Home Safely

Barb arrived home today, Saturday afternoon after a long day of travel. The three days in Amsterdam were great. Met with many dear women and invested time developing relationships. There were many opportunities for ministry that God arranged. It was a blessing to see what He is doing. There are many women checking out the HH studies as well as some women from Crossroads International Church that want to move forward. I enjoyed some time out and about the city…two beautiful sunny days to enjoy the canals, the park and a bike ride.  Ahhh…it is so good to be home!! Teresa has been home a few days and enjoyed time with her hubby, kids &, grandchildren and that new little wee baby girl and is adjusting back to a 10 hour time change. As we look back on the past 18 days we have seen God protect, provide, arrange ministry, touch & stir hearts and use us in so many ways that humble us as we serve such a loving powerful sovereign GOD!! What a blessing it has been to be a part of what God is doing in Ukraine and Holland. Pray for us as we follow up and pray about a return trip next spring. Pray for God to bring fruit and to call women to be courageous and to step up to leadership and to bring this ministry to so many hurting women. We shared the statistic that there are 3 million abortions in Ukraine each year…it is staggering when you look at the former Soviet Union countries that are not even maintaining their populations. There was no doubt that God is doing a might work in that land and we are blessed to play a small part!

Friday Update

Almost at the end of our trip! Actually Teresa arrived home safely…she says the trip home was an adventure…more later. Barb enjoyed an awesome day in Amsterdam…even more special because it didn’t look like it was going to happen. A sad goodbye as these two ministry partners parted ways early yesterday morning …sigh. Barb took a morning walk along the canals, stopped for coffee and a bagel and enjoyed this delightful place! Had a lunch meeting at Carolyn’s with a gal that works with women thru Ywam in Amsterdam and a dear gal from Israel. Spent the afternoon biking through the parks & along the canals. Warm and sunny. Tulips blooming and green trees popping out…lovely. God provided a wonderful soft bed at a hotel in the city….a gift. Beautiful sunny morning! Today off to breakfast in the city after some lazy time in bed with my bible. Two ministry meetings. This afternoon with our two HH leaders & 2 former clients, and then dinner with a Calvary Chapel pastor’s wife. Staying by the airport and flying out at 8 am tomorrow morning, Lord willing. Flight confirmed. Bittersweet feelings…glad to be heading home to my hubby as well as sadness leaving behind so many dear friends in Ukraine and Amsterdam. God has gone before us, been with us, and will be working in the lives of many….we are blessed beyond words! “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, My glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! Psalm 57:7-11

Departing

Great to be on our way!

Amsterdam

We arrived safely in Amsterdam. We enjoyed staying with our friend in her delightful canal house last night. Teresa is off to the airport. It is a rainy morning. Barb is rearranging a few ministry meetings and off to explore a bit. Maybe even a bike ride around the canals! Pray for safety today for both of us as we are out and about & for God’s perfect plan for today.

Flying the friendly skies…

Word has it that we are flying today at 545 pm…to Amsterdam, Holland and my flight has been confirmed for tomorrow from Holland to the Great USA!  Barb was planning to stay an extra two days in Holland so her flight is not scheduled to leave until Saturday from Amsterdam to her home in Holland , Michigan.  Praise the Lord she should be able to meet with our ministry contacts during her “extra” time there as planned. Pray that the contacts will also have openings in their schedules to meet with Barb.  All is well!  Thank you JESUS!

As we wait…

I was thinking today about a card that I have in my office in my home on Samish Island stating, The very thing that God does in you WHILE you wait is at least as important as the thing for which you wait.  God’s way are always right and good and He is for us at all times!  He is also willing to allow times of waiting and times of wondering to perfect us in every good way!  He sits above the circle of the earth and all of the inhabitants below are as grasshoppers!  This is found in Isaiah somewhere but my Bible is upstairs on my little bunk bed.

Our devotion from this morning…Psalm 33:8-15.  “God is all knowing.  He knows everything that has happened or is happening or will happen.  Everything.  God never needs to correct his mistakes, because He never makes any mistakes.  Everything that God does is perfect and right and altogether beautiful.  And nothing is hid from His sight.  Therefore God understands all our problems and troubles perfectly.  Sometimes our lives seem complicated to us but to Him everything is simple and plain.

There is consolation here.  Even if nobody else sympathies with us, God understands us and is willing to hear us whenever we pray to Him.  The door to His heart is never shut.”

Right now, Barb is on the phone with KLM and so far it appears as if God will make a way for us to fly today to Amsterdam and it appears as if the plane from Amsterdam that we will fly on is … IN THE AIR!  We are still awaiting confirmation of our flight but so far so good.  Stay tuned.  Our next post could be from Amsterdam ,Praise God!  Thank you for your many prayers…

GO GOD!

Things are looking UP!

It is a Seattle kind of day in Kiev.  We slept in, had a lazy morning…sweet time with the Lord and in His Word.  We met Vanessa for lunch and enjoyed catching up with her.  After walking “home” we jumped on line and found some encouraging news…the Kiev airport is now operating normally and had many arrivals and departures today.  Schiphol airport has limited arrivals and departures, so we are hopeful that our flight tomorrow evening will depart normally.  We will be checking with KLM in the morning and will update you as soon as we know.  Keep praying!

Flights?

We have finally (after three hours and draining our phones) gotten through to a live person who speaks English and our flight for today is cancelled.  Tomorrow’s flights were all booked and we have a reservation for Wednesday although we were told to call on Wednesday morning to see if the flight will actually take place.  We are choosing joy and to remember all of the faithfulness of God and His goodness towards us.  Today while trying to call a young girl walked in to the kitchen where we were working and she washed, cut and gave us two lovely apples (perhaps she was an angel) we were soooo hungry.  Indeed God is with us and so sweet.  The American Pastor of this church where we are staying has offered us free housing until we fly out and they also gave us warm oatmeal cookies and helped Barb to get connected to the airlines to finally find out NEWS!  We will pray about our next two days in Kiev and the Lord will lead us in every way!  Perhaps there are more women to hear the Great NEWS that we have brought with us to Ukraine…

Our devotion for today held these encouragements…

O My daughter, give Me your heart for out of it are the issues of life.  For I say unto you, My hand is upon you and I will keep you in all places wherever you go.  Yes, I am thy God and I am thy Father, and I shall care for you and provide for you according to all that you need.  Yes and I shall be at your side ready to help whenever you call upon Me.  I am not unmindful of your needs and My concern is for you alone.

You do not need to carry your own load for I will be happy to help you carry it and to also bear you up as well.  You do not walk alone nor meet any situation alone, for I am with you and I will give you wisdom and I will give you strength and My blessing shall be upon you.  Only keep your heart set upon Me and your affections on things above, for I cannot bless you unless you ask Me and I cannot answer if you do not call and I cannot minister to you except when you come to Me.

Heaven’s resources are at your command and you need never to want, so long as I am your Shepherd.  Think not in your heart that since I know all about you, you need to not tell Me.  It is true that I know, but you need to tell Me so that in the telling you may experience the release of an open heart and the fellowship of a Friend.

For as you open your heart to Me, I will come to you.  As you speak to Me I will speak to you.  As you reveal yourself to Me, I will reveal Myself to you.  This is a law of life.  There must be action to bring reaction.  There must be a question to bring an answer.  There must be an expression of love and confidence on the part of one person to arouse a corresponding response in another person.

Never presume upon My presence.  Never assume that knowing your need, I will automatically supply.  Ask, and it will be given.  Call upon Me and I will answer you.  Tell Me that you love Me, and I will make your heart to know in a very real way My love for you and My nearness and you shall never feel alone.

Welcome Me into your heart, and the more you sense My presence within you, the more you shall feel at home no matter where you are in  life.   Forget everything else, but never forget this.

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What a timely word for our hearts!  Off to downtown to buy more minutes for our drained phones and to fill up our drained tummys.  Thanks for your prayers!  We need them.

A pending adventure…

It is 9:30 in the evening here and we had an enjoyable day attending services at Transformation Church and then lunch with Pastor Peter and his wife Anya and their children.  The Marchenkos are precious friends that we met nine years ago and it is always a blessing to see them.  As you well know, the Volcano has been creating difficulties for airports and travelers all over Europe.  Please pray for us as we are due to depart to Amsterdam tomorrow (Monday) at 5:50 pm.  We did hear that the Borispol Airport opened again this evening and hoped to stay open tomorrow, Lord willing.  We do not know about the airport in Amsterdam, at this time.  We appreciate your prayers and will update this along the way! At the present time we are sitting in our little kitchen at the Church and are eating granola for dinner….hmmmmm.  Can anyone say PIZZA DELIVERY please?  Also, please pray for Camille and Sue as they are supposed to travel through Amsterdam on their way to Uganda on Tuesday.  The Lord is GOD!

Kiev Conference, separated on the subway and volcanic ASHtivity!

Greetings from the little kitchen of the Christ Cathedral Church where we are staying!  What a great day we had.  Today we had an all day conference in Kiev and 60 women were in attendance.  Lera our friend and former translator was able to join us for the day and helped Yulia to translate.  It was awesome to see Lera and to work with her again!  Our conference was held from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm and it was a rich time of ministry.  After worship and a great time of teaching the women openly shared their responses to the day and what they had heard and experienced.  There were lots of tears and a passion to share such things with others and to bring this ministry to more women and to more churches.  A few of the women shared their own stories of abortion and their need for healing.  One woman who had been forced to abort, asked us with tears in her eyes, if her baby was in heaven?  (sigh with hope)  After the conference we were traveling home on the subway and Teresa jumped on and Barb got left behind.  (Oh MY)  As I waved good bye we followed our rule getting off at the next stop.  We had a good laugh.  As you have heard, Mount SOMETHING OR OTHER has erupted and ash has shut down the Kiev and Amsterdam airports.  It does not look optimistic, the ash is getting worse and shows no signs of stopping.  We are trusting in God and in His plan knowing that He made the mountain and all things are in His control.  Please pray for WIND to blow in the correct direction according to His will.  We are due to fly to Amsterdam on Monday eve Lord willing.  Sorry, no pics today, we are so tired and are off to bed.  Will add pics tomorrow!  Gnight.