The Funeral for Maxime's Father

At the cemetery in the village

Yesterday was the funeral for Maxime's father, Andriy. It was one of the saddest funerals I have ever been to. It was hard to watch as a mother and father held their son, as a brother said goodbye to his brother, as a wife kissed her husband, and a son saw his father, all for the last time.

Joshua led the procession with a photo of Andriy.

I'm just glad that we were able to be there for Maxime and his family. His grandmother, Luda, and his grandfather were very thankful that we were there and that I could take photos for them. Tanya from Pryluky was also able to be there for the funeral and I know Maxime was happy that someone had come all that way just to be there for him. Joshua and Dominic were the only ones Maxime's age at the funeral, so I'm sure it helped him to know they were there for him too.

Tanya and Edna holding flower wreaths.

Thank you for all of your prayers. Maxime's grandmother, Luda, has said that Maxime and his mother will probably move in with them in the front house. They had previously lived in an attached section that had one bedroom and no indoor plumbing. Maxime's grandfather actually locked up the place where Maxime had been living and said that he didn't want anyone going back in there again. This is a blessing because that place was beyond any description I could give.

Maxime and his mother, Vera

Now we are going to be working with Maxime's grandmother to make sure that Maxime is provided for. His grandparents are pensioners and his mother has no income so we are going to try and get the necessities that he needs. Maxime has no bedding or sheets to sleep on so this will be the first thing we will try to get for him. He is also going to need clothes, especially with winter approaching. Right now, Maxime doesn't even have a pair of socks to wear. We had to give him some of Joshua's clothes so that he would have something to wear for the funeral. If you'd like to help us purchase any of these things, please contact us through email (if you don't have it, you can click HERE and then click the email link under Contact).

Update on Maxime

Maxime and Joshua placing flowers with Maxime's father

Please continue to pray for Maxime and his mother. Today has been especially difficult for everyone as they prepared Andriy to be buried tomorrow. Vera, Maxime's mother, is in no condition to care for him so Maxime will be staying with us for now. She has been drinking heavily and fell down unconscious outside for several minutes this morning. An ambulance was called, but she refused to go to the hospital.

She may be moving in with her mother and Maxime doesn't know if he will move with her as well. Right now, he is unsure about what will happen to him. He is doing his best to stay strong and even helped Edna pick out some flowers that he and Joshua placed with his father. The family has asked me to photograph the funeral tomorrow so we will be going by bus to the village where Maxime's father will be buried.

Remembering Andriy

Through the Son

Yesterday, a man in our building died while riding his bicycle to work. Today, he was buried. It’s a reminder to me of how fragile we are and the simple fact that we are all perishing. Some of us will have eternal life in Christ because we have chosen to follow him, while others will not.

I can’t help but wonder what effect death has on our lives. Growing up in California, I feel as though I was shielded from death in a way. Of course I attended the occasional funeral of deceased relatives, but with limited exposure to death. Death was something associated with funeral homes and cemeteries. I suspect this is the case for the average American as well. Does this lead us to forget or at least not think about our momentary existence in this world?

In Ukraine, death is part of life. There is little attempt to hide or disguise it. Funerals generally take place at home with the help of friends, family, and neighbors. If you live in an apartment building, you can’t avoid being a part of or at least seeing a funeral every couple of months or so. Does this constant reminder of mortality cause people to examine eternity more closely or simply become numb to it? I don’t know, but I do know that I am more driven than ever to make known to the person I pass every day on the stairs that salvation comes from only one source, Jesus Christ.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. -John 6:40

A friend of mine, Jeremy Foster, recently wrote this on his blog about death.

"Just a thought with this: oftentimes when a Christian dies, people say something to the extent that the person has gone to a better place. "A better place"? I appreciate the sentiment, but in reality, that is possibly/probably the greatest understatement in the universe. In all actuality, there is no better place anywhere. For the believer in Jesus, earth is the closest thing we'll ever have to hell. For the non-believer on the other hand, earth is the closest thing they'll ever have to heaven."

From Death to Life

Today we held a funeral for Serihy, but not in the normal sense. We brought members of our church and treated it as though it were an extended church service. We sang worship songs and preached about God's free gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. It turned out to be a great opportunity for sharing the Gospel with the villagers that attended. I was blessed to be able to share about the life we are offered once we leave this world behind. The other two pastors preached similar messages of salvation and the need to invite Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior before it's too late. God's Love is so great that His Word reached into this small village of mostly elderly people and began to shine light into their lives. (This happened figuratively and literally!)

A cold overcast day suddenly gave way to bright sunshine as God's Word was lovingly shared.

After we left the cemetery, we shared a meal and one last song together.

Не в тому любов, що ми полюбили Бога, а що Він полюбив нас, і послав Свого Сина вблаганням за наші гріхи. -1 Іван 4:10

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. - 1 John 4:10

You can see more photos from this day by clicking HERE.

Passing and Prayer

Serhiy and his dog Topeek heading home.

Earlier today, our friend Maria's great-uncle, Serhiy, left this world. We knew him from the times we visited the village where he lived to help harvest potatoes and it was earlier this year that we buried his sister, Baba Hanya. We will be holding a funeral service tomorrow in the village of Kozhenykiy. Please pray for Maria and her family as they shoulder the majority of the work and preparations to be done tonight and tomorrow. We are hoping to help in any way we can, but there is a lot to be done in a short time. Maria's mother Valentina has especially been overwhelmed with caring for Serhiy since his sister died and in his final days. Please pray that we will find ways to bring glory to God and share Christ with the people of the village there.

Saying Goodbye to Baba Hanya

Some time early Sunday morning, Baba Hanya passed away after a short illness. Today we held a funeral for her in the village of Kozhenykiy where she lived. No one knows for sure how old she was. Even Baba Hanya wasn't sure what year she was born in. She only knew that she was in her 70's and her family was too poor to keep track of things like when their children were born. They were more concerned with keeping track of how many of their children survived according to what we were told.

Babya Hanya was our friend Maria's great aunt on her mother's side. We first met her last summer when she was in the hospital. Later we helped harvest her and her brother Serhiy's potatoes. Baba Hanya was so sweet to us and the boys really liked her. We were looking forward to helping her out again this Spring.

Preaching a short message outside of Baba Hanya's home

Edna and I took a bus to Kozhenykiy with Maria's sister Nastia this morning to help prepare for the funeral. We began in Baba Hanya's house where we prepared a room so that friends and neighbors could view her. We began the service when the pastor from our church arrived along with two other pastors from Kyiv. I was blessed to be able to say a few words about Baba Hanya and her family after we took her out of the house where people were gathering before the procession to the cemetery.

Walking to the cemetery

We carried Baba Hanya a short distance down the dirt road leading away from her home. We placed her on a flatbed truck that carried her the remaining mile or so up the hill to the cemetery. The women carried the flowers and funeral decorations ahead of the truck along with a portrait of Baba Hanya. I was surprised that even some of the more frail looking older women seemed to have no trouble trekking up the hill. Ukrainian babusyas (grandmas) are known for being tough and today I realized how harsh village life has made "being tough" a necessity for survival. They certainly have my respect.

One of the pastors from our sister church in Kyiv concluded the funeral at the cemetery and Baba Hanya's simple wooden casket adorned with fabric was lowered into the ground. In turn we each placed three handfuls of dirt into the grave before it was filled in. We then walked back to Baba Hanya's house to share a traditional multi-course meal together. This turned out to be an excellent opportunity for evangelism. Many of Baba Hanya's friends and neighbors eagerly listened to what the pastors had to say and joined them in prayer as we celebrated the hope of eternal life rather than mourn a death. Edna said it best when she mentioned to me that Baba Hanya's death may well have saved a life today as souls were won for Christ.

Nastia holding a portrait of Baba Hanya

Life and Death in Ukraine

I found out a couple of days ago that our neighbor who lived on the 8th floor of our building had died. The boys knew her as Babusya (grandma) Maria. She was always so nice to us and willing to talk. She spent many summer evenings sitting on the bench below our kitchen window with the boys and some of the other neighbors. She walked with a cane, so I remember helping her up the stairs when the elevator wouldn’t be working. She was always cheerful and always laughed at all the silly things Joshua would do on the playground.

Today they carried Babusya Maria from our apartment building on the way to the cemetery. I don’t know if she was sick, but she seemed well enough the last time I saw her. It made me realize how much of a mist or a vapor our lives really are as we are here one day yet vanish the next. We have been reminded of it several times since coming here. To get back home once, Joshua and I had to walk around the body of a man who had drowned in the river. Another time, all of us sat on the bus watching as they began to take away the body of a man who it appeared had just collapsed and died while walking in the parkway. Even now, a girl from our church is suffering from a terminal brain disorder. Death is a simple fact of life here.

I think Babusya Maria was a believer, but I don’t know. I never took the time to find out. We talked about the weather, how beautiful the river is, and how the boys are doing in school, but I never ventured to speak about what really matters, Christ. I guess I felt my language skills weren’t up to the task or maybe since she appeared healthy I didn’t feel a particular urgency to discuss salvation. Whatever the reason, I missed that chance.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

1 Peter 3:15

А Господа Христа святіть у вашик серцях, і завжди готовими будьте на відповідь кожному, хто в вас запитає рахунку про надію, що в вас, із лагідністю та зі страхом.

1 Петра 3:15

I have to ask myself if I was prepared to give the reason for my hope. I know in my heart that I was prepared to give that answer, but Babusya Maria never asked me to. The reality of death and those perishing around us without having known Jesus should be a call to boldly share the Word of God. Yes, be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but why wait to be asked? Simply tell them, possibly before it’s too late, in anyway you can, that Jesus is the reason for the hope that you have.

I want to be able to say that I lived my life as Paul did in the last verse of the book of Acts. Luke tells us about Paul,

Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 28:31

І проповідував він Боже Царство, та з відвагою повною беззаборонно навчав про Господа Ісуса Христа!

Дії 28:31