Renewal in Kiev, Ukraine for Missionary Women

Spiritually, it's one of the best things I've ever been to, we just kept digging deeper and deeper into one psalm. It's amazing how they got us so close in such a short time. And they just lavished us with so much love...

That was Mary Lee Roger's impression of the Come before Winter renewal in Kiev, Ukraine. It was a Friday evening in mid-March and we were heading toward the train station. Within the hour, Mary Lee and friends would be heading back to Donetsk, Ukraine where she and husband Jay Don serve with Ukrainian Bible Institute. Later that evening I would catch another train back to Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

From left, Dawna, missionary intern serving in Kharkov; Mary Lee, Natalia and Natalya from Donetsk, Ukraine.

We were a few of 44 women who serve in ministry in Europe, most of us in Russia or Ukraine, who spent five days with a team of 14 sisters who had come from the US to provide us spiritual refreshment, known as Come before Winter.

The Come before Winter renewal team came to encourage, serve, challenge. What saints! (Photo credit: Mariana Long.) 

Come before Winter is the brainchild of Karen Alexander who saw the opportunity to encourage, honor and challenge missionary women.


As the Come before Winter website notes, Being a minister can be a cold and isolating experience. . . even for the most seasoned worker. When that ministry occurs on foreign soil, the stress only multiplies. Paul experienced winter. On the field in the first century, Paul writes to his friend Timothy: “Do your utmost to come before winter” (NKJV, 2 Timothy 4.9). Paul is grieving the loss of fellow workers, one who has deserted the work. “Only Luke is with me,” he writes. . .“Bring the cloak I left in Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchment,” he urges.

From left, Heather, Sara and Pam of the renewal team.

The first Come before Winter renewal was in Brazil in 2001. Since then, two or more renewals have been held each year and the statistics are impressive. More than 500 women from 50 countries on six continents have been served. The Kiev renewal was the 24th overall, the third to be held in the former Soviet Union: The first was in Novosibirsk in 2003 and the second in St Petersburg, 2007. Several participants have been to all three.

Tamika, left, who serves in Vienna, sharing family photos over lunch.

Come before Winter provides all accommodation for renewal participants which demands a significant budget. Supporters recognize the value of investing in the women who serve in ministry, especially those serving in a foreign culture. 


The Come before Winter website continues, Today’s missionaries can experience winter. Today’s women in ministry can experience winter. . . Ministry, especially ministry in missions, challenges the hearts and souls of women around the world. Today, just as in the first century, some workers will leave the work, tired and discouraged. Those who remain will on some days long for a familiar face, a conversation with a kindred spirit, tools with which to work, and the comforts of “home.” Our goal is to bring what is lacking and to arrive before “winter.”

Our renewal site, a sanitorium northwest of Kiev.

Charlotte Wright, team member from Austin said, We can not serve on the mission field but what we can do is come and encourage you women who do. A retired journalism teacher, Charlotte served as videographer of the event, her fifth renewal.

Charlotte, our expert on all things digital.

Charlotte encourages women to make the sacrifice to attend. Do whatever you have to do, beg your husband to watch the children for a week, just get there. You will go back home with so much more energy, both physical and spiritual energy, better able to handle what you have to do back home. I've seen it time and time again. 

Irena of Tomsk helps clarify the evaluation form.

Worship and intensive Bible study were centerpieces of the renewal. We began and ended each day with prayer and praise. We studied the Psalms, particularly Psalms 90 - 106, known as Book 4 of the Psalter. We focused on Psalm 103, which – it just so happens – I have committed to memory. But now, having plumbed the depths of that psalm together, I appreciate it infinitely more.

Esther serves in Crimea and Katie serves in Kharkov.

Our singing was magnificent and I was thrilled to follow accomplished altos versus being the only one. To top it off, the renewal theme song, Bless the Lord Oh My Soul, was composed by our own brother, Kostya Zhigulin composer and director of Psalom, a spiritual music ensemble, based in St Petersburg.

Each Come before Winter team includes a missionary ambassador chosen from the participants to attend the next renewal and pass along the cloak, a beloved tradition of the ministry. 

The Cloak held by Janet Allison, missionary ambassador to our renewal and Irena Rahminova, missionary ambassador to the upcoming renewal in New Zealand. (Photo: Mariana Long) 

Janet Allison, missionary in Swaziland, Africa was part of the Kiev renewal, having been chosen missionary ambassador at the previous renewal in South Africa. So then, at the closing ceremony of our renewal, Janet presented the cloak to Irena Rahimova of Tomsk, Russia, who will serve as missionary ambassador at the New Zealand renewal in June.


The renewal wrapped up Friday afternoon, we said our goodbyes and en route to the Kiev train station, the Donetsk delegation of three sisters and I stopped by Arizona Bar and Grill, a favorite of Americans passing through the capital city. We walked in and gaped at the familiar faces already there: It was the renewal team. Our sisters from the US had stopped by for a taste of home en route to the international airport.

The Arizona Restaurant in Kiev. The word that looks like PECTOPAH is Russian for restaurant, the pronunciation similar to the English word.

We joined them and I grabbed the seat next to Stephanie Hamm, a first-timer on the renewal team and a faculty member at Abilene Christian University. Working to disassemble my nachos, packed tighter than petals on a rose, I remembered the voice recorder in my purse and asked Stephanie her thoughts about the renewal.


I really loved the women sharing yesterday. (Each of us participants had three minutes to stand in front and share our thoughts from Psalm 103.) I thought it was wonderful and loved every bit of it. I loved the prayer appointments, the women sharing. (Each of us had a 45-minute prayer appointment with a team member.) I loved this time, the one-on-one with women. I had four of these. I looove meeting new people and I hope they let me come on another one, she said with a laugh.

Masha from Perm visiting over lunch.

After dinner and more goodbyes, we departed the Arizona and continued to the train station, anxious to get through the city center before the streets were blocked for the Ukrainian president and his entourage. I asked Natalia Maliuga of Ukrainian Bible Institute, Donestsk, for her impressions of the renewal.

It was really different, it was a really fresh approach, she said. I received new insights that will be very helpful to me personally and to share with others.

And that's the whole idea, to have been refreshed and equipped to return to our ministries and serve anew.

With dear sister Jeanene Reese, right. Is there anyone more sincere, more genuine? What a tireless worker she is. Back in the early 70's we were classmates at then-ACC. And since then, I cherish each time our paths cross.

Setting Goals: How High Is Unrealistic?

Setting high goals is a good thing, of course, but how high is too high? It was this apartment building in Kiev, Ukraine that got me to wondering.

Do you see anything that seems out of place here? (Click to enlarge.) If only there had been direct sunlight, if only this had been captured with a high-resolution camera versus a cell phone, the oddity might have grabbed you, too. Take a look at the 5th floor balcony. That whiteness there is no satellite dish.

We see there a very high goal, a goal set unrealistically high, IMHO.

Call me legalistic, something we first-borns tend to be, but basketball goals supposed to be 10 feet off the playing surface. And this one's, what, maybe 40 feet? That's what I call aiming for the sky. Can't help wonder the story here. . .

Made me wonder if perhaps a certain Leonid Stadnyk lives there. As you might have jotted down somewhere, he's the Ukrainian man once listed by Guinness as the tallest man in the world, at 8 foot, 4 inches. But nyet, a quick check showed that our Leo lives about 2 hours west of Kiev in the Zhitomer area.

Let's zoom on in for a closer look. Not that we're nosy or anything. Just. . . just that we're interested. And we're concerned. We see that the balcony windows are boarded up. Now that's bit odd in the summer, unless a place is abandoned. But the kitchen window is open a bit so it's likely someone's there.

I'm guessing the balcony windows haven't been opened in years. The little planter there is taking care of itself, the basketball hoop may have been nailed in place by a teenager who since has joined the army or a professional basketball team and now an elderly person lives there. This would be an elderly person who doesn't hang laundry to dry in the balcony, who doesn't enjoy a fresh breeze through those windows and who's in the survival mode. Now that would be a goal, to get out of the house and view the place from all angles.

Well, any thoughts, dear blog readers? Is this goal a cry for help?

How to Find the Ideal Husband: A Fresh Look

Several weeks ago, Christian sisters in Kharkov, Ukraine, pulled together a Saturday conference, How to Find the Ideal Husband.

Lucky for me, that weekend I happened to be in Kharkov - pronounced HAR-kov - and got to attend because, for one thing, there was no age limit. The little invite there is in Russian, as you see, but no where did it say, this is open to those up to the age of 29. So believe me, I was there taking notes, fast and furious. Because you just never know.

Fast forward to last weekend after I'd returned to Rostov. I ran into Marilyn Monroe, of all people, at a local bookstore. Imagine her being bookish on a Saturday evening. Well, Miss Monroe had crossed my mind in recent weeks. I'd been thinking how different her life might have been had she sought wise counsel about matters of the heart. So, given the chance, I'd have saved her a seat and a smile. And a listening ear. Because you just never know.

Got to admit, the topic of finding a Christian spouse is near to my heart. In decades gone by, I devoured books, prayed prayers and burned up the phone line, consumed with this mission. And then there was a book about how to synchronize ones breathing with the guy's and subtly mimic his body language, apparently to establish some sort of a bond at a primal level. Maybe I dismissed that one too quickly. But now here we are, well into the next millennium and I'm still flying solo, albeit older and wiser. So as the Saturday conference approached, I was casting about for words of wisdom just in case anyone were to ask. Or just in case.

I saw the irony of that notion and managed a smile. What could I - the poster child for holding out, for not just settling for somebody - what could I possibly know about finding a good husband? Well, chances are I had crossed paths with the perfect husband candidate and was totally oblivious. Of course, he would have found the perfect wife and married her way back when. . . back when polyester double-knits were the rage, back when the Carpenters were singing We've Only Just Begun at weddings across the land and couples gazed deeply into each others eyes for those three-plus minutes until the final And yes, we've just beguuun.

So the big day came to Kharkov. Twenty-some of us arrived breathless and pink-cheeked from the frosty streets, some of us starry-eyed, imagining the secrets we might glean on the path to true and abiding love. Our beloved sister Lucy, above, got straight to the point and we started brainstorming what we might look for in the ideal man.

Our list was pretty predictable, no big surprises there. Although now that I think about it, no one mentioned being mechanically savvy, a trait quite attractive when the car won't start. Or being a tech whiz, enormously attractive when needing a Windows upgrade. Still, those skills can be bought and all that pales next to a guy who's willing to help clean up after dinner or comfort a fussy baby. No, we were more abstract and philosophical than practical with our list.

And now a word from Mordison Agency of Weddings, posted in the Kharkov metro. Get married in Europe, USA, Canada, says the headline in blue. The red cursive below says, We want you to be happy!!! Now That's touching. As you might know, there's no shortage of men in Ukraine but still, marrying someone in the west is a ticket out of Eastern Europe. And a ticket out is, for many, the ultimate dream.

Meanwhile, back at our search for the perfect guy, Lucy pulled a surprise. Our real topic, she announced, was not about finding the right person but of becoming the right person. About being the sort of woman that the ideal man would find attractive. It was about changing the person who stares back at us from the mirror each morning. Hearing this could be painful, I figured, but certainly better than heading back out to the icy streets.

What traits in a girl would be interesting to the ideal guy? There's the usual, predictable stuff, of course. But if, farther down the list were knowing how to put up wallpaper, say, or whip up a lemon meringue pie - with meringue that doesn't turn watery - if those were on the list, I'd need to start Googling for how-to's.

Our conference presenters, all sweet young sisters, all blissfully married, might have surveyed their husbands for recommendations about the ideal woman. Here are a few highlights of our sessions. First, Katie cautioned us about our speech ~ to avoid being disrespectful or jabbering non-stop and about using inappropriate language. Then Denyce reminded us to bless others through our speech, using words that uplift and encourage.

After lunch, we had a fashion show via Powerpoint, featuring inappropriate clothing choices and how to modify them by adding a tank top or leggings, for example. We saw how a neckline or a hemline that's okay when standing becomes a problem when a person sits, reaches or bends. And now I'm remembering that iconic photo of Miss Monroe with her skirt flying up. We might need that caution too: Beware when standing over a subway vent in a billowy skirt. As if.

Lucy reminded us that our attire influences men and that when we dress modestly, we show respect for our Christian brothers as well as respect for ourselves. After lunch, Victoria, a Ukrainian sister who could pass for a high-fashion model, talked about taking care with our appearance, as a way of bringing glory to God.

And now a word from a vendor at the Kiev train station. This little thingy was perfect for Valentine's Day and the vendor patiently helped me with the translation, Hold me tight - and together we will be warm. And keeping warm sounds good when it's -20 outside.

In the final session, Olivia challenged us to consider the places we go and the things we do and to make choices appropriate for daughters of a loving God. If we're busy serving God, helping those in need and meeting with God's people, that's where we're most likely to cross paths with a Christian man who shares such values.

Lucy summarized the day, saying Don't waste time dreaming away your life. Be the person God is proud to call his daughter. Pray for God to be at work in you, changing you to be the ideal Christian woman.

So here's our after shot of the day. Guests came from several cities in eastern Ukraine including those who caught overnight trains from Donetsk and Mariupol. Special thanks to our Kharkov sisters for pulling together this day of enlightenment.

Here are Russian-language editions of familiar magazines. On the right, is the Russian version of Good Housekeeping, renamed Domestic Hearth.

Glancing at those headlines, at the Cosmopolitan in particular, I'll pass on translating. Let's just say there's quite a contrast between popular culture - or what sells magazines - and the Christian culture.

A happy ending: Last summer dear sister Lena served with us here in Rostov-on-Don, helping with our children's program. At our sister's prayer meetings each week, we prayed that our young sisters would be blessed with Christian husbands. Lena found the ideal husband by being an admirable young lady. And of course we know that this isn't the ending and to paraphrase that oldies song, They've only just begun.

Visa Adventures in L'vov, Ukraine

Greetings from Ternopil, northwest Ukraine and a quick post before I hop back on the train and head back to my beloved Rostov-on-Don. A few favorite sights of the last two weeks. Came to L'vov, Ukraine to renew my Russian visa at the Russian Consulate there. Here are a few quick highlights.

This building warms my heart. It's the Russian Consulate in L'vov.

The Russian flag a little closer. I do love this flag. Actually what's most precious is the many wonderful folks who live under this flag.

Always fun to catch up with dear Larisa in L'vov. We met on the train in September 2008 and have kept in touch. Larisa is a university professor and psycho-therapist. She's a walking encyclopedia about local history and such a lovely person. Larisa's son studies in Canada and so she understands the gypsy life quite well.



Decided to wait a week for my visa, a way to save $$$. Actually, more than that, wanted to spend time in Ivano-Frankovsk with beloved Christian friends there.

Ivano-Frankovsk is 2.5 hours south of L'vov by train. Dear brother Bogdan met me at the station. Bogdan was a priest in the Russian Orthodox church in years gone by. He has a great wife, Lydmila, and three neat teenagers. I appreciate his love for God and his deep love for the little flock he serves in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Oh, here's a familiar face. Time out for a quick photo at the Ivano-Frankovsk station. Oh, it's nippy outside. Glad I'm an Ohio girl ~ so freezing temps were part of childhood!

Apparently, it was walk-your-child-in-the-snow week in Ivano-Frankovsk. People are into getting some exposure to the sunshine, regardless of the temperature. Here's Little Miss Pink with her grandpa. Have to smile at his patience, letting Little Pinkie do her own driving.



A public beating in progress. Heard a whacking sound and saw this fellow was beating his rug in the snow. This is a common way of cleaning a small rug. Guess it works. They say it's more effective than vacuuming. Well, Mr Whacker caught me taking his photo. What could I do but wave ~ and he waved back. Seems folks are more accustomed to being photographed nowadays. Glad for that. . .




But the dearest sights of all, are seeing the faces of beloved Christian brothers and sisters. Here with dear sister Alina Timofeyovna (meaning Alina, daughter of Timothy). Loved being with her because our first names are nearly identical. More than that, she reminds me of my beloved Grandma Bauman.

Sisters in Ivano-Frankovsk were happy to tromp through snow and cold for a ladies' Bible class. So I pulled together a lesson ~ about the value of keeping a prayer journal and the blessings of memorizing scripture ~ and we had a special time together. Dear sweet Larisa, left back, baked this magnificent cake from scratch for the occasion. Larisa also walks 40 minutes to church on Sundays when the buses don't run from her neighborhood. Now that's heroic.



Back to L'vov for 2 nights to pick up my visa and wait for the train back toward Rostov. L'vov has so many historical buildings. Larisa tells me that Nazi invaders spared L'vov during WW2 in an effort to charm the locals into helping as they invaded the former USSR. So, many buildings are hundreds of years old.

Lots of new life in L'vov of course. Including this computer center. In fact, the sign above the door is basically transliterated directly from English into Russian - and says Notebook Center, pronounced almost the same as in English.

The road to Ivano-Frankovsk is that-a-way, as is the road to Ternopil, the next stop on my little trip, two hours s'east of L'vov.

So thankful for an open door to return to Russia. This is the answer to many prayers. There is never a guarantee that my visa will be renewed. That the door has remained open for me is simply the answer to so many prayers.

Remembering the Chernobyl Disaster

On this day, the 26th of April, 1986, the world's worst nuclear accident happened in Chernobyl, Ukraine. The amount of radiation released on that day was 100 times more than that of the atomic bombs dropped over Japan in 1945.

I was reminded of the Chernobyl disaster in recent weeks when traveling by train from Warsaw, Poland through northwest Ukraine to Kiev. I asked a fellow traveler about the cooling towers below and we got to talking about the disaster. He said that we were, in fact, traveling through the Chernobyl District en route to the capital.

From a distance looking north, I wondered what on earth that was.

A closer look. Later, I asked Michael Sadler, PhD, physics whiz supreme, what these were. He said that they're cooling towers at an electrical power plant and that from what's visible in the photos, they don't appear to be nuclear power plants. But you already knew all that, right?



Here's the link for the video above, Extreme Tourism at Chernobyl Ghost-Town, produced by Russia Today and Chernobyl Uncensored: A Documentary includes chilling details.

How about you, dear blog reader. Were you affected by the disaster? Do you know anyone who was?

Of Masks, Furs and Frosty Reflections

Does the staff at your McDonald's wear masks? Just wondering. Because in Kharkov, Ukraine the current McD's uniform includes face masks. And I knew that you would want to know about this. But first things first.

(Click photos to enlarge) So they're featuring this neat menu item Grill Lavash, which looks very much like what was dubbed the Greek Burger, as I recall, during the 2004 Olympic games. At least at Russian McDonald's. Makes perfect sense, right?


Here's a close-up look at the Grill Lavash. Figured we'd better shoot it quick before any more disappeared. And yes, I'm quite aware of what this bite reveals about orthodonture and such, another topic altogether. . .


So here's McDonald's staff en masque. It's something to do with swine flu. Or politics. Or maybe it's about keeping warm on a very cold day.


After lunch, or maybe before, I happened upon this sculpture just outside McD's. Bet those two kiddos wish they'd worn their knickers. Or even a strategically-placed mask. Or two or three.


In the same spot are architectural feats of local buildings. You'll forgive me for not researching the names of these places. Because, for one thing, what is more interesting is the street scene in the background. This was around 2:30 pm, approaching dusk local time.


Another local building. More traffic backed up. Oopsie: Remember to turn off your flash, gypsy girl.


Later, picking my way along Pyhskinskaya, a store window with winter hats. Each degree the temperature drops, the fur hats with ear flaps look that much more fetching.



Speaking of fetching, here's a lovely blue coat in the window. Oh, and mercy me. . . there's a familiar face too. Say, the idea of a face mask sounds pretty wonderful right now. Just simply for keeping warm. Later learned that it was -6F.

We Wall Rock You! Oh yes we well!

Greetings from Kiev, Ukraine. How about some local graffiti, mis-spellings and all. Thought you might enjoy this salute to the music group Queen.

Oh, and then along the sidewalk, this throw-back to Soviet days caught my eye. See that hammer and sickle?

Let's zoom on in closer. . .

Now there's a paradigm shift for you. Think the Red Skins might be interested in a new logo?

Graffiti in a language other than ones own can get a little tricky. Various obscenities mis-spelled can be almost funny. And I'll spare you any of that. Have to admit though that if I were tempted to scrawl on local walls - please rest assured that I have no such plans - the message would probably end up being obscene at least to the grammatical purist.