The first day here in Ukraine, we spent most of our time in Ivano-Frankivsk. After a much needed night’s sleep, I was greeted by my translator, Christina, who showed me to the church building. I received a very warm greeting from the brethren upon entering. Ivan and his family, Sveta, Anya, and Ruslan, were quick to welcome me back.
I noticed the meeting room was smaller than the last time I attended, and that is largely because there were less people. It seems as though the virus has been as rough on them as it has been on us in the states. They had Ivan’s phone rigged up to watch services, not unlike our own streamed services. Ivan led singing. I presented a lesson about growing with God, both on the church level and as an individual as well. It was mostly derived from Ephesians 4. I felt this was appropriate for a fledgling congregation. Christina was also a big help as she translated for services.
After service, we all had cake and sang happy birthday to Maria. It is a great blessing to see the closeness of the brethren here. After picking up my luggage from the airport (because they lost it the day before), we left for Zelena and arrived just in time to enjoy a wonderful home-cooked meal with Galena and her family. The local delicacies were excellent and included soup, pickles, fried bread filled with sausage, and mashed potatoes and gravy topped with beef.
Later, Ivan, Sveta, Christina and I all checked into the mountain lodge in the village to bed down for the night. The accommodations were excellent despite being in a very remote location.
I am looking forward to visiting with the local schools and townspeople tomorrow.
Caleb Colquitt
Zelena, Ukraine
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