After three planes, a ten-hour car ride and a total of 36 hours of travel time we made it to the Ukraine.  With a team from Canada, we all arrived safely last night to Nikopol. Justin and I feel blessed to be here and already we’ve heard some heart-warming stories from team members as we worked together today, sorting clothes to give away.

My first impression of Ukraine was a warm gust of air as I stepped off the plane, weather that felt like fall in Canada, sunny with a hint of crispness. The airport was nice and we had no problems getting through Customs.

The car ride gave us a chance to see some of the capital city and countryside before it got dark. As we drove through Kiev, it was interesting to see how dressed up people were just to go to the market or to take their baby for a walk. Our HFL leader, Mary, said that Ukrainians feel valued if they dress nice, and even if they are very poor, they try to have at least one nice outfit. From what I could see out the windows, as we past through little towns, there’s a real mix of aged buildings from Ukraine’s tattered past combined with more modern establishments, such as gas stations that could be dropped into Canada and fit right in. The buildings are symbols to me that Ukraine is trying to move forward by modernizing. Team member Peter Rempel says that when he first started coming to Ukraine the airport was just a shack. Now it too has modernized with an elegant glass front and modern features inside.

We stopped for dinner at a hunter-themed restaurant complete with a stuffed wolf and camo paint, and had a delicious borsht dinner. After dinner it quickly got dark and most of the team members drifted off to sleep as the van bounced along the fairly decent road. The project partners here in Nikopol, John and Nadia, are Mary’s sister and brother-in-law, so it was all the more special to meet them and be welcomed into their beautiful home where we are staying. The guesthouse absolutely took my breath away. It’s a brick and concrete farm house that has been lovingly renovated by Mary’s family. Every detail, from the crown molding to the wooden staircases, has been done with excellence in craftsmanship and care. Nadia has been so welcoming, and we have feasted like kings—and it is only day one! She told us at lunch that this is her way to show her appreciation for a team coming, and that she wants to do everything to the best of her ability to honour us as guests in her home. She obviously puts a lot of love into everything she does and already I am starting to see why people who come here on a missions trip seem to come back again.

The team will be doing many projects over the next 12 days, including hosting banquets, doing church renovations, cleaning a rehab home, home visits to widows and the bedridden, a visit to an orphanage, handouts of 300 food bags and 300 hygiene bags, and lots of clothing distributions. We will have a chance to tag along with the team for much of the time and we look forward to seeing how they connect with those people that everyone else has left, forgotten or neglected. I praise God there are people willing to give of their time and money to help the poorest of the poor and that we have the chance to gather stories of how hope has come to the Ukraine through Christ’s followers.

Note from HFL: Justin and Lorene will have limited access to the internet while in Ukriane, click here to view the Chilliwack Group’s Ukraine blog to get more updates.

We’ve got a bit of time before our next flight and discovered a free WiFi connection in the McDonalds here at the Frankfurt, Germany airport, so I wanted to write a brief update.

It’s hard to believe we are so far from home now. Justin and I left for the Vancouver airport at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. It is now almost 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night back home, but here in Germany it’s almost 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. People are having breakfast and coffee, watching the sun rise for the last half hour or so.

Our first flight took us from Vancouver to Toronto in four and a half hours. On the flight we did devotions and I opened up my Bible to Psalm 24. I think the first two verses are going to be part of my daily reading as we travel.

‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; For He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” – Psalm 24: 1-2

I love this passage because it reminds me that no matter where I am in the world, it is the Lord’s territory. If I’m in Chilliwack or Cranbrook, if I’m in the Ukraine or Uganada, the Lord is there also. It’s funny how these passages that seem so simple can have such impact when you’re faced with new circumstances.

Our second flight felt incredibly long with the seven and a half hour flight from Toronto to Frankfurt. Anyway, just wanted to briefly update as we continue on our way. We’ll be sure to share some of our first impressions of the Ukraine and what we’re discovering when we get settled and find internet at our destination in Nikopol, Ukraine.