Day One!

The Trip to Kiev

I made it! I was beginning to wonder! Everything started off with a 2 hour delay at RSW in Ft. Myers. A Lear Jet – landing or taking off – I am not sure which had its nose landing gear collapse. No one was injured but it stopped all planes from landing and taking off.

The plane on which I was to depart was diverted to Port Charlotte. It finally arrived and we were able to get in the air about 2:45 – only one hour and thirty minutes late. But fortunately, for the first time, my schedule had a four and one-half hour layover in Detroit. To make it even better, when I arrived there, my next flight departed from the same terminal and only (10 gates down).

It gets even better from there. The flight was less than half-full so I had plenty of room to stretch out, sleep and snore in peace. YES! I do snore, even sitting up! The bad thing is that I also wake myself up when snoring while sitting up. So my nights sleep consisted of 4-5 hours of catnaps, but what I did get was beneficial.

The next leg, from Amsterdam was also intriguing. I debarked just two minutes walk away from my the gate for my flight to Kiev.

So with all the great events, I finally landed in Kiev 30 minutes late because of a back-up in air-traffic getting out of Amsterdam.

Then things changed! My ride ran out of gas on the way to the airport but did make it before I got through customs. And that is the last time I use the VIP entry! Their prices have gone beyond what is reasonable. So from now on it is through what we call here the cattle gate. But I do have a connection who will meet me and walk me through in a very expedient manner.

We drove out of KBP the Kiev airport at about 5:30 but the traffic here is so bad that after trying attempting three different routes to the flat where the Dean of the College lives, we finally made it between 7:30-7:45 PM. But thank goodness, a warm meal of vegetable soup, salmon, rice and broccoli topped off with a cup of Green Melissa Tea and ONE piece of Ukrainian Chocolate I then retired to my room to unpack, get on-line to get my emails and then to write this blog.

I will be teaching Friday evening (7-10) and Saturday from 9:30-4:00 material on How to Study The Bible to our Kiev college students. Then at 5:00 I will minister in New Time Church, pastored by Vadim Uruymagov and his wife Inna.

Please pray for Inna. She has just received news that she may have a malignant tumor in one breast. They pastor a small congregation and receive very little money thus putting proper care almost out of the picture.

Tomorrow is a day to get things in order, rest and prepare for the coming days here in Ukraine.

God bless and thank you for your prayers,

Dr. D.