church with some orphans from the trade school. 
Monday, December 28, 2009
what an ordeal to Ukraine
My journey to Ukraine
My travel to Ukraine was quite the experience. Getting out of St. Louis was the first challenge. With the light snow cars were all over the highway. It was a parking lot at best. We decided with amount many others to travel on the shoulder going the opposite way. I thought I was in Ukraine already.
On my way to Munich, Germany I had a great discussion and sharing with a man from India. He was a Hindu. I was able to share with him about the living God and the gospel. He went away encouraged and thanked me for sharing.
Donetsk from Munich Germany the flight was diverted to a different city due to heavy fog. When we landed in a different city in Ukraine there was no direction or help in what to do next. I knew I needed to get my luggage. After waiting a long time I found only one set. The other piece I had to file a missing claims report. That in itself was a joke as many had lost their luggage. Thank God I at least had one. I called Anya my translator who has been helping me for several years. She is wonderful and a great Christian women of God. She mentioned that eight orphans from the trade school had come to the airport to greet me. It was difficult since I wasn’t able to be with them and greet them myself. I hope to call today and see where this lost luggage could be. How I could have one without the other is a mystery.
Not knowing what to do and feeling like a lost puppy I went through customs and then headed for the Lufthansa office. A large crowd of people with no direction, order, crowded around the small window. Pirate taxi drivers were making deals with us stranded passengers. Lots of hand motions going back and forth. Once again now really understand what was happening all of sudden a lady heads out of the office and the crowd of people stated to follow. I was able to ask someone who spoke very little English what was going on. She said, “bus.” In a mad rush I followed the crowd. It as everyone for themselves in hopes to get a seat. I have been in a situation before here knowing why the people were acting in such a panic. The
There was never any information when we would arrive or where they would drop us off. When someone would ask the driver when we would get there he said, “we get there when we get there.” that is a Ukrainian answer a lot.. After 11 hours we were dropped off at 6AM. I was so tired and couldn’t feel a thing. The bus was no Greyhound. More like a large van.
On my first day I went to meet with the kids from the trade school. I also visited with some kids from the orphanage I happened to see outside while walking. I hope to call the orphanage about visiting the kids. I heard they are not allowing visitors because of the swine flu.
My travel to Ukraine was quite the experience. Getting out of St. Louis was the first challenge. With the light snow cars were all over the highway. It was a parking lot at best. We decided with amount many others to travel on the shoulder going the opposite way. I thought I was in Ukraine already.
On my way to Munich, Germany I had a great discussion and sharing with a man from India. He was a Hindu. I was able to share with him about the living God and the gospel. He went away encouraged and thanked me for sharing.
Donetsk from Munich Germany the flight was diverted to a different city due to heavy fog. When we landed in a different city in Ukraine there was no direction or help in what to do next. I knew I needed to get my luggage. After waiting a long time I found only one set. The other piece I had to file a missing claims report. That in itself was a joke as many had lost their luggage. Thank God I at least had one. I called Anya my translator who has been helping me for several years. She is wonderful and a great Christian women of God. She mentioned that eight orphans from the trade school had come to the airport to greet me. It was difficult since I wasn’t able to be with them and greet them myself. I hope to call today and see where this lost luggage could be. How I could have one without the other is a mystery.
Not knowing what to do and feeling like a lost puppy I went through customs and then headed for the Lufthansa office. A large crowd of people with no direction, order, crowded around the small window. Pirate taxi drivers were making deals with us stranded passengers. Lots of hand motions going back and forth. Once again now really understand what was happening all of sudden a lady heads out of the office and the crowd of people stated to follow. I was able to ask someone who spoke very little English what was going on. She said, “bus.” In a mad rush I followed the crowd. It as everyone for themselves in hopes to get a seat. I have been in a situation before here knowing why the people were acting in such a panic. The
There was never any information when we would arrive or where they would drop us off. When someone would ask the driver when we would get there he said, “we get there when we get there.” that is a Ukrainian answer a lot.. After 11 hours we were dropped off at 6AM. I was so tired and couldn’t feel a thing. The bus was no Greyhound. More like a large van.
On my first day I went to meet with the kids from the trade school. I also visited with some kids from the orphanage I happened to see outside while walking. I hope to call the orphanage about visiting the kids. I heard they are not allowing visitors because of the swine flu.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
glimps of Donetsk's
Donetsk is the fifth-largest city in Ukraine. With a population of over 1,120,000. While the majority of people in central and western Ukraine speak Ukrainian, most residents of Donetsk are Russian-speaking Ukrainians (Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine) According to 2001 population census, Ukrainians make up 56,9% of Donetsk area and Russians 38,2%.
Donetsk's residents belong to many different religious bodies: Eastern Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Protestant, and Roman Catholic as well as Islam Mosques and Judaic synagogues The largest religious body with the most members is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines. The city's steel industry was expanded and since 1924 it was renamed Stalino after Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953...Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine.
In the beginning of World War II The territory of Donetsk at the time of the Nazi German
Mostly consisted of a Jewish ghetto. Donetsk consisted of 507,000, and after the war - only 175,000 remained. World War II almost completely destroyed the city, which was mostly rebuilt on a larger scale at the war's end.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Donetsk and other neighboring cities suffered heavily, as many factories were closed down and many inhabitants lost their jobs. However, in spite of the difficult economic situation in Ukraine Economy of Ukraine is a developing city.
Donetsk's residents belong to many different religious bodies: Eastern Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Protestant, and Roman Catholic as well as Islam Mosques and Judaic synagogues The largest religious body with the most members is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines. The city's steel industry was expanded and since 1924 it was renamed Stalino after Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953...Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine.
In the beginning of World War II The territory of Donetsk at the time of the Nazi German
Mostly consisted of a Jewish ghetto. Donetsk consisted of 507,000, and after the war - only 175,000 remained. World War II almost completely destroyed the city, which was mostly rebuilt on a larger scale at the war's end.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Donetsk and other neighboring cities suffered heavily, as many factories were closed down and many inhabitants lost their jobs. However, in spite of the difficult economic situation in Ukraine Economy of Ukraine is a developing city.
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