overall

well, I made it back to the United States. after my stay in Austria, I flew 9 hours to Washington, DC. I breezed through customs. the Powells walked with me to my gate and then we parted ways. they were headed to Atlanta, and I was heading to Indianapolis. I got my first starbucks since leaving the country and it was fabulous. I sat down to call my parents and talked to each of them, then I unexpectedly found my fellow interns who had been in Burkina Faso (west Africa) for the summer. we were all on the same flight to Indy. I even got to sit next to one of the girls. so my stress of flying home alone & staying overnight in Vienna & struggling through flying & customs. it ended up working out that I wasn't by myself.

so I arrived in Indianapolis on Wednesday evening around 6:30pm. we met up with the guys that came in from Spain, then headed back to the Benedict Inn to start "Debrief." a couple of the groups were already back, and a few more trickled in that night. the rest came on Thursday. we spent Thursday and Friday spending time together, learning how to adjust to life, how to share our summer, looking at pictures, sharing funny stories, sharing treasures. it was wonderful to hear everyone else's summer experiences.

this summer was wonderful for me. I got to experience missions firsthand. I grew closer to my God. my quiet time became a consistent thing. I built some great relationships with some awesome people. I saw the power of Jesus break down the language barrier. the beauty of Jesus was prevalent in Ukraine. I saw the passion of believers. prayer is vital in your walk with Christ.

and I just want to say thank you to all of my loyal supporters! by reading my blog, and keeping up with me this summer, I really appreciate you taking the time to share in my experiences.  thank you for your prayers especially. God is faithful to answer prayers. I ask that you would continue to pray for the church in Ukraine and the people who are there. and be praying for me, that I wouldn't forget all the things that I learned.

I'll leave you with a few pictures from my last few weeks abroad :)

my kids in Dmitrivka

last night in Ukraine

last Saturday camp

jazz forum downtown

last Sunday in Shivchanka

camping

worship while camping

me and Paulina at my going away party

my silly friends at my going away party

playing bingo at the 2-day camp

greetings from Austria

well, I landed safely in Vienna, Austria a few hours ago. I had McDonalds in the airport with the Powells, who are also on their way to America. then I took a shuttle to my hotel, about 3 miles from the airport. the Powells were staying at the hotel across the street from the airport, but I'll see them in the morning. we have the same flight to Washington, D.C.
this morning I got up bright and early to see my host mom before she left for work and I left. it was a sad goodbye, but I'm so thankful for her. she was like my mom this summer. then my host dad came home from work, and I had to say goodbye to him. the pastor from the Berdyansk church and his daughter, Sveta, drove the Powells and I to the airport, about a 4 hour drive. it was bumpy and I was sad to be leaving Ukraine. I was super thankful that the Powells happened to be flying out with me. it made things a lot easier.
the past couple of nights have been all about me, ha ha. Sunday night after the evening service, most of the youth went over to Ena & Pasha's apartment to hang out. there was lots of cake and lots of Coca-Cola. it was a lot of fun just hanging out with them. they all said such kind things about me. I'm so glad I fit with them. they made this summer so wonderful. then last night, we went to the Sea one last time. I gave away American things, I felt like Santa Clause. they were all so excited to get things from America. as we walked home, I had to start saying goodbye to people. it was really hard. I didn't cry in front of them, but I wanted to so bad. a few of them sat with me outside my apartment and talked and looked at pictures and exchanged addresses & email addresses & skype names. I want to stay in contact with them as best as possible.

last update from Ukraine

this will probably be my last update from Ukraine. I fly to Austria on Tuesday and I land in Indianapolis on Wednesday evening.

last night, I got back from camping with the youth. it was such a wonderful time. basically like being at Camp Oxford, except everything was outside, no air conditioning, and I slept in a tent. but there was worship twice a day, small groups, lots of eating, swimming, games, we were in teams. I got to spend a lot of time with my youth. there ended up being 19 of us all together, and every one of them knew at least a few words in English. and my Russian is getting better. I really enjoyed being with them. I had at least 2 translators, Artyom & Dasha, and sometimes Ena. where we stayed was a little grove of trees next to a lake about 30-45 minutes outside of Berdyansk. the lake was nice, but super deep. we had 3 rings, like giant tires to swim with. there would be 7 or 8 people with an arm around the ring. we also had a twin size air mattress that we used a flotation device, ha ha. I played a lot of volleyball, a lot of soccer. we sat around a lot and just talked. we sat by a fire at night and played silly games. we drank tea at least 3 times a day. I got a sunburn on my shoulders.

I don't have any pictures right now, I'll post some when I get back to America.

thank you all for your support throughout this journey! your prayers, thoughts, and love have truly been appreciated. :)

so long since my last update

I know, it’s been so long since I’ve posted. My internet hasn’t been working at my apartment and the Powells were out of town last week. I am still alive in Ukraine, I promise.

I’m coming up on the 6-week mark. Crazy, right? I can’t believe I’ve been here so long. But that means I only have about 2 weeks left. I’m trying to make the most of every moment that I have left.

Since my last post, I’ve been doing basically the same things. Going to the sea with the youth. Spending time with my host family. Working with children in nearby villages. Going to church. Hanging out with the youth. Learning Russian. Drinking lots of tea and coffee. All things I’m thoroughly enjoying.

This past Saturday we had our last day camp at the Dmitrivka church. We actually had children from Dmitrivka, Shivchanka, and a few from Berdyansk. All together, there were over 20 kids! Praise Jesus! We actually ran out of chairs and had to get some from the storage room. We sang lots of songs, and had a Bible lesson, which was about choosing the narrow way rather than the wide path. We had snack time, and I think the amount of cookies multiplied because I don’t remember bringing that many into the church. We reviewed all that I had taught them thus far in English, “What is your name?” “My name is ______.” “How old are you?” “I’m ____.” “Where do you live?” “I live in _______.” And counting from 1 to 10. Just like I have trouble with pronouncing some Russian words, they struggle with pronunciation of English words. But they are super adorable, and they try really hard.

This Friday and Saturday we are doing a 2-day camp at another village farther away, so we won’t be at Dmitrivka. I’m excited. We’ll be doing the same types of things: games, Bible lesson, crafts, English club, snacks, and singing. We’ll probably start around 8 or 9 each morning and it’ll probably end around 2pm, because it just gets too hot.

My Russian vocabulary is expanding rapidly. Luda is very impressed by how well I retain information. And my youth are always trying to teach me new things. Most recent, a few have been focusing on my pronunciation of words. I’m working on it, ha ha. I’m getting better at reading Russian and singing along during church. Though sometimes, I just make up words as I go.

Next week, I’ll be going camping with the youth. Literally camping. Like in a tent. From Monday until Saturday. You are allowed to laugh now. I’m really excited, because the youth are really excited for me to be there. But the extent of my camping experience is staying with my grandparents in an air-conditioned camper. And the extent of sleeping in a tent is attempting to sleep in Erin & Cacy Ellis’ yard and always ending up in the house. So it will definitely be an experience. I will take plenty of pictures.

A few pictures from a night of soccer on the beach.

This is Artyom’s father. He loves taking my picture, I’m not really sure why.

july 4th

happy 4^th of July!!

as of Saturday, I have one month left here in Ukraine, which makes me a little sad. but I’ve decided to not focus on leaving, but rather all the awesome times still to be had.

recently, I’ve been pretty busy. last Tuesday, I went with the Powell’s to the center of Berdyansk. they basically have a carnival set up along the sea. it stays up for the summer for all the tourists that come. Monday was Ukraine’s constitution day, so they were still celebrating on Tuesday. I got to see traditional Ukrainian dancing, which was pretty interesting. 

I rode the ferris wheel with Maya, Sasha, and Heather, and it was actually really cold once we got to the top. but I enjoyed it.

view from the top :)

then on Wednesday night, I went back to the center with some of the youth. Pasha drove Artyom, Alec, and I, and we met Bogdan and a girl there. then Pasha went to get his wife, Ena, and finally, Artem met up with us. (I’m not sure that I’m spelling any of their names right, haha.) they are funny. we just walked around and they had pizza. we had ice cream. and we walked around a lot. we played some silly games. we talked. I said all I know in Russian and they tried to speak English. it’s all good fun.

building relationships with these people has been such a wonderful experience. I can see God doing awesome things within them. Pasha & Ena are basically the ‘leaders’ of the group. even though they are married, they can totally relate to the kids. Artem is in college for physical therapy, and he hopes to use it for God’s glory. Artyom is starting college this year and wants to do whatever God has planned for him. Julia just graduated from the university in Berdyansk and got a job teaching in Zapirosa. it makes my heart happy to see them all doing God’s work.

Friday night at youth service, I got to meet Regina, a friend of Artem. she had recently broken her leg, something with her knee. so she was in full cast from hip to toes. it was interesting because I could totally relate to being in a similar condition. and she actually spoke some English, so we were able to communicate. I really liked talking with her. she played the piano and sang for me afterwards, it was beautiful. hopefully she’s back this Friday night.

as of Saturday, I have now successfully been to the Sea of Azov every Saturday. this time, however, I finally swam in the Sea. of course, I had to pick the day when the water was the coldest. but it was great. everyone was clapping & cheering for me when I finally made it into the water. I think they thought I was scared of the water. after being in the water for a while, it wasn’t too cold anymore. after I got out of the sea, I talked with Artem & Artor, rather I just listened while they talked and occasionally, they would say something in English that I understood. I gave them dinosaur tattoos, because that’s my specialty, haha. Artem gave me a picture tattoo, a scene with a tree, a boy & a girl, a black sun, mountains (where their dinosaurs were hiding), the Sea with a fish, and some flowers. remnants of it are still on my arm.

Sunday, I went with Luda & Artor to Dmentrifca (sp?). Luda & I had Sunday school with the kids. there were 11 kids this week! We discussed some of Acts. and I helped with crafts. I had my first experience with communion in Ukraine. different, but the same idea. Christ’s sacrifice transcends cultural differences. after the service, we headed to another village. due to the rain last week, we only had 2 kids who had come with us from the first village. this week we had 5 different kids!  praise Jesus! we used the same lesson from Acts and did the same craft. I was the fixer of the stapler. I really like working with kids. they really want to talk to me and usually aren’t shy to do so. they correct my Russian, but in a kind way. working with the kids here makes me miss Little Chapel kids.

Russian training is going well. I can now say a full paragraph about myself and I know a lot of random words. while it can still be difficult, I feel as though I’m learning a lot. Luda is a great teacher. I’m so thankful for her. I’m also thankful for all the people within the Berdyansk church who are always willing to talk to me and bear through my broken Russian. I’ve even learned how to spell my name in Russian sign language and say hello.

so yes, God is doing some awesome stuff in Ukraine. I’m so glad I get to be a small part of it.

here’s a little something to make you laugh. I took it the other day & now every time I look at it, I laugh so hard I cry. so enjoy : )

up to date

Almost 3 weeks in Ukraine. I can’t believe how quickly it has gone by. I’m really enjoying it.

I’ve been spending a lot of time with the youth. Friday night meetings, going to the beach in the evenings, just hanging out. I really like spending time with them. It feels like I’ve known them forever. They all just want to know more about me. And I love finding out about their culture & their lives. I didn’t realize how different our lives really are.

On Saturday, I got to go to a wedding at the church. Definitely a different experience. The service started like any other Ukrainian church service, with singing and the pastor talked about the parable of the 10 virgins. Then while he was talking, the couple walked in together with one attendant each. The pastor can’t officially marry the couple, so they get married at the courthouse earlier in the day. So the wedding service is more of a church service. Basically, the pastor preached to the couple, then preached to us, then preached to the couple’s families. Then he prayed for them & you could go up and congratulate them. Afterwards there was a reception upstairs for close friends and family, I didn’t attend. Her dress looked straight from the 80s, with poofy sleeves & everything. Apparently styles from the 1980s never went out of style here. I’ve seen lots of mullets.

After the wedding, I headed to a village with Luda, my language teacher, and her husband, Artor. Heather, Maya & Sasha met us there. We had like Bible school for a couple of hours. There were 8 kids, counting Maya & Sasha. We had a Bible lesson, a memory verse, lots of singing, English club, playing, and of course, tea. I got to introduce myself in Russian, a lot of fun and still a struggle sometimes. I helped them with “What is your name?” and “My name is _____” in English. They are so cute. While learning Russian is hard for me, they have a hard time pronouncing English words correctly. So I can totally relate to them. Heather & the girls took me home. On the way home, we picked up a lady in need of a ride to Berdyansk. I think she was a little drunk, but Heather tried to talk to her about Jesus. She didn’t really want to hear it. But I’ve always wanted to give someone a ride who really needs it & now I finally have.

Sunday was a super long day. I went with Luda & Artor back to the village for Sunday service. Luda & I had Sunday school with the kids, there were 8 kids this time, no Maya & Sasha. We joined the adults for singing, but had our own time of Bible lesson, craft time, and you guessed it, teatime. The kids are just as curious about me as the youth are. Asking me all kinds of questions, except they don’t know English as well. After church was over, we took one of the grandmas & 4 of the kids home. Imagine a Geo Metro. Now picture is with 2 adults and 4 kids in the backseat. That’s right, 6 people in the backseat of this car. Very cramped and very interesting. We then went to another village for church and took 2 of the kids with us. It had started raining on the way there and Luda said parents won’t let their children come when it rains. And she was right. The 5 of us and one other lady were the only ones at church. We sang with the adults, and then had another Bible lesson, more crafts, more games, but no tea. I’ve learned all kinds of games for children that I will probably bring back to America. 

After church, Luda & Artor brought me home around 1:00pm. I then headed to church. Sunday was a special service of prayer and fasting, so the service was from 9:00am-3:00pm. So I caught the tail end of the service. Someone would talk for a few minutes about a topic concerning prayer, then the congregation would get in pairs and pray together. Then they would propose another thing to pray for and we would. Then there was singing too. Apparently this had been going on all day, with the occasional break. I love seeing the passion in the people when they pray. They know God answers prayers and are passionate about their God. After the service was over, the couple, which got married the day before, had leftover cake for the youth to have. So I got to have cake and Coca-Cola.

The beach. I love it at the beach. I love the Sea of Azov. I was there Saturday night and Sunday night and we’re supposed to be going tonight as well. I have yet to actually swim in the sea. I was going to on Sunday night, but it was too cold to swim. Instead, I played volleyball & soccer. They actually cooked out on the beach. I love it.

Overall, I think it’s going well. There are times when I’m lonely, but my new friends here quickly make those times disappear. There are times when I feel inadequate in my ministry, but then I remember that building relationships and loving on people is also my ministry. Being positive and upbeat throughout every situation is definitely helping.

Prayer requests:

-       Healing for Luda & Artor’s daughter, Dasha, who has been sick

-       I continue to pour into the lives of the youth

-       God would overcome my feelings of loneliness & inadequacy

-       Strength and power within the Ukrainian church

-       The children in the villages know Jesus personally

stacking cups to see who can make the tallest tower at a youth service

some soccer on the beach

the sea of azov

since I've been here, I've been to the Sea of Azov 3 times already.
it's a very popular thing for the youth to do.
they go to swim and play volleyball and just hang out.
I went last Monday night with them & last night.
the water is beautiful & it feels so nice by the sea.
I haven't actually swam yet, but last night, I did wade up to my knees. 
and still got soaking wet by a silly boy.
but it was all good fun.

I totally love hanging out with these people.

I think I fit in just right.

the beautiful Sea of Azov

tonight, the youth are leading the service.
and they've asked me to be a part of it.
so I'm going to give my testimony & one of the ladies will translate for me.

language learning is going swell.
I know colors & numbers & parts of the body and face & "my name is Evan" & "how are you?" & "what is your name?" & a lot of random words.
the youth keep trying to teach me new things.
and I keep trying to teach them English things.
I've said a lot of idioms that they don't understand and I don't know how to explain them.
so it can be difficult at times.
and some words in Russian are very hard for me to say.
but thanks to Spanish, I can roll my Rs, haha.


otherwise, I'm loving it here.
I have my moments when I'm lonely and I feel inadequate, but I know God has a purpose for me being here.
to build relationships with awesome people.
to grow closer to Him.
to become dependent on Him & not myself.
so if you could just keep praying for me.
pray for a cool breeze, cause it can be super hott & miserable at times.