It's midnight here in Ukraine and I sit quietly as the kids sleep near by. I sit and wait for my husband to return from the airport with our students. He's been on the road since 7am and it's possible that he won't be back for another three hours.
So much has gone into this moment. Hours and hours of intercessory prayer, followed by watching the students mouths drop as the news reports came pouring in. Pestering our friends with emails asking, "Is it still safe to come?" Stomach viruses on travel days. Even so much as the building that provides the visa paperwork that our South African student needs, being set on fire and shut down indefinitely, only to have it miraculously granted in a day, from a completely different source!
I know I'm long over due for an update. The last 12 weeks have been the most unbelievable roller coaster. Things have been changing so quickly and drastically that I haven't known what to write. Let's just say that we're no longer going to Romania and had to re plan an entire month's worth of outreach in three days.
Things are still very intense at the moment...our South African student is still in Switzerland waiting for her Bosnian visa to come through. We need another miracle. She has been to the Embassy three times now. It's a very costly, four hour trip each way. Every time she's there the official says come back with this paperwork, so we send for it...from Sarajevo...and each time he says he won't accept it. The woman we will be renting from has even visited the Office of Foreign Affairs in Sarajevo for us. They've told her that yes, this is the paperwork it's ok, but probably won't be accepted.
If I no longer have any hair on my head next time you see me you'll know why. Oh the frustration!
God is good though, and if He can make the paperwork for the Ukrainian visa basically appear out of thin air, then I'm sure we will have our student by our side for Bosnia! Please be in prayer that this last round of paperwork will come in from Bosnia faster than before and that she'll be on a plane to meet us with the visa in hand by this time next week.
It's already been quite a journey and we're only getting started. Adam and I will have the students on outreach for the next 14 weeks! Ukraine is first up and what a time it's going to be!!! The bulk of our work will be with orphans. When we're not at the orphanages we'll help with English club, work with those who are homeless and addicts, do renovations on the transition home, and hopefully be able to work with the countless families who are fleeing Crimea and coming to our city.
Now, I know there are people who think we're crazy for coming but I have to say...our friends are here and we love them! We had to come and help them as they are going through this. That's what missionaries do, that what friends do. To see the look on the faces of people as they say, "You have no idea how many teams have cancelled on us! We are SO happy you're here!" That makes it all worth it. Our friends, John and Fritha Washington, are a very long way from home too, with a two year old, another one on the way, and a teenage orphan girl living in their transition home. It's funny because I came on here to write the update and ended up reading their blog first. Fritha, I love her, she just tells it like it is. This is her latest post, Punching Fear in the Face. She's English and has an English Lit degree, trust me, it's worth it!