| | Ukraine Arrivals | PermaLink - Jul 24, 2005
We're here! I'm the first of 6 to get on here to do an update, so I own't spend too much time with alot of things, and there will be more complete updates on the way, when time is more readily available. That time. More like that Ukraine. The Ukraine is bawling. We arrived yesterday afternoon. I stayed up all night the day before to basically get to the point where I was soo bagged that I didn't have a body clock to mess up. I know there are things like getting sick to worry about, but I'm alright. Some cat naps on planes, and in cars, but mostly held of until a good sleep at our dorms. Well Good until Victor couldn't sleep at 7, and then well. The rest is history. Alot of things are hard to describe without pictures, but I'll try. I thought that the Ukraine would be like Hungary. I guess parts are, but it's alot older, and well more russian here. ww2 scenery every where. I'm loving it. It's really neat to see old high rises, and houses, everywhere etc. Style is alot different here in everyway, cars, houses, clothes. etc. The reason we're here is for God though, and it wouldn't be fair to carry on without getting into it at all. Jim. Maybe I am coming out of my closet here. Canada has been exciting for me hanging out with you and Nick,etc. but the Ukraine and language barriers,etc. has really hit it big with me. He is certified Tesol. God has been with us no doubt prior to our journey, and the whole team feels his blessings throughout our safe journey, and throughout our time spent here in the Ukraine. We've already had an impact on lives here, and have been able to experience alot of where God is working here in the Ukraine, and how we can get involved with the lives of the people here,etc. Alot of people were asking me what we were going for, and to be honest with them, I didn't really know alot, ot have alot to say. So my simple answer was we have a contact with an international man of ministry, and our home camp was at a university and we had some plans of teaching English. More so though that we were going to pioneer. To step out in faith, to answer God's call, to bless the people of the Ukraine, and to take part in God's work. Now all of that has been true. There is alot of unknowns in those last goals, and they are only just starting to make sense now. Yes we've met Kent, we're at the uni., but what about what God is up to here? We are in cities where people are living on a couple hundred u.s. dollars a month. Cities where there is one church to every 30-40 thousand people. Cities where many people haven't heard anything of the Gospel before. Ukraine is considered the bible belt of this area of the world, which o.k. you can say, as it is like just over 1% Christian, compared to like .5 in other former Russian states, but the numbers are still staggering. Take Cochrane for example. There is 10+ churches we figured out for what 10-12 thousand. That is like 30 times more. The people here are hungry to hear, and to explore the Gospel. We had an opportunity to meet and take part in "Ukraine tent Days" which was a week long tent, setup where they brought youth in, and told them about Jesus, and the Gospel, and where they can go with it, and what it means,etc. It was really neat to be mixed in with a group of a couple hundred youth, same age as me, and to experience this. In the mix of translators,etc. It was alot of fun. I had an opportunity to share my testimony with them, and I think there were alot of hearts that are ready. Dinner is ready at our hosts house, and I've taken my time. I will see what I can do with Victor to get some media online to share with you. Once again, Thanks soo much for your prayers and blessings. From the Ukraine Ryan | | Mornings with words like departure | PermaLink - Jul 24, 2005
It's the morning of the 5th. It's early; to be fair that statement really depends on what part of the world that you live in. Let's say the Ukraine, being 9 hours ahead of Mountain Time in Canada, would currently put them at 1 p.m.
I'd say that this has been the craziest month of my life, but I've had a few before that would like to argue. 1 year birthdays, Homecomings, Residences, Ricies, accidents. Not to mention the final stages of fundraising. Spiritual war fare or bad luck comes in twenty-three's? I'm not going to put a finger on anything, as to use words like 'spiritual war fare', can get some funny emotions kicking.
The whole fundraising process has been a journey in itself. I remember being told, when we first started out and were planning the whole thing, to leave space in our plan for God to show up. And to most importantly pray and expect him to show up. The God stories had me skeptical at first, but now months later, ready to depart on my first mission trip I already have God stories of my own to share.
I know that God had a huge part in getting me to where I am, but I also owe thanks to everyone else that supported me through prayer and finance. Please continue with prayer for the entire team as we continue with the second part of our mission.
Quick Facts:
Full country name: Ukraine
Area: 603,700 sq km
Population: 48.05 million
Capital City: Kiev (pop 2.6 million)
People: Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%
Language: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
Religion: Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic, Protestant, Jewish
Government: republic
Head of State: President Viktor A. Yushchenko
Head of Government: Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko
GDP: US$218 billion
GDP per capita: US$5,400
Annual Growth: -1.7%
Inflation: 5.5%
Major Industries: Coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing (especially sugar), grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, beef, milk
Major Trading Partners: Russia, China, Turkey, Germany, Belarus, US, Poland, Italy
Member of EU: No
This Post contains a bit more of a personal look at the Ukraine.
I'll be in the Ukraine tomorrow. Thanks again, and God Bless. We'll be updating this site with journals, news, and hopefully even some media while we are away.
Ryan Fyfe | | The Power of Dreams | PermaLink - Jul 24, 2005
Honda was on to something a while ago. It's never to late to catch onto a good concept though. The last months of life have brought on interesting challenges, and increased understanding for me. Among many things understanding of life, love, relationships, and most importantly God.
As another year goes by
another takes it's place
twelve months more of missing you
of never seeing your face
The thoughts of your smile
for the chance to hold you
I'd walk a thousand miles
I wrote this poem with wishes
and dreams that can't come true
of dreaming dreams that you were here
wishing dreams really could come true.
Can you picture it: She's one today. I can.
Life
Now you can't really summarize on life, because life is no more the same then it is different for each and every one of us. I'm always taxed with thoughts on the purpose of life. Or maybe another way to look on that, is how to live a life of purpose. Look at yourself in the mirror. Look at your friends, your family, our world. What drives us? Many things do. Are they good or bad? What is our reasoning behind these things? I'll hit at one because it's always pushed to the forefront in my life. Possesions. What we have. What we consume. Is it human nature to live like this or did one day we put love and being humble aside, and decide we always had to have more than our neighbor? Do you beleive in God's creation of the earth or do you beleive in evolution? Did either of those two things create greed? Did man create greed? Was it human nature in the 'cave age' that created greed out of a need for survival? Or did we make the cave man up, and in times of need is it not true that we are better off when we stick together, with words like share and love?
What if life was looked at and defined by what we gave away. How much we gave ourselves away. I beleive that all of us at one point in our life have been caught up chasing what we believe to be the riches of the world. Some succeed, some fail. Both lead to the same end. An end where all will be left behind; and end which bluntly tells us how foolish we were to be chasing after the wind during our days. How much you give not how much you have. Ici je suis.
Ecclesiastes 2:17-26
...What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which lavors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest.
...I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me
...A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for witout him, who can truly eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.
This all sounds a bit familiar. Maybe because Mathew was getting at it in 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Jump on me for the idea if you want, but keep in mind that no where in the above does it say that it is bad, "to have"; or that God wouldn't be pleased if you have more than someone else. What I'm saying is don't measure yourself to your wealth rather to your ability to humble yourself and be thankful for what you have.
 Now I've been told that the Purpose of life is to give glory to God through enjoying him. My first thought was - Pretty awesome. But what about if your not a Christian? After alot of thought I realized that whether your a Christian or not your purpose doesn't change. We don't decide our purpose. Our creator does.
Think to a time in your life where you've designed something; anything. You designed it to accomplish something to have a set purpose. Lets say you designed a car. You designed it to be a car, and that's what it's purpose is. The car can't just all of a sudden pull out of the garage one day and decide to be an airplane.
umm.. yeah. ok. well... - I think you get the idea.
For me to say, whether you are Christian or not the purpose of your life is to Give Glory to God, is extremely single minded. Here. Argue with me. What are the alternatives? Even Step it down a level... what are the alternatives to Christianity. Evolution - Man came from Monkeys?
I'm going to be completely honest with you. That idea scares me as much as this cat below being a robot:
Everyone knows of course that you can argue it both way. Will science every be able to prove the big bang? Evolution? The Bible? Is there already proof and are we just to blind to see it?
Science is continually discovering things. Things like the dead sea scrolls, things like fossils and bones. Back and forth, back and forth it can go.
By now I've heard both arguements, as I'm sure all have. I can find for myself more truth in christianity then in evolution. Do we need truths? Or is that not what Faith is all about.
Either way you choose it's a risk.
Decide for yourself which risk is cooler to take.
*Extra - If your interested to see more videos of "Necoro" - The Japanese Robo Cat, you can check them out here: http://www.necoro.com/theater/ | | Love, Life and Cross Dressing | PermaLink - Jul 24, 2005
Going on a summer mission project is often a life changing experience. Tell us one way that you would like God to change/grow you as a result of this experience.
I think the coolest part about this trip is that I really have no idea what God is going to do in me. I'm definitely excited to find out. Recent events in my life have taught me that the best thing to do in any situation is just to love people. How can I be a better friend, a better Son, Brother or Sister,etc. Soo often we go through life and we don't really take the time to just simply love people.
 For example I hop on a bus, I've got all this time to take interest in other people, en yet I just sit to myself, and pass the time, just wondering what others are up to. Most likely someone will come on, something about them will set an emotion off inside of me, and I will be quick to judge them. "What is that guy thinking dressing like that".
To be honest with you, it's not normally the dress that I think off; I bet people are normally thinking that of me. But similar I am quick to judge people.
If you can relate to me in this way, I've realized that love is the answer. Love. What is love?
Love is patient, Love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, It is not proud, It is not rude, It is not self-seeking, It is not easily angered, It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Love never fails.
Now if quoting Corinthians 13:4-8 Is going to do it for you; you rock. What really is love though and what does it look like?
Love is genuine: "Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them" - Romans 12:9. Love is taking a moment to talk to the person sitting next to you on the bus, taking an honest interest in their life? Love is offering your seat to someone who is standing? Love is saying a prayer for the people riding with you, asking God to bless them. Love doesn't mean holding hands and kissing the gentleman sitting next to you.
I've started to see in my life that as I open up to love people, it's amazing at how things have changed in my. I heard this story of a girl walking home from school, terribly depressed and down on life. Ready to commit suicide when she arrives home, as she has just had enough. A classmate who had never spoken to her, comes up and asks if he can carry her books, and walk with her. Coles notes version is that because of the Love expressed by that boy, she didn't commit suicide and found new meaning in her life. We think of saving lives as firefighters and police officers. What about that boy? Is he a lifesaver? He didn't boldy enter a burning building or stop a fire. He simply just took the time to love.
My first response was and the one that I hear from most people is: I'm too busy, or I love enough already. I'd say if you honestly answer those questions you'd have the same response as I have. I'm not too busy. I just manage my time badly. I'm riding the bus anyways. Why not love the guy sitting next to me. I love enough already. There is never a time or a place in your life that you will love enough.
Ok Ryan. You've gone on for ever. What is it that you want God to do in your life as a result of this experience. Everyday God puts people in my life to love. I started thinking that if I'm going overseas to love and to serve, I better be doing it where I'm at right now. So I've been making a huge effort to grow in this area of my life. To put aside my selfishness, and to care more about others than I do about myself. I want God to continue to work with me in this because I know that I'm far from perfect. Going to the ukraine is going to be such a great opportunity to set aside my life completely, and to just love and serve people.
BTW - Happy Easter
Ryan Fyfe |
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