Weekend in Bila Tserkva

Hello All!

We are back in Kyiv after a weekend in Bila Tserkva, a city of about 250,000 people. We met Kostya, the Ukrainian preacher for the congregation that we would be visiting in BT, in Kyiv on Friday afternoon. He accompanied us on the journey to Bila Tserkva (which translated into English means "White Church"). There are vans that run between Kyiv and many cities in Ukraine, which are much quicker than taking a train, and are pretty comfortable. The trip took about an hour. Kostya, who is very comfortable speaking English, talked most of the way - proved to be the first of many interesting people we were to meet in Bila Tserkva.

We stayed in the apartment of Dave and Diane Phelps, peace corps volunteers who had prayed that they would be placed in a location that would be near to a church that they could work with. They are a 10-minute walk from the church building! The Phelps are from Idaho, and Dave had served as an elder for 15 years in their local church. They have a lot of experience and wisdom, and their job as teachers with the Peace Corps allow them to be "self-supporting" missionaries. They consider themselves to be members of the church in Bila Tserkva, and not "missionaries," hoping to set the example of using your gifts, whatever they may be, to build up the church. Both Dave and Diane are involved in a number of group Bible studies - in some cases teaching, in others attending and participating.

The apartment where we stayed had a great playground near the entrance, where Abbie spent a lot of time enjoying herself. On Friday evening, Katherine and Abbie met Oksana, and her daughter Anya, at this playground. Oksana and her husband had spent a number of years working in London, so Katherine's use of English with Abbie allowed Oksana an opportunity to strike up a conversation. Katherine and Oksana talked for quite a long time, as I visited with David, and Abbie and Anya played together. Abbie is proving to be quite the "door-opener."

On Saturday we had lunch with Joe and Betty Cannon, a retired couple who live in Bila Tserkva about six months out of the year. They are from the Highland Street congregation in Memphis (the church that sent us to Ukraine this summer), and were a real blessing to get to know. Their lives are quite a testimony to the faithfulness of God, and to the rewards of dedicated service to God. We enjoyed getting to know them, and also having the opportunity to see Betty teaching a children's class later in the afternoon. There were about 10 children who gathered for a Bible class that included stories and singing - beautiful kids, and very interested and attentive.

There was also a Let's Start Talking team from Chattanooga, TN in Bila Tserkva, working with the church. Let's Start Talking is a ministry that has been around for about 25 years now, that focuses on teaching the Bible through providing conversational English opportunities for people who want to learn English. The Bible is the text, and readers meet one-on-one with native English speakers. The goal is to enter into thought provoking questions about the text while building a friendship between reader and "teacher." The LST team in Bila Tserkva was in week 3 of their 6-week visit to Ukraine. Scott enjoyed getting to meet these three Tennesseans, and allowing Katherine to see the LST approach, as it was this ministry which provided Scott with his first contacts when he first came to Ukraine back in 1992.

There was an LST party on Saturday night, to which all readers and church members were invited. The theme was "Coffeehouse" - and it provided many Ukrainians their first opportunity to experience flavored coffees (as the Starbucks phenomenon is yet to hit Ukraine). There was a pretty good turnout, and a number of American games (such as Scrabble and Uno) were introduced as well.

Sunday, we were able to attend the morning church service, where all the seats were filled, and where the message was brought by a preacher from Switzerland who had just recently married one of the women from the congregation in Bila Tserkva. So, it was a bit of a homecoming for them - which gave rise to another celebration following the services, later in the afternoon. It was a nice church service ... although we were faced with the obstacle of an unknown language for us (proceedings - speaking and singing - were in Ukrainian and not Russian ... so both Scott and Katherine were faced with challenges) and the presence of Abbie, seated with us! Abbie made it through the entire service ... but not without much effort on our part!

The Ukrainians in Bila Tserkva were very warm and inviting - we met many whom we hope to get to know better. We will return for an extended stay at the beginning of August, when we will have the opportunity to visit a local orphanage (one of the members of the church works for this orphanage). We may actually return on Wednesday for a picnic. An American woman who has worked in Ukraine for the past 10 years has a ministry for handicapped people in Ukraine. She has provided 1500 wheelchairs and many other types of aid to people in need in Ukraine, and this picnic is a reunion of sorts for the families she has worked with. It would be great to be able to help serve this group (helping with set up and take down, etc.).

Thanks for your continuing interest, concern and prayers.
The Broadways