This time last year my head was swimming as Kimberly and I were the process of adopting our children. It has been a neat experience to be back at the seminary, after last year’s 40 day experience. The adoption journey allowed me to pick up a few words that make for a good time with the students, and more importantly, gave me a better perspective on the rest of the country. Most of these students come from outside of Kiev, and if you only see Kiev, you really haven’t seen the country.
After an encouraging day preaching at a local church plant, where my friend Ben serves, I began preparing for Monday’s four-hour class and proceeded to lecture on the topic of mentoring. We then took up the subject of the life-cycles of a church. Today we discussed Nehemiah in general, and casting vision for a local church in particular. Throughout the two days, I’ve posted the top five questions that each student wanted to talk about, with regard to church leadership, and periodically addressed them before and after each break. So far, here are a few of my highlights:
- Being with my friend, Joel and his bride: Joel knows me and has given me some needed words of encouragement and affirmation. One person has said, “Younger guys should respect their elders, and elders should love their juniors.” Joel loves his juniors in deed and truth. When I arrived, Joel and I went to get the store to get some supplies (since I had no luggage). When it was time to pay, I put down enough foreign money to cover the cost; the only problems was that it was Nigerian money. The lady looked at me so funny… it was hilarious. I said, “it’s 1,000, why don’t you want it?”
- Teaching a group of guys who have serious challenges: I’m always encouraged and feel overprivileged, actually spoiled, when I come here and talk with these students.
- Talking to a church planter from Azerbaijan today – what an amazing story.
- Discussing all things church: I love the church and I love talking about it to students with passionate hearts. I’m challenging them to plant churches and mentor younger guys and several other topics that I love to talk about.
- Preaching on Sunday and in chapel: It’s always a privilege to preach the Gospel, particularly in another country. I’m not a great preacher in English; I’m even more humbled in another tongue. God has spoken in some powerful ways despite, or perhaps because, of this feeling of inadequacy.
- Eating fish soup in the cafeteria. Okay, that’s not a highlight.
- Replacing the Ukrainian toilet paper with good stuff. Okay, too much information.
- Being over here in April, not Jan.
- Having dinner on Wednesday night with my facilitator last year, Sasha. I had the best soup I’ve ever had over here. And our discussion was lively and entertaining.
- Having some time alone. This has been a sweet trip for me and Kimberly. She’s been in DC at an International Justice Mission gathering, and I’ve been able to reflect and read and think. I’ll be ready to get back and preach Sunday morning/evening, and I’ll definitely be ready to the see the kids; but God has been kind to me this week in quiet moments of reading and reflection.
Daspajamas