Catch-up

Well, it's been a little too long since I've written anything. I've been on the road for most of this year - with a week or two between trips and less time than usual to keep up with the computer stuff.

In April, I traveled with Pasha, one of our volunteers, to the Ukrainian rugby championships in Odessa, where his team and several others from our city participated. A newly formed women's team from our city participated and we were able to share with them and pray with them the night before their first game.

Immediately from the rugby championships (without going home first), I traveled to the UK for a SportsLink consultation where I felt like my brain exploded trying to grasp all the abstract, strategic information that was discussed there. The thing that saved me from going crazy was being able to play frisbee by myself every day for 30 minutes, running around barefooted throwing the frisbee to myself and catching it, training for an Ultimate frisbee tournament. On the last day, after watching me play alone, everyone joined me for a real game. :-)

Afterwards, I traveled via Poland back to Kyiv, where I met up with friends and traveled 17+ hours by train to Mariupol for the Easter holidays. After a nice time celebrating the holiday, it was back to my city via train and mini-bus, a boring 23+ hours.

After arriving late in the evening, I left early the next morning for a 2-day Ultimate frisbee tournament in a nearby city. It was WONDERFUL to play real sport again after 2.5 years of not playing sport. It was so great to once again experience God teaching me through the triumphs and struggles of sport. I have missed real sport so much; it was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to play competitive sport and be really challenged once again. Through sport, I grow physically, mentally, and spiritually, like through no other medium.


After getting back from the Ultimate tournament, we led an "Extreme Leadership Training" camp in Vinnitsya with some of our teammates there. It went really well and it was neat to see how much the participants changed from the first day to the last, as they participated in team-building games and spent time with God throughout each day. At the beginning of the camp, it was chaos, but by the end of the camp, the entire group was working very well together, encouraging and listening to each other throughout each of the games. A participant said, "This camp was helpful for my life and leadership because I realized that only unity brings victory." This kind of training has great value for strengthening and equipping churches all over Ukraine, and we plan to host 2 more of these trainings in the fall. If you're interested in participating or helping - let us know!!