What We Have Been Up To

When we left Ukraine on January 11, we started a one-year sabbatical. I’d like to say that we have been “sabbatical-ing” but we really haven’t been. We had some ministry commitments that stretched into February. Then the war started. Then Mary was gone for almost a month during the Spring to Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

In June we had a houseful because our older kids were here. We moved to a different house (a rental). Hannah and Simon left for Austria where Hannah is now teaching at a Christian school. And then there is my back…

After the trip from Ukraine to America, I started having some discomfort and light pain that was consistent. I tried to take care of it as best I could - assuming that it would get better like it always has before. We even had help moving so that I would not need to lift anything. Of course, I didn’t just sit and watch, but I actually didn’t lift anything and carried very little. By the end of June, I was in tears many days because of the severity of the pain. Lots of doctor visits, MRIs, pills, an ER visit, and lots of laying down filled the summer. About a week ago, I was able to get an epidural steroid “injection”. I had several pain-free days! The pain is creeping back and we are praying that it doesn’t continue to get worse. I have my second procedure at the beginning of November.

Besides that fun stuff - what have we been doing? I didn’t really even know how to report what we have been doing, so I asked Mary to help me describe it. We have been:

Grieving - So much loss in Ukraine. Not just that we are not there (although that is a real grief). We grieve for what our friends have lost and what the country has lost. There is grief because our plan to return in Spring 2023 seems unrealistic at this point. There are other things that are personal that we are grieving over, as well.
Processing - That is kind of an overused word, but it’s what we are doing. Each day, the Lord is helping us trust Him - regardless of what is going on around us, in our lives, and in Ukraine. I can’t say that we have any sort of understanding that makes everything “okay”. I can, however, say that He is helping us to trust Him in deeper ways that we have known before.
Getting Settled - We came back to the States thinking we would be in the Mission house for 5 months or so, then in another temporary place for a few months, and then return to Ukraine. (No, we didn’t think Russia would invade Ukraine and no-one we knew in Ukraine believed it would happen, either.) So we have had to decide to settle in and build a life in America again - even though we hope it’s not forever.
Maintaining Relationships with Ukrainians - We were fully-invested in a large group of Ukrainians and they were invested in us. I say, “were”, only because it’s different now. We, and they, are still invested - but it looks different. And it has to be a lot more intentional. So we are trying our best to do it - with lots of failures along the way.
Trying to Re-establish Relationships in America - This one has been so hard for us. It’s not that we don’t love our American friends. We don’t even really have words to explain why it’s hard. It just is. We are grateful for our many friends who have allowed us space to work back into life here as we can - especially our beloved church family who continues to love us, reach out to us, and support us financially.

That’s what we have been doing. It hasn’t been the best season of our lives from an earthly standpoint. However, during these few months, the Lord has been good. And He has done some really good things.

Here are some things we know:

A few days ago, we were thinking through what we know. We were doing this because there is so much that we don’t know.

The Lord brought us out of Ukraine at the right time. As much as we want to be there, it simply would have been foolish for us to stay. We believed then (and now) that God was drawing us because of some very practical reasons. Of course, we soon realized another big reason he called us to the States for a year (at least we thought it was going to be a year).
We cannot return to Ukraine any time soon. That one is hard. We don’t know if we will ever get to go back at all, much less live in our house there.
God has given us the desire (and we believe “call”) to minister to and serve the people of Ukraine until we have no breath. We believe this. The Father impressed this on both of our hearts the other day. I think there was a real fear in both of our hearts that it was coming to an end. But after being with some Ukrainian refugees here in Oklahoma, he showed us that that desire was not only still in our hearts - but it was put there by Him.
We don’t know how ministry will look. Another hard one. We have NEVER been in control of what the ministry looks like, but we have had an awareness in general terms of what it will look like the next day. We don’t have that understanding right now. That’s not all bad. It creates a strong reliance on Him.
We have an open door to minister to Ukrainians in Rotterdam and other places where “our” people are living across Europe. These groups are probably out of Ukraine for the long haul. And many of them will not return even if they become able to do so. That’s difficult to understand, but it’s just what is. So, we see new opportunity to minister to Ukrainians affected by disability. We just don’t know what form it will take, exactly.

Elisabeth Elliot once said,
"Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now."

Current Ministry

If you made it this far and are still reading - thank you! Now for where we are going…

On Tuesday, I’m (Chris) leaving for Rotterdam. We have a large group of moms (and a few dads) and their disabled children. They have been living in the same nursing center since they arrived there in early Spring. I have had this trip planned a couple of times but my back issues have caused me to reschedule it. I’ll be gone until the end of the month. I’m grateful that one of our teammates will be traveling with me (Jamie). She had the opportunity to go back in July. I was supposed to be going with her at that time, but had to cancel at the last minute. She will be staying on there for up to 90 days to continue the work there.

While I’m there, there are a few main ministry goals.

Evangelism - Telling others about the love of God expressed through Jesus is always our focus. This particular group of families have all been in our circle for years. They have heard the truth many times. Most of them haven’t made it personal. This is another great opportunity to tell them again.

Encouragement - Our beloved friends there are so discouraged. Joy is hard to find in the uncertainty of what is going to happen to them. When I spoke with Tanya (our dear ministry leader) I asked her what I could bring. She said, “Pastor, what you need to know is that you can come with empty suitcases because you are bring what we need just by coming - joy.” That’s kind of a heavy burden to bear - heavier than a suitcase. It’s heavy because my heart is hurting right along with theirs. But there is joy in the Lord. And that’s what I can bring. And will.

Trauma Care - The word trauma is an understatement for what these dear ones are experiencing. They have so many stories that need to be told and help by someone who can be with them in their grief, fear, sadness, and powerlessness. I’m willing to be with them in those places without turning my face from them. That’s a big part of trauma care. Being with. So I’m going to be with them.

Some Practical Ways We Will Serve Them

We are going to have morning and evening fellowship around God’s Word and of course I’ll lead times of singing (which I have missed doing so much). During these times, we will listen to stories. We will read God’s Word. We will talk about it. Of course, we will pray and sing. And we will be together.
We would like to plan a few outings. There are a lot of people in the group and it won’t be easy. But I think it’s important. They have been “stuck” in the center with a few exceptions and they don’t have the opportunity or ability to do much. Especially as a group. I don’t know what that will look like just yet, but it’ll be good for them.
We will help meet some physical needs. Clothing for the coming winter, medicine, vitamins, and other physical needs that are present.
Fellowship - lots of fellowship.
There are other plans that are not fully formed at the moment. They will develop once we are there.

I’m going to try hard to send an update every few days (WITH PICTURES) while I’m in Rotterdam to let you know how it is going and to let you know specific prayer needs.

A Word Of Thanks to Our Supporters
You have supported our family and the ministry in Ukraine for many years. We thank God for you daily! When we came back to America for this year of sabbatical, we asked you to consider continuing supporting us during this time. You have been so generous and we are so grateful. You have made this very hard time a lot easier. You have made it possible for us to setup a place to live and that would not have happened without your kindness. You have also made it possible for us to maintain our house and property in Brovary. Additionally, we have been able to house various people throughout this time. Currently, there is a pastor from Chernigov and his wife living there.

Thank you.

Current prayer requests:

Our friends Yuri and Sveta in Brovary.
Our church in Brovary. The ministry there is larger than ever before because of the war.
Our beloved friends who are spread out all over Ukraine and Europe - displaced because of the war.
Mary - she will be home with the five kids during Chris’ trip.
Chris and Jamie as they minister in Rotterdam.