Dominic, Edna, Greg, and Joshua in Bila Tserkva
We spent most of the month of March making sure we had everything ready for our trip to California like Ukrainian visa paperwork and arrangements to visit all of our friends and family. We were blessed to be able to make a trip up to Chernihiv to visit our friends Conor and Koren McNamee which is always an encouragement to us. I also attended a Pastors/Leadership conference near Kyiv that enabled me to meet up with a few friends as well as make some new ones. You can read more about it by clicking HERE. 'Spring' turned out to be a little colder than we expected and we were surprised by a few days of snow. We are all a little disappointed that we will miss the first blossoms of Spring because of how beautiful it is here, but we are excited to see everyone back home (Easter is celebrated April 27th here so we have missed celebrating it officially this year. See what we did instead by clicking HERE).
Natasha trying to use the door intercom to call her mom
We will only be gone for 8 weeks, but to the children here, that seems like forever. Oksana from downstairs has already informed us of her disapproval of how long we are staying away. She has gotten in the habit of spending her Friday nights with us along with her little sister Natasha while their parents go over to the home of our landlord. Oksana doesn't like to be home alone and we love having Natasha running around our place. Edna can't resist the overwhelming urge to squeeze her. You can read more about Oksana by clicking HERE.
Zhenia, Edna, and Veronika at church
We've been saying a lot of goodbyes lately and Edna was really happy to see Zhenia and Veronika before we left. They both live and work in Turkey, but spend a lot of time here. They both go to our church along with their mother when they are back to visit from Turkey. Veronika is married to a Turkish man and they have a beautiful little girl together. She is praying about moving back here and opening up a clothing shop with her husband. She says she tries, but it is very difficult to witness to Muslims in Turkey. She is currently working on her Muslim sister-in-law. Her moving back to Bila Tserkva would also be an answer to prayer for us since Veronika speaks very good English and would be a great help to us with English Club and orphan ministries.
Edna saying goodbye to Vala and Nastia
Girls Club also known as English Club
We started watching the series LOST at English Club as a way to reach out to English speakers and open dialogue that would allow us to share the Gospel with them. You can read more about LOST reaching the Lost by clicking HERE. English Club is still an all girls club, but we're working to change that when we start back up again when we come back.
Yaroslav, Dominic, and Joshua (Yaroslav is an extremely smart boy who likes to take things apart to see how they work, like TV's. Joshua and Yaroslav are trouble when they're together.)
Dominic and Joshua finished out their first year in school here by going on Spring Break. You can read more about their school year by clicking HERE. They took advantage of their time off to spend as much time with their friends as they could. Warmer weather seemed to bring all the kids out. We were shocked to see how much some of them have grown.
Maxime spending the night with Joshua one last time before we leave
Earlier in the month Joshua was able to spend a weekend with Maxime in his grandparents village. Joshua shared with us how they had no running water and chickens sometimes wondered through the house. I'm sure Joshua will never forget it. Maxime spent his Spring Break in the same village helping them plant crops for the summer. He was happy to spend the last night of his break at our place where we made sure he got a bath and Edna washed his clothes. Unfortunately Maxime's parents would have sent him to school like that. We are hoping that we will be able to bring back some more clothes for him when we come back.
After the boys had gone to bed, Maxime got up and climbed into bed with Edna so that he could read his Bible with her. We are blessed.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17
"As the grace grows nearer my theology is growing strangely simple, and it begins and ends with Christ as the only Savior of the lost." - Henry Benjamin Whipple
Нехай Бог Благословить Україну.
(Let God Bless Ukraine.)
(Let God Bless Ukraine.)
Prayer Requests
• For safe travels and God's leading as we spend 2 months in America. Pray for us as we seek to expand our support base with other churches
• Financial provisions during our stay in America
• That God would continue to lead us according to His plan
• That the Children's Ministry on Sundays would continue in our absence
• Pray that Maxime would be safe and provided for while we are gone and that he would continue to go to church every Sunday
• That God would raise up others to come here to serve
• Finding a good teacher for Ukrainian lessons through the language school when we return
• For young men to begin coming to English Club at the Rosava
• Pray for healing and financial provisions for our neighbor, Olya, who just had knee replacement surgery
Support can be sent to:
Calvary SLO
P.O. Box 1463
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
With an attached note: "For Greg and Edna Silva"
In Christ,
Greg, Edna, Dominic, and Joshua
Our blog: On Second Thought
Our photos: We Desire Him
