From Ternopil, Ukraine (part II)
As the days went on, the crowds got smaller. Had I kept on teaching another week, I could have wiped them all out!
The last 3 nights we were 15 people. I used a lot of visuals (picture “white boardâ€) and there were many questions after the 90 minutes of teaching, people staying till late talking over the subjects, sharing sins that they struggle with, looking carefully at the New Testament texts, wanting to understand more clearly how God has revealed himself.
We were supposed to finish early the last night, but it didn’t happen. We were all invited to “a turkey party†as Volodya called it, and we sat down to pickled cabbage and tomatoes and cucumbers and more pickled cabbage (this is Ukraine) and potatoes and dead bird (picture 6 pounds, all the weight in the bones, but still tasty). The communion was sweet.
The late-night snow started falling as I caught the train. A lumbering diesel that would tower over our Swiss engines pulled us to Kiev. I enjoy these trips and they do go by quickly, but it’s always nice to be heading home.
Thanks for your prayers.
evendays
December 14, 2007@ 2:27 pm
A snowy train ride through Ukraine. Makes me think of “Dr. Zhivago!”
Seriously, I’m thankful for the amount of teaching you were able to do and for your health and strength……..and the willingness of people to be taught. I am thankful for those whose hearts are so receptive and open that they will sit through 90 minutes of teaching alone, much less stay on beyond that to search and discuss further!
Get some rest.
December 14, 2007@ 2:57 pm
Mmmm … pickled cabbage and bird skeletons. Makes me hungry just reading it.
December 14, 2007@ 7:16 pm
Wife’s father’s family is from Hungary. Stuffed cabbage is one of their most common and favorite meals.
December 19, 2007@ 6:05 pm
When you write about these experiences it almost feels like we are with you on the journey.