Amazing Journey

My plan was to leave Berdyansk at 4:00 on Wednesday afternoon and head out to Zaporizhia, (I still haven't got the spelling to that one yet so I will call it Zap). I am tired of putting out the money and have been in this country long enough that it is time to do what Ukrainians do when they want to go to Zap, they hop on the Masuka(big 18 passenger van). I have been looking at these vehicles for 2 months, I even know how to act when I get on them, look out the window and don't smile. I can do this! We take off, and I have no idea what will take place on the other end. I don't know how to speak Russian, so what do I do when I get off the bus? I have a dual purpose in going to Zap, one is to have a paper signed that the lawyer typed up for Marina and the other is to meet Nancy to visit and plan a mission trip that is in the makings for this summer in Orphanage #3 in Zap. Everytime Nancy and I talk on the phone, we have no clear picture of how we are going to get together or what is going to happen on the other end. We only know that she has spent 2 amazing days in Kherson with the Agape team and they have set us up with a pastor in Zap to spend Wednesday night. Who, how and when are all good questions, but we have no answers until...it happens. I get off the bus and call Nancy. Her driver doesn't even know if they are in Zap or not. He is not familiar with Zap. They are to pick up a person, Olea, that will guide them to the pastor's house and hopefully to me. He has no clue where the bus station is and how long it will be before they can get to me. It is not like a bus station in America, it is dark and uncomfortable. I am not going to hang out there so I have to make a plan fast. I got it... There is one thing I know about Zap that will put Nancy and I together because everyone in Zap knows the same thing. Zap. has MacDonalds and only one MacDonalds!!! Everyone loves Zap MacDonalds and at this moment in my life, I do too. I jump into an Ukrainian taxi and tell the driver, MacDonald palshoota(please) and 10 minutes later, I am at the golden arches in Zap for the first time in my life. Pretty nice place, it looks very American. Nancy and I have planned to meet there, I arrive at 7:15 and she arrives at 8:45. It seem like hours and hours and hours. She ran out of minutes on her phone, so I lost contact with her. The only communication we have now is our Heavenly Father, prayer and more prayer. I had a chi (tea) inside, then decided to wait outside due to the extremely loud music inside. Watching what was going on outside was similar to watching an x rated movie. It was hard to believe the immorality that was going on in public. My heart was grieving for these people, how terribly sad. I did make a friend, out of the blue this black mix lab comes over and sits by me. Is this an angel? He stayed there for at least a half hour and 5 minutes after it leaves I hear, Fran, Fran is that you? Yeah...Nancy!

We do end up at the pastor's house, an wonderful family in a beautiful home. The pastor and his wife rolled out the red carpet for us. Nancy speaks little Russian, the 14 year old boy spoke little English and we would able to have a nice evening together. There were 4 children, one a tiny baby. What a breath of fresh air for me.

In the morning we were feed, showered, and off to meet our goals. We visited the orphanage and had lunch there and then set out to get this document signed. No easy task, I should have figured. We were sent all over the place looking for one lady. This was all done by cell phones, text messages, translators, and Olea, a person that gets the job done. Amazing! The paper is signed. We have just done what I call the Ukrainian blast. It just spins my head around to see the speed and confusion that happens when a document in Ukraine has to get signed.

Time to regroup. Nancy is getting on a train to start her journey home to the states. I am catching a Masuka to return to Berdyansk. We have met a some new friends. Olea (part of Agape in Zap), and Karla (a translator), both are true servants of the Lord. Before we part Olea announces we are going to MacDonalds! Isn't that the perfect ending to this day, I just love the Lord.

How have I seen the Lord in the last 24 hours? At 1:00 Wed. afternoon, my lawyer and I are talking. I walk out to buy a phone card and return to find another man has joined us. This man personally know the Minister of Sports, Family, and Youth. The very person that we need to talk to. When I left for the phone card we were discussing how we could ever get this person to talk to us! At 4:00 I am on the bus to Zap. Up until this moment, I wasn't sure if this is what God would have me to do. I was back and forth with Nancy, not knowing if I would be there or in Berdyansk. The answer came, I had to have this paper signed. I had angels all around me the whole time, I could tell by the peace I was feeling. All the dots connected at the end of the day, Nancy and I got together. We met an incredible servant, Olea, who spends her young life of 23 years old, teaching orphan children about God and giving them self worth by knowing how much God loves them and how special they are in the eyes of God. I returned to Hotel Berdyansk by the end of the evening on Thursday with enough time and energy to blog my journey and review how great God is.

Friday we meet Galina, the orphanage director. I do not expect her to say yes, but it is in God's hands. I know that I have done all that I can do, Rick and I have battled because our love for Marina is so deep. That is the most obvious place to see God, is the love He gave us for this precious young girl, how honored I am that God choice us to give that love to.
It is 10:30 p.m. on Thursday night and I am sitting at the internet cafe with tears streaming down my face, bathing in God's love. That is how I have seen God working in my life the last 24 hours.