Tugging on the Heart

We arrived home this morning at 5:30 am and lay down to rest just as it began to get light. But this trip was full of tugs on the heart, emotions pulled here and there. Let me explain.

We got to Kiev Monday evening around 7 pm, got supper, checked email and went to Osikova to sleep. Tuesday, we left at 7:30 am to meet with the Tim Boyd family from Hope International Mission. We got caught in a traffic jam and didn't manage to meet them at nine. (However, when we read in a Kyiv magazine that the two previous Tuesdays, traffic jams there had been 15 kilometers long and involved 10,000 cars, we considered ourselves pretty fortunate!!) They needed a microscope for their children's home school. We set out to find one.

After we located the microscope our day was open. We went to a Ukrainian pioneer village. Historical buildings have been carefully removed from one area, brought to Kyiv and reconstructed to show how life was for Ukrainians at that time.

Here's the Boyd family.

With the other American family, for just a few hours, we weren't "foreigners." Our dress, actions and beliefs were understandable instead of strange. The children could play together and share the latest jokes. The adults could discuss challenges of ministry and family events.

But even happy times come to an end, and we had to take them back to the place where they were staying. Traffic was better. We got them there on time.

Here are Allona and Leah.

That evening we visited Allona and Vova's birth mother. She had bruises that were new since the last time we saw her. She and her companion had begun to "relax" for the evening with a bottle or two. But they held to their previous promise. They wanted Allona and Vova's little brother to have a better life. They want to give him up.

Our hearts wanted to cry for the unhappiness in the home and prayerfully hope for Dennis' future. After all that we went back to the house at Osikova, threw some wood into the "gruba," the little Russian fireplace and relaxed a little while before bed.

Wednesday we went to visit Ramon and Nadia. Their little Sasha can now walk across the room. Evelina was peeking around the corners with a cute smile. The oldest two children were in school. But there was a problem in their congregation. We discussed Bible doctrine. A young man in their services often tries to argue and make it look like his pastor, Ramon, doesn't know the Bible. The church is under fire. Ramon is under heavy pressure. Nadia is suffering, just watching the situation. Please pray. Our hearts were burdened. Oh, that God would show Himself strong!

Here are Ramon and Nadia and baby Sasha.

We went to meet Katrina Randolph at the airport. Normally a person makes it through the doors exiting customs and passport control within in an hour of landing time. She didn't come. That meant problems. We started praying. Finally about an hour and a half later she came, without suitcases. They were supposed to be in the next day.

Here's Katrina.

Thursday we began to show Katrina sights in Kyiv, waiting for her luggage to come in. We took her to the Babin Yar, a memorial to a time when a 100,000 people lost their lives, mowed down into a ravine by the Nazi soldiers.

We went to the WWII museum.
The evidence of atrocities displayed there always makes us think. Here are gloves made from human flesh that a German officer ordered for the woman in his life. Pictures show the cost to families.

The young man is leaving to fight, saying good-bye to the babe in his arms and his mother by his side. The calls for the nation to rally to defend itself through speeches, posters and pictures of tragedy were everywhere.

This one says "Mother Russia is calling you!"

This one says "All hope is on you, Red Army soldier."

My mind couldn't help but turn to the spiritual warfare and the havoc that Satan is making in lives. My mind couldn't help think how these Russian soldiers laid down their lives for their homes, for their loved ones and for their country. And today our soldiers give their lives for American freedom.

I thought of my loved ones. Here are some of them. The spiritual battle goes on in their lives as well.

I thought of the latest member of our family, little Daniel.
The words of one poster continues to tug on my heart and convict my soul.
It says, "What have you done to help the front today?"

What have I done to help the front of the spiritual warfare, raging today? What have I given for my loved ones, my country and God's cause?