Ten Days

A little over two months ago, I began my blog with a post entitled "Ten Days." It was ten days until my internship began. I was excited and eager to see what the summer held in store, and beyond ready to begin my internship with HOPE International/Nadezhda Ukraine. In many ways, the summer has come full circle!

In just ten days, Travis will be arriving in Ukraine to serve with me across the final two weeks of this internship. It is a landmark for us - something we have prayed for, worked toward, and looked forward to for the four years of our marriage. To finally have the opportunity to work and serve together in a global ministry focused on human rights, poverty, and children is something we are incredibly grateful for. We're grateful to HOPE for including him in this internship and to preparing work for us to do together, and to our family, who has made his time here possible. While he has long been a part of global ministry in a supportive role, this will be his first time in the field. He has been incredibly supportive and has made my work abroad possible not only this summer but in the past as well. I'm so excited that his time and his opportunity has come now, too.

Trav will be arriving in Ukraine on Friday, July 27th. We will spend the weekend in Kyiv before heading out to serve together in a village children's camp 2.5 hours outside of Kyiv. We will be working with the camp for a full week before returning to Zaporozhye to work with the microfinance ministry for the last week of the internship. It's hard to believe that in just 3.5 short weeks, our time in Ukraine will be complete and we will be returning to the states. I am excited beyond words to see my family and friends again, but I know that it will be difficult to leave the relationships I have established here and the work I have been a part of for the past two months. Until then, I am excited to see what the next few weeks will bring...

More than a Name or Number

Part of my work across the summer has been to create client profiles. It is an incredible part of my job - I love doing it. I create these profiles both for HOPE International and for Nadezhda's partnership with Kiva that began last December. Essentially, I take information about the client's business, experiences, goals, ambitions, and needs - as well as the personal and professional changes they have experienced from working with Nadezhda - to write a paragraph or two: their 'story'. These profiles are shared with other clients, with staff, and with supporters of Nadezhda. They are a source of inspiration and encouragement and more importantly, create true human connections across a couple of kilometers (between clients, staff, and other clients) or across thousands of miles (between clients and supporters).

I've heard client profiles criticized and critiqued by many in the development field. Some critics are fully convinced that they rob clients of their dignity, or that they take advantage of their 'client status' to advance certain organizational goals. I have to say that after the past eight weeks, and especially after today, I could not disagree more - nor could I be more frustrated with critiques that are generalized to all organizations that create and use profiles. What I have experienced in my work is quite the opposite. These profiles empower clients. They move them beyond a name or a number to a PERSON who can communicate their hopes, their dreams, their ambitions - and how their hard work has been rewarded through personal successes. These women are eager to share their stories and to answer questions - they love having their picture taken and knowing that their story will be shared with others.

I do not disagree that some organizations misuse profiles. Corrupt NGO's are everywhere, and there is truly reason to be suspicious of the non-profit field that has more than doubled in the past five years. But I know from personal experience, work, and witness that HOPE is not one of those organizations. The truth of the matter is that for most people, caring enough about those in poverty half a world away requires more than statistics on poverty or even a name. It requires a human connection - a face to put with the name and images of true conditions these people live under. HOPE uses profiles solely to empower clients and to create that human connection. With stewardship of resources as one of the organization's four major pillars, their financial transparency reveals that these efforts are truly for the benefit of clients. For that reason, I feel privilege to daily be a part of this work.

Beyond the time I spent in the market with the women today, I continued with my work on surveys and with learning the more in depth processes of Nadezhda's microfinance program. I feel like I have asked a million questions already this summer - and yet I've only scratched the surface. Nadezhda is so incredibly unique in how they have merged traditional group based microfinance with individualized components to meet the needs of the local communities. No amount of reading or study could have ever taught me the things I am learning here - this is the benefit of experience based learning. At times, separation from my husband and family has been incredibly challenging. But days like today remind me that had Travis and I not responded to this opportunity as we did, we could never have learned the things we now know.

Productivity, Provision, and Providence

These three words have never sounded so good to me as they have today. Each has given me so much to be grateful for and a renewed sense of excitement about the five weeks I have remaining here. As I mentioned in my last blog, my return from the children's camp brought on a cascade of projects that will keep my remaining time filled and productive. Today has brought more insight about the design and schedule of these projects. I am, as ever, thrilled to be encorporated into the work of Nadezhda - and all the more so as I see the projects develop and take effect. Across the next week, I will be developing and refining an updated Social Performance Indicators Survey. This survey will be used to guage the impact of Nadezhda's work on various aspects of clients' lives - from professional to personal to spiritual. Maxym has truly entrusted me with the development of the survey and has taken to heart my suggestions about the procedures of the survey and the use of the information. Next week, I will be working with an interpreter to pilot the survey with clients throughout Zaporozhye and potentially another city in the region. For you public policy students - that survey methodology class has truly come in useful!

The following week, I will turn to a second survey project as I work with the families of children who attended the camp I worked with last week. The intent is to guage the impact of the camp on children's and families' lives, to learn of their personal responses, and to determine ways to improve/enhance this connection between the programs and ministries in the future. I feel fortunate to be working on this second survey as well - it truly connects all of the work I have been doing here.

For the final two weeks of my time, Travis and I will be working with children's camps in Zaporozhye and Kyiv as well as conducting client interviews throughout Zaporozhye. I feel like Nadezhda/HOPE has truly considered my hopes and 'goals' throughout the entirety of this internship. They have given me the opportunity to conduct work that is cohesive but that still crosses the partnership between Nadezhda (HOPE Ukraine/International) and Moybutna (Tomorrow Clubs). And they have maintained a cross between the two for the time Travis is here as well. This truly gives us the opportunity to work in both areas we have long had an interest in - poverty and children.

Speaking of Travis's arrival! I have to admit that while we knew our time apart would be difficult this summer (9.5 weeks!), it has been altogether different to actually be in the center of it. I've mentioned before that as my time here as passed, I have felt more and more torn between my eagerness for his arrival and my hesitation for the time to arrive when I leave to return to the states. I've LOVED being here but wanted him to arrive sooner and have the chance to be here longer. This morning, that was provided for! We found a flight that brings him to Ukraine a day sooner. It will not require him to miss any additional work, nor does it cost a single frequent flyer mile or dime to get him here on the flight! Even the addition of one more day sends me soaring!! And as if that were not enough! We found out this morning (for me)/yesterday (for Travis since I am 8 hours ahead) that two members from our church in Brooklyn Park will be in Ukraine across the two weeks Travis will be here. We're unsure as to all the details, but this may very well provide an opportunity to do additional work while we are here - and with friends from home!! It has been amazing to me to learn of all the connections with friends from home and my work here this summer - it is almost to a point where I am no longer surprised when I get an email that someone is connected/connecting with HOPE International, that someone is connected with someone/somewhere I know here, or that someone is headed HERE yet this summer! But that certainly does not detract from how excited I get each time!

New Projects and Mixed Emotions

After a day to rest from the camp, things are back into full swing for me at the Nadezdha Ukraine headquarters in Zaporozhye. With five weeks left to my internship, there remains much to be done! Yesterday, Maxym (my supervisor next to Paul) walked me through several projects that I will be working on throughout the rest of my time here. And today, he led me through a few more that will certainly fill my remaining time! I am excited about each - each is different and contributes to the work of this organization in unique ways. I think the variety will help to keep things fresh and expand upon what I am learning here.

Throughout my time here, I have felt increasingly satisfied with and blessed by this internship. Maxym has been tremendous at allowing me the time that I need to fulfill my tasks as an intern and Upper Midwest Human Rights fellow and at incorporating my personal goals for learning and development into the projects I am working on. One of my goals for the summer was to learn about the MIS systems that connect the various Nadezdha Ukraine offices throughout the country, and how the microfinance loans are processed. Yesterday, two Nadezdha Ukraine staff members led me through the entire process. I was impressed by the sophistication of the organization's systems - it truly spoke to HOPE's desire to be as effective and efficient as possible. As an organization, they are truly outstanding stewards of the resources they are given.

I was surprised through the day to realize the degree to which microfinance is still group based in this country. For the most part, microfinance in Ukraine is individual based rather than the traditional group based methods used in other areas of poverty and hardship. I knew that Nadezdha retained an element of the group based method, but seeing the processes used with loans and clients revealed how deeply that relational and group based method still ran. In that way, Ukraine has been unique and possibly the most informative place I could have served this summer. Ukraine is a unique mix of individual and group based methods. Furthermore, the country's finance systems are in transition - currently combining elements of traditional Asian relationship based systems with Western credit based systems. At times it seems incredibly complex, but (at least to me!) it is always intriguing.

A second surprise to me was how similar the basic MIS systems were to programs I used in the mortgage industry. Perhaps what is most impressive about that is that Nadezdha's own IT staff member, Yuri, designed the entire program from start to finish. They are currently using Yuri's second edition of the program - this guy amazes me.

Aside from learning more about the organization and finance systems, I have continued work on the Kiva/HOPE International partnership in Ukraine. I love, love, LOVE this part of my work. For now, I'm given the basic facts and information about our clients, which I use to develop client profiles for Kiva. In a few weeks, when Travis arrives, we will be going out to conduct interviews with clients throughout Zaporozhye, creating profiles from start to finish. It is exciting to see this partnership continuing to develop and to be a part of those efforts.

Across the end of this week, I've been given two new projects that I am absolutely estatic about. The first I will begin next week. I will be working with Maxym on Nadezdha's Social Performance Indicator Surveys. These surveys are used with clients to conduct a holistic assessment of the organization's effectiveness with individual clients. Beyond looking at quantitative factors such as increases in clients' income or business capital, these surveys look to the individual lives of clients to see how Nadezdha's/HOPE's programs have impacted the clients in areas such as confidence, skills, future goals, hope, faith, and other areas. I'll be working with Maxym to assess the current surveys and possibly revise the survey and assessment process.

My second new project truly ties together my work with children last week and my work in microfinance. A big reason I was invited to be a part of the children's camp was to work with the children of microfinance clients. In this second project, I will be working with these families to evaluate the children's experiences in the camp and how that has impacted the family as a whole. It truly helps me to feel that my work is gaining cohesion and clarity. And it gives me another opportunity to interact with these incredible children!!!

As I look on toward the next few weeks, I truly have mixed emotions. I am incredibly eager for the next three weeks to pass quickly so that Travis can join me here. Yet his arrival leaves only two weeks for me in this place. In the same way, I am eager to see my family and friends, to return home, and to share as much as I can about this experience. But doing so occurs only at the expense of leaving behind the deep friendships I have made here, a country and people that I have come to love, incredible leaders that have taught me so much about what I am eager to learn, and work that I love. I know that Travis and I will continue to partner with HOPE well past this summer, but I will truly miss the daily connection with my friends and colleagues here. It leaves me with incredibly mixed emotions. So with five weeks remaining in total, I plan to make the most of what time I have remaining, to continue to develop the relationships and work that I have here, and to be thankful that each day brings me closer to my family and friends.

One Week at the Midway Point

It's hard to believe but I'm over halfway through my time in Ukraine. It's been quite some time since I blogged last. It was not for lack of eventfulness, but rather that I spent the last week on the Ukrainian sea with a children's camp through HOPE International/Nadezhda Ukraine. It would be impossible to recount all that I experienced, learned, and saw through the week, so I'll focus on the highlights!

Across the week, I led a group of eight girls through the camp with two women, both named Olga. The first Olga has been my dear friend across my time here and has served as my interpreter as well. The second Olga I met my first week here at the business camp. She is an interpreter in training and is absolutely incredible - I was glad for the opportunity to serve with them across the week. They were constantly by my side, interpreting the endless questions children asked me about America and my work - not to mention every word spoken or written across the week! I truly wish I had a stronger aptitude for languages. I have picked up enough to get by and to function without an interpreter in most places, but conversations without an interpreter remain at surface civilities. In that way, language continues to be a challenge here. There are so many people that I love so dearly (see the last post), that I wish I could talk with on end and without any language barrier. Since I know that is impossible, I am ever more grateful for Nadia and Olga.

The eight girls I had in my group were absolutely amazing. They were between ten and fourteen - full of energy and lots of spirit! And absolutely the sweetest things... Trav and I are hoping to have a picnic with all of them to see them one last time before we leave the country. It is amazing how close you can grow to people in one week, and how deeply you can cherish them after so little time. They had what seemed to be endless questions about the US, about my work here, about my home and family. Many were questions I hadn't been asked before - these girls taught me much about the deeper differences between Ukraine and the United States and the differences between the lives we lead, the opportunities we have, and the conditions we live under. Some differences were heartbreaking - others were eye opening. I walked away from the camp feeling a deeper sense of gratitude for the blessing of living in the United States - something I neither earned nor deserved - I live there only by the conditions of my birth.

While the schedule of each day of the camp was the same, the lessons and activities were very different. I was given the opportunity to teach three lessons, which I've mentioned a little in previous posts. It was incredible to teach these girls. Of course they were restless at times and distracted, as any girls that age are, but there were moments of such sincere enlightenment that I saw on their faces as they grappled with issues like pride, integrity, and prejudice (the focus points of my three lessons). The final lesson - on prejudices - was revealing for all of us. As in any country, stereotypes and discrimination are alive and well in Ukraine. The groups most discriminated against are Gypsies and Armenians. As we talked through some of the widely held stereotypes and prejudices against these groups, I saw that the nature of divides between people groups is no different here than anywhere else. It is something I knew before, but to see it and hear it in practice has been something that is difficult to put into words. But to see their hearts opening and changing, and to see grace and compassion in bloom was an incredible thing.

For all the amazing parts of the camp, there were challenges as well! I have to admit that I'm not the best camper. In fact, I'm a terrible camper - most of my friends and family had a good laugh when they heard I would be spending the week in the camp. I NEVER camp for pleasure and the few times my family has been able to drag me along have been disasterous. I am all about it though when it means camping with purpose! There remained, however, the normal challenges of camping plus a few more due to the nature of being in a foreign country and one of poverty as well. It made me appreciate so much more how much we take for granted in the US.

It is no secret that access to clean drinking water is a privilege, and that millions across the world do not have access to such water. This camp was a good example of it. The sea is polluted and very dirty, and the water is the same. The first couple of days at the camp, we tried to make due with the water, but it was difficult to drink. Several (including myself) ended up dehydrated, so we brought in purified water. While it was expensive and a luxury, it was also necessary. I have never been so grateful for water as when the first few bottles arrived. We were able to bring in water, but for many who live there, that water is all that they have. As polluted and dirty as it is, that is what they live on. It is the first time I have spent an extended period of time in an area where access to clean and safe drinking water is so difficult (and for many, impossible). I kept thinking - "In the US, I can drink the water from my tap if I want, and I know that it is safe and will consistently be available here. Those that live here don't have that... I can bring it in... they cannot. This is real - this is their life. This is poverty."

Another thing that struck me especially this week was sanitation. The children had so many questions about the US, and one of them was about sanitation and public services. Were our streets clean? Did people sweep and wash our streets? Did really people take our trash away for us? Did we really have green grass in our lawns? These are all luxeries of the US. I've never realized how much I take our public services and utilities for granted. We have consistent and quality sanitation services, clean public restrooms (I didn't think so until I spent time in Turkey and Ukraine), extremely clean streets, green grass in public spaces/medians/parks... so many things that keep our cities clean and sanitary. There are certainly impoverished and neglected areas in the US - I've spent a lot of time studying these areas as well. But those conditions are not abnormal here or restricted to the very poor - they are everywhere here - a normal way of life. This is not to say that there are not beautiful areas or well kept areas of Ukraine. But it is these that are a rarity - these are unique to the few areas of affluence. Bobushkas clean the streets each day, but with their hands and rudimentary brooms made of branches and leaves... it is in no way like the public sanitation system we know in the US.

The final thing that struck me was the one to do so most deeply. Spending a week living among and alongside these children and people, I saw the poverty of the country in even deeper ways. I have seen and written much about the poverty of these people and of this nation in previous posts. And I've seen glimpses of what it means in individual lives. But living alongside these children and other leaders for a week has taught me more about the poverty than the previous five weeks combined. It is hard to convey what experiencing this poverty so deeply has meant and what it has done to me. Years of study in a classroom do not teach you the taste, smells, and pains of poverty. It can teach you the facts and the conditions... but it does not reveal the depths of it. There are so many ways years of poverty have impacted the culture and have shaped the way people live. One way it is most clearly manifested is in the way people eat. Sitting down to eat with these girls, I could tell how deeply the hunger and poverty is entrenched. They eat quickly, and devour whatever they possibly can as quickly as they can - grabbing bread greedily and stooping low over plates and bowls. It is utterly heartwrenching. There was always more than enough food, but they often ate as if they hadn't eaten for days. Manners were thrown by the wayside and all that mattered was to eat. Many children came from homes that had enough to eat to satisfy hunger each day, but some came from more impoverished homes. There were two girls in my group that clearly came from such homes. These signs of poverty in the way that they ate were especially clear in them. Those that came from homes with enough still exhibited some signs - but more as a matter of how it has been entrenched in the culture than by consistent hunger. It reminded me that such widespread hunger and desperate poverty is not far removed - the children of my generation remember the long lines for food and basic necessities like bread, oil, and sugar. And certainly their parents knew such conditions well. Before I left for this internship, there were many I spoke with that didn't understand why I was traveling to Ukraine - was it really that poor after all? When you hear poverty, you think of Africa, places in Asia, and areas of Central and South America. But a country in Europe? Really? I can say after six weeks here I have seen poverty in a new light, and yes, Ukraine is an impoverished country. And the conditions of poverty that children and families face here are very real. It is again a reminder of how much I take for granted, how grateful I am for what I have, and how blessed I am to be here, trying to help alleviate the poverty people of this country face.

My Ukrainian Family

I'm amazed at how many things there are to do on any given day. And weekends even more so. Saturday morning, I returned with a team to the Children's Sanitorium of Zaporozhye. Because it is only a short term placement for these children, I knew that it would be my last weekend with them. I am leaving in two days for a seven week children's camp - which, by the way, is out in the middle of no where. True camping style. For those who know me well, you will be shocked, but yes, I am going 'camping' for an entire week, and yes - I am excited about it.

Spending time with these children across the past two weekends has been incredible. My heart breaks for them, and for the struggles they have in their daily lives. In a place of such hardship and poverty, they face even greater barriers to survival and enjoyment of basic necessities and rights. They are, by many, cast aside. They have health disorders, physical and mental disabilities, and behavioral disorders. But they are brilliant - wise beyond their years and beautiful. Some have become hardened - untrusting of the world around them because of the repeated rejection and cruelty they have faced. But in so many I saw hope, resiliance, and determination. And such joy over the smallest gestures of love and kindness. So often it seems that we feel helpless and hopeless in the face of so much global poverty and problems. But I've seen how stepping in and doing SOMETHING - how loving, how caring, and how genuinely investing into individuals and groups can truly bring about change and transformation. It is not hopeless, and it should not be something that we dispair over to the point of inaction - it should motivate us and encourage us by knowing that by taking action and by becoming involved, lives truly change.

In the evening, we held a sending out party for Sveta and Vlodia. Sveta works in the Tomorrow's Clubs of HOPE International. She and her husband Vlodia are moving from Zaporozhye to a small village to start a children's ministry there. They are such a sweet couple - they've been like family to me here and have been a constant source of friendship and humor. Their move to the village is a choice that I am encouraged by and in awe of. They are embracing a life of little comfort and much poverty, but are doing so because they feel such a love for the people there. They want to serve them and to make a difference in their lives, and are willing to forego the comforts they have here to do so.

Across the evening, we played badmitten. Zaporozhye has faced a severe drought this year, but for some reason, winds picked up and the rain came right over the game. We were left trying to find creative ways to retrieve the birdie from the neighbors' yards. We resorted to a shovel and broom through the fence. Given that the neighbors keep a menacing dog (a rotweiler), this task was most often left to Paul.

The best part of the evening was being in the company of so many wonderful friends. More than friends, they are quickly becoming like family to me. Since I haven't before, I thought I would introduce them to you so you could understand a bit about them - I refer to and speak of them often! Paul and Cindy (HOPE's Eastern European Regional Directors) together with Yura and Galena (pictured at the right) have taken us in almost as daughters. Their warmth and goodness is a breath of fresh air each morning when I arrive at the office. Yura is a pastor at a local church and Galena is the accountant of the HOPE Children's Ministries. They are an amazing couple - absolutely filled with love and graciousness. And forces to be reckoned with on the badmitten and volleyball courts.

Jzenya and Larissa are another couple that have fast become good friends. Larissa is due with their son any day now. Jzenya has all the energy and enthusiasm of ten teenagers. He has an inclusive leadership style - he strives to ensure that everyone is involved and at east. In that way, he reminds me very much of my brother Beau. Larissa is sweet and shy - always kind and gentle. She does not speak volumes, but when she does, her words are soft and full of wisdom. They are perfect compliments of one another. I am SO excited for them to be parents! It will be sometime this week and next - they will be wonderful parents together.

Lenna and Vadeem are another couple I've gotten to know here. Vadeem took on the perilous task of driving us to HOPE's regional conference in Crimea several weeks ago. Lenna leads the children's ministries of the Zaporozhye region with Jzenya. Lenna is a very strong, organized, and capable leader - and a wonderful mother! Their daughter Yyeva (life) is an absolute jewel! She is talkative, sociable, and very much the explorer. Her expressions are absolutely priceless! I absolutely adore her - she is a constant reminder of my nieces in the states.

Nadia (pictured with me at the right) and Olga have been our interpreters and constant companions. They are both amazing women and wonderful friends. We spend nearly every day together - I've learned so much from them about this country, the culture, the people, the language, and life here. We are the same age and it has been incredible to share the vast differences of our lives and backgrounds. They grew up under the Soviet Bloc and remember well what life and the economy were like when the country was communist. They remember the fall of communism and have experienced a country in transition from communism to market democracy - a transition that continues today. They have shared how that has impacted their perspectives, their faith, their ambitions, and their hopes. They have opened my eyes in so many ways to how extensively the structure and modes of economy and politics impact individual lives. I have studied in depth the connections between politics, laws, economies, human rights, and individual freedoms. But no amount of classroom experience or book knowledge can compare to what is learned from those who have lived it. The conversations that we have as friends have taught me what years of study cannot. They have taught me again what it means to understand these impacts from a personal perspective, and why this work remains so important. These are friends that I will cherish for life.

Travis (pictured left with my niece Mackenzie and nephew Caden) arrives in a little under five weeks. I am excited and anxious for him to arrive! We have waited for years for the opportunity to work together for an organization like HOPE. I am excited to share this work with him and for him to meet the amazing family that I have here now. We did not need this summer to motivate us toward this work. We did not need it to inspire us to care about the lives of those who are living out the daily struggles of poverty and hardship. We did not need it to realize that holistic microfinance ministries are one of the most effective and sustainable methods of poverty alleviation. Our hearts and hopes were in this work already. But this summer has given us the opportunity to be a part of it at last! And I am excited for him to share in it and to share in the friendships that I have here. It already seems hard to think of leaving them in August (seven weeks is far away yet, so I try not to think of it!), but I am confident that we will see them again and that we will continue to partner with them in this work far after this internship ends.

Discoveries, Making Friends with Bobushkas, and Glimpses of a Masterpiece

I do not think I will cease to discover new things each day that I am here. Yesterday was a day absolutely filled with them - it was one of the best days I think I have ever had. In need of some things for the quickly approaching children's camps, Nadia and I made a quick trip to the market near our office. I've written about the market before - it is a place I absolutely love. Many of Nadezhda Ukraine's clients operate kiosks throughout the market, so shopping there is a way not only to support the work of those accessing sustainable methods of poverty alleviation, but it is supporting the grassroots of the Ukrainian economy. Roaming the kiosks, I came across some berries that were entirely new to me... currents and gooseberries. For those who've never had the pleasure, these berries are AMAZING. And a bonus discovery: in Ukraine, cherries are not simply cherries. There are several different names that clearly distinguish the varieties of cherries - Ukrainians take their cherries seriously.

Better than discovering the tastes and names of the fruit of Ukraine was meeting the kind bobushkas that sold them. The bobushka selling me gooseberries reminded me so much of my grandmother - hardworking and humorous. When I asked about the price (squelka stoid?), her response was "Duva!" It took me a minute to translate the cost into English in my head (I'm still learning the basics, you see...), so to help me along, she said: "Duva! (two in Russian) Von! Tue!" The expression on her face and the humorous forcefulness in her voice made me want to throw my arms around her right there - she could be Grandma's sister. The kind lady that sold me currents was inviting and enthusiastic. It remains evident that I am not from Ukraine (as soon as I open my mouth!), and she was eager to welcome me and ask me to return to her kiosk in the future. And a third bobushka kindly chose among the best of her cucumbers, simply to welcome a 'visitor' to the market.

In the evening, Nadia, Ashley, and I headed home together, intent on making amends with the bobushka I shared a less than pleasant encounter with on Saturday. The reconciliation was swift and sweet - within minutes, we were all smiling and talking easily, and she was telling us about her young grandson who would be visiting this weekend - and who she hoped we would meet. Knowing that we will be neighbors for another month to month and a half, I am glad that we've established a friendship in place of the tension that existed before.

These bobushkas are truly deserving of our respect. In fact, learning about their role in this country has reminded me of how quickly we in America (in general) have thrown respect of elders by the wayside. I started reading Waldon last weekend at the beach, and in the opening chapter, Thoreau describes how he felt his elders were no wiser than he was, and that he had nothing to learn from them. I have to disagree entirely. Yes, generations are different. We face different conditions, different struggles, different pressures, different modes of living... but that doesn't mean we have nothing to learn from them or that they are not deserving of our respect. Each morning as I walk to work, I see these women sweeping the streets, opening kiosks in the market, and carrying heavy bags. They have had difficult lives, have carried a country through two world wars, and continue to work in their latest years. How can it be said that there is nothing to learn from them? Or that they are undeserving of respect?

So why was this one of the best days? The best part remains! I've written often about how blessed I feel to be here, how fulfilling this journey has been, and how it has already been beyond what Travis and I had hoped for or imagined. As we've learned more about HOPE and Christian INGO's at work in microfinance ministries, we've become increasingly excited about sharing our experiences with our communities. Before returning to graduate school, I served for a year with a college ministry in Ames called The Salt Company (TSC). TSC is a part of Cornerstone - one of the most authentic, sincere, loving, and passionate communities I have been a part of. The equipping and encouragement Travis and I received there - the friendships and the relationships, and the ways we were challenged to grow are beyond words. It was difficult to leave to return to school, but poverty, policy, human rights, and international ministry were passions we felt called to pursue further. In the recent weeks, we've been in frequent contact with them, and yesterday, we learned that throughout the year, they have been exploring ministries in microfinance as well. They have started work in Zambia and have been searching out organizations that excel in microfinance ministries. Not knowing that I was in Ukraine with HOPE, the contacted HOPE and have begun to look for ways to learn from and partner with them. We do not know what the future will bring, but what we do know is this:

For years Travis and I have prayed and prepared for international ministry in poverty alleviation. It is something we feel called to - something we are passionate about, and something for us that is a part of both the compassion of our faith and the basic human rights of every being. And our family at Cornerstone have had a prominant hand in encouraging, equipping, and preparing us for such work. We know that this is not simply chance. What it will bring we cannot tell, but we are excited to search it out together. To think of what it may bring, no matter how big or how small, feels like a defining moment in our lives. We know that there is a grand masterpiece that is playing out, and we are eager to find our place in it.