December 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Me, Edna, Dominic, and Joshua on the playground

The month of December started out much warmer than usual, but we were eventually rewarded by several days of heavy snow. This was great news for all the kids with sleds. The schools have been closed most of the month because of a flu quarantine so kids won't be back in school until their holiday break ends after Christmas (January 7th here).

The view from our bedroom window

On the 10th, we visited a baby orphanage here in Bila Tserkva to see if we could arrange for regular trips to spend time with the children there. We don't know exactly what the final outcome will be, but you can read about it by clicking HERE.

The baby orphanage in Bila Tserkva

Dominic, Joshua, Edna (holding Taras the hedgehog), Olya, Zhenya, Vlada, and Oksana

On the 19th, we met up with Olya, Zhenya, Vlada, and Oksana from Chernihiv to visit a nearby orphanage in our region. We were so blessed to be able to spend time with these precious young children. We desperately want to go back again especially since the bus ride there was short enough for Edna to handle without too much discomfort. You can read about the time we spent at the orphanage in the village of Velykopolovetske by clicking HERE.

Valya and Natasha at the internaught/orphanage in Velykopolovetske

We spent the 25th quietly at home by sharing a meal together as a family and acknowledging that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. We decided not to exchange any gifts until January 7th, when most of Ukraine officially celebrates Christmas, so that the 25th was just about Jesus.

Edna in Park Oleksandria on her birthday

On the 29th, we celebrated Edna's birthday by taking a morning stroll in the park with all the fresh snow. (You can see some of the photos I took by clicking HERE.) Later, Edna's friend Tanya came over and they celebrated their birthdays together since Tanya's is on January 1st.

Tanya and Edna celebrating their birthdays together

Sadly, we haven't seen much of Maxime because his grandmother has kept him in the village since the schools closed here on the 15th for quarantine. He has not been to church with us in a very long time or been allowed to stay in our home. We are, however, happy to share that Maxime's mother Vera joined us for church this month and everyone was able to pray for her and encourage her. She is currently living with her parents and a disabled sister.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

"And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives... and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." - Nate Saint

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• That God would watch over and reunite Maxime and his mother, Vera.
• That God would continue to lead us and take us in the direction He wants us to go.
• Please pray that God would provide the $2,500 needed for our plane tickets.
• For Edna's health problems and medical costs.
• Pray that we finish well here and make Christ known in all possible ways.
• For God's protection against illness.
• For continued friendships (especially among our neighbors) that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior.

• For spiritual growth in all of us, unity in our marriage, protection from spiritual attack.
• For the planning and everything that must be done in preparation for our move back to California.

Support can be sent to:
Calvary SLO
4029 S. Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

November 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Me and Edna with our friend Sasha from our church.

November was an interesting month with flu epidemics and quarantines being the major topic of conversation here. Most people have finally stopped wearing surgical masks as the news frenzy seems to have died down. We have tried to keep our travels to a minimum and that has meant spending a lot of time at home. We've kept busy by having people in our home and helping out our neighbor Olya with some remodeling she is doing next door.

As many of you know, we will be moving back to California in March. (You can read about the details of that decision by clicking HERE if you haven't already read about it.) We have been blessed by our neighbor Olya and our friend Tanya who have been helping us to sell all of our furniture and all but a few things in our home. The floor space in our apartment seems to be growing as people carry away furniture and chairs. Hopefully we will have everything sold by the time we are ready to leave.

Dominic and Tanya with the new Ukrainian shirt she bought him.

Dominic's 16th birthday was on the 25th so we celebrated it the next day on Thanksgiving Day. You can see more about that day by clicking HERE. We are thankful that God has given us a boy who has grown into a wonderful young man.

Me painting Olya's ceiling next door.

Staying busy at home has meant more time with our neighbors and more children in and out of our apartment. Taras, the hedgehog, is usually the main attraction when it comes to the little ones though.

Being at home more has also given us a chance to spend more time one on one with people from our church and really get to know them rather than just casual conversations after church. We want to make all of our remaining time here as useful as possible.

Olya's granddaughter, Alyona, holding Taras.

Joshua and Maxime spending some time together. You can read about what's happening with Maxime by clicking HERE.

Edna helping Alina with her English homework. She is still helping our neighbor Oksana with her English as well.

The pain that Edna experiences from the condition in her spine makes it difficult to travel. Even short trips on a cramped marshrutka (shuttle van) across town are becoming increasingly painful. She was, however, able to make one trip this month to the doctor in Kyiv and then to visit the orphan children in the hospital there. Unfortunately, by the time she got home she was in unbearable pain for the rest of the evening. Please keep praying for her.

Edna holding a little orphan boy at a hospital in Kyiv. The children in that part of the hospital are suspected of having Aids. The gauze mask is for the children's protection due to the flu epidemic. To find out about adopting one of these little ones, please click HERE.

Zhenya leading worship at church.

We have been especially blessed by a man named Zhenya who has been coming to our church with his wife for the last month and a half. He has been leading worship and really enriching our time with the Lord. He is of Jewish decent and while he plays all the contemporary songs we're used to hearing, he also plays songs with a distinctive Jewish style to them.

Here's a sample of Zhenya enjoying singing praises to God.

Joshua petting Taras as he sleeps on our bed.

This 1990 Soviet artwork on a Ukrainian apartment building seems to symbolize the prosperity of a working family. I think it would be better to say that a family who works at showing God's love to one another and praying together will enjoy God's blessings as a family. This is especially true for our family as we prepare to transition from Ukraine to California.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support as they will definitely be needed in the coming months.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

"You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most. It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance." - John Wesley

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• That God would watch over Maxime and his mother, Vera, giving them comfort.
• That God would continue to lead us and take us in the direction He wants us to go.
• Please pray that God would provide the $2,500 needed for our plane tickets.
• For Edna's health problems and medical costs.
• For God's protection against illness.
• Pray that home schooling will become easier and less stressful for all of us. Pray for wisdom and patience.
• For continued friendships (especially among our neighbors) that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior.

• For spiritual growth in all of us, unity in our marriage, protection from spiritual attack.
• For the planning and everything that must be done in preparation for our move back to California.

Support can be sent to:
Calvary SLO
4029 S. Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

October 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Dominic, Joshua, Greg, and Edna

October is one of our favorite months in Ukraine due to all of the beautiful colors. Coming from the Central Coast of California where there's not a big difference between seasons, we really enjoy this time of year. It's also the time of year when people begin to spend more time indoors because of the weather. It's the perfect time for having guests in the home and sitting down to share God's word with them.

Some fall colors near our apartment

Dominic's hedgehog, Taras, has turned out to be a popular member of our family. Most people have seen hedgehogs in the wild outside, but not as pets. When people hear that we have a pet hedgehog, they all want to see him and hold him. Despite having sharp quills, he's very affectionate and likes to lay in your lap. Who would have guessed he would be so popular?

Edna with Taras

Edna and Maxime's mother , Vera, having tea while she feeds Taras a piece of cookie

Maxime's mother, Vera, came over to visit one day and told us about how she was doing. She is living in the back section of her in-laws' house and Maxime is living in the main house. She said it is lonely and cold back there and she has nothing to do but sit and think. She didn't even want the grandmother to know that she was visiting us. Our understanding is that the grandmother has taken over raising Maxime and is very cruel to Vera. Please keep them all in prayer.

Thank you to those of you who have helped out in various ways for Maxime. You can read about the care package he received by clicking HERE.

Edna going over an English lesson with Maryana

On top of home school our own children, Edna has been helping out two other girls with their English classes. One of them is our neighbor, Olya's granddaughter, Maryana. The other girl, Alina, is in the same class as our downstairs neighbor, Oksana. Edna is actually learning a lot about British English as she helps them study.

Oksana is second from the left and Alina is on the far right dressed in black

Since we've been back in Ukraine, the hand pump at a nearby apartment complex where we usually get our drinking water has been broken. We were forced to either buy drinking water from a truck or walk about a half a mile to a spring to get water. The pump has finally been fixed so praise God for the little things that make life easier. You can read about our water saga by clicking HERE.

Joshua collecting drinking water for us from a spring

This month in our church we had a baby dedication and we've been blessed to have a man named Zhenya leading worship. Zhenya is an ethnically Jewish Christian and he does a great job of blending Jewish worship songs with contemporary Christian worship. I have just started teaching in the book of Acts and I'm excited to explore the early church history with the body of believers here. We are also happy to have a couple of members return to our fellowship after being gone due to work and family issues. God is faithful.

Please keep all of Ukraine in prayer as the nation suffers through an epidemic of the swine flu. You can read what I posted about it by clicking HERE or read the latest news by clicking Digital Journal.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. - Hebrews 13:15-16

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." - Jim Elliot

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• That God would watch over Maxime and his mother, Vera, giving them comfort.
• That God would continue to lead us and take us in the direction He wants us to go.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and medical costs.
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• Pray that home schooling will become easier and less stressful for all of us. Pray for wisdom and patience for all four of us.
• For continued friendships (especially among our neighbors) that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior.

• For spiritual growth in all of us, unity in our marriage, protection from spiritual attack.
•For God's protection against illness.

Support can be sent to:
Calvary SLO
4029 S. Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

September 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Edna, Joshua, and Dominic

This month we started home schooling Dominic and Joshua full time rather than have them go to public school and then do supplementary school work at home. I still attended the ringing of the first bell at the school they had attended since we know so many of the children there, including our neighbor Oksana and our neighbor Olya's granddaughter. You can read about that day by clicking HERE. Please pray for our home schooling efforts for both boys.

Separating the children into age groups

The highlight of our month was a Children's Festival that was put on by a team from Pryluky Calvary Chapel. They had eleven people counting a little girl named Masha. We also took the opportunity to finish the playground restoration project that we had started in the Spring. You can read more about the Children's Festival by clicking HERE.

We've had two small additions to our family this month. It began with a Russian Dwarf hamster that a little girl named Nastya couldn't keep. She sold her to Joshua for 10 hryven (about $1.20). Her name is Kanopka (button in Ukrainian), and Edna really loves her.

Within a few days, Dominic's prayers were answered. On the way to church, we came across a baby hedgehog just sitting on the edge of the road (he's always wanted one). It's unusual to see hedgehogs during the day, so Dominic was really excited. He took him home and named him Taras. He has quickly become tame and surprisingly affectionate despite his menacing looking quills. For protection, hedgehogs can roll into a ball exposing only their sharp quills to a would-be predator. This little guy will grow to a size of between 8-12 inches in length.

Joshua carrying a photograph of Maxime's father

Sadly, Maxime's father, Andriy, died this month. He most likely died of liver failure leaving behind a grieving widow and a little boy trying to cope with it all. You can read about the funeral by clicking HERE. Maxime's mother is physically unable to care for Maxime due to alcoholism and Maxime's grandmother may be trying to get custody of him. We aren't sure what the outcome will be, but we know that Maxime and his mother need lots of prayer.

Olya and Maxime on the day of the Children's Festival

Recently we have been spending more time with our neighbors and focusing on one relationship at a time. This has led to Olya coming to church with us. We are currently studying through the book of James and Olya said she really enjoyed hearing the Bible explained in a way that she could understand. We know that she has shared this with her friends and hope it leads to more people knowing about Jesus through the written word of the Bible.

Through Olya's recommendation, Edna will be helping a girl named Alina, with her English homework once a week. We have already met with her and her mother Ira. The funny part was that Olya told us that if we didn't understand something they said, we could call her and she would "translate" for us. Olya speaks absolutely no English, but she does speak from her heart and that we understand perfectly.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. - Proverbs 16:9

"Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all." - D.L. Moody

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• That God would watch over Maxime and his mother, Vera, giving them comfort.
• That God would continue to lead us and take us in the direction He wants us to go.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and medical costs.
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• Pray that homeschooling with the boys will go smoothly.
• For continued friendships (especially among our neighbors) that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior.

Support can be sent to:
Calvary SLO
4029 S. Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

August 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Ukrainian Independence Day on August 24th in Kyiv.

August has been a month of transition for us as we readjusted to life back home in Ukraine. It was nice to jump right back into things and begin teaching through the book of James at church. We have been so blessed by the welcome we have received by all of our friends and neighbors. You can read about what we came home to by clicking HERE.

The only bad thing that happened since we've been back is that Joshua fell on some steps and chipped his front tooth. Thankfully we found a good dentist and had his tooth fixed. Click HERE to see Joshua's trip to the dentist.

We are especially excited about a Children's Festival we have planned for September 5th. A group of about nine people from the Pryluky Calvary Chapel are planning to help us put the finishing touches on our playground restoration project and then hold the festival. It will be a chance for us to really reach out to the children of the neighborhood sharing the Gospel and giving them some solid Bible teaching while having fun at the same time. In anticipation of this upcoming event, we brought some American made swings back with us and put them on the playground. They were an instant hit as you can see by clicking HERE.

Dasha and Masha came to our door in these wigs one day (I'm still not sure why).

It seems to us that the kids have all grown since we were gone. Some things have changed, but most things are just the way we left them. The most encouraging change we have seen is that gambling was made illegal while we were gone. You couldn't walk down a street without seeing several competing gambling establishments with blinding neon and flashing lights. Now they are either boarded up or converted to something else. So many people were affected by gambling addictions, so it's a step in the right direction.

Gambling halls have all closed.

Some things haven't changed. No gasoline or electric powered weed whackers where we live, just hard work.

Since the weather has been nice this month, we decided to go on a family camp out across the river in the forest one afternoon. Edna and Dominic opted to stay home so it was just me and Joshua. We had a good time, but were plagued by energetic squirrels racing around our tent while we were attempting to sleep. Joshua liked the part where he could build camp fires though.

Joshua also had the opportunity to stay with Maxime in the village for two days. He took a camera with him and brought back the photos for us to enjoy. Maxime (pronounced Mahk-seem and correctly transliterated into English as "Maksym"), is still going to church with us, but his behavior is a constant struggle. He suffers from poor nutrition, learning disorders, and most likely fetal alcohol syndrome. He is a year older than Joshua, but noticeably smaller. Please keep him in prayer.

Maxime chasing after a calf in the village. (Photo by Joshua)

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." - Romans 10:17

"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth." - John Wesley

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• That the Children's Festival in September would be successful and bless the children.
• That God would continue to lead us and take us in the direction He wants us to go.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and increasing medical costs.
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• Pray that homeschooling with the boys will go smoothly.
• For continued friendships that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior.

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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

July 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine (Currently California)

Dominic, Greg, Edna, and Joshua

Over the last month we have had our ups and downs as we have tried to get all of our health issues resolved. Ultimately we know it is all in God’s hands and He will sustain us and meet all of our needs. We have been so encouraged by all of our family and brothers and sisters in Christ, especially over the last month. (Thanks guys.) We are eager to return home to Ukraine on August 12th so that we can reach out to the people there with renewed strength and zeal for God’s word. Our hearts are especially burdened for the children who don’t know Jesus.

Edna will begin physical therapy on August 3rd to try and relieve the pain she is having from degenerative disc disease. Dominic is scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed on August 7th, so please pray that there are no more delays for him (he already had two appointments canceled by the doctor). The surgery I had done on my mouth is still healing and I have some exposed bone that hasn’t quite healed over, but I’m feeling much better and looking forward to returning to teaching in the church in Bila Tserkva. (I promise to get more posts up on our blog once we are back in Ukraine.)

Although we hadn’t planned on extending our trip as long as we did, we were blessed by all the people here in California and the outpouring of encouragement that we received from everyone. Thank you to all of you that have helped us through this time with prayer and support.


"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." - Psalm 18:30

"Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ." - A.W. Tozer

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• That God would bring us safely home to Ukraine and that our travels would go smoothly.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and increasing medical costs. (We still aren't sure what the outcome will be exactly.)
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• For continued friendships that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior wherever we are.

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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

June 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine (Currently California)

June has been a difficult month for us as we have been scrambling to get all of our medical issues treated. To make this possible, we had to extend our time here in California until August 12th. After many calls to the travel agency and airline, we were finally able to get our tickets changed, but had to pay a steep change fee. With our new departure date, Edna will be able to see a neurosurgeon in July for the three damaged discs in her spine, Dominic will be able to have his impacted wisdom teeth extracted, and I will be having surgery to remove some excess bone growth on my jaw in three places.

As of July 9th, the spider bite that Edna got on her hand in June is finally beginning to heal. For a while, Edna was making daily visits to the hospital to have her hand cleaned and dressed and receive a round of IV antibiotics. You can read more about it by clicking HERE.

We have been a little overwhelmed by all the medical, dental, and optic appointments, referrals, and of course dealing with the insurance for all four of us. But, we know that it is necessary to ensure that we return to Ukraine healthy and able to serve. We are staying busy by being active in the church here and serving any way we can, but all of us long to be back home in Ukraine. (You can read about the VBS we shared at in June by clicking HERE.)

Thanks to Calvary SLO, Calvary Chapel Visalia, Vision Calvary Chapel of Porterville, and all of our family and friends for all of your prayers and support during this time.


"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf." - Hebrews 6:19-20

"Grace is but Glory begun, and Glory is but Grace perfected." - Jonathan Edwards

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• Please pray that our church in Bila Tserkva would continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ during our absence.
• That God would give us rest from busy schedules and allow us to return to Ukraine healthy and encouraged.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and increasing medical costs. (We still aren't sure what the outcome will be exactly.)
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• For our neighbor Olya, that God would keep her safe while we are in the United States.
• For continued friendships that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior wherever we are.

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


To see updates for previous months, please click the link below "Older Posts"

May 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine (Currently California)

Dominic, Greg, Joshua, and Edna

We spent May trying to see everyone and to take care of all of our administrative (Edna's visa) and medical needs (all of us). It seems like there is never enough time to get it all done and see all of our friends and family. We had planned to return to Ukraine on June 30th, but it's looking like we may have to extend our stay until all of our medical needs can be taken care of, especially for Edna. We still haven't gotten an answer from the doctors as to what can be done for the constant pain she endures and the loss of mobility related to her spinal disorders. Hopefully they can at least recommend a course of treatment that will allow us all to return to our home in Ukraine soon. We know that God will see us through these times and all will be done according to His perfect will.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, encouraged us, and supported us. You continually build us up for the work laid before us in Christ Jesus.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." - Philippians 3:20-21

"We must meet the uncertainties of this world with the certainty of the world to come." - A. W. Tozer

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• Please pray that our church in Bila Tserkva would continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ during our absence.
• That God would give us rest from busy schedules and allow us to return to Ukraine healthy and encouraged.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and increasing medical costs. (We still aren't sure what the outcome will be exactly.)
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• For our neighbor Olya, that God would keep her safe while we are in the United States.
• For continued friendships that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior wherever we are.

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

April 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Greg, Edna, Dominic, and Joshua

April has been a beautiful month here as everything begins to turn green and the fruit trees blossom. We are eager to see all of our friends and family, but it will be hard leaving here even if it is just for a visit to California.

We spent most of the month working on our playground that we have been fixing up. We still have more to do, but some members from Calvary Chapel Pryluky will be helping us finish up sometime in July. It turned out to be a great opportunity for all the children to be involved in helping with the restoration work. It is after all, their playground. The work we did also helped to open some doors of communication with more of our neighbors. We are thinking about having a children's festival once we finish everything in July as a way to say thank you to the children for their help and also to be able to share about Jesus with them.

Maryna and Nastya painting

You can read more about our Playground Restoration Project by clicking on each of these links to previous blog posts if you haven't already seen them. Phase 1, Getting Started, Caught Red Handed, and Goodbye to Painting.

Masha, Ella, Dasha, Leeza, and Maxime taking turns painting

Maryna turned out to be one of my best painters

We celebrated Easter here according to the Orthodox calendar, so this year it was on April 19th. Our church service was fun because we made it a time where everyone who wanted to could share a song or a poem about the Resurrection of Christ. We really enjoyed all the interaction. Having a small church means that it truly feels like a family and there are no strangers.

Maria and Nastya (in back) sang after Zhenya and Lusya recited some Easter poems they had memorized

Along with the playground project, I have been working on a tree house in the forest across the river. I wanted to make a place where the boys and their friends could go and have adventures. They had previously been working together to build a little club house near the park, but after all their hard work, someone set it on fire and it burned to the ground. I figured a tree house made from wood cut from the forest might be a little more durable. We also discovered that we needed to securely bolt things down to keep them from walking away. (We have had several pieces of the tree house stolen twice now.) It has been a labor of love since I have been doing all the work by hand including sawing the logs we need. (I won't mention the part where I fell from a tree in the early stages of building.) I think the boys and their friends will have a lot of fun with their new club house once it's all done. I know I will.

Dominic and Joshua in the tree house

It's hard to believe that we have been in Ukraine for two years now. We have been so blessed by all that God has shown us and all the wonderful people we have met. It's when we look into the faces of the children that we realize how much time has passed. It seems like just yesterday that we were getting off a train from Hungary here in Ukraine with everything we owned in four suitcases.

We can't believe how much Natasha has grown in two years. She is so independent now and insists on doing everything herself. (Don't even think about giving her "No" for an answer.)


Joshua picking up some souvenirs in Moscow

On April 27th we arrived safely in California after a short layover in Moscow. Since Joshua's 11th birthday was on the 28th, we let him buy a few souvenirs at the Moscow airport. We are happy to be back in Visalia (and later on to San Luis Obispo) with friends and family. We'll do our best to see everyone so feel free to email us so we can connect.

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." - James 5:7

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." - Augustine

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• Please pray that our church here in Bila Tserkva would continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ during our absence.
• That we would be able to raise adequate financial support according to God's will.
• For Edna's health problems and increasing medical costs. (She will most likely require spinal surgery within the year.)
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ and that nothing would hinder him from going to church on Sunday.
• For our neighbor Olya, that God would keep her safe while we are in the United States.
• For continued friendships that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior where ever we are.

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

March 2009 Update - Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Edna and Tanya by the Ros River

We were blessed this month to have Tanya from Pryluky as a guest in our home for a few weeks. She was such a great help to us doing everything from translating and leading worship to helping plan Bible studies. I know Edna was especially sad when it came time for Tanya to go back to Pryluky. She really enjoyed the opportunity to have close Christian fellowship with another girl. (Apparently it's not easy being the only female in the household.)

Valentina, Vera (Maxime's mother), Edna, Tanya, and Luda (Maxime's grandmother)

Prayers were answered this month when first Maxime's mother, Vera, and then his grandmother, Luda, began coming to our Bible study. We have been praying for so long to be able to share the Gospel with Vera and also Luda, so thank you to everyone who has been praying with us. Edna has been able to grow a lot closer to Vera over the last month and we hope that God will continue to strengthen these new relationships. You can read about what Tanya and Edna did on International Women's Day by clicking HERE.

Tanya and Nastya leading worship

Edna teaching the children at church with the help of both Tanyas

Tanya helping the children with one of their favorite crafts, making bracelets

March has also been a month of planning as we prepare for our playground restoration project that we had to reschedule due to rain and snow. You can read about our plans by clicking HERE. Hopefully the weather will continue to get warmer so that we can complete the project on the weekend of April 11th -12th. All the neighborhood children are excited about it.

Joshua entertaining guests (Dasha, Yulia, Masha, and Ella)

On one particularly cold and rainy day, some of the neighborhood girls came over looking for Miss Edna hoping to play a few games of Uno. Unfortunately, Edna was in Kyiv for physical therapy so Joshua played host serving tea, juice, cookies, and candy. We are so grateful that most of the neighborhood parents feel comfortable letting their children spend time in our home. It's a privilege for us to be able to open our home and our hearts to all of them. It has been through the children that we have been able to get to know some of their parents.

I don't think Joshua was very excited about the group hug

We are looking forward to seeing all of our friends and family as we prepare to visit California in May and June to raise awareness and support.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10

"Each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought-forms of that setting." - Francis Schaeffer

Нехай Бог Благословить Україну
(Let God Bless Ukraine)

Prayer Requests

• Please pray that God would provide for us financially so that we can complete the playground restoration that we have planned with CC Pryluky in April.
• For God to use us as we teach God's word to the children on Sunday.
• For God's Spirit to lead us as we continue the Bible study in our home on Friday nights, for Jesus to be made known to those coming, and for God's name glorified through it all.
• For our safe travel back to CA.
• For a skilled worship leader at church and for guitar lessons for Greg and Nastya.
• That the churches we met with in America would keep us (Ukraine) on their hearts and minds and in their prayers.
• For Edna's health problems.
• Pray that Maxime would continue to grow in Christ. That nothing would hinder him from coming to church on Sunday, or being able to stay with us here at home.
• For our neighbor Olya, as she recovers from her second knee surgery.
• For continued friendships that lead to Christ being made known as a personal Savior.

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