Ukraine Intro at Last

I am now in Ukraine. In fact, I have been here now for a while, but as promised, I am slow to work on things of this nature. Getting into the country was no big deal, much easier than Russia. A very nice Ukrainian lady that I met on the plane in Venice helped me get through passport control (lines here are sometimes tricky), and then customs was kind of a joke. So my stories and other blog info will be in major hindsight, but hey, they say that's always better anyways :)

What I have come to see by now (as in I have been here nearly 5 weeks, I leave this Thursday, July 30)is that Ukraine is a beautiful country, and the people are equally as beautiful. Of course, there are plenty of Eastern European idiosyncrasies that are at times very frustrating, but for the most part I just find them simply hilarious. Although where I live is still technically Kyiv, I have not spent a great deal in the city center. I spend the majority of my time here at the Ark working with the kids and doing various other projects on the property.


My First Day at the Ark

I arrived at the Ark in Kyiv on Thursday, June 25th. The Ark, or Ковчек, is a rehabilitation center for Kyiv street kids. Many of them have been neglected by their families as result of drug/alcohol abuse or in some cases they do not have families at all. I have developed relationships with pretty much all of the kids here, and they are such extraordinary individuals. Each has a tremendous amount of potential, and I know they will all do great things in the future. I find myself constantly praying for and thinking about these children, because I know God is one day going to use them to help build and shape a better Ukraine.