Joshua's school bus sliding in the mud. You can see Joshua leaning over the front seat for a better view.
Today was Joshua's first time riding on the school bus. Unlike most parents, I didn't get all teary eyed and snap a ton of photos of our little boy's first time on the bus. That is until I heard Edna shouting from the other room that the bus was mired in mud in front of our house. I snatched up the camera and ran to the front porch in my boxers hoping to catch some of the action. I know, I probably should have grabbed a jacket or at least a robe. Edna said I might have embarrassed Joshua. Is it embarassing to have your dad chasing after your school bus in his underwear snapping pictures? Maybe.
Anyway, we watched with sympathy and laughter as the bus driver slid around in the mud trying to free the big yellow beast. Thankfully for the driver, Joshua was his first passenger and thus he was spared further indignity. I could just make out Joshua's worried expression as the bus struggled to break free. I can't wait to hear his version of the story when he gets home from school today.
The bus actually slid sideways before finally getting out.
By the time this blog posts, we should be on an Aeroflot plane somewhere over Russia on our way to Los Angeles. We don't know exactly what God has planned for us, but we know that He has forever changed our lives by taking us to Ukraine. Our perspective on life in this world will never be the same. God has taught us so much over the last three years. We are so grateful for all the opportunities He has given us and all the people He has brought into our lives. We have definitely witnessed lives changed, including our own.
We don't know if we will ever have a chance to return to Ukraine although I would love to lead a short term missions team to Ukraine if God wills it. I honestly believe that leaving Ukraine is much harder than when we left the United States. We always knew that someday we would have to move back and that we could go back to visit friends and relatives, but we know there is a possibility that we may never return or see all the beautiful people of Ukraine that we have come to know and love. Some of those people are dear friends and like family to us. I can't begin to describe all the emotions we have been feeling.
Our time in Ukraine has taught us a unique lesson in the value of life as we watched people die simply because the knowledge and resources that could have otherwise saved them was not available. I know it has helped me to see more clearly that we are perishing and that Jesus is the only one who can truly save us. We have also been blessed to see God bring new life into this world in Ukraine. There is no greater joy than holding an infant in your arms and being able to dedicate them to the Lord.
We will be living in California and serving the Lord however we can, but our hearts will always be in Ukraine. Thank you to everyone who has helped us through prayer and support. You have truly been a part of this chapter in our lives and touched lives that you may never be aware of. And to all of our friends in Ukraine, we love you and will NEVER forget you. May the Hope of Christ be with you always.
One of our last big meals together - Joshua, Dominic, Max, Little Max, Tanya, Mark, Zhanna, Vlad, Dima, Svita, and Edna
This week has been filled with lots of last things to do and last goodbyes as we begin our last week in Ukraine. Today we said goodbye to everyone at church as it was our last church service in Bila Tserkva. There were so many tears and reminiscing of fond memories over the last few years. God has really blessed us with the people He has brought into our lives here in Ukraine. It was very difficult to walk down the hall and out the door knowing we may never return or see them again in this life.
Saturday we said goodbye to our dear friends from Pryluky who came to stay with us on Thursday since Edna couldn't travel that far (Vlad and Zhanna with their Anya and Daniel, and Max and Tanya with their Little Max and Mark). We had so much fun just sitting around and talking with everyone and introducing them to our friends Dima and Svita here in Bila Tserkva. We were so glad to have them as our last over night guest in our home before leaving Ukraine. Here are a few of the pictures I took while they were here. Thanks guys.
Vlad and Zhanna's Baby Daniel
Anya and Zhanna
Dima playing bass guitar
Anya, Vlad, and Dima
Little Max, Max, and Mark
Little Max and Joshua
Little Max - "I've fallen and I can't get up!"
Dima and Vlad waving to me like crazy people with Anya
On Saturday the 29th, just two days after the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration/death camps, we took Dominic and Joshua on a historical tour of the camps. We spent two days in Poland to satisfy our Ukrainian registration requirements and used the time to give the boys a very real and invaluable lesson in history. Dominic and Joshua had watched several documentaries about the camps, but actually being there made it real. It was an extremely moving and surreal experience to witness the evidence of human cruelty at its worst.
The numbers speak for themselves
One of the most difficult parts of the tour was hearing that about 70% of each incoming group, mostly women and children, those deemed unfit to work, were immediately sent to the gas chambers or shot. Others were later tortured to death through starvation and slow suffocation.
Looking into Auschwitz
The view from behind the barbed wire
"On the Way to Death"
Children's belongings
The Nazis utilized everything they could from the victims including their hair to be used in textile production. The victim's belongings were sorted and shipped to Germany. Some of the stockpiles of personal effects escaped destruction by the fleeing SS guards and were discovered by the invading Soviet Army. These items of the dead were subsequently put on display. What we saw there was horrible, but it should also never be forgotten.
Joshua looking at the many pairs of children's shoes
Eye glasses
Prosthetic limbs and walking aides
Chamber pots
Over 40,000 pairs of shoes
Brushes
The rail yard at Birkenau was the final destination for this luggage
Fabrics made from human hair along with hair from the camp victims
No man's land
Zyklon B used to gas the camp prisoners
The crematorium is located next to the gas chamber that were made to look like showers. The zyklon B pellets were dropped through hatches in the roof resulting in deadly gas.
Some of the ovens were used to cremate as many as 9,000 bodies in a day
Joshua after coming out of the gas chamber/crematorium.
Inside Birkenau just a few minutes from Auschwitz I. This is where the new arrivals were brought and selected either for work or for death.
Joshua and Dominic looking over Birkenau from the main tower.
View of the rail yard where the fates of the new arrivals were determined.
The line between certain death and uncertain life
Inside one of the wooden barracks designed to hold 700 people (30 people to a bunk with 10 on each level). In winter snow came through the roof and there was no fuel for heating.
The infamous train tracks leading into Birkenau
Another sad fact in the history of these death camps was made known to us by our guide. When Germany invaded Poland, the Soviet Union also invaded, and by agreement dived up Poland. It was only after Hitler broke his agreement with Stalin by invading the Soviet Union that the Soviets later "liberated" the Polish people. Many of the survivors of Auschwitz were arrested as political enemies of the Soviet state and sent to Soviet labor camps. Many did not return. Our guide told us that Poland's liberation came in 1989 when the Kremlin backed communist government lost its grip on the country.
"The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again." -George Santayana (on the wall leading into block 4 at Auschwitz I)
Each year on January 19th they celebrate the Baptism of Jesus and Epiphany by cutting a hole in the ice on the river here in Bila Tserkva. This happens all over Ukraine as people brave the icy waters for a triple dunking. This is an interesting sight in and of itself, but what fascinates me most is the image of the Cross intricately cut into the ice. No matter how many times I see it, I'm always drawn to it and reminded of all that it represents. It is ugly, yet beautiful. It is shameful, yet proud. It is lowly, yet exalted. It is painful, yet comforting. It is weak, yet powerful. It is bondage, yet freedom for those who believe. And if you approach the edge of this particular cross you can see a dim reflection of yourself and the world around you framed in the image of the Cross.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.- 1 Corinthians 13:12
The first woman of the day to endure a cold dip in the ice with wind chill on the river dropping felt temperature to -21 °C ( -5 °F ).
Some of you might remember a blog I posted almost two years ago about a little boy Joshua met on a playground. The little boy was dirty, his clothes were a mess and the kids were making fun of him. You can read about our first encounter with him by clicking HERE.
Since then we have seen him a few times around the neighborhood and have learned that his name is Kyryl and he is now seven years old. He's a quiet shy boy that Joshua says the other kids aren't very nice to. Joshua has continued to pray for him and an opportunity to show him the love of Christ since that first meeting.
Yesterday, Joshua found Kyryl playing by himself out in the snow and he invited him into our home to play. Kyryl was very excited to see our hedgehog and told us how he likes to find them and play with them. He really liked Taras. Joshua shared some cookies with Kyryl and they played with Legos together until it was time for him to go home.
Joshua decided to give Kyryl most of the Legos he was planning to take back to California with him. I know those were some of Joshua's favorite things, but he never hesitated when he loaded up a plastic bag full of them for Kyryl. We also sent him home with a little Ukrainian story book that explains the life of Jesus and how he died for us. Kyryl was very thankful and polite when he left. It really broke my heart as I helped him get his jacket and boots on to go outside. His clothes were absolutely filthy and his jacket had more holes and patches than I could count. We still don't know much about Kyryl's home life, but we can only imagine. I pray that Jesus will touch his heart and that he will always remember the kind little American boy who keeps a hedgehog as a pet.
This is Kyryl the first time we saw him almost two years ago.
We will be spending Christmas day with our neighbor Olya and her family enjoying a meal that is sure to have way more food than any of us could ever eat. This will be our last Christmas in Ukraine and I wanted to share a little about Ukrainian Christmas with all of our friends and family outside of Ukraine.
"Sviata Vechera - A feast of twelve meatless dishes The rich traditions of Ukraine, dating back through more than a millennium of Christianity to pagan times, have been carried throughout the world to wherever the Ukrainian people have settled. And there is probably no occasion when these ancient customs are held more dear than at Christmas, when families reenact age-old observances that symbolize their deep spirituality, love of family and attachment to the land.
Traditionally Ukrainians have followed the Julian calendar, in which Christmas falls on January 7. These days many Ukrainians in North America join in the holiday festivities surrounding December 25, but continue to place a special religious emphasis on the traditions that mark Ukrainian Christmas, thirteen days later. The days leading up to the celebration are marked by spiritual preparation and fasting. The menu for the "holy supper," or sviata vechera, of Christmas Eve does not contain any meat or dairy products. The meal centres instead around grains, fish, vegetables and fruits; vegetable fats or oils are used instead of butter.
Many of the rites observed during the Ukrainian Christmas Eve meal are very ancient, going back to the pre-Christian era. Early Christians adopted these customs for themselves and invested them with new religious significance. To prepare for the meal, some hay is placed on or under the dining table, representing the manger of the baby Jesus. The table is then laid with the family's finest embroidered tablecloth, or even two tablecloths: one to represent the living members of the family, and one the dead. An extra place is always set for the souls of deceased relatives. Given place of honour in the centre of the table is the Christmas bread or kolach, consisting of three stacked rings. The number represents the Holy Trinity, and the circular shape eternity. A candle is placed in the centre to symbolize Jesus, the light of the world."
"The meal begins once the children of the family sight the first star in the evening sky, recalling the journey of the wise men towards Bethlehem. On farms, the head of the family customarily carries a sheaf of wheat called a didukh into the house, representing the family's ancestors, and places it under the household icons. (Outside, in the barn, animals are traditionally given an extra ration, honouring their role in the first Christmas.) In modern urban celebrations of the Christmas Eve meal, the sheaf may be replaced by a few wheat stalks decorating the table. The meal begins with a prayer and the traditional Christmas greeting "Khrystos rodyvsya!" (Christ is born), to which all respond "Slavite yoho!" (Let us praise him.)
Twelve dishes are served, representing the twelve apostles. Wheat shows its importance once again, for it is the main component of the special first course, called kutia, boiled kernels sweetened with honey and flavoured with poppy seeds or nuts. All members of the family must partake of a little kutia, which symbolizes prosperity for the coming year. An old superstition holds that if some of the wheat sticks to the ceiling when a spoonful of kutia is thrown into the air, the new year will be a prosperous one. These days, your hosts might prefer that this particular tradition be omitted!
Next comes soup: in this case, borshch, the famous beet soup, which for this Christmas Eve meal is made without meat or meat stock. Besides beets, the borshch may contain onions, carrots, cabbage and potatoes.
The central part of the meal is centered around fish and vegetable dishes. Fish is served baked or fried, in aspic, or pickled (perhaps whitefish or herring). An integral part of any Ukrainian meal is pyrohy or varenyky, dough dumplings filled with potato and onion, or perhaps sauerkraut or even fruit. Then there are usually two varieties of holubtsi, cabbage rolls: one stuffed with a savoury rice filling, the other with buckwheat.
There is an assortment of other vegetable side dishes: white beans mashed with onions and garlic; kapusta, or sauerkraut with onions; salads or perhaps marinated beets or mushrooms.
Towards the end of the meal, a compote of dried fruits is brought out. It may include prunes, apricots, apples and figs that have been soaked overnight and cooked with honey.
For dessert, there is an assortment of pampushky, little deep-fried pastries containing various fillings such as poppy seed or dried fruit.
This sacred and festive meal goes on for a long time. For the Ukrainian family it not only brings together decades of memories and reminiscences of beloved family members, but is also a link to centuries of proud tradition. Those gathered around the table are reluctant to get up once the meal has ended and so the family members and guests prolong the celebrations late into the night with the singing of Christmas carols."
Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv
View from one of the rooms in Hotel Polissya in Prypyat
Yesterday I went on a trip to the city of Prypyat and the nearby Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, formerly known as the V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station. Edna arranged it all for my birthday/Christmas present because she knew that I have been fascinated by what happened there ever since working at a nuclear power plant in California when we first got married. It was an amazing opportunity to visit the city that had once been the jewel of the Soviet Union, but had to be completely abandoned with only a two hour notice. (It was replaced by the city of Slavutych, an engineering feat in itself. You can see my post on Slavutych by clicking HERE.)
Over the years the city of Prypyat has been looted and vandalized, but you can still see that it was a beautiful city at one time. Even though it stands in ruins, I can imagine how life there must have been a relative paradise compared with other Soviet cities before the Chornobyl disaster. The true tragedy wasn't the actual accident, but the failure to inform people of the accident and the high levels of radiation they were being exposed to. The 43,000 plus residents of Prypyat weren't told of the danger for almost two days when they were finally evacuated. Had they not been evacuated they would have suffered a lethal dose in four days.
The accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station and the lack of government intervention to protect the people affected by it is very personal to us. We know so many people who were physically affected by the immediate fallout and children who would later be born with birth defects attributed to the radiological release from the accident. Our neighbor Olya told us how people here in Bila Tserkva, including herself, were outdoors breathing in radioactive particulates because they weren't told about the accident. Even after the accident was made public, people were told that there was no danger to their health. She told us that the doctors suspect that a bone disorder she has is related to her exposure.
The road into Prypyat with the name of the city and its founding year of 1970
Then: The palace of culture "Energetic", shortly before the April 26th, 1986 accident.
Now: January 4th, 2010, almost 23 years later.
Not to be confused with the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, the town of Chornobyl is 18 kilometers south of where the accident occurred. It had a population of 14,000 people at the time, but now it is home to 250 security, fire department, and monitoring personnel. They work on a 15 day rotation to reduce their exposure. The city of Prypyat is only 3 kilometers from the site of the accident.
Although the reactors have been shut down since December 2000, it still serves as an active power station to control the distribution of power.
This is the site of reactors 5 and 6 that were due to be completed in October of 1986. After the accident the construction was immediately halted and the cranes haven't moved since.
Standing in front of the structure containing reactor number 4 that exploded on April 26th, 1986. Reactors 1, 2, and 3 continued to operate until they were shut down in December 2000.
View of reactor number 4 from the roof of Hotel Polissya in Prypyat
This amusement park was due to open on May 1st, 1986 to coincide with the International Day of Worker's Solidarity, but the city was evacuated just a few days before. Children never got to go on these rides.
Never to be used
Hedgehog in the Fog
The palace of culture Energetic and Hotel Polissya in the city center
This is a snack bar on one of the floors of the hotel. The last people to stay here were the scientists, radiation experts, and Soviet government officials who were assessing the damage after the city was evacuated. They later realized that they had been exposed to lethal levels of radiation.
One of the many abandoned apartment buildings
Frozen in Time: a view from an apartment window
A Soviet Russia newspaper from May 6th, 1984
A symbol of power
A crumbling hallway in the sports complex
The high dive above a pool that will never see swimmers again
City restaurant and the palace of culture Energetic
The entrance into the palace of culture where community activities were held including sports and theater.
The gym inside the palace of culture. "Strong - Bold - Agile"
Ironically, this mural inside the palace of culture seems to be of people mourning.
As I left Prypyat, the sun broke through the clouds just as it was setting on the Soviet hammer and sickle atop this apartment building. The disaster here began a series of events that would eventually lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
My time in Prypyat was a surreal experience. At times it was so quiet without the normal sounds of automobiles, electric appliances, or bustling crowds of people that it gave me a very eerie feeling. Most of the buildings and fixtures inside were familiar to me. Not much has changed in the last 23 years and several times I found myself thinking about the thousands of people who should have been there living their lives. Prypyat is a memorial to all those who died, are suffering, and have yet to suffer from what happened on the 26th day of April, 1986.
