October 13, 2008 – Newsletter from Ukraine!
Hello Friends,
I arrived in Kiev, Ukraine this morning safely at my hotel. I will meet my dear friend Pastor Viktor tomorrow and we will make plans to visit orphanages in Zhitomir Region. Then I’m off to Cherkassy for 2 days of orphans ministry where I will be dropping off girls shoes and children’s knitted hats made by my neighbor’s friend. Then I will take a train to Kharkov on the 17 th where I will meet new contacts and set up prayer meetings and plan orphanage visits for next year.
God’s Timing is always – Right On!
While planning this trip the last two months, I was somewhat frustrated because plans to visit Eastern Ukraine changed twice with 2 key people having to alter their plans after agreeing to meet me there.. So for the last 3 weeks, I was doing a lot of research on line trying to find a church to partner with there and stressing out about it! What a real test of my faith! “God, you sent me here; why no clear itinerary yet?,” I thought.
Yesterday in JFK on my 5-hour layover a woman who did not speak English asked me if I could help her use a pay phone. I thought I heard some Russian or Ukrainian words. She showed me a Boston number. I said here, just use my cell phone. She is Ukrainian and returning home. We talked a bit about her trip and mine. As it turns out, she is from Kharkov! Later I was asking her about prices for rooms there. And she said that she has 3 rooms and I would be welcome to stay in one of them. I asked how much and she replied, “Nothing!” Wow is that the grace of God or what!!! So why did I do all this worrying? Everyone in my home group was telling me to just have faith.
Then there was the money that was lacking for the trip. As of my last email, six days before I was to leave, I was in need of $2,000 in ministry funds. Well as of October 11, I learned that in just those 6 days, I had pledges and donations in excess of $2,100! God must be serious about this trip. I just wasn’t letting go enough to totally trust in His backing and provision. Someone at home group last week said it best, “My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills!” I believe she was referring to Psalm 50:9-11 ( NIV ) I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. Yes! God owns the universe and everything in it. He is the Great Storehouse!
With my concern and the God providing in excess of what I need, I’m realizing this truism: faith and worry are opposites. The more we have of one the less we have of the other. Pray that I will have more faith. It certainly has been boosted these last few days, but I want more!
Finally my friends, pray for fruit and passion: that this trip will be fruitful bringing souls closer to Jesus and the true knowledge of a Loving Father, and that Ukrainians will have a passion to seek His ways and follow Him!
In His Grip!
Al Scoglio,
Hearts for Ukraine