A week of ups and downs...

So first of all I apologize for the lack to blog updates this week.  With Euro 2012 being in town we have been staying up late watching soccer and I just haven't found the time or I guess really made the time to update the blog...Anyways I will just fill you in all at once with updates from the whole week. 

Tuesday marked one of the lowest times I have had here in Ukraine.  When the weather changes here it does something serious to the pressure of the atmosphere.  I don't really understand how it all works, but I do know that it can cause severe headaches.  This is what I was feeling Tuesday and was stuck inside all day.  It was a good day to feel bad though because it rained all day.  I hope I can get through the rest of my trip without having to feel like that again.

On Wednesday Chelsey and I traveled to the "fan zone" in the center of the city to catch up with a missionary team from Texas and some fellow Ukraine missionaries to watch the Euro 2012 game. 

Thursday was the day I had been looking forward to all week because it is playground ministry night.  This week I was unsure about what to make, but after some thought I planned to make a flower pen.  It is an artificial flower taped to a regular pen.  On this particular night we ended up having mostly girls and only a few boys, so it turned out to be the perfect craft.

 We even convinced some boys to make the flower pens...

These guys were just so precious, and they thought my English was just so funny!  They ended up convincing all the "big kids" to play on the monkey bars...

At the end of the day we had two extra flower pens one unmade and on that I had made as an example.  This lady always shows up during the time of playground ministry and reads by herself.  You can't tell by this picture, but she had a baby wrapped in her jacket.  Since we had left overs I took her the flower pen I made as the example.  She seemed happily surprised that someone was giving her something.  I hope that a seed was planted by this small act of kindness.  Please pray that a relationship can be made with this lady in the future. 

Friday was my 21st birthday.  I thought that I would be really homesick, and I guess I was a little, but a good dinner, fellowship with friends, and some chocolate cheesecake made me feel much better.  I have met some amazing people here and I am so thankful that they have taken me in and treated me like family! 

Saturday we stayed in the center of the city we took Mikola some food and spent some time fellowshipping with him.  He was in good spirits smiling, and laughing.  It was the first sunny and hot day we have had in a long time so I was wearing my sunglasses.  Mikola didn't have a hat or sunglasses and I knew he had spent the whole morning squinting and would spend the whole afternoon squinting as the sun beat down on him so I offered him my sunglasses.  At first he was worried that I wouldn't have any buy I assured him that he needed them more than I did.  He joked that he looked so cool after he put them on and insisted that I take his picture so here it is. 

Today was Father's Day and we were able to spend the day at a local park grilling pork and sausage.  I was honored to share in the family festivities of the Ledfords, but I couldn't help but miss my own daddy.  I know that I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for my dad who raised me in a Christian family since I was born.  He has always been there for me and supported me in anything that I do, even if that meant traveling half way around the world!  I missed my dad so much today, but I know he understands and is proud of me for being on this journey. 

It was certainly a week of ups and downs, but thankfully more ups than downs.  I have almost been here 3 weeks.  I am halfway through my journey!  I still consider myself blessed to have this opportunity to follow God's calling for my life.