Ternopil, Ukraine --- You Have Stolen My Heart

Dear friends,
Please let me start by first apologizing for how inconsistent I have been with this.  I have so much to catch you up on, and there are things that I know I will remember even later and have to come back and share.
First off, I'm sorry if I repeat.  I have been keeping a journal, and I have been telling people about my time by various modes of communications, so at this point I have no idea what I have already said.  As a result, I will just start -
God is amazing.  I've always know this, but He has displayed His amazing presence so beautifully here in Ternopil over the last few weeks.  When the team from Texas was still here, we visited the church that some of the staff members here attend.  It was great.  The worship was amazing, and sometime during the first half, this amazing prophesy/exhortation went forth (with interpretation of course).  It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced.  The Holy Spirit was so present, and everything was done in such a beautifully proper manner.  The main message was that we are called to live fully and fearlessly for Christ.  We have limited time on this earth, and we are limited, BUT Jesus desires to use us; to live through us.  There is no place for fear when we are in the center of God's will.  There is no place for insecurity because "it is no longer I living, but Christ living in me."  I cannot succumb to fear or doubt any longer.  I simply don't have time for that.
Anyway, it was as if everything that was being shared was in direct response to my prayers the evening before.  After church, we all hung out, had free time, and basically just enjoyed each other.  Later on that evening, we went back to the church for a prayer time.  This was just awesome too.  We had had some difficulties in the afternoon, and it was so nice just to reenter the presence of God and lay all the stress at His feet.  Near the end of the prayer time, the pastor invited anyone who wanted prayer to come to one of the prayer teams.  We pretty much all went up.  I'll tell you all more about these sort of times in person, because it is simply impossible to communicate everything that went on, but suffice it to say - this was one of many times when God began to make His plan more clear.

The time with the TX team was just so good.  It was indescribably encouraging to see kids from the States so in love with God and so desiring to see Him glorified throughout the nations.  It was SO hard to say goodbye.

Since the time with the Texas team, we at the base have had more teams come through.  We currently have a team of awesome kids from Belarus staying here at the base doing many of the same ministry type things as the TX team did.  They're extremely kind, and I'm sure it's hilarious to watch us try to communicate (they all speak Russian or Belorussian and a little English, and I speak English and a little bit of some weird mix now of Ukrainian and Russian).
This team wanted to spend more time at the orphanage, so we went everyday for about a week.  It was awesome to get to know the kids on a deeper level than just a visit now and again.  I could go on and on about these kids, but I'll wait on that one as well.
I have so much that I want to tell you all;  about the culture, about the darkness, about the beautiful displays of God's love and healing, about the faithfulness of the staff here at the base, about the new King's Kids program coming into place here in Ternopil, about my desire to return here - Please, please, please pray for all of these things.  I'll try to write again - perhaps even today.  There is so much going on this week.  If you have a minute, visit www.viruyu.te.ua it will be in Ukrainian, but Google does a pretty good job of translating the basics of the site.  This is a citywide event taking place in Ternopil this week.  It's amazing.
God bless you all!  Thank you for your prayers!  The countdown has officially started for my return home!
-Jasper <3

Wow! Time is flying by!

Hello friends!
It's taken me much longer to update this again than I had hoped or anticipated!  The days have been full, and the nights have been too short!  :)  I'll try to get everyone caught up on what's been happening, but I'm sorry if this is all jumbled.  There is so much I want to share, and I know that no matter how I try to describe everything, I simply won't do it justice.
So, since I last posted, I've been continuing to work at the English Language Camp for children.  It's been amazing, and the kids are so precious!  I got to work with both the older age group and the younger age group, and I just can't describe these kids.  I've fallen in love with each little face, and as I anticipate the end of camp...well, I just try not to think about that.  God blessed me with the opportunity to build really great relationships with a number of the team members from Texas, and I am so excited to see how He will continue to use them as the travel to Kiev for the next couple of weeks.
Okay, so I have to be at a coffee shop in about an hour for more outreach, but I want to tell a little bit about yesterday.  Yesterday morning we took about 70 kids (ages 5-16) to the park.  Ukrainian kids are probably the best behaved children ever, because PRAISE GOD we did not lose any of them!  We got to play with sidewalk chalk (which they loved), eat ice cream, dance to music, and watch some amazing dramas performed by the team from Texas.  Each staff member was to keep an eye on one or two younger children, and I was entrusted with an adorable brother and sister named Kristine and Roman.  At first, they were very shy, but as the day continued on, they were eager to talk and play and show me all that they had drawn with chalk.  When their mother arrived to take them home, they each wrapped their arms around me and said, "goodbye, Jasper...have a good night".  Augh...even typing that I get all teary.  I cannot express the joy that explodes from my heart when these little ones smile, or laugh, or tell me a secret, but especially when they look up at me and I know they understand how much Jesus loves them.  Watching 60 little faces watch a drama illustrating Jesus' sacrifice for us - His death in our place - is an experience I will never forget.  And friends, it's addicting.  When even one child understands Jesus' love for them and accepts that love, the angels rejoice.  A heavenly party erupts, and we get to take part in that rejoicing!
I can't wait to share more stories with you all.  I had the amazing experience of visiting Lviv - a city filled with 300 year old buildings and seemingly endless places to explore!  I will post pictures of some of the buildings on here soon, but there is an album on my facebook if you would like to see them sooner :)
So much love from Ternopil, Ukraine,
Jasper

Hello!

Good news! The King’s Kids team is beginning to get comfortable, and tomorrow we begin an outreach in the form of an English Camp.  We have about 80 young people ages 6-18 registered for the camp where they will become more familiar with the English language through Bible stories, skits, and times of conversation with each other as well as our staff.  I’m so excited!

For the last two days, I’ve helped in the kitchen fixing lunches for the teams, and starting tomorrow I will only be doing that every other day (working at the camp on the other days).  While I am excited to begin working with the children here, I am going to miss being in the kitchen with my new friends.  I am beginning to catch on to some humor, and I’ve loved getting to know them better.  Today, I was told that I had sliced the vegetables “perfectly”…which is a big deal (you have to cut differently for soup vs. salad).  We’ve had so much fun!

I so treasure the friendships that are growing here.  I am trying to learn some vocabulary each day, but language is slow going.  Fortunately, most people here on the base speak English quite well.  My new friend Ruslan wanted me to tell you all hello.  He thought it was funny that I was in the kitchen to write this blog, but the internet is really quite fast in here…and it’s the only quiet place.  J

I hope everything is going well there…I heard that Fox News’ Twitter account was hacked?  That’s a bummer.  :(

I’m loving it here in Ternopil, and I’m already thinking about ways I could get back here in the near future.  Thank you so much for your prayers! 

Happy 4th of July!

My favorite holiday…one traditionally filled with swimming, barbequing, and fireworks.  I had thought (with some disappointment) that by being in the Ukraine I would miss out on this celebration that I so love.  I was wrong. 

I won’t spend my whole entry on my excitement over the 4^th of July, but I am very excited – Fireworks are legal in the Ukraine.  Like, real…big…off the ground explosions…are legal (and common) in Ukraine!  They are often part of wedding and birthday celebrations here in the city, and today, a large group of Americans working at the base, as well as many who attend the Calvary Chapel here in Ternopil, got together to celebrate Independence Day.  We all went to the home of one of the families in the congregation.  I found out that kitchens in the Ukraine do not have smoke alarms (and a good thing, too!  We filled the kitchen with smoke grilling hamburgers on the stove!).  In spite of the smoke, we were able to make lots of hamburgers for all the people who attended.  Everyone talked about where in the States they are from, and it was a great time of laughing, eating, and fellowship.  There were 13 adults and…wait for it…15 children!!!

Outside of this celebration, the team arrived from Texas to help begin the King’s Kids ministry!  There are 32 team members total!  I am helping cook lunch for the team, and let me just say – I am already a better cook!  I have learned so much from Dima, the gentleman in charge of the kitchen.  I’ll never peel a potato the same way again!  (and I know how to make potato salad from scratch!  And mayonnaise!  And I love Ukrainian mustard…which is a big deal because I don’t like American mustard.)

We’re planning on participating in the “I love Jesus” festival in a few weeks.   It’s a huge outdoor event which will last (I believe) 5 days.  I’m really excited to see how God is going to work not only at this event, but also in preparation for the event. 

I love the staff here at the base so much.  I’m getting to know each individual in their little quirks and traits.  I’ve begun to build real friendships with a couple of the girls in my room.  I will tell more about these things soon, but it’s getting late.  I hope all of you have a wonderful 4^th of July!  <3

Ukraine!

Dear friends,

I have made it safely to Ternopil!  It is absolutely beautiful.  Praise God everything went smoothly entering the country.  I almost missed BOTH of my connecting flights, but God intervened and in New York I was helped by a woman who worked for the airliner to quickly get through security.  She was wonderful – everyone else basically said, “Sorry – you missed it.  Reschedule for tomorrow.” But God had other plans.  I made it onto the plane with time to spare. 

Yesterday, I met up with the family who came to meet me at the airport and went for my first meal in the Ukraine – McDonalds chicken nuggets, fries and a coke!  J  There are no McDonalds in Ternopil, and since we were in Lviv, the girls wanted to stop. 

As soon as I arrived at the base, I was welcomed by the team.  I have met so many awesome people who I am looking forward to getting to know.  We sat down for a family-style dinner of chicken curry and rice which was made by one of the young men here at the base.  Everyone was speaking a combination of Russian and Ukranian and (for me) some English.  Please pray that I am able to catch on quickly to some conversational language skills!  I have realized that many people speak Russian. 

Today, I rode a bus to the bazaar to buy fruits and vegetables with one of the women here at the base.  It was absolutely indescribable, but I will do my best.  First, I went to exchange some money – in a matter of minutes, I went from holding 20 bucks, to handling about 150 brightly colored hrynvia!  After making the exchange, we headed right into the heart of the market.  Imagine an outdoor market in the most crowded area of San Francisco, and you can have somewhat of an idea of where I was – keep in mind, very few people know more than a few words in English.  There were countless vendors selling everything from raspberries to homemade cheese.  The market system is so interesting.  Rather than selling for less in hopes of attracting more business, most of the vendors sell low to get attention and immediately hike up the prices once they have a crowd gathered. 

Enough about the bazaar – the people!  One of the first things I am noticing as I explore this area is the people’s eyes.  They are the most beautiful colors!  If they are blue, they are VERY blue.  If they are green, they are BRIGHT green.  From little children sitting on curbs to very old women selling vegetables, these people have the most beautiful eyes. 

Today was a very cold day.  It has been overcast, and there were some sprinkles this morning when we were at the bazaar.  (this is probably one of the reasons I was reminded of San Francisco)  I wish I could somehow tell you all everything.  I am taking so much in each minute, and I feel incapable of properly describing everything.  Please pray that as we begin the new ministry here at the base God will work.  Please also, as I said before, pray that I am able to catch on to some basics of the language.  I’ve included a photo taken out the window of the base.  I hope to get more pictures of the architecture within the next few days.  Just down the street is the oldest church in Ternopil.  It is gorgeous. 

God bless you, and thank you so much for your prayers!  Love from Ternopil, Ukraine

On my way!

Well, friends!  This is it!  I'm on my way.
As I write this, I am sitting in the airport waiting to board my first of three flights totaling 18 hours of travel.  I'm so excited to see how God will work over these next 6 weeks.  Thank you for your continued prayers!  I cannot express how amazed I am at God's provision and direction for this trip.  I am confident that I am where He wants me as I set out for the Ukraine.  I'm praying for you all, and I love you tons!
-Jasper (from the airport in Las Vegas en route to Ukraine)

1 Peter 1:3-8 esv
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to [3]his own glory and excellence, [4] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, [5] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities [6] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Big News!

Well, friends, God has done amazing things within the last few weeks, and I am so excited!

I haven’t written for most of the month, primarily because until a few days ago, I had no idea what would happen with my trip.  As I briefly mentioned in the previous post, my contact in Perm, Russia and I were waiting on a letter from the Russian Government in order to get my visa.  I was encouraged to hold off on purchasing my plane tickets until all visa issues were straightened out.  After some weeks of waiting, we realized that there would not be enough time for me to be there for 6 weeks before I had to be back at school in the Fall.

My contact in Perm suggested that I contact a friend of hers at another YWAM base in the Ukraine in hopes that I may be able to serve there on short notice.  After emailing her, I was quickly contacted by my new contact in Ternopil, Ukraine!  The team there has invited me to serve with them this Summer in much the same capacity as I would have been serving in Perm.  In fact, I will have the opportunity to help begin a new ministry called King’s Kids as well as to be a part of a large Christian festival in the city. 

The website for the Ternopil base is www.ywamternopil.org.  Please be praying for this entire team as I join them in ministering to the city of Ternopil, specifically the youth.  I’m so excited to see how God is going to work this Summer, and I’ll be leaving on Thursday, June 30^th!  I’ll be coming back home on August 14^th for a few days before I return to Biola for the Fall semester. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!  I look forward to sharing this time with you through this blog! 
God bless you all!