I've Got This!

Hello Again!

Наш Бог так велик! (Nash Bog Tak Velik) 
Ukrainian for How Great is our God!

This last week in Ukraine has been pretty amazing! We spent it at camp for the 2nd time. There were about 50 kids there from the ages of 14-18. The whole week was consisted of lots of sports and worship activity. Clinton and I were in charge of baseball, and we had a blast doing it. (Besides the fact I got hit with a baseball bat. Accidentally of course!) There was also football(soccer), dancing, and another sport that I'm not quite sure what it was, haha!

Worship. I can't even begin to describe how that was. Just wow! All these teens wanted to participate in singing in front of everyone and we even danced! It's so amazing how me and Ukrainians can worship the same God in different languages! We sang "How Great is our God" is Russian, and I know how to sing the chorus in Russian! Each night, we would play some funky Jesus music and just danced and worshiped the whole time! So much fun!

Clinton preached again on how God is a father to us, and I shared my testimony also. That night, we all had prayer for one another. On another night, Clinton talked about why he does missions, and why we all should do it and how we are called. I shared all the places I had been to, and why I came to Ukraine. Also what I have in mind for next summer (but I'm not mentioning that right now because it's a secret!) haha! 

I think the most challenging thing I did this week, was hike up a mountain for 9 miles! If anyone knows me well enough, they know it's not easy for me to do these things! But I did it! With only one stopping point that wasn't even 5 minutes. When I was at my weakest point climbing that mountain, people were helping me. Helping me climb, offering to hold my backpack, and just encouraging me. I listened to my funky Jesus music the whole way and I told myself "I've got this! I've got this!"

We had a water day, where we had different stations of events the kids could do water-wise, and I was going to help lead one, but turned out I had to join a team. So I had to do water activities. To be honest, I did NOT want to be involved with the water, but it turned out to be fun. But, the pastor kept dumping cold cold cold water on me about 5 times! And so did about 3 other people! 

We had one kid that was baptized. His name was Michael. God is Good!

This week of camp was lots better than the last one, I think the only thing I didn't like about it was I didn't get to remember all the kids names because there were so many! But I loved every minute of it.

I wouldn't trade this month in Ukraine for anything. It has been so amazing here and it's sad that I have to go back to the states in 3 days! I honestly want to stay here longer. It's bittersweet. But, I guess I can say I'm ready for a new chapter in life with college. I can't wait to see what god has in store for me next summer! It has truly been amazing this past month. How Great is out God? I'd say pretty dang great!

Show Love, Be Love.

Tonya!

What's Going On...

Hi guys!

This week has come and gone real quick! This week we have visited the abandoned babies and kids at the orphanage. I did a little shopping and met some pretty amazing people that Clinton knew! Today we are relaxing and getting things ready to leave for my last week of mission work - camp! I'm pretty excited about camp again! I like it there. 

Yesterday we celebrated 4th of July here in Ukraine! The Preacher and his wife and two kids from camp came and celebrated with us! As did Christina and along with 2 world racers. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, and ice cream! That's the most of american food I have had in 2 weeks!

I am looking forward to this next week of camp. We will have more of the older kids (around 50-60 of them), teenagers around the ages of 16-20 years old. So more my age! Before I know it, this next week will be gone and I'll be headed home in the states. I don't know if I'm ready to go home though! It's been such a short time here! When I signed up to stay a month, I thought that was a long time, but it's not! I would honestly stay here the whole summer if I could. It's amazing here! The people are nice, and I would love to go and visit the kids at the orphanage at least 3 times a week!

I don't know what God has planned for me next summer, but I wouldn't mind coming back to Ukraine any day! Amazing ministry opportunities here.

I'm praying that some teens would really focus on God at camp this coming week. I would love if you would pray also! 

Show Love, Be Love.
Tonya, :)                                                                          

Just..Wow.

Priveet! (Hello in Ukrainian!) 

Today we went to the Svalyava Regional Baby Orphanage. It was so amazing! We walked in and as soon as we did there was a huge smile on the babies faces and they all just ran up to us and hugged us! Precious! 

This is Bogdana. I was mostly attached to this girl the whole time! She was born with a cleft palate. She has had 3 surgeries, and has 4 more to go. She has to wait till she's older to have more. It's so sad to think that maybe she was abandoned because of that. She came up to me and wanted to sit in my lap. It was the cutest thing ever! She clung to me for a little while, then wanted me to follow her everywhere for her to play! She was so sweet and her eyes were beyond gorgeous! Beautiful girl! She seriously was the highlight of my time there. I'm sure my aunt and uncle wouldn't mind me bringing her home. ;) 

I honestly can't see why parents wouldn't want their kids. Did they think it was best? (maybe it will be best). Did they see something wrong with their child? Did they think they wouldn't be good parents? There wasn't a dad in the picture? Financial problems? They were not ready for a child?Maybe for lots of these kids, it's best. Someone who wants a child has the opportunity to. The only thing is, they aren't aloud to be adopted until they are 5. I seriously wanted to being this girl back with me! These babies were not mistakes. And I know God has a plan for their lives. I'm praying that when they are older, that they will know someone loves them. God made them and He loves them. They were created for a purpose. I pray they don't think they were mistakes and that someone didn't want them. Because they ARE wanted by the Father. Whose love is never changing and never ending.

Here are some pics!

Just Say Da!

Hello from Ukraine!

So, I just finished my first full week of missions! As you know it was at a camp. The week at the camp was rainy, cold, and wet, but amazing! It was my first time sleeping in a tent(which I loved!), took cold showers, and pretty much used the bathroom in a hole that leads to the ground! But it was great all around!

^The name is the Camp

^back of the house at the camp

^the shower

^the toilet

^the schedule

^my tent

We arrived on Saturday and a woman named Christina was one of the first ones i met at the camp, and she automatically welcomed me with open arms. she was so sweet and the whole week she was like a mom to me, and gave me so much advice. That night, we just had a little devotion and some worship time with the staff. I was so amazed because even though I didn't understand the songs, it was still worshipping and glorifying God! How amazing is it that no matter what language you speak, you can all come together and worship one God!?!? Pretty awesome I must say!

^Christina and I

^the preacher and I! He's rockin those Gucci pants! Haha

^the worship leader/teacher, Vova and I

Sunday, we were helping setting up the camp and preparing for the kids to come on Monday. A group of World Racers came to help out for part of the week at camp. I didn't know that I would grow so close to them. There were 5 of them and their names were Natalie Miles, Sharon Tharakan, Hannah McNair, Tyler Schipper, and Tyler Hunt(Twoggle). They were defiantly awesome with the kids at the camp, and it was good to talk to someone at the camp in English. That night, we had a time of worship and prayer before the kids arrived the next day. And the amazing thing was even though they didn't know us, they came up and hugged us and just prayed for us. One lady came up to us and started rubbing our legs from our knees to our feet saying "how beautiful are the feet the bring the good news!" Referring to Romans 10:15. It was so amazing. 

^"And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written:“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”" Romans 10:15

Time with the world racers was amazing. I heard their testimonies, and they heard mine, and I had shared something with them that I had never shared with anyone before, and I didn't know why I did because I only knew them for a couple of days. But it turns out that 2 of the girls had experienced the same thing that I had experienced. It was such a God thing to have let me talk about that with them because he had people there to help me know that I wasn't alone in my struggle! We talked about team time, feedback, sibling conflict, relationships, parents, and theology. I enjoyed getting to know them and I will be praying for them as they compete the world race.

^the World Racers (from left to right) Tyler, Natalie, me, Hannah, Sharon, and Twoggle!

^me and Natalie

^me and the world race girls

I had such a great time at the camp. It was small and we only had 20 kids! But each and every one of those kids were so amazing in there own ways. Whether it was in dancing, singing, or playing football(soccer). One night, we had a time of prayer for the kids, and they asked me, Clinton, and the world racers to just go and pray over each kid. We literally went and took turns praying over each and every child and some was emotionally. That was the first time I had ever don't something like that before, but I loved it. During worship, these kids would freely sing and raise their hands, and I thought that was so amazing because they are so young! And it gives me hope that kids do listen to God's word and they do want to worship Him. 

^the kids, world racers, staff, and lunch ladies!

^some of the kids

^Anna (said like Onya) and I.

^kids me and Clinton had for English class!

^dancing with the kids

^me and Anna won Twister!

^helping lead morning warm ups

^the staff!!

The night before the last night of camp, I had to share my testimony and talk about how God has been a father to me. Clinton preached that night about how God is a father also. For some reason, that entire day I had such a fear and was just full of nerves about talking that night, and I didn't know why because I had shared my life plenty of times before. Clinton then told me that sometimes satan gives us that fear so that we won't share God's word. Fear is not from God. So I prayed and Christina prayed for me. I was not nervous after that! God is so good! 

^giving my testimony and another girl named Christina translating for me.

^Clinton preaching.

Camp was so amazing! I didn't want to leave these kids! A few will be back at the next camp but most left. They were all so special to me! I have defiantly enjoyed it! I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me these next 2 weeks!

^CAMP IS AWESOME!

Thanks for prayers and please continue to pray!

Give Love, Be Love. 

Tonya!