Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Mission Trip to Ukraine

I've always liked to go on mission trips -- after all, I met Sam on my first one.  So when our pastor started calling for volunteers to go to Ukraine, I signed up.  It was a very rewarding experience, but difficult, especially since the food and water there did not agree with my system -- running to the bathroom every 15 minutes was not pleasant under any circumstances, but particularly bad when the toilet was just a hole in the floor that you had to hover over.  I know -- too graphic -- but it was bad. So when the next trip was announced, I was pretty hesitant about signing on.  This trip was going to head to a gypsy village on the western side of Ukraine, and I was really not very excited about it.  On the last day of sign ups, Sam asked me if I was going to go, and I said "I don't know -- it was really hard." We went on in to our Sunday School class and I open my lesson book to find the verse about Jesus sending out the disciples, telling them to take nothing with them.  I realized that Jesus didn't care if it was hard, He still told them to go.  As I was thinking about that, we turned the page and the next section had the verse about the harvest -- "the laborers are few" and now I was really getting uneasy.  So I turned to the next page, and what did I see?  A picture of a group of GYPSIES!  So I said, "OKAY!  I get the message -- I'll go!" I have never see a picture of Gypsies in a Sunday School book before in my whole life -- how did He manage to put it there on that day?? Anyway, I went, did not get sick even when I ate the food the Gypsies cooked for us in a big pot outdoors. And it was a wonderful opportunity to help some folks in terrible circumstances. I know that's where I was supposed to be -- I saw that big Godwink without a doubt!

1 comment:

  1. Ann forgot to add I had said "you know you are going to go" I even gave winnings from one of my bass turnaments. Before the Sunday school lessson and before she signed up. It was funny to know before Ann did.

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