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.