Cross Culture Presentation

Well, we made it back Thursday night without any hiccups. It was a long day though. By the time we landed in Panama City, Kenny and I had been sitting on planes for over 12 ½ of the 25 hours since the alarm woke us up in Kiev.
After traveling for that length of time, crossing 8 time zones, and readjusting your body clock to good ole Panama City time, you couldn’t ask for a better arrival time. I was in bed by my normal time and woke up yesterday morning refreshed. Usually jet lag is a big problem, but with the travel schedule we had, it was minimal.

When it was time to leave on Wednesday afternoon, Many people showed up to see us off: Sergei and Luda (the baby doctor and his wife), Klava (one of the Babushkas who has such a beautiful sweet spirit and smile) Tanya (she keeps the worship room in order, seems to be every where at once and does a million things for Kenny) along with Dasha, Vanya, Alyssa, Genya, Anton, Julia, Julia and Olga (teens from the youth group). Hugs were flying around the room like confetti in a ticker tape parade. I didn’t have a clue what was being said except for a few times when Vanya, Dasha or Ira would interpret something to me, but who needs spoken words when smiles and hugs speak an even louder universal language.
The temperature was probably in the single digits by the time we were leaving and every one of those people either walked from where they lived, or rode a bus and then walked to see us off. A person is rich indeed with friends like that. I was truly humbled.
Ira and Igor drove us to Donestk where we caught our flt to Kiev and got settled into a hotel room in preparation of our long day on Thursday.
Thursday had us getting up at 4a.m., which was 8 p.m. Panama City time. We flew to Amsterdam, then on to Memphis and finally to Panama City.
Kenny and I ended up with great seats on the Amsterdam to Memphis flight. To start with, we were both sitting in the emergency exit row right next to each other and had miles of legroom, however the elbow and shoulder room was…lets just say real cozy. Don’t get me wrong, I like Kenny, but wasn’t looking forward to wrestling for the armrest for the next 9½ hours! We were in luck however. The plane wasn’t totally full, so after they closed the door, I moved back to an empty row. That gave both Kenny and I plenty of room to stretch out.

I wanted to wrap up the blog with insights that I garnered from the last two weeks, and right now everything is a big bag of seemingly unrelated thoughts and feelings and I don’t even know where to start, what to say or much less how to say it. So many things are running through my mind.
There is one overwhelming thought however, and that is the feeling of gratitude. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to go to Ukraine and for having taken that opportunity. I am thankful that I had the time, financial and other resources to be able to take that journey. I am thankful that I was raised in America and in a home that didn’t squelch my dreams. I am also humbled with all the riches I (we) have in this country and convicted once again that it’s all God’s, and we have a great responsibility to be not only good stewards but thankful of His enormous blessings. Most of all, I am extremely thankful that God used this time to bring me to a deeper love for him and his children.

For two weeks, I didn’t watch TV (except for 2 DVD movies), I didn’t read a newspaper, I didn’t have a “to do” list of projects for the home, I didn’t think about a job or who I needed to contact, I didn’t do anything to interrupt or inhibit fellowship with people or God.
And for two weeks, I read the Bible (more than I probably have in six months, which does not make me proud), I prayed and meditated much, I read thought provoking books, lessons and devotionals, I listened to many Christian music CDs, I laughed and smiled a lot and fellowshipped with others of all ages, God stretched me in many ways.…….and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.

What I have to do now, is take where I am in my life -- and even though there will be daily pressures with career, money, home, family and other obligations – to make sure I prioritize my daily activities so that I still continue to read the Bible, pray, meditate on God’s word and promises, fill my mind with good images, thoughts, music and words, laugh and smile much, and allow myself to be poured into other’s lives.

Who knows how God will use all of this in the future. One thing is for sure…none of this was an accident or coincidence. God has a plan and even though I can honestly say that I have rarely been able to define His will for my life except by looking backwards, I know He is in control. His timing is perfect. He is the perfect Father.

Thanks for reading. I hope I haven’t bored you and just maybe my thoughts have given rise to aspects and opportunities in your own life...and how precious, loved and valuable we all are before our Heavenly Father.

Day 17 - February 8, 2006

I didn't finish yesterday's blog until after 1 a.m. this morning and when I got back to the apartment, Kenny was still up reading - he seems to always have 1-2 books in the works at any given time.
We talked about the day's events and he helped me see that what happened yesterday with the toddlers is actually a good thing. Good, but hard. Leaving the hospital and going to the orphanage is the next step to getting these kids adopted. They need to be in the orphanage so they can be seen by prospective parents.
I keep forgetting that where I've been playing with these kids is a hospital and even though they are cared for very well - it is a hospital......and the orphanage HAS to be the next stop in the process. It's just tough when you expect these children to be there and you’re looking forward to fellowshipping with them....and they disappear to a place that you can't even picture in your mind.
So, I guess what I should say is "Today should not have happened in the way it happened."
I wish for these kids that Cross Culture's orphanage was up and running.
Enough said.

We leave for Kiev in about 6 hours and while I'm ready to be home and give my wife a HUGE hug and MANY kisses - I'm not looking forward to the trip. I probably won't blog again until I get back to Panama City and that one will probably be the last.

Meet you here when I get back.

Day 16 - February 7, 2006

At 9 a.m. this morning it was 0 degrees F. outside. That’s pretty cold in my book. I’ll have to say that I’ve actually enjoyed the change in climate from Panama City, FL. – seriously.
No, I wouldn’t want to live in this weather permanently, but that’s part of the reason I can enjoy it…because I know that I don’t have to live in this weather for another month and a half and… some changes can be very refreshing.
Hmmm…maybe I should adopt more of that attitude about my whole life, not just the weather. I bet I would be more pleasant to live with at home.

The short of the construction update is that the electricians need about another two hours to finish. The worship room still has a busted sewer pipe and is without running water and the chair rail is all freshly painted. The fumes have subsided on both ends of the spectrum, so my body is feeling much better today!
Even with us leaving tomorrow afternoon, project completion will not be an issue because Kenny has excellent people in place to keep things running smoothly whether he’s here or in Panama City. Tomorrow Kenny and I are planning to run errands….just kidding.

Many times during the weekend, Vanya expressed his desire to go bowling with us before we left for the states. Well, about LUNCH time today, Vanya showed up and was adamant that he was going bowling today, with or without Kenny and me. Hmmmm….is this bowling story for real… or is it a ruse? My suspicion is that he really showed up because he knew Kenny and I had some good leftovers in the fridge and the bowling story was thrown in for dramatic effect to misdirect us.
Well, somehow, not 30 minutes later we are all in Kenny’s car heading to the bowling ally and guess what we do on the way there? Yep, we stop and have a bite of lunch. Not only lunch, but three games of bowling as well. Let me tell you, this guy is smooth (he doesn’t know it, but I started taking notes two days ago).
Seriously though, He is one sharp young man. His insights into the Christian life and his quest for Biblical knowledge have really impressed me. He also has a wonderful way with people. Vanya, if you read this just know that I count you as a true brother and friend in Christ……and my fridge is always open for you.

Tonight, Kenny and I were invited to the home of Kostya, Olga, and their son Nikita for dinner. We had a wonderful time eating Olga’s great cooking and playing Old Maid with Nikita. Thanks a bunch guys.

As I’ve expressed in earlier blogs, my visit here has been emotional at times and today just about took the cake. I still cannot allow myself to think too much about these little ones and wonder……
I’ll just tell the story:

After the bowling session, we had blocked some time to go by the baby hospital and see some of the orphans so I could get some last minute toddler time before we head out tomorrow. I’m usually not exactly a baby kind of guy, if you know what I mean, but I had become attached to one little tyke and was excited to see him and hold him a little and play a little with the others that would be there.
We get there and ask where all the toddlers are and are told that two of the little boys were sent to the orphanage earlier and the others were sleeping. As I understand it, the two oldest ones were sent which would mean the 4 year old lad who had played so boisterously with the jump rope and the three year old who sat so quietly in my lap the other day. I was stunned. Did I understand correctly?
Wait a minute…I held and played with these little guys just the other day. What do you mean “they were sent out!” They’re not just some packages that you can weigh, wrap up, put postage on, load em up and ship em off.
Look, I know that there is a problem of orphans all over the world, and this is just one place in the thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of places on this earth that deals with this problem daily. I also know this is the reality of the situation, but something has to give. These kids were just here, in a safe environment with nurses that loved and cared for them, supported in large part by Cross Culture and now what?..... Are they cold? Are they scared? Are they hungry? Are they going to have anyone to wrestle with them and pull on a jump rope and hear them laugh or pick them up and rock them or rub their back?

Today should not have happened and that is EXACTLY what Cross Culture is all about. Kenny has a vision of an orphanage right here in Gorlovka staffed with handpicked foster parents living in apartments within the orphanage building. There will be an aggressive adoption campaign to make sure these kids get the best shot at having a happy loving family outside the orphanage -- and until they are adopted they will live in the apartment with the “foster parents” in a Christian family environment.
The building has already been bought and is currently undergoing a complete renovation. Also, some of the “foster parents” are already being lined up.
I’ve seen the need first hand and this project needs to get completed ASAP.
If your interested, let someone know and Kenny will make sure your effort is not wasted.

See you here tomorrow.

Day 15 - February 6, 2006

I think we had almost every aspect of the construction trades happening today. Three electricians were in Kenny’s apartment trying their best to finish all the electrical wiring and patching of the walls before Wednesday so we can put the apartment back together before we depart. They've got at least another day to put things in order. Along with that, Igor and two of his men are in the back room of the worship room and have cut through the floor and dug out the main sewer line. The toilet has been clogging up and overflowing almost every other day – so enough of the roto-rooter stuff, they decided to fix the problem for good. I don’t know how they knew where or what the problem was, but after they cut through the floor, they then dug down about 2 feet, located the pipe and found it had a large crack in it. The pipe broke even further and they found a large rag with a long length of string tied to it inside. I'm not sure what their game plan is for tomorrow, but for right now there is no running water and no toilet.
Then, in the other room of the worship center, I have been painting some wood moulding that Kenny will use as chair rail in the worship room. I am using oil base paint which is all that is available, and as most of you know, it does not have the most pleasing aroma. So, here we are, paint fumes and sewer fumes mixing in a most unpleasant combination. My body can’t decide if it’s getting high or ready to toss cookies. We do have a window open, but with the temperature hovering around 17degrees F outside…..well, you get the picture.
Later, Kenny wants to put up some crown moulding in one of the apartments. Sure, whatever you say boss…..hey, maybe we can run some more errands instead.
Seriously though, I’m here for whatever needs to be done and am having a fabulous time…albeit a little emotional at times, but fabulous.

I just finished listening to an Andy Stanley’s CD series “Take It to the Limit”. The basic premise is that we all like to push the limits in our lives, whether speed limits, financial limits, time limits, moral limits, etc. We need to set our personal limits back from the edge, so that if we accidentally exceed those limits, total disaster won’t ensue and our life can be recovered. Like a page in a book, there are margins around the printed body of words that not only makes the page easier to read, but if a word or two goes over the margin, no big deal…..but if there are no margins – disaster. The same goes for our lives -- we need to have margins.
One topic in the series Andy talks about is relationships and how they happen “in the margin” of our time which is that space of time that lies between where we live and where we could live. As I pondered that idea, I was convicted that for me, it’s fairly true. It seems that most of my friends have become friends because, while we may have initially met at work, church, or some professional organization, our friendship has been developed, deepened and strengthed in the margin when we have free time to get to know each other and do stuff together.
Last night, after everyone was gone and and all was still and quiet, I was wondering how in the world I could spend two years at a church in a community where I live and other than a handful of people - be less connected and less involved in people's lives than I’ve been here in Gorlovka in two short weeks. Yes, the major reason is due to the fact that my job commuting back and forth to Chicago as an airline pilot kept me away 25 days a month (no margin). And yes, to be fair, I have been able to cultivate some very meaningful friendships since my sabbatical started and I’ve stopped traveling (margin) But still……..
I’ve had lots of margin these two weeks and while I know it was just for a season, it’s been wonderful to see what can happen when that time is wisely invested in people. The returns are immeasurable. Hopefully I've been as good a friend as they have been to me.
While I’m not ready, nor do I think it wise for me to throw away my Day Timer just yet - I am convicted to make sure I schedule enough time for family, friends and relationships and make sure there is margin in my days.


I guess that's about it for now. See ya here tomorrow.
For Tom R.: Posted By Tim Spencer

Day 14 - February 5, 2006

Sorry about the lack of blogging yesterday. The cable internet was down and the dial-up was hit or miss, so at 10 pm. I decided to call it a night on the computer.

One thing that happened after I posted the last blog was I ended up having to spend half the night in the worship center. Picture Tom Hanks in the movie “Terminal” when he pulls all the chairs together for a makeshift bed and you have a pretty accurate idea.
After the youth left, Kenny decided to call it a night as well and gave me the worship center key from his key ring so I could lock up on my way out. Well, a little after midnight I decided to call it quits, locked the door and headed for the apartment. Kenny lives on the third floor of his apartment building off an interior stairwell. When I got to the outside door of the stairwell, it was locked. So….do I bang on this heavy metal door and possibly wake the first floor neighbors?, do I yell up to the third floor apartment from outside (which Kenny ask me later why I didn't do that...huh?)?, Do I call him with a phone number that I don’t know on a cell phone that I don’t have? No lights were on in any of the apartments so banging and yelling were out and since calling him was not in the cards, I decided my only good option was to go back and sleep in the worship room where it was warm. About 3am some LOUD banging on the worship center door awakened me. It was Kenny. He said he awoke, saw all the lights still on in the apartment, found that I was not in bed and quickly realized that he had the key to the outside door and that I must be in the worship center. Ahhh…a real bed. I told him that was NOT the proper way to treat his guests.

Yesterday, Kenny had some errands to run in Donetsk. By the time we returned it was almost time for the teens Bible class. At class, Kenny presented a series of discussion questions regarding the “Passion the Christ” movie we saw last week. I will have to say, I wish I had been exposed to this type of teaching when I was that age.
After the teaching, the games came out, and it was either Phase 10, Rummy Cube or Uno for the rest of the evening. The last teen did not leave until around 9:30 p.m. I’ve had a wonderful time playing MULTIPLE sessions of these games, but I have to admit….I’m looking forward to either a different venue of games, or no games at all ….for a while anyway.

Today, started out with Church services and just like last week – I’m in awe of God.
Different culture, different language…..same brotherhood. God’s love truly does span the gap.

After church services today, about 4-6 teens stayed around to hang out. Then 3 young boys about 10 years of age that are part of the kids class showed up and wanted to play their favorite game “Trouble”. We had played together before, so when they held up the game and looked at me….I knew what that meant. It meant, “let’s ask the American, he never wins!” I’m afraid they’ve been taking lessons from Julia.
You know, playing games seem to be a great equalizer……of cultures…of age…of family and socio-economic backgrounds.

Earlier tonight we had a birthday party for Genya who turns 15 tomorrow. Most of the youth were here and yes, more games ensued. It was fun.
As an ex Air Force pilot who has flown all over the world…I am usually very respectful of another culture’s customs, but not tonight. The birthday custom in Ukraine is that the person who is having the birthday is responsible for the cake, decorations, party…..everything except the presents. Well, I told Kenny I didn’t like that custom and he said he didn’t either so we got her a cake and candles. She didn’t know we had gotten a cake and like a true Ukrainian birthday girl, showed up with her cake. When it was time for the party, we took both cakes, put candles on them and brought them out of the kitchen to her. Genya smiles a lot, but is a fairly reserved young lady so I am not sure what she thought, but I think it surprised her. At least she had a big smile.

As I write this, Kenny is playing Yahtzee with 3 young ladies and Vanya is typing and playing on the computer.

For those of you who don’t Kenny or about Cross Culture, it would be worth it for you to learn about the ministry. Kenny is a visionary and his vision for the hospital, the orphanage, the church, these kids, this community….is huge. Not only does he have a vision, but what he has done and is doing is amazing. He “puts his money where his mouth is” so to speak. His spirit for God is huge also. My hat’s off to him.

Anyway, hopefully the internet will be up when I take this to upload it on the computer. I hope you have been able to get a glimpse of what is going on.

Kenny and I leave on Wednesday. Not sure what the rest of the week holds, but we’ll see.
Take care, see ya here tomorrow.

Day 12 - February 3, 2006

Well, Ray made it home safe and sound. Not sure about the jet lag or his sanity after such a grueling trip – he said Kenny and I are in for a treat. I have a feeling he is being sarcastic.
Well, we did go bowling last night with Vanya. Vanya is the young man in the photo with Kenny on yesterday’s post. We had a good time whooping it up and high fiveing each other. Today was another short day….or long day depending on how you look at it. Where does it all go? Kenny and I have been burning the midnight oil which consequently means sleeping late – for me anyway. Today was another errand and work day of which we got the errands done, but not the work. Kenny told me what he wanted done as far as fix up projects, so I made a list thinking we could just pop in to Home Depotski. Well, three different stops later we had most of what we needed. One place for nails and screws, another for paint supplies, another for wood. We’ll make do. We needed some finish nails (nails without the big heads, used for finish carpentry work) but Kenny explained that there are NO finish nails in all of Ukraine. I don’t know if it’s true about the whole country, but it’s true for Gorlovka anyway. Kenny also stopped to pay all his utility (gas, water, electricity) bills. He explained that for an added fee (about $.50 American) one could pay all their bills in one place….at the bank! So he does. Banking is banking, I guess.
A Kodak store recently opened up in Gorlovka that processes photographs from Digital cameras. Several months ago it would take two weeks to get them back, but now only about 20 mins. I have taken many photos of the teens at the church, some of the nurses and doctors at the hospital, and of a special lady that runs the gift shop (table in a stairwell) at the hospital. As we were doing our errands we had some photos processed and delivered them to the people. Amazing how much gratitude was shown just by giving someone a photograph of themselves.
We also had about 20 photos developed of the teens and put them on the bulletin board before they showed up for tonight’s lesson. Many laughs, finger pointing and Russian phrases ensued when they saw the board.
Kenny used the rest of the film shorts that Ray did from 542 Productions for his lesson tonight. Great stuff. The kids enjoyed the films and had some good insights into the Christian walk and life in general. Vanya translated where needed as Ira had unfortunately broke her toe and was at the hospital having it seen about. She is O.K. but not sure what the final out come was.
After the lesson, the major food group on the Ukrainian food pyramid came out (did you remember? yes, cookies!) and we had groups playing Uno, Rummy Cube, and Phase 10 throughout the worship room. It is now 9:53 pm and the last person left about 10 minutes ago. Want to guess who it was?! Whoever guesses correctly gets a cookie.

You know, yesterday when I was at the hospital nursery holding those two toddlers quietly on my lap before the jump rope mania started….I was wondering whether these children are starved for adult human interaction, either through touch, talking, playing….or just sitting quietly on some man’s lap rocking gently back and forth. These babies seem well adjusted, but I wondered what’s going on in their fragile, baby innocent emotions. Don’t misunderstand, the nurses do a GREAT job with these young ones and love on them as much as they can. But there are only so many nurses to go around for SO many babies.
Then tonight, as I was in the middle of a slow game of Phase 10….the same thoughts exploded upon me again as I looked around the table at these young people. I was wondering how many of them don’t have the unconditional parental love that I had as a teen. Not that it was all encouragement and pats on the back growing up – it wasn’t…not by a long shot, but I KNEW my mom and dad loved me and for most of my teenage years, home was pretty much a safe harbor. I know several of these teens’ stories and wonder where’s their harbor? Are they starved for Godly, unconditional, adult interaction?

I think I’ve come to a conclusion: We are ALL starved. Let me explain: Yesterday at the nursery, I went in thinking I’d play with a kid or two and “do my part” to interact with them as long as I was there. A funny thing happened though because somewhere along the line, something changed. It was I who felt the warmth of those little guys as they snuggled in my arms. It was I who felt the trust, love and fellowship from those children sitting on my lap. I was the one that received from them. I came in thinking I was giving to them (which is true), but they gave so much more in return. Amazing.
I think it’s the same way with these teenagers. When I first arrived here and met the youth, there was the customary distrust and aloofness from them, and I’m sure I even had a buy one get one free coupon, simply by being Kenny’s friend. They probably figured if Kenny likes him, maybe he can’t be all bad! Anyway, I made an effort to talk with them, let them laugh at my Russian (of which I only know about 10 words), play games with them, be interested in them, their schooling, their hobbies, families and their lives….you know, “do my part” to interact with them as long I was here. A funny thing happened though because somewhere along the line, something changed.
Hmmm…that sounds familiar.
Yes, I am giving of myself to these young people, but I am getting so much more from them. I’m not old – at least I don’t feel old, nor do I think of myself as old. I do have a head full of grey hair…I’m sorry, I mean distinguished looking, but I don’t think that counts. Anyway, two things happened tonight that I would probably never even think twice about except that I think maybe, just maybe, God has allowed me to get a glimpse of what it might mean to be someone else’s safe harbor at 44 years of age.
The first thing that happened: Julia walked over and asked me to play Rummy Cube with her and her friends. Yep, that’s it. No big deal. But I’ll have to admit, I was kind of shocked, I mean they wanted ME to play with them! Two 13 year olds and a 18 year old asked ME…I mean I have distinguished looks for goodness sakes! Wow, did that ever make me feel good. O.K., I did end of losing to her three games in a row and maybe that was part of her plan all along, but I still got the better end of the deal. Thanks Julia.
The second: I have been listening over and over to a brand new Christian music CD that belonged to one of the young men here. I won’t say good American contemporary Christian music is like gold here, but it’s close. Anyway, he says he’ll make me a copy…O.K. sure. Then earlier tonight he presents me with the original CD. I tell him, “No way, I’m not taking yours, give me the copy.” He wouldn’t back down….I wouldn’t back down. Stalemate. Finally, with a grin on his face, he says he has to give me the original because he already wrote in the front cover. Now I’m really confused, so I open it up and take a look and this guy has written that it is an honor to be my friend. Get a grip…I’m old enough to be his dad and he counts me as his friend! How do you say blown away in Russian. I’m the one that’s honored, truly.

Anyway, make of it what you want. For me, I’m just praying that I can be that safe harbor…..for my wife, my family, my friends (old and new), and especially the little ones if they want to sit on my lap and rock gently back and forth.

Day 11, February 2, 2006

Another day that passed too fast. Kenny and I got a late start this morning. He has been having major electrical problems in his apartment and while his family was back in the states thought it would be good to get the electrical system fixed with the least amount of disruption. So this is day three of the electrical rebuild and believe me -- he made the right decision. Wires, plaster and concrete chips are everywhere albeit being cleaned up every day, but all the furniture is moved and draped so it is not the most conducive place to relax at the moment!
After getting the electricians started, Kenny and I left to run some vital errands – Ira, Kenny’s interpreter, has a new laptop, but needed a Russian Keyboard for her translation work and I needed a USB cable to download photos from my camera since Ray decided not to forget his and leave it here.
We then went to the hospital with tools in hand to fix some door thresholds only to find that we needed a different type. As Kenny was surveying the work that needed to be done, I excused myself and conveniently wandered down to the nursery to see if any toddlers needed a playmate. I was in luck. Kenny found me a little while later and really started the ball rolling with one little boy who was 4 years old. It’s amazing how a child can turn a simple jump rope into the most wonderful event. Laughter does the heart good and much laughter is medicine for the spirit…..I think as adults we would do well to learn how to laugh more -- the big, hearty, full body laugh that kids do so well.
After the hospital, we came back to the worship center and took a break for lunch. Since we couldn’t eat in Kenny’s apartment due to the construction/destruction, we gathered some of the leftover’s in the fridge, brought them down to the worship center and had lunch. No sooner did we sit down, when Vanya one of the youths at the church came in and decided to have lunch with us. Needless to say, there are no more leftovers! Do all teenagers have that innate ability to sense when there is food around? Vanya is one of the older male youths in the group and is definitely the one….there’s always one, who keeps everyone in laughter with his wit and many jokes and he definitely doesn’t let Kenny get away with anything! He is in the second year at the university here enrolled in language studies and has excellent command of the English language. I’m almost embarrassed to speak around him, his English is so good.
Vanya actually had a temporary gig last week as an interpreter in another city and he didn’t get to go bowling with everyone else, so we might go bowling later this evening.
That’s about it for today. Meet you here tomorrow.

Day 10

Well, I'm here in Kiev With Anton and we had a enjoyable flight/ I would write longer but thesae airports are rtush, rush, rush. I don't want to miss my next flight so I write more later.

Day 10, February 1, 2006

Hi, Tim Spencer here. I’m the guy Ray called “distinguished” which I guess is a nice way to say I have a head full of grey hair! I will be writing the blog until 2/9 when Kenny and I return home to the states. Needless to say, I have some big shoes to fill with Ray’s departure. For someone who didn’t even know if a blog was an animal, vegetable or some horrible disease, Ray’s crash course in blogging and skillful tutelage have brought me up to speed. Hopefully I will make him proud. Thanks Ray.
Ray will be missed this coming week, but we are glad he is going to home to be with his family. His easy going style, generous spirit, insightful wisdom, and heart for God have made an impact – not only with me, but on the people here that he came in contact with, young and old alike.

Today started out with electricity, running hot/cold water and internet service – what more does one need? It was a great day.
The Babushkas met for their Bible class this morning and they watched the video shorts that Ray did from “542 Productions”. It’s amazing that even though they couldn’t understand the language – they understood the message. They had many insightful comments and then as usual, fellowshipped with coffee, tea and cookies. What a wonderful group of ladies. The people here have cookies at almost every event. Ray and I think cookies must be a separate group on the food pyramid.
We had to cut our portion of the Babushka fellowship short as Sergi and Luta (the hospital baby doctor and his wife) had graciously invited us over for lunch at their apartment. We ate, conversed (through Ira) and laughed until it was time to take Sergi back to the hospital. They had a cat named Timothy – I was honored, but I think the cat was jealous…at least that’s what I surmised as he tried to sharpen his claws on my pants leg.
After lunch, we had a full afternoon of finishing up some souvenir shopping for Ray and some last minute filming. Then we loaded up and headed to the Airport in Donestk. Ira’s son, Anton accompanied Ray tonight to Kiev and will fly back tomorrow morning. We called to make sure they made it O.K. and they were already at the hotel eating dinner. Fly safe tomorrow guys.
Coming home from Donestk, Ira invited us over for a home cooked meal at her and Igor’s apartment. Another delicious meal. When Ira ask if we wanted to take home any of the leftovers, I didn’t hesitate.
I’m not sure what tomorrow will hold for Kenny and me. He says now that the producer/director is gone we’re going to get our hands dirty with some work fixing things around the Worship Center and at the apartment. I’ll be happy to be of service wherever I’m needed and wanted while I’m here…..More Tomorrow

Day 9

Day 9

Another exciting start to a day. We woke up this morning to find out that the water has been shut off. Not a big deal but kinda unique the way you never know what is in store each day. I don't think I have mentioned this in any of my past blogs, but Kenny and Tim are both on diets. This has made our meals interesting. Their diets consist of nothing but meat and a few veggies so they have been encouraging one another with staying on this diet. I on the other hand. have been trying pastries, chocolates, ice creams, and all the little goodies that I can find. I sorta feel bad that they can't enjoy these things, but it hasn't slowed me down. The only thing that has made me think twice about it is that the fact that a lot of people cannot afford these luxuries and I begin to feel guilty about it.
Tim is a cool cat. he is the kinda guy that has no fear, and the moment the car stops, he's out and doing his own search. I have a tendency of staying on Kenny's heels, but he has a very adventurous spirit. One time we were going to get some lunch at a small deli. When we were through, we went back to the car to wait for Tim. A few minutes later, he pops out of the other store with a big bag of cookies for the youth group. Tim also has a very distinguished look, and there has been times when would be walking through a crowd where people would turn around a look at him and get all excited as if they had just saw a movie star.One person told him that he looked like Richard Gere. He's got a good heart and I have enjoyed being on this trip with him. Today we went back to the hospital and played with some babies. It was fun. It hurt my heart to see some of the kids. One child we saw on the way out was in a room all by himself in a crib. He was crying and standing up reaching for anyone who would pass by the door. You could tell that he was just starving for human interaction. The hardest part of the trip there was leaving. I know how my daughter act whenever I leave the house to go to work and how she just wants me to pick her up so that I wouldn't leave. These children all have that same instinct. The moment we started putting on out boots and headed for the door, you could feel the sadness spread across the room.
I don't think i mentioned this before either, but when we first got into town Kenny had found out that there was an electrical short in his walls that needed to be addressed while he was here, so today the Electrician came today and started working on the wiring. After Kenny moved all of the furniture, it was time for us to be gone from the house for the rest of the day.Today was the last full day of filming opportunities for tomorrow I will be leaving to go back to the states. As of then Tim had mentioned that he would like to continue this project and would be keeping a journal of the things that are happening since he will be here for another week with Kenny before heading back.

Day 8

Day 8

Today was a more relaxed day than days in the past. Not so rushed and our highlight was to go and take the youth group bowling. I had mentioned that Kenny went bowling earlier, but this time I went along with most of the young people in hie church. These kids are great. They have a great sense of humor, there is no complaining between each other, and they make the most of every situation. Now I did say that today was not as rushed, but I was able to still get more footage. We went to the site of the new Orphanage and Interviewed him as h walked through the building and shared what was being done and what was going to be done. There is a lot of vision for tis project and I look forward to coming back and seeing the finished product. Also after we went bowling, we all came back to the building and they sang devotional songs. They all decided to help with the filming by letting me record them as they sang, and it was beautiful.

Day 7

Day 7

What a great day! Today it snowed in the morning and I was able to get some nice shots. We had church service and I was able to get some of the younger children to sing some songs in russian for me on film. I then was able to get interview time with Ira and her husband Igor. Ira is Kenny's Translator and book keeper, and basically second hand man(woman) when it comes to the Church and adoption project Igor is the Number 1 construction coordinator. When ever Kenny and Lora are out of town they count on Ira and Igor to run things. They are an amazing couple that has also adopted a child. The interview went very well and I learned a lot about the projects. Igor and Ira has also adopted a child from the hospital.
The Ministry is called Cross Culture which has the ABC program which stands for Abandon Babies and Children. The also have another program called the Family Care Center which is the Orphanage program that is being built and is the reason for my visit here. Ira stays very busy with all of the needs at the hospital and the supplies needed.
After the interviews we went to the market with some of the girls from the church. It was basically us going to the store to get some small needed supplies and I didn't think much of it. Once we got back home, Kenny explained to me that the girls that we were out with just got a triple dose of male figure time, something they are starving from. He explained further that most of the girls either did not have a father or any other type of strong male role model and how it was good for them too just be able to hang out with us without having any ill intentions towards them. Sometimes you don't think of these kinda things. When we got back we had Sergi and His wife over for interviews on film. Sergi is the head doctor for the children at the hospital. He gave s some interesting issues that he has to deal with on a regular basis and how Cross Culture plays a very vital part in the workings of the hospital. Sergi and his wife has also just adopted a child from the hospital. I am amazed at the conviction of these people. Well we got some awesome footage and I am looking forward to putting this thing together. Tomorrow is another filled day of more interviews and filming children.

Day 6
Today we went into the neighboring city which is population over 1 million and is the capitol of eastern Ukraine. The moment we got into town you could tell that it was a thriving metropolis. We went to a mall like store and enjoyed a coffee. We had a nice time and all the way home it snowed. When we arrived back into town, we stopped by a grocery store to pick up cabbage so that one of the ladies from the church could make us some Borsht. The Youth met again tonight and watched "The Passion" which was as always a very emotional viewing. I know that a lot of the kids have seen it already, but it still hits the hearts and bring the night to a quiet end. The snow was beautiful and peaceful. I was hoping to get some of it on footage, but I did not have the dust cover to protect the camera with me, and by the time we got home to get it, the dark was on us and didn't allow for the camera to pick it up. I did however get a video recipe of the Borsht while Tanya cooked it. When we were at the store today, I picked up a Rummycube game for the youth group since they seem to be into those kind of games. I am very glad to be here and I hope that I make a difference with the situations here. I can't stop thinking about that child that was left in the street. Well, tomorrow is Sunday, and we will be going to the church in the morning and meeting Kenny's congregation. It should be an enjoyable time and I hope for the sake of film that it is snowing. I hope to go and spend some time with the children at the hospital as well.

Day 5

Day 5
I hope that the people that is reading these daily logs are finding them informative. we are having a great time with this visit to Ukraine, especially since we are experiencing a warm front. The days are only zero degrees and that is warm for this time of year. It's almost warm enough to snow. I have not been as lively in my writings as I was hoping to be, but I hope to be more focused in future logs.
Today we went out into the city to see some historical sites and monuments. I was able to get shots of the City sign ( kinda like the Disney world sign but not as colorful ). We saw the statue of Lenin and Gorlovka (the father of the city). there is also a monument of a old russian tank on top of a hill the represents the great patriotic war ( World war II ). It s cool to see these things and I know that these people are very proud of their past. After that we went to the church and the youth got together and had a friday youth group service (A Crash ). In this group there is 15 girls a one guy. It seems that the young men in this region must be too cool to go to church. The one guy that was there is going to be my guide to Kiev next week and speaks very good english. The group sang all the songs in english and were really good. We watched the 542 videos as their lesson for the night. they watched Bubbleman, Megaphone, Coffee guy, and Milkman. It was neat to see their reactions to the films. They seemed to be a little nervous with me a the camera, but after a while they loosened up. Tonight, we had power all night which was nice. I did not feel very good because of a back pain, so I decided to stay back and rest while the others went out for dinner. They ended up going to a bowling alley which is new in town. It has 6 lanes and is a hot spot. Tomorrow we will be going to a outdoor market in Donetsk. Thank you for all of your encouragement during this trip and please continue to pray for us.

Day4

Day 4

So We went to the orphanage again today and got some footage on tape. We also stopped by the hospital to take care of some paperwork, and found out that there was a new child brought in last night. It turns out, a 4 day old boy was found in the streets inside a plastic bag. They guessed at his age by his umbilical cord. He was very healthy and was blessed that someone saw the bag moving.Last night the Temperature was 30 below zero C. We were able to have a short interview with the doctor and the nurse that were taking care of the child. It is heartbreaking to see that someone would not have the heart to take the child to the hospital, but to leave it in the road. Unfortunately the power is out again tonight. It is becoming a regular occurance. We have sat down in the dark and watched the Invisible Children on the laptop, and had long discussions on how do we help people that are virtually impossible to help. It doesn't sound like a hard topic, but we got pretty deep. I am learning a lot about the process of adoption and the hurdles that you have to go through. We have a great need that is over here that does not exsist in Gorlovka. It is a city with a population of 340,000 and they have most of the modern day luxuries (as long as you can afford it).

Day3

Day 3
Well, I guess you can say that this is my first true day here in Ukraine since the past couple has been traveling.Tim, Kenny and I have had some time to talk and see the surrounding area. The days get very short in the winter so you have make the most of the day light. It got dark today at about 4:30 and man does it cold after dark. We first got together with a number of older ladies that make up the ladies of the church for there weekly wednesday Bible study. We had Sausage, cheese and coffee while we sat around the table and talked about all types of things(mostly Ukrainian politics). Once we left there, we went to the hospital where all of the children are at. There is a lot of babies and a few toddlers. It is hard to explain how the conditions are for these children is. We can see how much love is in the hearts of the nurses and doctors that are taking care of things. Today I had planned sending out the messages from the past couple of days, but it turns out that there is no power in the building. It is said that the government is trying to ration power by turning off the power in certain grids at night. Unfortunately it seems as though our night is tonight. So I will try and blog this but we will see. Since we had no power, we decided to go out to eat at this Ukrainian Restaurant. We had Conpote (a fruit drink made with smoked apples,pears, and lemons) and Borscht ( a cabbage Potatoes Stew). It was filling, but the drink was really... smokey. We were able to see the foster house that is being built (gutted and redone). It's a very impressive building that use to be a elementary school. It has a metal gate all the way around the property and because of the looting, he has to post guards on the property. We will be able to go back to the property tomorrow in better lighting and see exactly what the plans are and how they will be using the property.
So, I Kenny yells up to me , hey I got the computer up but the battery is at 15% so hurry. Once we get it hooked into the wall and dial up... yes it's dial up, it hangs up. I dial again, and again, and again. I finally get on and it's like watching grass grow with the little bar on the bottom of the screen. Ok, I'm at my blog site I click my password and blank, the computer goes into hibernation( battery died). It's funny how things go sometimes. I don't have any control over the situation, but it is still aggravating
I don't know know what is in store for tomorrow, but so far it has been a smooth trip, out side of the power and the e-mail.

Day2

Day 2
Today was a long continuation of yesterday. Flying and more flying. We got into Kiev at about 7:30 AM their time and it was -4C. Wow I thought it can't get any worst than this. I was wrong. It was -21C when we got to our final destination. Now that is cold. I was able to meet another person in my travels today. His name is Ivan and he is a sailor that has been over in Vietnam after sharing about how much he had to drink that day he was very eager to have me come back to his house so that he could show me how the real Ukraine is. He seemed to have good intentions yet he was also pretty sowed. It may have been the 2 liters of Vodka he had or maybe it was the coniac. I Know that I am not very good at words right now since I'm work on my 38th hour without rest so I am going to start fresh tomorrow with my first tour of the orphanage. I can say that my accommodations are very nice yet the cold still gets in and the heaters are having to work overtime. I miss my wife and I hope that she is doing well. Until tomorrow...

Day1

Day 1
So I'm Sitting in the amsterdam airport after a grueling flight over the big drink. I enjoyed some conversation with Kathy, a very nice lady that is coming back from visiting her daughter in VA. But the seats on the flight are not as large as I would have thought for such a long flight. There was a couple of days before I left that my wife had gotten sick and wished for me to stay away from her, so that I wouldn't catch her cold. Well a lot of good that does when your on a large tin can in the sky with 1/3 of the people hacking up a lung. It was not that terrible as it sounds, but the interesting issue that we had to deal with is our flight plan. At each airport in the states had given us a 30 minute window to catch our next plane. Since we had a party of 5 with one being a child with cast settings on his feet ( I'll tell you more about that in a second) we were blessed to have not run into any snags. We did however had to shovel a Mc D's burger down right as we were catching the last flight. That was a challenge with all of our luggage. It goes without saying that it would have been great footage, if I could have had an out of body experience in order to film it. All in all, we are doing good thus far. Now , about the child. This is part of the reason why we are going back to the Ukraine in the middle of winter and guess it's a great time to introduce my traveling partners. There is a little year old boy named Alex that is from the orphange that I will be filming. One lady that had came over previously saw him and fell in love him fom the start and is now in process of adopting him. He has a defect since birth called club' feet. It is that reason that he came to the U.S. He was scheduled to have corrective surgery, but the doctors feel that it would be premature and have him now in these castings to help straighten out his feet. He is a Bright little thing and a bundle of energy with a great attitude. So along with this child is a care taker named Tatiana . I can not tell you much about her since she olny speaks Russian. You can tell though that there is a strong bond between her and the boy. The third in th party is a pilot from Panama City named Tim. He seems to be in great shape and has a very level head on his shoulders. He has offered to help in the filming process and it will be cool to see what the lord has planned for him on this trip. He says he has no agenda, but who's to say that my agenda will end up being why I'm coming. Only god knows what he has planned for all of us.The last two in the group is Kenny and I. We will leave the rest of the story up to day 2 since I'm already in day 2 and I'm not there yet.

One Day Left

So I believe that I have the things I will need to last for the two weeks. I have 24 hours of film to burn, hand warmers, sunscreen, bathingsuit, sunglasses, and flip-flops. All set. I was kindly send this link to cheer me up:
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/world.jsp?floc=cp-tos-feat-b-02&feature=newz_0106russian_cold

So maybe I should bring a sweater too. I was told that we have a train ticket as well as a planeticket due to weather issues. I guess when youlive in these kind of climates you have to take these things into account. Today at church they were kind enough to pray for me and tonight there is a Prayer service for Kenny Payne and I that I think we will be going to. I might try and get some footage of that just to have as intro footage.
One of the neat things about this trip is that long lost friends are popping out of the woodwork. I Saw a friend today at church that I have not seen in over five years, and she was sharing to me about other friends that I thought would be long gone from Panama City. I feel as though there are many cool things that are beginning to happen. Well, there is still so much packing to do and files to upload. Until tomorrow

The prep work

There is always alot of work that is involved with going on a trip. And it is always inevitable that an hour into that trip you remember the thing or things that you forgot. I am not the best at planning for excursions longer than a weekend. Lucky for me I have a wonderful wife that is a polar opposite of me when it comes to packing. If it were not for her I would be that guy that you see in the airport store buying the $5.00 toothbrush and $20.00 batteries for the camera.
There is some amazing things that have been happening in the past week. It seems that people that I have not talked to for a long time have called and donated things like a coat, long underwear, ect. And my mom happened to come across all the cold weather gear I would need for the trip for $1.00 ( she is a great shopper ). I was told by Kenny that I will need to come up with some good shoes for this trip, and it just so happens that Trane (my work) had the boot truck come today, in which I was given a $75.00 coupon for shoes. Anybody that didn't know about this being a God thing would probably think that I was pretty lucky having this all happen. Knowing that this trip is going to be quite a long and grueling flight, Dustin and I were actively searching for a laptop for the trip to help with the editing and make the most of my time in the air. Well, we now own a G4 Powerbook which we got on Monday. So now it's Friday and the flight is on Monday. Thanks for your support and I look forward to any comments along the way. AutumnFades... But love doesn't.

The Next Step

Today I went to my work in order to work out the details with my days off and seeing if it will be possible to go. I came back after a short 15 minute stop into the HR office with my answer.They have no problems and wish me luck on my trip. I then called Kenny to give him the news and to inform him that it was time to buy a ticket. Now on Friday of last week, he mentioned that the reservation for my ticket would expire that night and if we waited until monday there may not be space available. We decided that it would be best to wait until monday, find out from my work if I could do it, and leave it in GOD's hands. If there were no spots available, then it wasn't meant to be. After calling Kenny, he called the airlines and found out that there is space available and that iam now Scheduled to Leave on the trip on JAN 23rd, 2006. This is the time to begin to look for some long underwear and gloves. For some people this is not a big deal, but I am looking at this as a life changing event that can be a life chaging event for many children's lives. Praise God and I can't wait to share the next step with you all.

A GOD Thing

So I start this story by saying that this is not a normal thing for me. I don’t just fly across the world for two weeks as a routine thing, so that right there speaks for it’s self.
My name is Ray Wilcox, and I live in Panama City, FL. I do videos, mostly Short films for my church http://www.eastgatefellowship.net/ with a small thing called 5forty2 Productions. Recently, I partnered up with Dustin, and we’ve created a media company http://www.autumnfades.com/ . I also have family and friends that tend another church in town http://www.paloaltochurchofchrist.com/ which has an Orphanage in the Ukraine that they support. Well, recently I was approached by the Missions Minister about creating a DVD to use in his presentations for other churches. I of course accepted the challenge and we set up a date that I could gather all of the pictures that he had, as well as shoot some interview footage to use as the background audio for the film. The day before our meeting, I get a call from Kenny Payne and it kinda went like this. “Hey Ray, I gottta crazy question for you. How would you like to go to the Ukraine on Jan 23rd, and stay for three weeks with me…. And I’ll pay your way?” Now to some people, this might not sound like an invite to the keys or to some tropical island, but in my mind I really looked at this as incredible offer that I would have never of imagined.
So this is three days ago, I told him that I’d get back after some talking to the family and a whole lot of praying. I made a mental list of all the reasons I shouldn’t go and they went something like this:

1) WE’RE BROKE
2) My wife would never let me go for that long of a time frame
3) I work full time and they won’t let me off for that long
4) I am currently in a legal battle in trying to have delinquent tenants evicted from our house in Ft. Lauderdale
5) I may not have permission to take a camera
6) I have no cold weather clothes/gear
7) We just started a business and my partner would think I’m cheesing out on him

Of course there are other thoughts but you get the idea. So from the point of the phone call on, I watched as the lord quickly opening doors with almost all of the issues that I thought I would have. As of this time I am looking at only a couple of issues that need to be worked out, and if they do, then it seems as though this is where the lord is leading me to go. I’m trying to always keep a level head on my thinking and not let a god thing turn into a Ray thing. I still need as many prayer of discernment as I can get, as well as the understanding from all of those that I would be leaving behind for that time frame. I do know this part so far and that is the trip has been changed to only two weeks in order to make it more accessible for me and work.
On Monday if all goes well, I will be able to confirm with Kenny that I will be able to go. I will be using this Blog to keep track of my days as I am gone in order to keep anyone who is interested in my adventure in the Ukraine.
Please pray for me and my family in order that may make the decisions in these matters and please feel free to keep in touch with your comments.