We Have Hope! (August 2015 Update)
On July 13th, Nadia Ehrhard entered the world. She seems to enjoy her new-found freedom from her mother’s womb and enjoys seeing mom, dad and sister, Kristina, face to face. We struggled to find a name that would “fit” our new daughter as well as be one that could be understood in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. We also wanted something that would have a good message. We finally settled on Nadia (Надя) which means “hope.” It reflects the hope we have for the future of Ukraine and well as the eternal hope that we have in Christ alone. So… we have hope – our n
ew baby girl – and, most of all, we have “a hope laid up in heaven” (Colossians 1:5). And we hope Nadia will be a constant reminder that the hope we have in Christ is one that will last forever and ever (“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” – Hebrews 6:19).
Documents, Documents, Documents …
With a new baby comes new documents. Not just Ukrainian ones, but also notarized translations into English and back into Ukrainian for other documents. The process involves getting the Ukrainian documents, which first required translating my documents into Ukrainian so that I can be on her birth certificate. Once that is done, then we had to have Nadia’s birth certificate translated into English so that we can go to the US embassy to get Nadia a US birth certificate and a passport. We will also need to translate Katya’s documents into English too. Each step is time-consuming but must be done. We are almost finished with this process but still have more do to!
But that’s not all! My Ukrainian visa expires next month and so we also have to do all the paperwork and translations and the wait to get everything back for my visa before the end of September. And, believe it or not, Katya’s US visa also expires in October. So we are gathering documents and translations for her too! Simply put, we are documented-out!
Getting Ready for Classes …
It’s hard to believe but classes start in just two weeks! We will also be having an “open house” at the seminary when we will be interviewing prospective students. I’m working on putting together syllabi for my classes this fall for both Kyiv and for Lviv. And I will also be meeting with two new professors at KTS helping to mentor them and co-teach a class with them.
In addition to the classes, we will be having our Fall English Club at Taras Shevchenko National University from September 20-October 3. In past years, we have had nearly 400 students wanting to take classes but we have only been able to accept about 200. Please pray for this major campus outreach. Then we will follow-up with Bible studies and discipleship and one-on-one evangelism with the students.
Summer in Kiev …
The summer in Kiev has been one of the best. The weather been very comfortable in the 80s and low 90s most days. (We did have a few near 100 with humidity in the 90s – that was hot – without AC!). We have enjoyed the relaxed pace even with the business of a new baby. We’ve been able to get a lot of things done that we have wanted to do for the last few years.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the summer has been the fresh fruits and vegetables. This summer, we have been canning as much as we can to get ready for the winter. With prices going up and with fruit and vegetables naturally being higher in the winter here, we decided to save some money by canning. It has been fun to go to the bazaars (like farmer’s markets), find highly discounted fruits and vegetables, and then return home to process and preserve them. We are not only looking forward to fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter but also to saving a lot of money in the process.
The Situation in Ukraine …
I wish we had good news to report about the situation in Ukraine. In Kiev, things are pretty quiet but things are not quiet in the East. Every day, the Russian-separatist forces attack Ukrainian positions in an attempt to push them back. So far, they are holding, even though they are restricted by the “ceasefire” from attacking—they can only defend. Every day, Ukrainian soldiers die, sometimes 10 or more. Here is a link to a 20 minute video (in English) that will show what the “ceasefire” looks like in Eastern Ukraine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIe5N51I_RU. Please pray for peace so that Ukraine can return to normal.
Also, be praying for our friends who are serving in the Ukrainian army or volunteering in one of the volunteer battalions. Most people outside of Ukraine don’t realize that most of this war is being fought by privately-funded volunteer battalions. The Ukrainian army does not have the funds or weapons to fight with the Russian-separatists. So individuals have raised funds and are supplying troops to protect Ukraine. On many street corners and in most stores, there are donation boxes to help the troops with food and there are websites to help the troops with bullet-proof vests, boots and other essentials. One of the most amazing things to see is how the people of Ukraine have pulled together to defend their nation.
Also, be praying for the economy of Ukraine. Ukraine is embarking on massive reforms in government and business to get rid of the corruption that dominated Ukraine. Much progress is being made but Ukraine has a long way to go. One visible evidence in Kiev has been the newly commissioned police force which was trained by US policemen. Their presence, politeness and respect for the law (the previous force was very corrupt and rarely seen!) has already won the admiration of many in Kiev.
Finally, be praying for the gospel to continue to go forth in Ukraine and for many to be brought into a saving relationship with Jesus. I just received a message from one former student telling about his ministry. They have had many evangelistic camps this summer, mainly for youth. He is leading a small group, leading worship and sharing the gospel with many. This is only one of the many students who are currently making an impact for Christ in Ukraine! Thanks for supporting us so we can train and equip these students to do this ministry here in Ukraine!
Christmas Vacation …
We have good news! We did not plan to come home for Christmas this year. With 3 of us travelling, the costs of coming home more than once a year are too much. But we wanted to bring Nadia back to the states while she was still a baby. We found a new route on Lufthansa to Tampa (near Joel and Alyssa) that was highly discounted so that the cost was just a little more than half of what we paid last spring! From Tampa, we will use Frequent Flyer points to travel back to AR so it won’t cost us anything more. The negative is that our time will be very short – shorter than even last spring. We will only be in AR about 1 month and so we will not be able to meet with many people. But we will try to worship with a number of churches and hopefully get to say hello to as many as possible and introduce you to our new baby, Nadia!
Thank you again for your prayers and support for us! We hope you realize that you too have HOPE! “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!” What about yours?
By His Grace,
Jim, Katya, Kristina and Nadia
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