Natasha and I are in Budapest right now. We left Kyiv by car on Monday night around 8:30PM on the 17th of December and arrived in Budapest on the following day around 4:00PM. We had a few stops along the way. We needed to leave Kyiv because the new immigration laws require that we leave every 90 days even though we have a VISA for Ukraine. We are planning to head home in March for a couple months but we would need to leave at least once before that trip so we decided to enjoy the wonderful Austro-Hungarian, Christmas atmosphere in Budapest. We didn't come alone but took with us a couple other missionaries working in Kyiv, Jared Cardwell & Paul Logan. Splitting the gas makes the trip for affordable and the extra-company makes it more enjoyable.
We have had a wonderful time so far and the trip is coming to a close too soon. We will be leaving at 5:00AM on Monday morning. Natasha, Jared and I have dinner plans with the AG missionaries still in Kyiv on Christmas Day so are going to make the journey early on the Eve.
Have a wonderful Christmas and be sure not to forget the Christ of Christmas. We love you all but He loves you so much more. Merry Christmas.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
India '07 - Day One
Well, I arrived last night in New Delhi. That flight was a black comedy. First, let me say that I booked my tickets online with Aerosvit, a Ukrainian airline. They offer the cheapest flights from Kyiv to New Delhi. I took the same flight last year for my first trip to India. I paid the exact same fare. $608.70 USD
This is quite a miracle if you consider the way all prices in Ukraine are just exploding (ex. our rent went from $450 at the beginning of summer to $700). This type of miracle may be short lived however as Aerosvit is changing the standard currency of their flights from USD to EURO, due to the fast dropping valuation of the dollar. Though this is good for the U.S. trade deficit, and therefore good for our economy and the residents and citizens of the U.S., it is a killer for those of us who are living abroad with U.S. based incomes. So next year my fare will be 608.70 Euro which will be 50% more costly....but I digress...
I booked my flight with Aerosvit and requested a non-veg meal. Meals served between New Delhi and Kyiv are Indian Cuisine. Indian Cuisine comes in two basic varieties: Veg (vegetarian) and Non-Veg (with meat). I am a meat eater born and bred. It is in my DNA. If I haven't eaten meat...I haven't eaten. If that makes me barbaric...call me Attila. So I requested a Non-Veg meal and then I requested a Window/Exit Row seat. You get to pick your actual seat right online. That is great!
So standing in line preparing to board, there was a little, older, Indian gentleman standing behind me. Apparently he was raised someplace where personal space is undervalued if not outrightly abhorred. He kept pressing up against me until I made way for him to get by...at which point he began to do the same to a group of Hungarian tourists ahead of us. I was so put off I said very casually to the Lord, “ Dear Lord please don't let me sit by this little man!!!” No sooner had the words escaped my heart and mouth than the thought came...”what if I am?” and I ask you do I need to finish this story?
The little man showed his ticket to the flight attended who directed him where to go. The flight attendant took one look at my ticket and said “you are together, you have the window seat” and pointed to the little man. I had to laugh. I had to laugh even harder when I saw my window seat. The seat was next to the wall but were the window should be there was none. It was weird. The experience was reminiscent of a tour through the Winchester Mystery House.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Winchester Mystery House, it was a house that was built in Northern California by the Widow Winchester of the Winchester Rifle Company. She built it with stairs that led to nowhere, doors that opened to brick walls or 10 foot drops, all to confuse the ghosts of those slain by the Winchester rifles, whom she adamantly believed were out to take revenge upon her.
Not only had my window disappeared but so had my leg room. They had moved me out of the exit row I had reserved. Well at least I was getting a Non-Veg meal....WRONG again!!! They gave me a VEG meal, special ordered with my name on it. My laughter at this point, if not audibly, was becoming quite maniacal!!! Rabbit Trail...I love that word...maniacal. I also love using periods...for dramatic pause...anyway. Well the little man beside me was quite disappointed with the fact that they wouldn't give him a Veg meal so I traded him for his Russian Cuisine. I guess it worked out in the end as I grew in patience and flexibility and the little Indian got his Veg meal.
When I arrived in Delhi, Reggie, the primary driver for the I.E.T. (Indian Evangelical Team) who had picked me up last year, was waiting for me when I exited the customs area. It took me a few minutes to see him as I was unsure if he or someone I didn't know would be picking me up. It seemed half the male population of New Delhi was there to pick someone up and were holding signs with names on them. I was of course trying to read everyone...just in case. Reggie and I finally made eye contact and I could see he remembered me as I remembered him.
It was about 1:20 AM by the time he got me to the hotel that I has stayed at last year. Apparently I am more Christ-like than I imagined because there was no room for me at the inn. They turned us away and I could see Reggie was quite upset. So he took me to another place. We arrived there a little before 2:00 AM. I have to say I like my new accommodations better than the old. The room service menu is the same. I don't mean it has similar cuisine...I mean it is exactly the same. This is a little strange considering the fact that this isn't some sort of hotel chain I am staying at as far as I can tell. The food is very reasonable especially when compared to Indian food prices in Kyiv
Big bowl of white rice
in New Delhi $0.55
in Kyiv $8.00
A bowl of butter chicken
in New Delhi $3.25
in Kyiv $13.00
Tandoori Chicken
in New Delhi $4.75
in Kyiv $15.00
Sweet Lassi
in New Delhi $0.75
in Kyiv $6.00
Internet Cafe Prices
in New Delhi $1.25/hr
in Kyiv $3.00-5.00/hr
This year when the power goes off (which it seems happens all the time both last year and this year) I don't have a generator outside my window that comes on and wakes me up. That is BONUS!!!
My mobile phone won't connect to the wireless providers here unfortunately so I don't have an expedient way to contact my wife. I did manage to get a hold of her through Skype last night while at the hotel's internet cafe. I use the title internet café quite loosely as it consists of a single computer in the hall of the hotel lobby and is operating at about half the speed of dial-up in Kyiv.
I thought I would try to purchase a local SIM card for my mobile phone to get good local rates and be able to SMS Natasha back home. After talking to my contact here that doesn't seem to be very likely as they don't issue SIM cards here with out a resident's contract because of terrorism. Nice.
The irony about the bad telecommunications I am experiencing in New Delhi is that I am surrounded by tech and non-tech companies that have made New Delhi their technical support and offshore software development headquarters.
By and by these “trials” aren't. They are fun travel experiences that I enjoy blogging and hope that you enjoy reading about. They are nothing compared to the the persecutions devote believers and disciples of Christ experience in India on a routine basis. I wrote about one such story last year that you may or may not have read. If not...I suggest you do. It was called Encouraged by Chains. I am blessed to be back here.
Tonight I will be going with Reggie to pick up Jonathan and John Haward at the airport. Tomorrow morning I will be leading the devotions at the IET office.
This is quite a miracle if you consider the way all prices in Ukraine are just exploding (ex. our rent went from $450 at the beginning of summer to $700). This type of miracle may be short lived however as Aerosvit is changing the standard currency of their flights from USD to EURO, due to the fast dropping valuation of the dollar. Though this is good for the U.S. trade deficit, and therefore good for our economy and the residents and citizens of the U.S., it is a killer for those of us who are living abroad with U.S. based incomes. So next year my fare will be 608.70 Euro which will be 50% more costly....but I digress...
I booked my flight with Aerosvit and requested a non-veg meal. Meals served between New Delhi and Kyiv are Indian Cuisine. Indian Cuisine comes in two basic varieties: Veg (vegetarian) and Non-Veg (with meat). I am a meat eater born and bred. It is in my DNA. If I haven't eaten meat...I haven't eaten. If that makes me barbaric...call me Attila. So I requested a Non-Veg meal and then I requested a Window/Exit Row seat. You get to pick your actual seat right online. That is great!
So standing in line preparing to board, there was a little, older, Indian gentleman standing behind me. Apparently he was raised someplace where personal space is undervalued if not outrightly abhorred. He kept pressing up against me until I made way for him to get by...at which point he began to do the same to a group of Hungarian tourists ahead of us. I was so put off I said very casually to the Lord, “ Dear Lord please don't let me sit by this little man!!!” No sooner had the words escaped my heart and mouth than the thought came...”what if I am?” and I ask you do I need to finish this story?
The little man showed his ticket to the flight attended who directed him where to go. The flight attendant took one look at my ticket and said “you are together, you have the window seat” and pointed to the little man. I had to laugh. I had to laugh even harder when I saw my window seat. The seat was next to the wall but were the window should be there was none. It was weird. The experience was reminiscent of a tour through the Winchester Mystery House.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Winchester Mystery House, it was a house that was built in Northern California by the Widow Winchester of the Winchester Rifle Company. She built it with stairs that led to nowhere, doors that opened to brick walls or 10 foot drops, all to confuse the ghosts of those slain by the Winchester rifles, whom she adamantly believed were out to take revenge upon her.
Not only had my window disappeared but so had my leg room. They had moved me out of the exit row I had reserved. Well at least I was getting a Non-Veg meal....WRONG again!!! They gave me a VEG meal, special ordered with my name on it. My laughter at this point, if not audibly, was becoming quite maniacal!!! Rabbit Trail...I love that word...maniacal. I also love using periods...for dramatic pause...anyway. Well the little man beside me was quite disappointed with the fact that they wouldn't give him a Veg meal so I traded him for his Russian Cuisine. I guess it worked out in the end as I grew in patience and flexibility and the little Indian got his Veg meal.
When I arrived in Delhi, Reggie, the primary driver for the I.E.T. (Indian Evangelical Team) who had picked me up last year, was waiting for me when I exited the customs area. It took me a few minutes to see him as I was unsure if he or someone I didn't know would be picking me up. It seemed half the male population of New Delhi was there to pick someone up and were holding signs with names on them. I was of course trying to read everyone...just in case. Reggie and I finally made eye contact and I could see he remembered me as I remembered him.
It was about 1:20 AM by the time he got me to the hotel that I has stayed at last year. Apparently I am more Christ-like than I imagined because there was no room for me at the inn. They turned us away and I could see Reggie was quite upset. So he took me to another place. We arrived there a little before 2:00 AM. I have to say I like my new accommodations better than the old. The room service menu is the same. I don't mean it has similar cuisine...I mean it is exactly the same. This is a little strange considering the fact that this isn't some sort of hotel chain I am staying at as far as I can tell. The food is very reasonable especially when compared to Indian food prices in Kyiv
Big bowl of white rice
in New Delhi $0.55
in Kyiv $8.00
A bowl of butter chicken
in New Delhi $3.25
in Kyiv $13.00
Tandoori Chicken
in New Delhi $4.75
in Kyiv $15.00
Sweet Lassi
in New Delhi $0.75
in Kyiv $6.00
Internet Cafe Prices
in New Delhi $1.25/hr
in Kyiv $3.00-5.00/hr
This year when the power goes off (which it seems happens all the time both last year and this year) I don't have a generator outside my window that comes on and wakes me up. That is BONUS!!!
My mobile phone won't connect to the wireless providers here unfortunately so I don't have an expedient way to contact my wife. I did manage to get a hold of her through Skype last night while at the hotel's internet cafe. I use the title internet café quite loosely as it consists of a single computer in the hall of the hotel lobby and is operating at about half the speed of dial-up in Kyiv.
I thought I would try to purchase a local SIM card for my mobile phone to get good local rates and be able to SMS Natasha back home. After talking to my contact here that doesn't seem to be very likely as they don't issue SIM cards here with out a resident's contract because of terrorism. Nice.
The irony about the bad telecommunications I am experiencing in New Delhi is that I am surrounded by tech and non-tech companies that have made New Delhi their technical support and offshore software development headquarters.
By and by these “trials” aren't. They are fun travel experiences that I enjoy blogging and hope that you enjoy reading about. They are nothing compared to the the persecutions devote believers and disciples of Christ experience in India on a routine basis. I wrote about one such story last year that you may or may not have read. If not...I suggest you do. It was called Encouraged by Chains. I am blessed to be back here.
Tonight I will be going with Reggie to pick up Jonathan and John Haward at the airport. Tomorrow morning I will be leading the devotions at the IET office.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Prayer Requests 7-31-07
Here are a few prayer requests...
- I injured the tendon attached to the back of my heel on my left foot. It is causing me a lot of pain. It is healing slowly and making it very difficult for me to stay mobile. This is quite a problem, especially since I have a team with us right now, and I need to be on the go 24-7.
- My laptop had a misfortunate accident. It would cost almost as much to repair as to replace. Please pray that the Lord will provide a new one soon. I would like to switch to Mac with my next purchase as I am tired of fighting the "good" fight with PCs.
- Natasha is taking a new position at a local, Christian orphanage. We will share more about that later. Please pray for her about this. She starts in September.
- In November, I am planning to go to India again to do another Pastors' Conference with Global Infusion and IET (India Evangelical Team). I need to raise $1,600 for that.
- Today is the 35th Anniversary for John & Nancy Hanebury, my parents and greatest supporters. Just pray a blessing on them. I wouldn't be here with out them. That is true...in so many ways.
Ukrainians Are Advised to Arrange Cheap Flights
Final someone with a voice is saying what I have been saying. I hope their advice is taken sooner than later!
German experts stress that cheap flights need to be introduced in Ukraine by 2012. These flights will be used by football fans from Europe where flying is more widespread than traveling by train. -
Ukrayinska Pravda
If Ukraine, had cheap flights to Europe with airlines like Wizzair, Ryanair, EasyJet and SkyEurope...they could attract a lot more tourists. Not to mention it would make it a lot easier on missionaries like myself who need to exit the country every six (6) months. Those aforementioned airlines allow you to travel anywhere in Europe for $50-$100 if you book in advance.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Failure to Launch?
Is this just the title of a romantic comedy or will it be a film concerning Ukraine's attempts at democracy? The following excerpt from the Kyiv Post will give you some understanding of the difficulties we will be facing in the months and years to come.
The 2006 parliamentary elections in Ukraine were heralded by international observers as the most free and fair elections since independence in 1991. Lost in this euphoria was a deeper understanding of the impact of Ukraine's new parliamentary system and the repercussions for the future development of Ukraine's democracy. Most attention focused on the constitutional changes which shifted more power to the prime minister. Less attention focused on the change from a representational electoral system to a proportional one based on party lists. A key difference between the two is the lack of any district or other geographically based representation in the current system. As a result, public reception rooms places where citizens could meet with representatives were abolished as elected officials no longer represent a specific district or region. Indeed, elected officials on a local city council need not even be residents of the city, and at the national level, there is no system in place to ensure that all regions of the country have adequate representation. Coupled with the law on parliamentary immunity the result is a system where members of parliament feel more accountable to their parties than their citizens.
There is insufficient time before the upcoming September elections to address these structural deficiencies. There is also insufficient political will or consensus about how to address it. President Yushchenko recently proposed a two chamber parliament, one based on geographic representation. However, his plan has garnered little support or produced suggestions for alternatives.
Generation Church in Ukraine
Global Infusion sent us another team from Colorado Springs. They are from the youth ministry, Generation Church, and are pastored by Jayde Duncan & Dan Anderson, ORU Alumni and friends. This is the same youth ministry that sent us a team last year and that we bragged so much about. There are a lot of new members but quite a few repeat offenders too!!!
This past weekend we were doing services and evangelizing in the Zhitomir Region. This week, during the day, we are doing manual labor for the International Christian Assembly that is needed before we can move into their new church facility in September. At night we are doing street evangelism for a local Charismatic Baptist Church. Tonight we ran the mid-week service, and will be running the Friday night youth service as well. So, Thursday night the team will be hitting the streets, inviting unchurched youth to the event.
Saturday (July 28th), we will leave for Poltava, again. We will be working with the same churches we worked with when the ORU team was with us. We will be there until the following Sunday (August 5th).
Keep these things in prayer: Salvations & Miracles.
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