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.

World Race Final Debrief in Kyiv

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last blogged. I haven't been that busy...well, at times, yes I have been.

A good bit of the last two weeks was spent preparing for and assisting The World Race. F Squad was in town for Final Debrief. 11 Countries in 11 Months and it all ended here. I think it ended on a high note.

Some of the squad members arrived almost 2 weeks ago. I met Brian & Stacey Alonzo at the train station and helped them transfer to a bus so they could visit a team in Ivankiv. Brian and Stacey are launching the August 09 Squad in just a few months! I also helped them find a place to stay for a few days here in Kyiv (thank you Peipons!)

A few days later Ashley, Pamela, Tara and Jen arrived to make additional preparations. Thanks to my friend Allyson, they had a place to stay too.


















Finally, last Friday the teams arrived from North, South and West (they had been serving in Lugansk, Ivankiv and Moldova). Seth and Karen Barnes along with the Hindes and the Shearmans also arrived. It was a long day but everyone got picked up and transported to Dozvillya- the retreat center about 30 minutes south of Kyiv.

I was blessed to serve them a little bit, spend time with them, worship with them, get some "debrief" time myself with Seth and attend their final WR Banquet. They cleaned up nicely!

My friend Stephanie Fisk- who traveled with B Squad in 07 was the Squad Leader. What a star! She just completed her 2nd World Race in just over 2 years! Also helping with this Debrief was Allison Johnston-she was the C Squad leader that shadowed A & B back in 07 and she launched the G Squad currently in Romania.

So there ya go. A busy couple of weeks.

I have 7 more classes! Yahoo! Still don't know for sure what I'm doing this summer but the plans are, Lord willing, to split time between working with camps around Kyiv and down South in Lugansk.

Tomorrow night I'm hitting the overnight train to Odessa for a quick visit with some friends- will be back in Kyiv early Monday morning for my last full week of classes.

Ukraine Invaded by The World Race

The World Race is here.

It started innocently enough about a month ago... three pretty girls passed through for a look see.


















And then a few days ago my old friend Jake arrived and gave me an excuse to go back to TGI Friday's and since he brought some sunny weather with him, then we were able to spend a few days exploring the sights.























But then the dam broke.

Enter 49 World Racers. There's no sneaking around with this bunch!

Upon their arrival they were transported to the village of Kiylov, about an hour outside of Kyiv to rest and prepare for Debrief. We were able to recruit an American Missionary friend to spend a few hours with them for a Cultural Briefing of Ukraine/Eastern Europe.

A staff member from the UN here in Kyiv will give the squad a briefing regarding Sex Trafficking (Ukraine, Moldova and Romania are among the leading "Source Countries" for international sex trafficking).


On Thursday the squad will relocate to a retreat center nearer Kyiv and will be joined by Coaches from the States that will lead their debrief.

It's been fun having them around. It's given me an opportunity to practice my language in an effort to help make arrangements for them and the level of cooperation from ministry friends here in Kyiv has been amazing. God is in this.

Week in Review

It's late Sunday night and I've had a fairly eventful week. Hmm, where to begin. Well, it was a short week of school since I skipped a day on Thursday. Three friends from The World Race, including one of my fellow WR07 travelers Stephanie Fisk, arrived on Thursday and I skipped school to meet them and get them situated in town.

These are the times when I lament not having transportation of my own or my own apartment...but God is definitely good. My friend Oleg drove me to the airport to pick them up.

A few weeks ago I sent out some emails and Facebook messages asking some of the veteran missionaries where I might be able to put 3 girls for a week. One of my first friends here, a fellow language student named Allyson, came through in unbelievable fashion.

The short of it is that she is house-sitting this month for other missionaries currently on furlough so she allowed the girls to live in her apartment all week. Not only that, but she has exercised her gift of hospitality at every turn- from cooking for us last Thursday, to stocking the apartment with groceries for them, acting as a tour guide and introducing them to far more contacts than I could have. What a champ! She also took the girls to visit AIDS Orphans at one of the hospitals- which is part of her ministry here in Kyiv.

On Friday night we attended a Coffee House ministry that another International Church (Intl Christian Assembly) puts on. On Saturday I met my language helper, Yeagor, for the first time...then I met the girls downtown for some sightseeing (but we didn't see much because it was really cold and wet and ugly). Later we enjoyed dinner at TGI Friday's.


Today after church Oleg again provided transportation, taking us to the village of Kiylov about an hour south of Kiev to look at a Retreat Center that a WR Squad will use in a few weeks for Debriefing and Orientation.

Tomorrow we will meet more of Allyson's friends and visit an orphanage.

Finally, today is Interational Women's Day in the former Soviet Union (and maybe some other countries). Sort of like Mother's Day I guess. LOTS of chocolate and flowers being sold today. We have no classes tomorrow because of it...so, another short week....then one more full week...then a whole week of Spring Break and I have to admit, I'm looking forward to it like a 21 year-old college kid!!