DAY SEVEN- Tuesday: In Chernivtsi

Last night was a tough night for sleep. My body hasn't adjusted yet to the time change. But I maybe it was because I did not get to bed until 2:30 AM (that’s 7:30 PM in Florida). Anyway after taking a couple of PM’s for sleep I think about 3:30-4:00 here, I did fall asleep. I didn't want to get out of bed but the clock said it was 10:50 AM!

Lazy? No! I needed to get some rest. But then I heard the shuffling of the Oksana’s husband’s aunt coming down the hall. I turned over because I knew it would be at least one hour before she was through in the bathroom. She is crippled. Tolik (Oksana’s husband) has taken care of her for several years.

Finally just before noon I rolled out and got ready to face the day.

3:30 arrived before I wanted to see it and we were off to spend the evening with Pastor Vitaliy Pavlenko and his leadership team. They are just beginning their Church and as yet have not settled on a name. They are part of the people who were devasted by the fallout from a pastor who divorced his wife and married the worship leader. I have been guiding them for over one year toward this step. It has been very painful experience for them. But God has brought them through. The evening was spent at the home of the wife of the former pastor. She is part of the team and had prepared food for the meal we were able to enjoy.

The children of the hostess greeted me by jumping into my arms and holding me tight for what seemed like an eternity. They are blossoming even through the trauma of what the break-up of the marriage of their parents.

I share some fundamentals for starting a new church. Then it was time for them to ask questions about any thing that was on their mind. It was interesting to hear their questions and to recognize the false teaching and the unbalanced teaching they had received. I can see even more reasons why the situation developed into the breakdown of the marriage and the pain the people have had to endure.

Five hours later Oksana and I were able to depart and the pastor shared how the issues I began with were right on target and answered directly the questions he had on his heart. I was glad I had recorded the teaching and could put it on a CD for them to have.

I call this type of teaching: Apostolic Table Talk. I added it to the collection of such teachings we make available through the college office in Kiev. This way such material can be accessed by the pastors with whom we have a relationship.

I concluded the day by doing the “usual”. I went online through my computer and cell phone to get my mail from home, as well as send the necessary info back to Florida.

Thanks for your prayers.

Dr. D.