Just as I thought!

I knew I wasn't a true blogger! Afterall, my last post was nine months ago. So many blog-worthy things have happened since I posted last August, but I didn't take the time to share them in this forum. Besides, I convinced myself many months ago, I'm more of a blahger than a blogger. Ijs...

Anyway...

This summer's Ukraine mission trip to Dzerzhinsk is less than three weeks away. Before I left Dzerzhinsk last year, I had decided I wanted to return again this year. The experience was amazing, and I look forward to reuniting with old friends, making new friends, working with the students and staff at Public School 10, conducting devotionals, and visiting my Ukrainian church family. It's all about planting seeds; this year will not be any different in that regard.

Six team members will be participating from our church family, along with others from four or five congregations located in the southeastern United States. We'll meet up with our translators and will collaborate to conduct a week-long camp for children kindergarten through high school. We'll also conduct evening devotionals, participate in various service projects, and provide assistance and support in every way possible.

Please pray for our team -- our safety, our ability to positively impact lives, our effectiveness in being God's sowers both physically and spiritually.

Wes

Dogs don't chase cats.

In our devotional tonight at the Christian Student Center, we discussed the "Co-Exist" bumper sticker which has become quite popular in recent years. (The bumper sticker's design consists of a variety of religious symbols used to form the letters of the word "co-exist".)

What does it mean to co-exist in our world? What does it mean to co-exist in the church, and as Christians? What does Jesus teach us about co-existence with others? As you might imagine, our discussion was very lively, and several insightful thoughts and ideas were shared with the group.

Our discussion reminded me of an interesting phenomenon I observed in Ukraine. Dogs didn't chase cats. It's true! These two very different four-legged animals seemed perfectly content to be in each others' presence. They were the epitamy of co-existence! If only we would model their behavior in our own lives...in the church...in the world. Imagine the possibilities! Take a look at Ephesians 4:29-32. We may have a long way to go in our efforts to co-exist!

Unconditional Love

Most of us would probably agree John 3:16 provides the ultimate example of unconditional love. And, while we all should strive to love others unconditionally, we're imperfect people living in an imperfect world, and we often fall short of giving the type of love we'd all like to receive.

One of our side trips in Ukraine included a visit to an orphanage in Artemivsk (pronounced Artoomus). The children in this orphanage were no more than four years of age. Toddlers who were able to walk, and had no obvious disabilities, were kept in one area. Younger children and babies, most with some type of physical or mental disability, were kept in another area. Sadly, the majority of orphans in Ukraine were abandoned by their parents.

I don't know much at all about the small boy I'm holding. It was clear he was challenged both physically and mentally. What I do know about this child, as well as all the other children, is that he wanted most of all to be held and loved regardless of his condition. When I put him back in the group playpen, he crawled quickly to the side of the playpen, and tried his hardest to reach out to touch me. I stood and rubbed his head until it was time to leave. Heart-breaking.

I'm thankful for God's unconditional love; the type of love that sees past my imperfections, and provides me with hope, peace, and grace. The type of love that never turns its back on me. The type of love that will never give up on me. The type of love only God could provide through His Son.

God is already there!

A phone conversation with my wife, Carolyn, while in Ukraine, inspired these thoughts regarding God's presence in Ukraine. I shared my thoughts with the Dzerzhinsk church the Sunday we left to return home.

Sometimes missionaries describe their work by saying, "We are taking God to this particular country, or this certain group of people." And this may be true to a certain extent. But since the first day I arrived in Ukraine, it was evident to me that God was already there -- in the hearts and lives of the people of Dzerzhinsk!

I was shown God's kindness through the hospitality of my host, Nadya -- the warm shower she provided, the chai and snacks she prepared for us every night, and the comfortable bed I had to sleep in.

I also saw God's love and joy on the faces of the children we worked with in the camp at Public School #10. I had so much fun getting to know those precious kids!

I witnessed God's patience through the diligent work of our translators. They were absolutely wonderful!

And I saw God's glory and beauty in the magnificent flowers and gardens throughout the community.

Lastly, I experienced God's love and kindness first-hand through my church family in Dzerzhinsk. They are truly a selfless group of people, and welcomed the Americans with open arms.

The apostle Paul reminds us of God's unfailing presence in Acts 17:24-27, and again in Romans 1:20.

Thank you, Ukraine, for sharing God with me!

Less than 24 hours...

Our flight to Ukraine leaves Valdosta in less than 24 hours. Aside from a few cell phone batteries left to charge, I believe everything is packed and ready to go. There has to be something I've forgotten, though! Still anxious and somewhat nervous, but reminding myself of Joshua 1:9... Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid! The Lord will be with you every step of the way! Proverbs 16:3 is another of my faves... Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed! (My paraphrase on those.)

It's my understanding we'll have some type of Internet access nearly every day, so I'll make every effort to post to my blog and/or Facebook with updates and pictures. I'm sure I'll have a greater appreciation for our country's technology by the time we return home. (Or I may appreciate being "un-plugged" for a while!)

I'm thankful to everyone for their prayers, and ask that you keep them going!

Wes

Wherever you are...

One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln is "Whatever you are, be a good one!". I suppose I like this quote because it obligates us to do our best regardless of our vocation or status in life.

As I thought about our trip to Ukraine this week, this quote came to mind. And while it fits quite well with the tasks we have before us, I began to consider the implications of the quote if we were to change the word "whatever" to "wherever".

Mark 16:14-16 provides an account of one of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to the eleven apostles, with instructions to "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all."(MSG) Wow! Sounds like quite a daunting task for such a small group of men. However, this passage, referred to as "The Great Commission", has often been used as a guilt-ridden motivator for Christians to enter the mission field and travel to remote locations to share the Good News. And, while I believe this commission is applicable to us today, I do not believe a person must travel to remote locations in order to share God's Message.

"Go into the world." Aren't we already 'in' the world? Simply stepping outside the front door of our home puts us as much 'in' the world as those who travel overseas to work in a remote mission field. Consider these 'mission fields'... your next door neighbor, a group of co-workers at your place of business, a group of close friends you hang with at Starbucks, the person in line with you at the check-out, the students you interact with 180 days out of the year ...and the list goes on and on.

My point? We are ALL missionaries. We're all capable of sharing God's Message 'WHEREVER' we are! (And often without speaking a single word!) Remember... "Whatever/wherever you are, be a good one!"

Ready...Set...Chaco!

They're not your typical "Jesus" shoes, and they're a far cry from the two dollar Old Navy flip-flops I'm perfectly content with this time of year, but they're very comfortable, and come highly recommended by past Ukraine travelers!

Although I may take a pair of ON flops as back-up, these will be my primary form of transportation during our stay in Ukraine. They're light, airy, and will accessorize well with my shorts and t-shirts!

On another note, I've spent a great deal of time in our attic for the last three days cleaning, organizing, purging, and gathering items for a Ukraine yard sale this weekend. I'll have to say, short stature has definitely been an advantage in the attic. I only hit my head two or three times on the rafters. As a result, though, our attic is probably more organized than it's ever been!

Aside from prepping for Saturday's sale, I've been working on both physical and spiritual aspects of the trip; attempting to make sure I have everything in order, and no stone's been left unturned.

Lastly, this third blog post now exceeds the extent of my prior blogging attempt by one post! Baby steps. Yep, baby steps.

In the meantime, please continue to keep Ukraine in your prayers!