Registration Completed. Finally!

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I blogged.  I've been putting it off just so I could write about THIS...that I've finally completed the Registration process.

It's not like I procrastinated.  I received my Letter of Invitation less than a month after arriving.  Then the letter had to be accepted by whatever government agencies are involved.  Then I had to go to Budapest to apply for my long-term VISA.  That only took a week and about three times what I had budgeted for a VISA.  Upon returning to Ukraine I had 45 days to "Register"; that is, to apply for and receive a Temporary Residence Permit which involves a LOT of paperwork with various agencies.  I was fortunate in that my church provided an Attorney that basically did EVERYTHING.  All I really had to do was sign enough forms to buy a house!  And pay a lot of money.  Did I mention that I paid a lot of money?  Here's an excerpt from one of the conversations I had with the attorney:

Attorney: "You must pay "X" amount to complete your registration. (X= the total amount due).  You understand that it actually cost "Y" amount for the registration and you will receive a receipt for "Y" amount (Y = the actual amount due to the appropriate government agency).   But you must pay "X" amount.  You will not receive a receipt for "Z" (Z = um...I can think of no better word than, Bribe which is standard operating procedure.  NOTE: Z was 7x more than X...also not budgeted for!).  You understand, yes?"

Me:  "Da".  What else could I say?

In any case, it's done.  I'm legal.  I have a Religious VISA good for one year and renewable this time next year.  Supposedly the renewal process is simpler (and I hope cheaper!).  I have an Official Temporary Residence Permit.  I'm good to go!

World Racers in Uzhgorod

Back in 2009 when I lived in Kiev all year I helped with 3 different World Race Squads.  But this month I did more than provide introductions and a little logistical help; this time I hosted a Team in my apartment for most of the month.

Team Sound of Strength is beginning their 9th month with Z Squad.  That's meaningful to me...I was Squad Leader for A Squad back in 2007.  Crazy huh?

I had a blast hosting them and they were well received all over town (and it was fun being "daddy" for a few weeks!)

It was important to me that they weren't just doing "busy work" while here in Uzhgorod.  Maybe it felt that way at times but maybe it's always like that.  I really wanted to use them in a very strategic way, particularly in terms of launching a ministry to college students at a local university.  However, I wasn't able to get everything in place in time for them to begin what will (Lord willing) become a "BSU/BCM" type ministry among International Students when the university starts back in the Fall.

But they definitely extended my "presence" here in Uzhgorod.  Because of them I was able to begin a relationship with a handful of other ministries in town.  The girls (Sound of Strength is an all girl team!) helped teach English classes and Bible Studies with an existing ministry in town where they made friends that resulted in invitations to hang-out socially which opened the door to really share about what they are doing  (and why) on The World Race.

They held abandoned babies at a local hospital.  Check that.  They did more than hold abandoned babies.  They caressed and cared for abandoned babies.  They prayed and prophesied and sang over and cried over those babies.

They made friends with and helped minister to the teenagers at my church.

From their own meager financial resources they sponsored a couple of weekly feeding programs for street kids.

I stole some of these pictures from World Racer Jessica Fischbach.  Check out here photo-blog.

And they aren't finished yet:  After debriefing in Budapest, Hungary for a couple days they will go to Guatemala and spend 3 months in Central America before going home.  Remember them in your prayers and follow them at www.theworldrace.org.

Run to the Border: Part 2

I have a VISA.

I returned to the Ukrainian Embassy this morning and getting my VISA took all of 5 minutes.

I now have 45 days to Register with local authorities in Uzhgorod.  I'm not sure yet what that entails.  I know some friends in the Kyiv region and further East have experienced lots of hassles getting registered.  I think it will involve getting letters from landlords, more letters from my "inviting" parties, maybe proof of health coverage?, and of course getting everything "stamped" by the right person before going to the next person.  You would think after paying the big bucks and getting the VISA from the Embassy that everything else is just a technicality.  We shall see.

Run to the Border Part 1: My quest for a VISA

US Citizens can visit Ukraine for 90 days within a 180 day period without a VISA.  Of course, I want to stay a little longer so I need a long-term VISA.  You must apply at a Consulate/Embassy outside of Ukraine so I'm in Budapest, Hungary to do the deed!

I probably could have picked a better week to come to Budapest (but it's a beautiful city and I have friends here...so really?  Is there any such thing as a "bad time"?)  Anyway, it takes three days to get an expedited VISA and yesterday (Monday) was a holiday for the Ukrainian Embassy...so here I am on Tuesday morning (and did I mention that Ukrainian Consulate is closed on Thursdays?)  Nevertheless, I successfully turned in my paperwork (a letter of Invitation from my Pastor/Church in Uzhgorod, along with an official letter from the Zacarpattia Region Administration- again, my Pastor took care of that, 2 passport photo's, the application from the Embassy website and a copy of my Passport).  I then paid the expedited fee (about $150) and they told me to return between 9-12 (their regular office hours) on Friday!

Here's some details for those who will follow!

My application was in order except for 2 small details which the girl at the window in the Embassy changed for me on the spot.  I had checked off that I had an "Official" Passport and that I wanted a VISA for multiple entries.  Apparently an "Official" Passport is more like a "Diplomatic" Passport and I was told I have an "Ordinary" Passport.  She changed the entry to "Single Entry" and told me I have 45 days from the time I enter Ukraine again to secure Registration with the local government, at which time  I'll be able to come and go unlimited times within the 3-5 year life of my VISA.

Getting there was easier than I thought it would be.

I took the Red Metro line to it's last stop: Deli Palyaudvar.  I had read elsewhere on the interwebz that I should take Bus 21 or 21A to the Ukrainian Embassy at Istengeti 83.  When I ascended from the Metro I went to the street that runs parallel to all the train tracks (Deli Palyaoudvar is a railway station also.)  I'll confess that I took the 21A in the wrong direction (going to my right as I faced the street and facing these two buildings below).

No worries though, Deli is the 2nd to last stop for the 21A so I just rode it back around.  Next time I'll know to cross the street here and take the 21 or the 21A going left.  Knowing where to get off for the Ukrainian Embassy is easy.  It's about 7 stops up the hill and the addresses along the way are well marked so you'll know when you're getting close to the Lorant Ut stop and 83 Istengeti.  The Embassy is on the left and has a Blue Gate in front.  You may have to press the button near the door for the bus to stop at Lorant.

I mentioned already the regular hours are 9-12, M-W and Friday.  Closed during Ukrainian Holidays (and likely Hungarian Holidays too!).  I was the first person inside.  The girl at the window spoke English and was very nice.  After accepting my paperwork she then gave me a MKB Bank Deposit Slip and I was instructed to go to the bank to pay for my VISA and then return with the receipt.  She was very helpful in telling me where to go and how to get there.  It was very easy.

I walked back to the Lorant Ut bus stop (only 30 meters uphill from the Embassy) and caught the 212 Bus to Csorsz Ut (it's right in front of MOM Park Mall and the MKB Bank and about 9 stops).

The MKB Bank is in MOM Park Mall and you're practically looking at it when you step off the 212.

You have to punch in a few answers on a touch screen thing inside the bank to get a "number" to be seen by a teller.  As soon as the machine printed my number the appropriate teller opened up.  There's an ATM in the bank (it wasn't working) but there are several inside the Mall.  I paid Cash (in Hungarian Florint) and she gave me a receipt.  I then retraced my steps and caught the 212 going back the other way.  This time, for some reason the bus stop was called the Ora Ut stop.  Still, you can follow along with the addresses going uphill and know when to get off the bus.

So there ya go.  From the time I first presented my paperwork (right at 9 am) until I returned with my receipt from the bank took about 50 minutes!!  Praise the Lord.  And the girl in the window didn't tell me a time to return on Friday, she just said between 9 and 12...regular office hours so I assume my VISA will be ready to be inserted into my Passport when I return at 9 am on Friday!

Happy Easter

It's an odd sensation, in a way.  Facebook friends are all posting about the resurrection.  And our church definitely observed Easter this morning...but for most of "this" world...here in Ukraine, the Orthodox Calendar rules and according to the Orthodox Calendar, next Sunday is Easter.

No matter.  Just means we get to focus our attention especially on the empty tomb for two weekends.

It was interesting going to church this morning with "Easter" on my mind but the people we were seeing on the street were carrying "greenery" in recognition of Palm Sunday.

Speaking of Easter...of Easter Eggs anyway...Yesterday, we took a tour of 3-4 local castles.  One of them is occupied by a couple of Ukrainian National Artist.  We were privileged to visit their studio and observe (the wife) making her own patented Pysanka-type Eggs.

Here's a really BAD picture of one of them:

Ah, but here's the kicker.  Even with the bad picture quality, you can tell it's extremely detailed, right?

She dyes the eggs for 3 hours somehow using Onion Skins.  I'm guessing there must be some sort of strange chemical reaction that causes the color to be added in layers, like eletroplating.  Here's why I think that:

That cool image is created by her scraping the red color off with shards of razor blades.  The image is created entirely by shading...she can scrape all the way down to the white egg shell...or stop somewhere in between.  That's it.  I guess she might sketch out what she wants to create ahead of time, but I didn't see any drawing on the eggs she was creating in the studio.  

It takes one whole month to create one of these eggs.  Now that's an Easter Egg!

on the go

I've spent the last 2 weekends on the road.  Good trips.  Last weekend I went with our Pastor and a couple other guys from church to a youth conference near Ivano-Frankivsk, about 4 hours away.  As best as I can tell there were about 6 area churches involved for the one day event.  I wasn't entirely sure what my role was leading up to the event but I was prepared to preach if needed and I knew I was going to present the Introduction to our Youth Ministry Strategy to a group of leaders.  Sure enough, I preached the opening session.  It went alright I guess.  That afternoon I presented our strategy to a room full of youth workers from 5-6 churches.  I thought it went really well.  I know one of the churches is really interested in contracting with us to Coach them but I think money is a little bit of an issue.  And another church that was at the event sent some of their workers to the other conference I attended this past weekend.

This past weekend, the Ukrainian organization I work for- Ruka Dopomogy- sponsored a regional youth leaders training event in Lviv.  Lviv is supposedly the most European city in Ukraine.  The little bit I saw was beautiful.  I'm hoping to go back one weekend soon and just visit.  At the conference I preached on Friday night and then I taught two workshops on "How to Plan a Mission Trip" on Saturday.  We offered 3 different "tracks" for youth workers so there was a variety of things happening.  We had a couple different church worship bands leading worship and they were really good!

A highlight of the weekend was staying with a Ukrainian family.  So...I was staying with the "In Laws" of the brother of one of our partner Youth Ministers.  Got that?  It's easier if I name names.  Ivan is the brother, I was staying with his wife's parents.  Ivan and his wife have a 2 year old girl.  His wife's mother also has a 2 year old girl.  The little Aunt and Niece could almost be twins.  SO CUTE!

On Saturday morning, the Ukraine Director for A21 (an international anti-trafficking organization) spoke.  She presented some great information; I hope we get some good feedback from that.  It's such an important topic here.  One of the crazy statistics she presented was that 80% of repatriated trafficking victims (those who were originally trafficked to another country and eventually sent back to Ukraine) are re-trafficked.  How tragic!  And I bet the number is even higher for victims of domestic trafficking.

I took some pictures but forgot my camera this morning so I'll to post again later this week.  This should be a relatively slow week for me and I'm hoping to nail down some appointments and details because I'm receiving a World Race Team next week!!

Hey Supporters...this is for YOU!

I spent the better part of last year raising support.  It was hard work.  I enjoyed spending time with every person I met with, but the actual “ask” was always hard.  Sometimes I’d spend weeks getting up the courage to make an appointment with someone.  I was behind schedule throughout the process.  I would set goals for myself for the number of people I would contact or for the amount of money I wanted to have coming in at the end of the month and time and time again I would find myself behind the 8-ball.

But then last November it started looking realistic.  And here I am.  Not only am I in Ukraine, but I’m receiving a regular salary for the first time since December of 2006!!!!

It feels good.

And it feels different.  

Receiving a paycheck has never been like this before!  In the past, I felt like earned a paycheck for the job “I” had done.  This is different.  I’m not being paid for what “I” do but because of what YOU do!

I’ve never been so aware of where my salary comes from than I am now.  I’ve never been more cognizant of my responsibility as a Steward of God’s gifts than I am right now.

A few times a month I check my online account to keep track of the “flow” and each time I am humbled by the fact that my friends and family are paying me to do what I love doing!

I have a line-item in my budget for “Giving”.  It’s built it into my budget.  It’s not my money.  It’s money you’ve given me to bless others.    

Most of what I’ve learned about generosity, I learned from Kim.  But being here, dependent on your financial gift, has heightened my awareness for how blessed it is to give.  My goal is to empty my “Giving” budget every month.  So, your gift to me is a gift of education for a child in Haiti, it’s a gift that helps pay the bills and support a Pastor here in Ukraine that probably makes less than I do, it’s a box of Capri Sun for random Roma kids that hit me up for money on the street.  I give because you first gave to me. 

But it’s not only my “Giving” Budget that you’re giving to.  You’re covering everything!  It brings tears to my eyes.  When I pay my Rent that’s all YOU!  When I buy a Coke and a Twix, that’s all YOU!  I mean, I know I asked you to help, but some days I wonder how in the heck can you love me that much?

So Thank You.  I’m loving being here.  I’m loving the connection I have with you through the gifts you’ve given and your prayers for me.  I hope you feel some connection too. 

I don’t know if I’m changing the world by being here.  Mostly, I think I’m just being “me” and living in Ukraine at the same time.  It’s not as convenient to live here as it is back in the States.  Most days I only have one item on my “To Do” list and I’m content if I can check-off that one item.  But most days I feel like that one item matters.

Yesterday my one item was to visit a Pastor I met the day after I arrived.  He and his wife have opened their home as a foster home of sorts.  They’ve taken in about a dozen kids and he operates a Street Kid Center and feeds street kids on the weekends. 

Yesterday I got to hear one of the kids’ stories firsthand.  What she’s been through is remarkable, where she’s headed because of God’s intervention through this Pastor is even more remarkable.  I’m praying about helping support his Soup Kitchen (and volunteering with him)…and that’s all YOU! 

In about an hour I’m meeting with one of 3 or 4 kids who want to practice English and learn a little guitar.  I bought a Guitar with your money!  It seems to be opening doors for me pretty regularly to hang-out with some kids (and also help lead worship with our youth group).  That’s YOU!

It’s God working through YOU!