DNEPROPETROVSK MINISTRY: THE FIRST THREE DAYS

Monday Departure:
The transportation by air was a “breeze.” You just sleep, sleep, twist and squirm in your seat to keep your body comfortable – if possible. Then you get off that flight, hurry to catch the next, only to wait on the tarmac for 30-40 minutes to get clearance to take off. Well, anyway that just about covers the events of our flight to Ukraine. No problems and no complaints.

Tuesday Arrival and Travel:
Then the activity begins. You never know what to expect when entering Ukraine. They seem to always have a surprise waiting for you. This time we entered their new terminal and found a completely new system for entry. No paper work was required, just hand them your passport as in the US and proceed to get your luggage. Then walk out with no inspection as long as you have nothing to declare. Great!

Sasha Prudky, who is a pilot for Aero Svit, and his son, who is training to be a pilot, were waiting to transport us to their home for our first Ukrainian meal of this trip and a time to relax before heading for the six hour train trip to Dnepropetrovsk. Our departure time was 11:12 PM and we arrived at 7:00 AM.

The question is: What do you do on a night-time trip for 7 hours? You sleep! What else would you do? But how much sleep do you get? All you can! How much is that? Not much – maybe two hours and the rest of the time you turn over, try to get some fresh air and cool off. But we survived and were very glad to see a familiar face standing on the platform.

Wednesday In Dnepropetrovsk:
We drug our suitcases to the platform and released them into the hands of Pastor Konstantin Maximov and a staff member, Sergey. Was I ever glad to get to our apartment for the duration of our five day stay in Dnepropetrovsk. It is a large four room with bath – including HOT water and a GREAT shower. The church rented it for us. The us is Marilyn and I and our Secretary-Interpreter who met us in Kiev and accompanied us here.

We got a shower – you have to get the travel “crud” off after more than 41 hours of travel. And the next important thing is to catch some sleep on a nice bed! We did and were awakened at noon to eat the meal that was prepared for us, and then we crashed again until time to depart for the evening service.

The Wednesday Service:
The congregation was having a “Member’s Meeting” in which they share vision, receive members and celebrate what God is doing. So I was thrilled to know the message God had laid on my heart was right on subject and timing. I finally wound down after one-hour and fifteen minutes of preaching and prophesying but they had more to do and it was almost 10:00 when we left the Church and journeyed the three plus blocks to our home here.

Thursday:
I departed at 12:00 to have dinner with the pastor and then to teach for two hours to their Church Staff. Again God led me to the specific subject for the hour and opened the door for Friday’s two hour session. Marilyn and Oksana remained at the apartment, departing in time to walk the three blocks and be ready for the Marilyn’s two hour session with the Women’s Ministry Leaders. I thought I would be able to go home and relax during those two hours, but a rain storm descended just after Marilyn arrived. It poured and then pelted the area with hail stones and then rained again. So I just found a couch and relaxed until supper time.

Supper was followed by a seminar session for Men and one for Women. Again, the target was hit. There should be no surprise when you are willing to let the Holy Spirit guide your selection. But in the natural you are concerned whether or not you are headed in the right direction.

The conversation for the day about what we taught, as related to Marilyn and me, was one of appreciation and open reception. Thank God. Then we headed back to the apartment for some refreshments – Tea for the ladies, with Peanut Butter on Ukrainian Cookies. Some ham (?) – and cheese with some smoked salmon and of course Starbucks (I brought my own instant packages, with my own flavored cream -- two varieties).

Come on now! You can only “suffer for Jesus” so much! You must understand, I - we just think ahead!

And lest I forget, the “Surprise of The Day” was my opportunity to eat Salo with raw onions and Horse Meat Sausage. Yes you read it here! I had their “pig fat accompanied with onions” and I did eat horse meat. They did not tell me what it was until I had eater it. I thought it was just smoked sausage. But it wasn’t. No, I did not lose any of it! Will I do it again? Maybe, but not without some fore-thought.

Anyway, the statistics here say that their “Salo” - eating pig fat - helps to reduce the potential of getting cancer and that it will destroy cancer cells. True? I do not know! Do I want it as a preventive every day? NO!

But anyway the day ended and I did not die - as you can tell from reading this.

Friday:
Another day of two hour seminars, one for the Church Staff and another for the Leaders of their Women’s Ministry. Two Ukrainian meals for me, but Marilyn and Oksana had another day of four meals. They had eaten breakfast, then ate a lunch before coming to the Church. Less than two hours later, they had almost another meal of specialties with the Ladies in their seminar – the specialty: Caviar – two days in a row!

While Marilyn was with the ladies, I joined the pastor, and two assistants and drove to the home of a member who had a tumor growing on his spine with the purpose to lay hands on him and release healing into his body. He has been fighting this for over two years and within the last two-three months has lost the ability to move his legs naturally. Even for someone to stretch them out was very painful. Did we see a miracle right then. No! But we believe God ministered to him and that we will see the miracle as he exercises his faith.

And then the evening service was geared to husband and wives and those who wanted information that would assist them as they prepared for marriage. Marilyn presented hers, “Myth Busters” – ten of them or was it twelve, I forget. Then had to follow her with some basics in marriage preparation - The Yoke of Marriage and The Emotions of Marriage. We concluded the evening by answer questions.

Saturday:
12:00 Noon and the pastor arrived with the van, his five children and took us to lunch at the church cafeteria. Then he drove us to the home he is building. It is a four story house built around and over the original home of relatives which was given to him. He has been in the process of building now for seven years and hopes to have it completed by the end of the year. It will be very nice and will probably be valued – US evaluation of at least $500,000, although it is much less than that here. He is able to do that because of an inheritance and the money he received by selling an apartment he previously had.

A quick stop at the home he is presently living in - very simple - four bedrooms, with bath (one is where the girl who assists his wife with the children lives and no living room or dining room. Then we are now back at the church where Marilyn is presenting a two hour seminar on raising children. I have a seminar for youth after supper – at 6:00 pm.

Tomorrow, we have to vacate the apartment when we leave for the 10:00 service. We will stay in the Church until time for us to leave for Crimea on the train shortly after midnight Sunday and will arrive in Simferopol about 7:45 AM.

Thanks for reading – and I am glad you made it to the end. But it cover several days........

Thanks for your prayers,
Dr D and Marilyn