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The Rep comes to Ukraine

Our good friend Brandon Kagel, a Christian rap artist from Arizona, came out last week to minister to youth in our town. Throughout the week he shared his songs and the gospel message at different venues. He also was able to go into four schools and share Abstinence Education with the students. He was the guest speaker at our youth conference. The theme was Old and New. He shared in three sessions about how God rescued us from the old life, gives us a Spirit-filled life, and then gives us a purpose for life. It was amazing to watch God work in and through him, touching the hearts of the kids. Brandon loves Jesus and it shows! We will miss him but hope to bring him out here again to share in Kiev.

Outreach concert in Kaharlyk

Sharing Abstinence Education in schools

Teaching at the youth conference

Rapping, sharing his testimony and the gospel to students on a Sunday night outreach

For more info about his ministry, email him at : therep1@cox.net and check out his newest video online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weNMZbB78RY

Coffee House Ministry

What a great night playing in a coffeehouse again. It makes me think back to the old "Three Taverns" days! The church in Rzhyschiv has been renting this building on Sunday nights for 4 weeks. They are reaching out to the youth in a coffee style environment. Sharing with them, loving them and serving them coffee, tea and cake. It was a great night to see a lot of my old friends and to be encouraged by Neil as he shared about the amazing power of God that transformed his life. Blessings to all you guys in Rzhyschiv for following God into this endeavor and thanks for allowing me to play.

Youth Group Work-Day

Today we had an opportunity to visit Zhenya and help her take care of some needs at her house. She needed her windows fixed and doors insulated. It's great to get the youth together to serve others when the needs arise!

Our Road Paved...FINALLY!!!

One day last week, we were surprised to hear commotion outside as some workers started paving our street. Our street has been a source of irritation for us over the years as the harsh winters have caused huge potholes. So, seeing people actually fixing the road was a very nice surprise! The kids even got in on the fun as the workers let them take a ride on the steamroller.

Zvenihorodka Kids Camp

Just got back from an awesome kids camp! It was located in a village 1.5 hrs away called Zvenihorodka. This was a 10-day kids camp geared at sharing the gospel, building relationships and investing in kids ages 7-13. Last year was my first experience with this camp and I had the opportunity to meet the church behind it. Here is the story: The pastor of a charismatic church in Zvenihorodka wanted to start a kids camp for underprivileged kids in their community. They purchased an old dormitory used to house workers for the local sugar factory. The factory has been closed for 40 years and the dormitory was in desperate shape. The city was going to demolish it but the pastor bought it for $3000. The building has no running water, or plumbing or heat. The ceiling leaks as the roof is in desperate need of repair. Last year we came a week early to clean and repair as much as we could so we could have our first kids camp there. We painted and patched holes, I drew murals on the walls, and we all cleaned the rooms in preparation.

Sixty kids were transported to this small village to learn of God's love, forgiveness, and salvation. I brought Josie with me while Christy was at home with Jaden, Jeremy and Justin. This year as we transported the kids to camp, we noticed there had been more renovations done. The local church had received a donation from America which allowed them to fix the leaky ceilings and paint the stairs and corridor. They also made another outhouse and put in two outside showers. It really made a big difference. For 10 days, our youth group would be the counselors and kids were assigned to teams according to age groups. The counselors slept in the room with the kids on mattresses and led Bible lessons with them during the day. Meals were prepared by two sisters from the local church while other members would come in to serve and clean on shifts. I shared the main message each night based on the days lessons. The meetings included worship, skits, a message and a daily slideshow of pictures and video taken throughout the day. Alyona, who runs the children's ministry at our church, directed the camp.

Looking back, it was a wonderful experience to watch kids come to know Jesus, be challenged in their faith and watch unity in action. It really blessed me to see two churches from different backgrounds working together in unity. The goal was not our religious expressions, but to serve these kids and share the love of God with them. And that's what we did! We grew in our love and friendships, served with our eyes on Jesus, and watched God do His work in their lives. Shouldn't all Christian ministry be like that?

Ukraine Ministry Video 2010

Day at the AquaPark

We were blessed with the opportunity and funds to take 12 children from the orphanage to the AquaPark in Kiev. It was awesome to see their faces as they entered the waterpark! They made the most of the 3 hours, enjoying the slides, wave pool, and even tying out the sauna. It was a really great time and we know it was very special for them. We hit McDonalds on the way home, which was an added treat!!!

English Kid's Club

We have started an English Kid's Club on Saturdays. It has gone really well so far. There are about 10 kids coming and they are fun to work with. We play games, sing songs, make crafts, watch movies and learn English! It is our prayer that God would use this as a tool to make friendships and open doors to share about His love!!!

Special Visitors from Arizona!

We just had a visit from Jeanne, Mary and Josie from Arizona. Josie is going to be staying with us for 4 months as a short-term missionary. Jeanne and Mary accompanied her to Ukraine and stayed with us for a week, visiting our family and checking out what the Lord is doing here in Kaharlyk. We had a great time with them and were sad to see them go. Here are some pictures of their time...

Inner Tube Sledding