Who put the mouse in the mashrutka?

It's been a bit of a whirlwind since we returned a week ago from our Thanksgiving holiday in Poland. On our journey home to Ukraine, both Sarah and I had the flu... Not fun... I will not elaborate. But, after about 16 hours of sleep, we both were feeling much better.

On Wednesday night we celebrated our 3rd and final Thanksgiving dinner in Ukraine. We cooked all afternoon, this time managing not to blow any fuses and enjoyed one last time of sharing a bit of our holiday tradition with our friends. It has been interesting to make such an extended holiday out of Thanksgiving. Some of the Christmas/New Year's Decorations are up in Kiev, but it is a welcome change not to have the commercialism everywhere like in the states.

Language class continues for another 2 weeks. Steady progress is a continued blessing and our friends anticipate more and more understanding as they challenge us daily with conversations that they are certain we can understand in Russian.

This Sunday was a milestone for me as it was the first time I sang with the choir at Bucha church, all in Russian and Ukrainian. I've been practicing for a while with them and I guess they were finally ready to let me try it. No major blunders, so we were all happy!

I also sang 'I know my Redeemer Lives' on Sunday morning. Once in a while as you are preparing a sermon/lesson/song it is amazing how God brings life circumstances to light. On Friday morning I was riding on a mashrutka/bus and I was listening to this song. I was in a seat that faced the rest of the passengers. As I listened to Nicole C. Mullin sing about the hope and faith of our redeemer, I looked in the faces of despair, filled with the drudgery of everyday life. I often pray for God to break my heart with the things that break His heart, and as I looked at the bus full of Ukrainians, it broke my heart that they live in a place where the government attempted to remove God for decades and now the aftermath is seen in a culture that has less than 5% evangelicals in a city that grows at a rate of approximately 600,000 people a year. My redeemer is their only hope. My favorite 2 lines of the song are: I know he's alive because I spoke with Him this morning... He's alive, I've got to tell everybody... and The same hands that hold me when I'm broken have conquered death and bring me victory! Well, I guess that's 3 lines. It's a great song.

Oh... the humor of the week was a mashrutka/bus ride from the outreach office to the subway. I got on and noticed that everyone was grouped towards the front. A little odd, but not horribly alarming. Then a babushka (grandmother) sitting across from me started pointing and shrieking. The driver started chastising her and out of the corner of my eye, I see a little mouse running under the seats up to the front somewhere. I did what any normal human being would do and put my feet on the seat, which incurred them all yelling at me -- I forgot myself -- a social fau pau here -- so, I chose to ride the rest of the way with my feet up in the air. Thankfully the mouse must have been frightened by the woman's shrieking and stayed put. Wherever he went. Many Ukrainians have assured me that this is a rare occurrence - in fact, I have not found anyone else who has ever encountered the same experience. Figures...

Thanks again for your prayers and emails! My challenge is simply to ask God to let you see people in your daily life as He sees them. I realize none of you have a mashrutka ride to work, but as you do your Christmas shopping, get fuel, eat in restaurants, interact with your neighbors... Whoever God brings across your path, see them as God sees them.