Saturday, October 13, 2007
This freezing, blustery day began with a van ride to the church congregation who meet in a rented office building in the exact center of Kiev. It’s a large congregation of over 1,000. A Sabbath school program in Russian was punctuated by a mission report on the Middle East by Mike Porter (view video clip 1) (view video clip 2). During the worship service, Mike presented the sermon about the scent of water, a reference to Job 14:7-9. At the scent of water, what seemed dead brings forth new life. The audience was carried along as he told several stories of God’s renewal and victorious Christian life, and challenged them to spring up and grow strong. He also used this text in the sense of baptism.

We spent the middle of the afternoon with Daniel and Lyudmilla in their apartment home, then went to the “big church” in Kiev, south of the River Dnieper. I’m not sure of its real name, as everyone who speaks English calls it the Big Church. (It was big.)

The church was packed on the floor level, and many people sat in the balcony. It’s set up with lights and TV cameras for recording, and the sermon by Pastor Vladimir was about God’s everlasting and unconditional love for us. (At least I got that from reading his verses in my English Bible!) Pastor Emil Molduk (view video clip), our Quiet Hour/ShareHim evangelist, preached a sermon on who we are: God’s sons and daughters. He told the baptismal candidates that Jesus overcame Satan’s temptations by knowing that He is the Son of God, and that should be our example. There was another sermon (view video clip 1) (view video clip 2) and the administration of the baptism vows. Also music from the church choir (one in Russian, one in Latin), congregational singing, and three pieces by the Ukrainian National Orchestra (view video clip) , who are Adventist church members. Yes, it was a long service! The converts were baptized (view video clip 1) (view video clip 2) two by two, and given flowers.

At the conclusion of the program, the evangelist Emil Molduk was given gifts by the pastors of the conference: an embroidered shirt, a thorny mace that symbolizes the power and authority of Ukraine, and flowers. There were at least 45 minutes of fellowship, talking, picture-taking, and laughter after the service, similar to the buzz and excitement of seeing one another at camp meeting.

The temperature at the church was +6C when we left, and the breeze was stiff. We felt several snow flakes on our faces, but there wasn’t enough to accumulate. Our team returned to the conference office and heated some soup and tea in the microwave before heading to bed.

Sunday, October 14, 2007
Kiev, Ukraine—Two wool blankets, socks, and a shawl kept me alive until morning! Well, it wasn’t cold enough to ice my water bottle. Probably only 45 or 50 in my room. But I think longingly of my electric blankie and memory-foam mattress. Could have used my two cats and a dog, too, but they’re basking in southern California until I get home.

In the morning, Daniel and Lyudmilla took us for another excursion, this time to a huge indoor shopping bazaar in southern Kiev, across the river. Today was just as cold as last night, but this time we were clothed for excursion, not for church, so we could dress in layers and be comfortable.

Mike and Karen Porter purchased shoes, boots, and a scarf, and I found some fabulous deals on pashmina scarves and a knit cape. The Ukraine grivna is 5.06 to one American dollar, so a price tag of 50 grivnas is only ten dollars. My father and my TQH supervisor sent some birthday gift money with me (my birthday is tomorrow), for just such an excursion. So as Daniel pointed out in the van on the way “home” to the conference office, we were all happy shoppers. We stopped briefly near the St. Sophia Cathedral, but it was closed for a patriotic demonstration, so we set our course into the freezing wind and headed back to the car.

After a quick hot lunch scrounged from the kitchen, we took a different van and driver, to the Chernigov church for the last service of the evangelism series. Accompanying Mike and Karen Porter and me, were Pastor Mauri Bascom and his translator Yuri (view video clip) . The drive was about 90 minutes, through green wheat and brown harvested fields, and patches of dense forest. Off in the distance, I saw a Koka-Xoya (turn the y upside down) bottling plant. Two of the outside tanks were painted red like the Coke can. 

At Chernigov, Don and Sylvia Crook (view video clip) had been ministering for two weeks. Sylvia had given health and family-life talks each evening, and worked with the children. Tonight, Don was preaching about the glories of heaven, and some of the reasons we want to be there. At the conclusion of the evening, the two local pastors presented the Crooks with flowers and the Ukraine mace as thanks for their ministry (view video clip) .

The Crooks have gone on 18 evangelism trips with The Quiet Hour, about two per year. Their reason for living during their retirement, is to prepare for and then do evangelism. They went with Bill and Jackie Tucker to Ethiopia last February, to this series in Ukraine, and will be heading to India for the February 2008 evangelism with the Tuckers (view video clip 1) (view video clip 2).

Some of the evangelists from this missionary journey are taking an add-on excursion to Moscow and St. Petersburg, led by Pastor Mauri Bascom. We’ll take the train to Moscow, spend some time there at Red Square and other sites, and take another train to St. Petersburg to see the Hermitage Museum and other places. It is rumored that we’ll take part in church services there. On Sunday the 21st of October, we fly to our various homes.

As the traveling apostle Paul said in several epistles,
Grace and peace to you.

Read Russia Extention trip reports, October 15-16