Chortkiv, Ukraine - 3 day outreach and quest!

Two weeks ago we had two days of our lectures devoted to “team time”. This was time where both teams, India and Ethiopia, were to spend together building relationships and learning together as preparation for the 3 month outreach phase.

Our team, Team India, had the opportunity to travel 70 km south of Ternopil to a city call Chortkiv. This city is quite a bit smaller than our present home, with about 30,000 people. It was nice to be in such a “small city” and we really felt it in the three days we were there. We saw the same people on the streets at least twice – he he he!!

We went to serve and work with a local church there in Chortkiv with whom our school staff have good relationships. In our time there we spoke, sang and did drama at the young adult group of the church. I was really blessed to connect with a few of the English speakers and we had some great conversation and I was able to encourage them in God’s plans and goodness for them. A young family from the church gave us their one room apartment to stay in...which was certainly a gift! They took their two young kids and stayed at a friends for the two nights we stayed. So...there we were...8 girls sleeping in the living room and bedroom....cooking together, cleaning together – ha ha ha! An interesting fact that was a surprise to us all.... the shower was in the kitchen if you can picture it!

Our first day, we had a "Quest", which was basically a big scavenger hunt to find people and information in a city we had never been to - in 2 hours. This was a GREAT cultural learning experience....by the end we were all agitated...and when we debriefed we realized that we all had different goals when we were given the tasks. To the North Americans - we could not believe that people wanted to stop and take pictures everywhere we went - we were on a time deadline - 2 hours and 6 people we had never met to find, interview,etc. To the Ukranians we were pushy and rude because we were not taking advantage of the opportunity to see the sights at the same time...and hey, we better get groceries for supper because we are walking by possibly the only large supermarket! Ha ha ha - LESSON LEARNED - COMMUNICATE THE VISION AND PURPOSE OF THE TASK - WITH TRANSLATION....so everyone is working together! 

The second day we had a time devoted to focused worship and prayer...so we hiked up a hill on the warm sunny morning, found a good spot overlooking the city and sang praises and gave worship to God. It was an amazing time for us as a team – our first time to just rest and worship together simply because Jesus is worthy to receive our praise and worship! In the afternoon we met up with some of the local believers and led them in some street ministry and evangelism. This was tonnes of fun! We met many people during this time and had some really great conversations with people. The people of Chortkiv were VERY friendly and so open to talk and share and pray with us. It was refreshing!

Two team mates blessing a dear lady we met
She is from Poland and was so encouraged
and blessed us as well!

Saturday night was a highlight for me....because we worked with the “Coffee House” outreach which is run by a former YWAMer and leader in the church, Lydia. God has given her a vision and heart to reach out to youth at the local disco-tech or night club. Once every couple of weeks Lydia and her team go to the night club and present a short drama and say a few words and hand out their contact info for people. There have been many young people who have responded through relationship to this outreach. Lydia shares that before she was born again, in relationship with Jesus, she was in the night club drinking and drugging away her abusive and failed marriage until some of her friends began to love her and really care for her and share Christ with her. I had the priviledge of playing a part in the short drama we did and then saying a few words to the crowd at the end. The message was simple, “We all get stuck to sin....but Jesus died for us while we were sinners, so that when we believe in Him and ask Him to He has the power to forgive us and FREE us from the power of sin.”

The drama is posted before this post. :) Check it out -  it is really great and you will get a sense of the atmosphere!

After the drama we stuck around and talked to people that wanted to talk. A young woman approached us, connected with us and two days later she ended up coming to visit us at home when we were in Ternopil. Yay God! Many other youth and young adults wanted to talk to us, ask us questions and get to know us. It was tonnes of fun....and a great reminder to me that people everywhere are in need of God’s great love and so often we forget about the places that might “seem” more dark....but LIGHT BELONGS IN THE DARKNESS.

The final day we shared at the local church we were working with in the city. It was tonnes of fun....we shared  with the congregation all about ourselves, DTS, India, and some of the students shared stories or testimonies of amazing things that God has done in bringing them to the school and while being here. We sang a song - Russian and English, but the only catch is we started in Russian, with microphones in the hands of people that have never used mics (we were not expecting personal mics for every singer!!) and whoever started, hit the wrong key and everyone else just followed suit (smile/frown**)!! ha ha - oh to be a part of a team. So...when it was English time, my choice was to try to save the song or to support the team - so I went with the support the team and tried to save it at the same time....it was a great and terrible experience at the same time! After the worship service, on the drive home, we all laughed so hard....we only can improve from here on in!  Our team leader said, "I thought you guys were going to cut it short....BUT you finished the song!!" Ha ha - we are still laughing about it!  Jesus is FUNNY!!

That is the trip in a nut-shell....