing of great value in it (except almost all my hats!) it is frustrating to find my limited possessions even further reduced.

Friends

I had a week in Krakow, Poland, before making that last leg of the journey to Kyiv by train. The hopes were that this week would be a chance for rest and a little tourism (including visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau), visiting a family what was part of my house church in Turkiye, and having a little margin for making sure my visa is set to go. What wasn’t on the plan was me getting very sick on the flight (or before leaving) and ending up spending the first couple of days in bed. I did get to see my friends later in that week and made it into Ukraine without a hitch, but truly being able to enjoy this historic city and also seeing the tragedy of the camps is something that will have to wait.

Arriving

Since arriving, I have been working on settling in. I have my phone switched over. I have a travel card for bus & subway and have been learning the system fairly easily. I’ve met many of the teachers at my new school and have begun prepping for my classes. I’ve visited what will likely be my new church, and I have begun apartment hunting. Until then I am staying at a hotel for under $20 a day, but God willing I will be finished with that and will have a place I can call my home very soon.

Prayer

1. Please pray for continued fundraising. I was close, but not at budget when coming, but there has been an unforseen insurance expense relating to this being a war zone and requirements the school’s board has placed in order for the school to continue operating under these conditions. I am praying to be able to raise an additional $400 a month by the time the September update comes out.
2. For peace. In some ways you almost can’t tell that this is a war zone. In others, you can’t avoid it. The picture above was taken from a window in my hotel of a neighboring building that was hit a few days ago.
3. For those coming in. There is one family that will not be arriving until September. Another teacher they were expecting will not come. There is another former teacher who has not yet decided if she will return now or later.
4. For me to find a home. I looked at one yesterday, and there are a couple secretaries tasked with helping me and one other teacher find a place. The sooner I can move in, the sooner I can begin my new normal.
5. For my students and their families. Whether it is local Ukrainians involved in ministry or missionaries who have returned or have chosen to remain through, they are some of the few laborers in a plentiful harvest. (Matt 9:38) Pray God’s blessing on them.

As said above, I am looking for new partners in ministry to help cover increased budget needs. If you would like to become a partner or to make a tax deductable gift, please click on the RCE Giving link. If you would like to make non tax free one time gift immediately, please click on the Paypal link. Whether you are able to partner through giving or not, thank you for reading this and joining in prayer for me, the school, and for Ukraine.