Closing Ceremony

Tonight was our closing ceremony for the past two weeks of English Clubs. Instead of our regular schedule, we had a program for the students that included a couple of video clips and skits, worship, one last gospel presentation using "The Bridge" video, and presentation of certificates to students who completed the courses. It was a night of celebration, but also sadness as many goodbyes were also exchanged. One of the main purposes of the evening was to pass the students on to the Ukraine for Christ Campus ministry, so that they will be able to continue the relationships that have been formed through English Clubs. Many students indicated after last night's gospel presentation that they were thinking about things like God, Jesus, and the Bible in a way that they hadn't before, and that they wanted to continue searching for the truth. Some are close to a commitment to a Christ; others are deep-seated in their own beliefs, but all were willing to discuss the claims of Scripture openly and consider the possibility of a loving God who sent His only Son to die for their sins. Continue to pray for these students; Campus has a Winter Conference next week, and several students that attended the clubs are going. It is vital that the Campus staff is able to connect with these students soon after English Clubs, so that relationships can continue to develop and conversations can take place based on some of the themes discussed in our clubs. Pray for those students who are searching for truth and want to be absolutely sure that it is found in the Bible.

We fly out tomorrow afternoon and arrive in Columbia by Sunday evening; pray for safe travel. Lord-willing, our next update will be in person!

Tonight

Tonight is our last official night of English Clubs; tomorrow evening will be graduation party, with the emphasis on handing these students on to the Ukraine for Christ ministry. We have been discussing concepts of God and the claims of Christ everyday, but tonight we will be sharing the gospel and testimonies of our relationship with Christ. This is "Decision Night", and we want to clearly communicate that knowing about Jesus is not the same as believing. Please pray that we will communicate clearly and lovingly with the students, that many will return (yesterday was our highest attendance since last Tuesday), that they will understand the gospel, and that distractions will be limited. Thank you so much for praying as we come down to the culmination of our ministry here in Ukraine!

Much Ado

We have had several very full days since our last update! Hopefully many of you had the chance to see the video on Sunday from Anya and Alina about how clubs have been going so far (if you didn't, leave your email address and I can send you the link). Saturday was a much-welcomed day off, which we spent doing a little bit of sightseeing and souvenir shopping before our Valentine's Party with the English Club students in the evening. We weren't exactly certain what an American Valentine's party was supposed to be, but we made the best of it, sharing some favorite American foods and game ideas. Forty people attended the party, which included about half of our English Club students.

Sunday was an immersion into cultural experiences, as we attended Ukrainian churches in the morning, enjoyed a local "steakhouse" for lunch, and then John, Corinne, and Hilary treated our hostesses to an opera while Conrad attended an evening church service with a student and spoke to the youth group.

We began our second week of clubs with anticipation yesterday, discussing the miracle of Jesus' healing the blind man last night and the trial of Jesus before Pilate tonight. Many of the students are very receptive and contemplative as they consider the claims of Jesus. We are encountering some students who are familiar with the facts of the gospel story but have not yet believed, many who are hearing it for the first time, and others who are deeply seated in their own beliefs. Pray that God would continue to reveal the truth of who He is through His word, that students would consider what the claims of the gospel mean for them individually, and that we would all have wisdom in how to best communicate God's love with our students. We will be discussing the parable of the sower and the four types of soil tomorrow and directly sharing the gospel and our testimonies on Thursday. Please also pray for John, as he has been fighting a fever today.

One Week In

Tonight marked the completion of our first week of English Clubs. We are getting to know our students, the Campus staff are making connections, and students have read and discussed the stories of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Feeding of the 5,000, introducing God as a loving Father and Jesus as the Bread of Life. Pray that students will continue thinking about what these themes mean for them over the weekend, before we begin again Monday evening.

This weekend will mean a break from our English Club schedule, but will still be full. We will do some sightseeing on Saturday, and then in the evening we are hosting an American Valentine's Day Party (because in America, we do this all the time?). It will be a great time to meet with the students outside of class, giving them the chance to talk with us and the Campus staff, as well as enjoy games and tastes of American culture and food. Sunday we will attend church with Anya and Alina, and later in the day we hope to have the opportunity to treat our wonderful hostesses to an opera at the famed Opera House. Please pray that the party will provide a great opportunity to interact with students and that we will find rest and refreshment for our second week.

Light in the Darkness

The Opera House in Odessa is said to only be rivaled by its counterpart in Vienna and is beautifully lit at night, cycling through a variety of colors in contrast to the intricacy of the structure itself and the dark night sky. Many students in Ukraine experience a similar enlightenment as they hear the gospel, or even read a passage from the Bible for the very first time in an English Club. Our perspective, coming from a country steeped in Christian heritage, leaves me amazed at the number of students involved in Campus Crusade's ministry that have become believers within the last few years, and a decade at most. Practically all who are serving in the campus ministry are first generation Christians, and as John has been leading teams for the past five years, several students who attended the first English clubs responded to the gospel and are now involved in the campus ministry. It is a light in the darkness, sometimes seemingly dim against the depth of the darkness of a country where the Bible was banned for 70 years and little of contemporary society and government have any resemblance to a Biblical basis or morals. But it is a consistent light, from which the fruit has been proven over time.

Tonight's clubs have continued to go well, and our team is extremely grateful for any prayer on our behalf. Typically a number of students do not return after the first couple of days, but we retained almost all of them and had new students attend too. We began our first Biblical discussion with the story of the Good Samaritan, to open up questions of obtaining eternal life, loving God and others, and the hindrance of sin. Pray that we will continue to be sensitive to God's leading as we prepare our lessons, and especially during out discussion times. Also pray that the Crusade staff will have opportunities to begin relationships with these new students that can continue after we are gone. We completed our clubs this evening excited about the potential that lies ahead of us; thank you for partnering with us in bringing the light of the gospel to each of our students!

First Day in Ukraine

We arrived safely Sunday in Odessa, Ukraine, and although tired, we have acclimated well to a new time zone and culture. After a good night’s sleep, we spent most of Monday passing out flyers on several university campuses. Around 100 students came to the testing last night, where we determined who would be placed in our beginner, intermediate, and advanced clubs. Today the phones have been ringing off the hook as students are calling Alina and Anya, the Campus Crusade staff we are working with, to find out if they were accepted. Classes begin at 6:00pm (10:00am CST), and we were able to keep 75 students. John Pasquet will be teaching the beginner class, Conrad Hake will be teaching the intermediate, and Corinne Smeda and Hilary Dorr will be teaching the advanced.

After feedback from cultural perspectives of past students, we have made a few changes to our teaching curriculum. Pray that we will be able to adjust smoothly to the changes, and that we will be able to effectively reach the students. Also pray that we will retain students through these first few key days.

Ukraine Team Prepares for Departure

Our Ukraine team leaves on Saturday morning from the church at 9:00am. Please pray for safety as we travel and a quick adjustment to time, culture, and climate differences, and pray that God will prepare our hearts and the hearts of the students we will be meeting soon!

Our February 2009 Ukraine Team is John Pasquet, Corinne Smeda, Hilary Dorr, and Conrad Hake.