With the youth of Word of Life
From the very start of this trip on Wednesday morning, May 2nd a whirlwind has been in the making. Although it had nothing to do with the trip to Tampa, or the flights and not even the train ride from Kiev to Chernivtsi – which was a total of 43 hours from my house to Chernivtsi (except for a loss of sleep) everything has been moving very fast.
I moved into my room at the residence of Tolik and Okxana Smertina, unpacked, cleaned up and began with meeting Vika and Alena Kosovan for three hours, took a rest and prepared for the evening meeting with Word of Life and their monthly Communion Service. Permit me to say with all honest and humbly, it was a great time of worship, sharing the Word and participating in the Lord’s Supper with all my Chernivtsi family.
Then back to the flat, eat a late meal, respond to some emails and update Marilyn about things we had not had time to discuss since she arrived home Tuesday evening from Peru before I left on Wednesday morning. Then try to get some sleep on a seven hour time-schedule change for my body - which did not go very good. However I did awake and finalize my Sabbath message for Beit Simha (House of Joy) pastored by Inna and Sasha Rekhlo, the service to begin at 11:00 AM.
And of all things, I forgot my “Keepa” and had to ask Sasha to loan me another for the service. Well you know, my “Jewish roots” were showing and had to be covered (I may not be Jewish by physical blood but I am by spiritual blood). Forgetting the “humor(?) let us move on. We had an enthusiastic time of worship and the Word (no brag l- just fact!)
From there we hastened back to change clothes and in rush out to a historical site for a picnic with the youth of Word of Life. It was supposed to be from 2 to 5 but the youth were having such a great time the final bell did not ring until 7:00 PM. It was the first youth meeting and therefore was important to allow them to depart with a good feeling. Now don’t worry, I did share a challenge to the youth, informing them I knew God’s will for their lives. I can tell every youth the will of God for their lives. Serve God, accept the ministry He has for you - it is a full-time job. After that, take time to pray and decide “how” God wants you to “earn your living” as a full-time minister. Notice, I did not say “pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle or teacher.” For the majority of them and probably all of them, they will earn their living in a way we categorize as “secular” as opposed to “spiritual”. But it is just as much a “call of God” as if He called them into one of the “five-fold”. It requires the same anointing and has the same blessing. The only difference is “how” we all earn our living. Some, the minority from a Church and the majority from society.
Anyway, the day has come to an end – at least I have! Now it is time to set my sights on the task assigned me for tomorrow - preach at the 11:00 service, eat, return by 2:00 for another youth gathering at the Church, then journey to a 5:00 service at a “new church” - one I have never ministered in before, but through Dmitry Nemchenko, pastor of Word of Life received an invitation.
Thanks for your prayers and for sending me,
Dr D
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