Thursday - Friday

Thursday/Friday
It occurred to me after reading yesterdays blog that I failed to mention Sergri, Sergii, Sergy, and of course Sergey. There were 5 guys named Sergey, or Sergei or how ever it is spelled.
Thursday was the last day of class work. This was the day that the students broke up into small groups and planned a worship service based on any and all of the topics and ideas that we discussed in class. I wasn’t as much interested in the style of format of music they used as much as I was interested in the creativity in which they used it.
One of the Sergei’s brought up a point about why they do things the way they do and don’t see a need for change or even be creative when it comes to the structure of the worship service. He mentioned that under the communist rule they were told what to do and how to do it. Ira supported this thought by telling us that in her readings it was the communist that told the churches that there had to be two sermons. And then she brought up the point that when the communists took a preacher away the congregation was supposed to form a group within themselves and pick their own leader. Since most Christians were also denied the right to go to college let alone a bible college (if one existed) those congregations didn’t have a minister/pastor/leader to guide them. So they formed a structure of worship service that fit there needs. It worked for all those years so his question now is, since it worked for all those years why change it. We spent some time in good discussions about the fact that it’s not the change we want, it the freshness, it’s a new way of looking at the Word, the way we come to God, what happens when we meet on Sunday (or any other day of the week that we might meet), all of this to help the worshippers sense and experience in a new way the closeness of God when we meet corporately.
Friday came around and so did the heat! It was an extremely hot day (and continued into the night).
We did a review took a break. When we came back from the break for the final exam the students gave me and Yuri gifts for being here this week with them. I received (i before e except after c!) a beautiful plate that has the Kherson city logo on it along with the Ukrainian flag. What a wonderful gift! Now to get it home in one piece! They also made a video of pictures they had been taking all week long. It is GREAT! They poke fun at me just at the right times. If I ever want to remember what this class was really like all I have to do is watch the video again.
They were very anxious about their exams, but they all did well. Everyone passed and everyone passed the class. Almost all with A’s.
I went to Zhenia and Vera’s for dinner on Friday night. We all had a great time. I say all, because all their family was there. The three older boys are married and out of the house, but they were there last night with their wives. Sergie, and his wife Yulia and their three week old baby girl (Yulia) were there and one of the other sons and his wife are expecting this September. Then add to the that the other 5 kids and you can’t forget Dema. He’s 4 and they adopted him, so how many does that make….including me, Zhenia, Vera and the baby 16. It was fun just to watch the family act and inter act with each other. Passing the baby around so others could hold her (and some for the first time). The food was wonderful but not as wonderful as the fellowship we all had together. Sergie, was hired on to be the worship minister there at the church where Zhenia is the preacher. Sergei’s wife Yulia was my interpreter when I was here before back in 2003, so it was good to see her again. And while we are talking about the name Yulia, one of the daughter-in-laws is also named Yulia.