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Rotterdam Ministry Update

October 10, 2022

Arrival

I arrived safely to Amsterdam with our friend and co-laborer Jamie. We spent a few hours in the home of a friend of Jamie’s while we waited for our ride to Rotterdam. The director of the living center where our group is graciously offered to come get us and drive us to Rotterdam so we would not have to bring luggage on the train. It’s a little over and hour drive. We are grateful for her sacrifice. Tanya Kollody came with her to get it. It was a wonderful blessing to see her.

So much has happened to all of us in the last nine months since we have seen each other. And there is such a heavy weight on Tanya as the leader of the large group of moms and kids from Brovary. On the way back to Rotterdam she said, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so exhausted from being the leader and you will take that burden for a while.” That sounded ominous. But I’m so glad we made it and so glad that we can be with “our” people here.

Each evening, we are leading a time of worship, Bible reading, and discussion. They are always so happy to gather at the end of the day. We are using the booklet “Life’s Ultimate Questions” and lots of Scripture. We started with “Does God Exist?”, “Does God Speak?”, and “Who is God?” It is divided into enough questions that we will finish up the evening before I leave the Netherlands.

This is part of the group. I’ll try to get a full group picture at some point.

Part of being here is to just be here with them. When there is trauma, a big part of being able to process that trauma is for someone to be with you. That’s part of what we are doing. Of course, we bring the Gospel and the hope of Jesus, also. The week before I came, I told Tanya that I didn’t know how much good we would do being here and she simply said, “You coming will bring the joy and love of the Lord.” We can surely do that.

Another thing we are able to do is help them with some practical things that they just haven’t been able to do on their own. For official and medical things, they are provided with a translator. But for day-to-day living, they are on their own. So there is a list of things they had been saving. I took someone to get an eye exam and order new glasses. I took someone to a job interview at McDonald’s. I am taking a couple of people to the hair salon. I’ve helped them in the supermarket find certain items that they just haven’t been able to figure out. Simple stuff that I take for granted. But it’s a huge blessing to them. Since we can speak both English (which is widely spoken here) and Russian/Ukrainian, we have a definite advantage and can help them.

Yet another unique experience for me was helping a couple of the ladies by translating for job interviews at McDonald’s. The McD’s near the living center where they live opened 8 positions for Ukrainians. Two of those hired speak Dutch and Ukrainian. One of those who can translate will always be working when the others are working in order to translate and train them. Tanya and another mom went for interviews and were hired. Terror and excitement inside. Today (Wednesday), they needed to meet with the manager to sign their contracts and start working. So I came with them to translate during that meeting. I was asked to sit here at McDonald’s and do my work (I’m working my job while I’m here) because it would make them feel better and just knowing I was near would make it less scary for them. So I gladly am here. They wave and smile every time they walk by.

Here they are on their first break:

I think they are incredibly brave. I am not sure I would take a job at a McDonald’s in a foreign country where I only knew a few words in the language. They are trying to help support their families and are doing what they need to do. Please pray for them. Tanya and “O”.

Saturday, October 8

A huge blessing on Saturday was getting to travel to Zalk, a small village about 2 hours from here. There is a small group of Ukrainians there from Brovary. One of them is one of my fellow pastors from Grace Church in Brovary - Roma. I won’t name the other people who are there, but we had a sweet reunion. We shared lunch, had a long walk around the village, talked about what was going on in Ukraine (this was before the latest missile assault), spoke of the immense blessings from the Lord, and prayed for one another. I also heard many stories of their experience in those early days of the invasion and their escape. It was heart-breaking. But it’s one of the reasons I’m here and I have prayed that people would open up and tell me their stories. Telling to someone who is willing to be in that space with you helps break the power that those traumatic stories hold over us. I’ve heard dozens of stories already and expect to hear even more before I leave. Here are some pictures from our day on Saturday. (The picture of the cows at the top of this letter was taking in their village, also). Please pray for Roma and the believers who are living in and around Zalk and for the new Ukrainian-speaking church that he has planted there.

Roma (I won’t name any of the other people in these photos)

Our Sunday Morning Worship Service

Sunday Evening at Rotterdam Church

Sunday morning, we were invited to worship with a local church. The pastor and the people at the church were so welcoming and so gracious. They even gave the translator a microphone so it would be easier for our people to fully understand what was being said and sung. It really was a great evening together. After church, we all went to McDonald’s for dinner. It was a madhouse and ordering 42 Big Mac Menus was a strain on the workers but they just laughed it off graciously. A great time was had by all!

This sweet lady in the pink coat had never been to McDonald’s. A couple of the other ladies opted to not make the walk (in their wheelchairs) to McD’s and I asked this lady if she wanted to go with us or I could bring her something back to her room. She said, “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never been to McDonald’s. What is it?” I said - “Oh, then you’re going and you’ll see!” She had a wonderful time. Jamie helped her eat.

Prayer Needs:

• All that is going on in Ukraine. If you don’t know what’s going on there to today, check out https://kyivpost.com .

• Some relationships between some of the moms that are very difficult. Communal living is not simple.

• Our dear friends who are in Ukraine. I won’t list names - but the Lord knows them.

• There are so many individual needs I don’t know where to start listing them. Please pray as the Holy Spirit leads you for the many people who are living here as refugees. Life is not simple.