coming home while I'm away

polandmission.com

Going to Bucha Church in Ukraine always feels a little like coming home. I think it’s because I’ve been coming here for 13 years and have gotten to know so many of the people in the church during my visits. There were Swedes sitting right behind me as well as another group from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in the States(mainly the southern US I think).
After giving my greeting in Russian and being able to relax and enjoy the rest of the service, I started remembering walking through the sanctuary when it was being constructed. There were very long tree trunks that held up the ceiling beams. The floor was not poured yet and the windows were not up. But, even then with the walls and structure unfinished, I could feel the warmth and the love of God’s people.
Then I started thinking about the first time I ever came to Ukriane. I was walking behind Jim Carlson down a long, narrow sidewalk that was very dark. As we approached the building which was a home on the main floor and an empty room filled with benches made out of 2X4’s on stumps for benches on the second floor, we could hear their voices singing hymns in their native tongue. These are pictures that will forever be imprinted on my mind.
There are always changes that are evident to see in Ukraine, but there still remains an element that is behind what meets the eye. People who are trying to live out their faith in the best way they know how. Individuals trying to figure out exactly what freedom means to them and how that fits into their world view. People asking questions about what happens to a student in the United States who wants to hold a Bible Study at their school. We are the global Church and we are all finding our way one step at a time. Seeing my brothers and sisters in Ukraine again helps to remind me that nothing is for sure. Twenty years ago no one would have believed that we could bring groups of people from all over the world to talk openly on the streets and in the schools about Jesus. I am reassured that God will continue to build His Kingdom regardless of current situations and governments. We are privileged to have the opportunities available today to travel the globe and invest in others lives for eternity.
If you have never taken advantage of opportunities to talk with your neighbors -- both the people that live in your own community and others that live oceans away -- I cannot encourage you enough to take that first step of faith. You can rest in God’s power and His faithfulness. He will give you the strength to accomplish more than you could ever ask for, or even imagine for His Glory.