Leader: Elizabeth
Team Members: Shauna, Holly, Laura, Dilara, Brenton, Kristina, Michael, Nelson, and Courtney
Task: Serving the orphans of Ukraine
Departure @ CBU Globe: Monday, June 8 @ 10:30 am
Update #1: Tuesday, June 9 -The team has arrived safely into Kiev. All of their bags made it to their final destination. They had a great dinner at the headquarters in Kiev and are trying to stay awake until 10 pm local time. They will be heading to the orphanage tomorrow morning. More to come later!
Update #2: Saturday, June 13 - Sent via a text message. Everyone on the team is going great. Today, we hosted a carnival. We'll be going to church tomorrow morning. The food in the orphanage is challenging as it is every year. Pray for energy and patience. - Elizabeth
Update #3: Sunday, June 14 - Elizabeth called in to give a brief update.
We are actually all doing really great. No health problems. No team problems. We finished out the week really strong. We are really enjoying our kids and working with our Ukrainian teammates.
We are struggling with the language barrier which can be frustrating at times. We are quite tired at end of long days. And yes the food is challenging. We are served plenty, but it is sometimes hard to swallow.
This morning, we went to the Ukrainian Baptist Church and saw the town this afternoon after a nap. Tonight, we will be leading a chapel service for our kids. Overall, we are doing great and going strong.
Update #4: Tuesday, June 16 - Elizabeth sent in a very brief update via text message:
The entire team is doing really well. Please pray for patience with our kids and for the challenging language barrier that we encounter every minute of every day. The food is also causing many upset stomachs. To be honest, we are tired and hungry, but we are also having a good time. Just pray for our spirits to be lifted and encouraged.
Update #5: Thursday, June 18 - Elizabeth sent in a very brief update via text message:
The team is doing really well. We've been going into town to buy fruit and snacks. Keep praying for patience! More updates to come soon.
Update #6: Tuesday, June 23 - Elizabeth sent in another very brief update via text message:
We are still doing well. We had a picnic at the lake on Sunday; however, this stirred up bad allergies for most of us. Please pray that we find the energy to finish our last week strong. We leave for Kiev on Saturday morning, so we only have a few more days with our kids.
Update #7: Saturday, June 27 – We arrived safely back in Kiev. It was really hard to leave our kids; however, all of us are ready to come home. Tomorrow, we are going sightseeing and spending some time debriefing our entire ISP experience. Although we are staying in a different place tonight, we’ll finally be able to reunite with Team Ukraine B tomorrow. Please pray for:
· Good processing time as we transition out of the orphanage.
· Our kids that we have loved on and invested in.
· Safe travels home and renewed energy.
- Kristen on behalf of Elizabeth
Arrival @ LAX: Monday, June 29 @ 7:05 pm - AF 64 from Paris