Friday, July 18
Well it’s been a while!
Sorry I haven’t updated this blog for yonks. I wasn’t able to use the internet before I left for the Ukraine, couldn’t do it there and haven’t had time since I got back (4 days ago, 2 of which were work).
So 30 of us departed for the Ukraine. We were broken up into 3 groups. I was co-leading a team of 7 for the first week and a team of 10 for the second.
The first week was in the regions (volochisk, zhytomir and khelminski) where camps have been run previously (though in a different place for my group) and the second week was down on the black sea in “new” areas.
We were able to interact and share our faith in various ways to about 450 kids in all (my conservative estimate), and share good times with about 100 ukrainien leaders and interpreters (some of which had been saved at previous camps).
The whole thing was fantastic, God revealing himself in new ways and answering prayer in very concrete and direct ways (like “God please stop the rain, we need dry weather for the camps” bang! No rain!! or for the other group “no, but try this for size” and they were able to use the school hall.
I learnt a fair bit myself. After last year, with people getting sick and me not, I thought I was invincible. But God showed me I needed to rely on him, and he broke me (as I had been praying) in a way I wasn’t expecting: the runs.
I felt real sick and then…my bowels just released! Dumb and dumber stuff! It was aweful, but at the same time I could do nothing by my own strength, soit was actually a good outcome!
Other problems I had, included feelings for someone, which sucked cause it took my mind off what we were there for. Plus this made me way jealous and envious of other people she was spending time with.
But it was good cause in the second week I was able to get focused (being on a different team) and chat to people about it.
The whole thing was and incredible experience and I’d totally love to return (maybe not for the 28hr bus trip on crazy roads with driver trying to kill us, other drivers trying to kill us, the roads trying to kill us and the bus breaking down so many times no one can recall). But will I?? I guess God only knows!
Being back is weird as. I’m by myself after being so close to so many others for 2 weeks and feel alone and depressed. I wanna go back to oz, I wanna be around people, I’d love to see all the kids and leader in the Ukraine again before heaven…
At least I can hang out with the kids at work which keeps my mind off things!
Right, signing off.
Love to you all, and may God bless you. Weeksi :
Sorry I haven’t updated this blog for yonks. I wasn’t able to use the internet before I left for the Ukraine, couldn’t do it there and haven’t had time since I got back (4 days ago, 2 of which were work).
So 30 of us departed for the Ukraine. We were broken up into 3 groups. I was co-leading a team of 7 for the first week and a team of 10 for the second.
The first week was in the regions (volochisk, zhytomir and khelminski) where camps have been run previously (though in a different place for my group) and the second week was down on the black sea in “new” areas.
We were able to interact and share our faith in various ways to about 450 kids in all (my conservative estimate), and share good times with about 100 ukrainien leaders and interpreters (some of which had been saved at previous camps).
The whole thing was fantastic, God revealing himself in new ways and answering prayer in very concrete and direct ways (like “God please stop the rain, we need dry weather for the camps” bang! No rain!! or for the other group “no, but try this for size” and they were able to use the school hall.
I learnt a fair bit myself. After last year, with people getting sick and me not, I thought I was invincible. But God showed me I needed to rely on him, and he broke me (as I had been praying) in a way I wasn’t expecting: the runs.
I felt real sick and then…my bowels just released! Dumb and dumber stuff! It was aweful, but at the same time I could do nothing by my own strength, soit was actually a good outcome!
Other problems I had, included feelings for someone, which sucked cause it took my mind off what we were there for. Plus this made me way jealous and envious of other people she was spending time with.
But it was good cause in the second week I was able to get focused (being on a different team) and chat to people about it.
The whole thing was and incredible experience and I’d totally love to return (maybe not for the 28hr bus trip on crazy roads with driver trying to kill us, other drivers trying to kill us, the roads trying to kill us and the bus breaking down so many times no one can recall). But will I?? I guess God only knows!
Being back is weird as. I’m by myself after being so close to so many others for 2 weeks and feel alone and depressed. I wanna go back to oz, I wanna be around people, I’d love to see all the kids and leader in the Ukraine again before heaven…
At least I can hang out with the kids at work which keeps my mind off things!
Right, signing off.
Love to you all, and may God bless you. Weeksi :
