River of Joy Camp ~ July 8 - 17, 2011 NEW EDIT

This year we followed the TLOT camp at ROJ. We had only a few days to get our
camp ready, but some of the tents we just left in place. The grounds were left clean
thanks to a attentive TLOT staff.

Our ROJ camp has focused on young school age children. This formula works well for
the Christian workers from Brilliance and Dnieperderzhinks who have come in to help
us for the past three years. .

Chief among our ROJ Camping staffers from up-country 

is camp Diretor Olga. She has a great sense of humor but takes the

camping ministry seriously. She learns new methods every year

and our camps keep getting better and better.

The theme this year was, "City of Light."  On the first night

the staff dressed up and took on the roll of city officials.

We had 30 children at ROJ Camp this year.

We had planned on 33 but...

The evening meeting is a time of presentations, skits, praise and worship and testimonies. 

The weather has been hot during the first few days of the camp, but the cooler evening air 

invigorates the meeting. It is popular with ROJ campers.

Avenir leads worship. Avinir is a Bulgarian who lives in Southern Moldova.

His family became refugees in Moldova during the second Balkan War

in 1913 when Turkey took much of the Bulgarian territory and

and the lives of Christians there were endangered.

At River of Joy camp life long friendships are established.

River of Joy is a place of peace where children of all ages can get alone with

their maker, all the while enjoying God's beautiful creation. Vlada here is actually

the niece of our camp director. She had behavior problems in the first camp this year

but she repented during the ROJ camp and she has changed considerably. 

Her aggressiveness has softened in the Savior's presence.

The children learn new things, like how much God loves them and

how to smile for a photo, something unusual for a Russian child. 

The boys got a full taste of God's love for them too. Smiles

got more frequent and friendships flourished.

We learned God's Word together and worked to

learn it better than the other team did. Learning together

and working together made it work in and for us.

Memories of our beginnings here.

Back when we bought this property, thanks to money sent us by Northern Ireland International Children's Charity appeal, the look of the grounds was quite different. Over the years, step-by-step we have been cleaning the place up. Malone College students helped us by removing 

that messy barn in the foreground of this photo. 

As we find more memories we will continue to edit this post, so stop back in

to see what else we had before we upgraded. 

back in the USSR!

I just got back from an adventuresome trip to Predniestrovia, the Moldovan break-off Republic
between Ukraine and the Dniester river. I visited my friend Marik Fashevsky where I enjoyed
the fellowship with his father Roman and the food preparations of his mother, Ludmila.

The whole trip was mostly about renewing my welcome n Ukraine, which wears out more frequently
now that Internal affairs has determined not to register the K (cultural) visa. Now I must leave Ukraine
every three months if I am to stay legal. Legal is a status my heavenly father wants for me so I gather
from the pages of Holy Writ (Titus 3:1,2). So as I told Roman and Marik I will be seeing them more frequently now. Perhaps the Lord will show me a way for this quarterly break to bear fruit for His kingdom.

I was nervous about this trip because it was my first with an unregistered  K visa and since customs and border police are part of Internal Affairs it could be that the same people that refused to register the visa in the first place might find some reason not to let me pass through the border control.

I was also having to leave between the end of the The Least of These children's camp and the River of Joy children's camp, using money for the trip I would rather use to serve the Lord as a servant of healing to Ukrainian children and their families. The ROJ camp begins on the 8th, just two days after my return from this whirlwind trip.

So on the last day of the TLOT camp I left for Simferopol. I had some nice fellowship with the COJCFG church family Sunday Morning in town, ate lunch with Mitaxia and Dr. Laura near church and caught the train to Odecca that afternoon with the help of Oleg Loboda. The next morning at 8:30 when I disembarked I asked the Dovidka (Information desk) when and where I could catch a bus to Tiraspol Predniestrovia. She said the soonest I could catch one would be at the central Bus Station at 1:35. I had to catch city bus 84 at the train station first though. I waited awhile to catch that bus, found central Bus station and went
in to buy a ticket.

The ticket agent told me I could catch the 9 AM bus! I looked at my watch. It was 8:55 AM! I bought a ticket, her last one for that bus, and got on just before the bus took off....AND BOY DID IT EVER TAKE OFF! The bus driver had a lead foot and his smaller bus had a stiff suspension. On the little chuck-hole ridden highway it was like a bucking bronco training session. I was in the far back center of the bus trying to keep my rear end on the seat. My attempt was far from successful. Maybe I should have awaited a later bus.

We filled out some standard Arrival / Departure cards on the bus. That can be a real challenge as you bounce off your seat at high speed.

On the Border
They did as they always have done at that border and called out the "Grazhdan America" (me) for special attention after our baggage had been scanned. I had to get off the bus and go into a tiny office and tell an older uniformed border guard what I was up to and why I was leaving Ukraine. I told him and he blessed me! I left feeling as though the prayers that have been offered for me about this trip are being well answered.

The Predniestrovia flag 

features the hammer and sickle symbol on a red field

with a green stripe across the middle. Christian ministries

are seemingly undisturbed there so what the symbol

really means remains a mystery to me.

One thing I enjoyed about Predestrovia the first time I visited her

villages is the way people decorate the gables

on their otherwise unassuming houses..

The owner of this house must have gotten a new scroll saw with his load of lumber

So the evening of July 4th I met Nikolai. He was interested in a spiritual 

conversation. We talked about such matters until Midnight. I had a nice rest 

and the morning of the fifth Marik took me to the Tiraspol bus station.

It was good to have him along as my grevna were no good for the fare.

he told me to assure my friends that he would be able to

receive them any time after July 26th when his

current guests will have left.

At the Border Again

As we approached the border I had my departure paper all ready to go

and saved back my Ukrainian Arrival/Departure slips for the Ukraine side.

I was called out and went to see what the Moldovan customss wanted. They told me there

was a problem because my Moldovan entry visa had not been registered. I told them

that Marik had assured me that if I did not stay in the country 24 hours I did not 

need to get registered. They tried to frighten me. Told me that the 24 hours

"Sutki" starts and stops at 12 midnight. I asked them, "What should I do?" One said.

"go back!" I said. "That does not work for me as I have a train ticket bought

from Odecca to Simferopol. If I go back I could miss the train. I said Marik 

had lots of experience bringing in people. I wanted to register my visa but 

he said it is not necessary. I asked if the 12 o'clock change is something new.

They asked me my business in Predniestrovia. I told them of my work

with Ukrainian kids and of Mariks similar work. They said, "It is a good thing you

are doing. just leave a little gift for coffee for our boss and you can go." I laid down 

200 grevna. Later I texted Marik and he was saddened by this.

On the Ukrainian side there was no call out! My visa was processed with the rest. 

They did throw me a curve of sorts however. They stamped my departure slip rather 

than my passport with the visa stamp.

Anyway, I am now good for another 3 months.

...and the work goes on.

Love & Blessings,

David

The "BIG STORM" Day ~ "a little child shall lead them"

Yesterday we were to have had a huge storm. I had earlier scheduled 

in a few builders to help me fix a few details, but the weatherman here 

was telling us to expect a BIG STORM. We had been getting some 

rain every day all week, The day was to have put a real capper on 

the week's weather, and not exactly what we
wanted for a tent camp. 

I cancelled the work day. 

The day turned out ... P E R F E C T L Y  ! ! !  

A few cloud flotillas sailed by in a deep blue sky, warmish but not hot. 

Just delightful.

Someone must have prayed about the weather.

The children at TLOT camp were off to the mountain on a happy excursion.

I decided to go part way with them, then break off and go visit a Tatar who

had told me he had some riverside property for sale one day when 

he was delivering potatoes from his garden to us.

Along our road I had fun running ahead and then catching their action

as they marched singing up the little dirt road I walk down often

to the bus stop or to our little country grocery store.

But then came a fork in the road and the trail that leads to our cliff and other

heights broke off left. The children started up the trail. I started to go the

other way but my little friend Ivan grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

It seemed like a 'God thing' so I didn't resist.

"...and a little child shall lead them. " 

Isaiah 11:6b

I put off my real estate talk and began to muse on some of the

Biblical passages that mention children.

                      For ye were sometimes darkness, 

                                               but now are ye light in the Lord: 

                                                                       walk as children of light: 

                                                              Ephesians 5:8

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 

Ephesians 5:1  

  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, 

that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:15-17

The Holy Scriptures mention child or children over 1500 times! 

Children must be very important to Father God.

Today it sprinkled. The children took another hike anyway.

Love and Blessings in Christ,

David

 Jesus, however, said, 

"Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away.                                                         

For the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these." 

Matthew 19:14 ISV

CONTRARY WINDS and TENT CAMPING

We had some winds blow us about this week. Wind is a blessing or a problem depending upon its direction, its force and our preparedness for it. The rushing mighty wind of the Holy Spirit drove the early ekklesia forward with supernatural power. For most it was a great blessing, but for Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) business as usual cost them their lives. When the wind of revival blows, the Spirit born and led are moved, but those who are playing at faith are buried by their own hypocrisy.

This is the largest sleeping tent used this week. It sleeps nine girls.

Saint Paul's voyages across the Mediterranean sometimes met with contrary winds like Euroclydon (the East wind) which came with force and drove the sailing vessel along or forced a run to safe harbor. A wind that God hurled over the sea (Jonah 1:4) forced Jonah to stop snoring and abandon ship for less comfortable transport. But Jesus, who also liked to sleep in boats, when He was awakened by his frightened disciples, just commanded the wind to stop. Tt did. I prefer Jesus' way of dealing with wind issues. I would rather sail than bail to live in a whale of a jail. But Jesus always did what the Father wanted. Jonah was a rebel.
When he was unceremoniously washed up on shore, something smelled fishy about the rebellious prophet.

More girls tents. Guess they left for breakfast in a hurry!

This week winds brought rain and even hail at one point! It made for some wet picnics now and again. We had a series of wind generated power failures that day. A patio umbrella flew into a lamp post and the lamp post was brought down. Later everything was repaired. We learned a few things about preparedness.

The brightly colored "4 man" tents to the right are the ones I bought last week to replace

the ones that were stolen. They actually only sleep three. A 4 man rating may be about Asian sized people.

The tent of meeting is an old Soviet Army Tent. We are praying for a nice

modern one like the ones the Norwegians gave Krasno Armiesk church for

village evangelism. Well, at least this one is not likely to be stolen.

Other catastrophes were more about the modern way of manufacturing for planned obsolescence. I already wrote about the gas regulator failure after less than three years of service.  We had a door hardware failure after two days, and honored guests locked in their room as though prisoners. Praise the Lord we were able to release the guests and after an unsuccessful repair that repeated the embarrassment we found the man who sold us the door hardware was willing to replace it at no charge. The regulator replacement only ran about $5. But with gas prices so high, taxi fare to town and back was the big expense ($20),. OK, some days I wait for a bus for hours and only pay $1.50 - $3 RT. I honestly believe one purpose for which God created Ukraine was to teach us patience. Experience is the toughest teacher. She gives the tests first and the lessons afterwards.   Love & Blessings, David

A STEP AHEAD JUST IN TIME ! A NEW CAMP!

Getting ready for camping season this year was a challenge beyond imagination. Thank the Lord we had an involved building crew who worked up until the first day of camp, waiting weeks for their paychecks without complaint. "The Least of These" Camp started at 1 PM on the 23rd and that is exactly when we had the site ready (except for the balustrade and the water feature... art came after function as we raced to finish.

The first mid-day meal (obed). Borscht on the menu. 44 children and 18 councilors were well shaded by the new ROJ 3 meter by 4 meter umbrellas which God had lead me to JIT.

This first meal was prepared on backup. 

We had a gas explosion as the propane tank regulator was not doing

its job, This was to be only its third year of use! They just don't make 'em like they used to.  The little street stove was toasting in the middle of a dangerous fire! I ran for the new hose and hosed down the tank. Vitali, who heads up TLOT in Ukraine, encircled the garage to turn off the gas. Later Vitali drove Rich Richmond and me to buy a new gas & electric combo stove/oven.  It was a long search through three stores. Not one had what we wanted. We started talking about alternative solutions. Not giving up I called Ibrahim, a wheeler/dealer Crimean Tatar who knows Belogorsk well. He sent us to "Garant," and we bought the stove we wanted there for cheaper than we had seen less desirable units elsewhere...seems to be a pretty good one even if it was made in Turkey. Rich has some gas stove experience so with his help we installed it. TLOT also chipped in for most of the cost! THANK YOU LORD! I ran back to town in a cab for a new gas regulator (which we finally figured out was the problem) while Rich and Vitali rejoined the children and before the evening meal we had a working unit going in our archway/veranda. Now you're cookin' with gas (and electricity).

They called this a four burner stove top, just imagine!

Think we could get by with a smaller unit? 

Marina stirs the chicken soup. It was very good with 

a thick slice of homemade bread.

This, "roughing it,"is almost more than I can take.

In our previous Blogs you may seen pics of this former woodshed

during reconstruction. It is at last finished. with a huge picture window 

and just the right furniture from Northern Ireland Children's Charity Appeal, 

added to mission tile and river rock, it got a five star rating from our first guests.

Amazingly we were able to accomplish this with only about $6000.

The Beit Shalom (House of Peace) Guest Cabin derives its

name from this recent gift from Dr. Yuliya Vyaltseva. She bought this

tile in Jerusalem. We hope guests who stay at Beit Shalom

will experience the peace of God and remember to

pray for the peace of Jerusalem when they see

this message tile over the entry door.

The new picnic patio is lit by three small,street lights.

It is nice having tea here on cool summer nights

Land fill for it came from our water feature excavation and three 

loads of river gravel brought in by local boys with an old Soviet Army vehicle. 

The patio is functional but not finished. It is missing a balustrade,

flagstone paving  to be laid in sand above the present white 

gravel layer and steps to a barbeque that we plan to build down left.   

Getting this all done in the time we had after money arrived was not done at the normal Ukrainian pace.

I worked until 11 painting one night. The next day I saw the guys working at an increased pace themselves.

We are disappointed in one old friend here who said he could get the insulation work done and houses painted before camp but did not do it, so we still have some gray walls that haven't got finish plaster on them yet. Still we have seen the hand of the Lord leading us to materials and people throughout the process of this phase of building. Next steps in our building plan include the first family children's house!

I want to give thanks to our Lord for His wonderful guidance and providence 

during this time of testing. I saw His hand at work in providing transport 

when I thought I was left alone by the side of the road, and in the fun ways 

He lead me to the furniture and materials we needed to make this happen. 

Thanks too to our friends who put up with a sometimes grouchy

 old missionary and for their own efforts that helped 

make this part of our vision come to pass.

Thanks to Judy Martin and our other friends 

in Northern Virginia who raised money and got it to us, 

to my loving, gracious and generous mother Ruth Marion, 

to John and Christine Reed and family who may be joining 

us soon here and gave generously, to all of you who helped 

to the  full extent God lead you to. 

Thanks to Rich and Sherrell Richmond and, 

"The Least of These," staffers, 

who have been great first time guests that make 

our inadequacies their clue to be of help.. 

Next Blog should be more about camp and the people

doing camp here now.

Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths

Proverbs 3:5,6

Maranatha (Hang in there!) David

False Impressions

Visitors to Crimea from the West get a false impression of apparent wealth
and well being of the people here from the way people are dressed on the street. Particularly, young people, who often live in a torn up dormitory or other severely substandard housing, tend to invest in a few articles of nice, flashy, or fashionable clothing so as to make a good impression in spite of their difficulties. Our cook Marina, who with her sister and two children lives in Belogorsk in a tiny cheap rental with an outhouse. Marina dresses in bright cheerful clothing. She asked me to buy her a Nokia classic mobile phone last Winter and paid it off in several months by setting aside a day's pay each week. I wish she would use it less when she is on the job but she is happy to feel a part of the modern world with a phone like mine. I should be ashamed that I had felt deprived because I had no iPad like one of my American colleagues.

I am no clothes horse but in an architectural way we are doing the same thing here with our building project. We have begun to make an impression that is misleading.  Looking at the artistic reconstruction of old buildings and our use of mission tile you could get the impression that this mission is rolling in dough. In fact quite the opposite is true. We try to build only when we have money, so building has been sporadic, halting and slow.

When all is finished this arch is

the hillside entry to the farside picnic patio breezeway.

We buy used roofing tile dirt cheap and scrub it clean so we can make a good impression on visitors. We employ tile, hardware, doors and windows we received in humanitarian aid containers, and old building blocks and bricks we inherited from previous owners of this property years ago when we bought it. We use free stones from the creek for our rock facades and employ cheap local builders for most projects. We do feed our workers so as to make them satisfied with a low paycheck. That's where our cook comes in.

In the Spring when we start preparing for children's camps we take on larger projects by faith. Our faith is rewarded, but not always without difficulty. This year we have been trying to build a picnic patio and are turning an old woodshed (foreground above) into a tiny guest cabin. This is to make the site ready for visitors, more camps and orphan housing construction. Money is needed for this and some has come in, for which we thank you who have given. YOU ARE THE BEST, But somehow recently the money has gotten stuck on the way here. It seems that not everyone who helps us in the West has committed to do so when we need the help, but only when they feel there is free time available. So as I type this we have our first camp workers coming in a week, No groceries for camp purchased, foundation personnel unpaid, workers, who we usually pay weekly and feed daily, waiting for unpaid wages, some miraculously free fish in the freezer and 55 dollars in pocket to buy camp provender feed 8 people this week and buy necessary building materials.

Marina holds up a big Ctavridka,

a smaller relative of the Bonita!

Marina bakes bread well. We also have 37 small fish in the kitchen that a fisherman who came to the all night prayer meeting last Friday left in our fridge freezer! He called me after forgetting them the next morning and said they are ours! Is it a prophetic happening? We may be on the brink of a miracle, certainly such a fish miracle in itself is not near on the scale of Jesus' Loaves and fishes miracles, but a miracle of the Lord's providence just the same and for me it is a sign of His involvement! I wonder how far the Lord will make these stretch or if He has something else in mind. A faith walk is always an adventure.

Its after lunch now. We fed 5 grownups and two children with these fish, potatoes, bread and a green salad.

There were two fish left on this plate

The cats under the table ate tails.

Stay tuned for a blog about the all night prayer meeting.
Love & Blessings from Crimea, Ukraine,
David