The most momentous part of the summer was obviously my time in Kiev, Ukraine. That was an incredible experience. Getting to see a different part of the world, a different country, encounter a different culture, and serve my God and His Kingdom. I was in Kiev with a team from my church for two weeks, working with Jim and Marianna Peipon, who are medical missionaries. We worked in two separate three day camps. The first camp was with children in the community, some of whom may have HIV or have lost a parent or parents to the virus. Even though at times it was stressful, it was great to get to work with these children and tell them things that they might not get to hear otherwise. The second camp was at Kiev's main children's hospital. Several of them were HIV+ and others had other diseases. It was heartbreaking to see them and how skinny and sick-looking they were, but the response to the Bible lessons was great. One very sick child answered the question "What did Jesus do for us?" by saying "He died on the cross for us." It warmed my heart to hear him say that and to see his mother sitting beside him smiling and nodding along with the lesson. As I look back on that time, I wish I could have asked the children what they thought about the idea of heaven, a place with no sickness or pain. Do we, in America, healthy, very few major health problems, have a grasp on the concept of a place with no sickness, pain, or suffering? Healthy and happy forever? Surely we do not understand it or react to it as these children might.
Pray for Ukraine. Pray for these children. Pray that the Word of God might work in their hearts, that they might believe. Pray that all the Earth might sing to the glory of our Maker.
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