Friday - December 22, 2006

We got up, packed our bags, and were gone at 8am. We took Katya with us, whom we had met the night before. This time we took the bus and a car to Kharkov. Helen also went with us. It was very good that we took another car because 17+ people in a 12-passenger bus is a tight squeeze. I was a lot worse that day. My sinuses were draining and my head was killing me.

When we got to Kharkov, we went to a cathedral. It was so pretty. It was also very awe-inspiring. They were having mass when we were there. They were swinging the incense around and singing in Latin or whatever. We could only take one picture per person in the church.

When we got outside, it was snowing very softly. We ran back to the bus because it was terribly cold outside. As we drove around downtown, we saw a bride and bridegroom standing under an arch. It was pretty with the blue Christmas lights and snow around them. However, we wondered how cold they were since they had no coats on.

We stopped in the downtown square and a lot of the people from our team got out and ran around. I stayed in the bus with my head in my hands.

It was interesting how they decorated for Christmas. The colors were blue and purple instead of red and green. Also, they celebrate Christmas on January 6. They mostly decorate for the New Year. This is when they exchange gifts and not on Christmas.

The decorations were not at all religious, which is to be expected from a former Communist country. We also saw the jail in which Pastor M’s brother had been imprisoned for six years for distributing and printing religious books during the communist era.

We went to the rented hall they had procured for the 6pm meeting. I was so sick all I wanted to do was find a bed. This was not to be since they had movie seats that had no cushions. I found a seat against a wall, laid my head back, and endured.

Phoebe stayed with me and acted like a nurse, which was very nice. Then Anna’s father, who is a doctor, came over and asked me many questions. He said he would take me to his house that night and give me meds, etc. Then Justin W came up and prayed with me, which left me with a very peaceful feeling.

I think this is the best memory I have of the trip, another individual praying for me. It was something indescribable. It felt like God reached down from heaven and gave me a bear hug. For the rest of the evening, it felt like God was holding me in His arms.

The restrooms at the hall were very interesting. They were separate from the main building and were porcelain squat pots with stall doors that came up to your waist. Very interesting.

I slept through most of the meeting, which was a very great blessing. Then we were split up to different houses. I went with Pastor M, Mrs. Hadley, Dr. Ashworth, Frances Garner, Justin T, and all the girls except Anna, who went to her house.

We went to a pastor’s house and ate supper. It was very good food. It was also funny because the pastor insisted on putting food on people’s plates. If you emptied your plate, he was sure to add more food.

Then Pastor M and all the girls except Nadya left to go to another place for the night. The girls stayed in an apartment which was not being used at the time. It was a very nice place. There were two girls to a bed which wasn’t crowded because the beds were big. Pastor M stayed upstairs in another apartment. We all crashed into bed and slept very soundly.