In hindsight, I did not know what I was committing us to. To frame this statement, let me say that our young family has been immersing ourselves more deeply into mission opportunities each of the past several years. With a 10 year old son and an 8 year old daughter, we are considered to be very open and adventuresome, but we have focused on things that we can do together to serve Him obediently and to shepherd the hearts of our children to prepare them to love and serve others. However, in spite of being experienced and well travelled, the work that we signed up for at Kompas Park was very different to anything we had done before. Its a simple decision to make a commitment like this as an individual, but it’s very different to make it as a young family when considering your goals and reasons for going and participating.
Short-term mission work is, for me, a tricky thing. Balancing the earthly and human desire to “impact others, spread the Word and improve someone else’s life” over a short few days with the reality that the real purpose of short term mission work is to work on YOUR OWN heart BY serving others (Vic, thank you for that sermon last October) is a real struggle. For months we prayed as individuals and as a family that God would bless us with a proper heart and proper mind, provide us the strength and will to serve others as humble servants and to help our hearts to grow such that we can come home better prepared to be “missionaries” each and every day. God blessed us – he gave us Kompas Park!
My belief is that God answers prayers by providing opportunities for you to receive the blessing you ask for. Kompas Park was handed to my family and from the minute we arrived there the opportunities to earn those blessings were available for the taking. Our team arrived at the camp on Sunday night and plugged in with the team from Ukraine – what an interesting dynamic; we don’t speak Ukrainian, the Ukrainians don’t speak English (most, at least), there are 3 interpreters to go with 8 working groups and a pile of kids that don’t speak English are due to show up the next morning. HA! We’re all sitting there smiling at each other and come to find out later we’re all thinking the same thing – “do we really have to do this – maybe we can just divide into the American team and the Ukrainian team and work separately. Then the children arrive and you remember that God’s work is a mystery that is not meant to be easily understood. The children arrived on Monday morning and the organized chaos begins – each age group of 6 – 8 children is teamed with one Ukrainian leader and an American assistant. As soon as you look into the eyes of the children and see their expectant and eager smiles you are impassioned with the desire to work and serve and the communication issues are put aside. All these children want is for a loving adult to spend time with them, listen to them, play with them and just do anything with them. Kompas Park provides all of these opportunities. I won’t exaggerate – the first day was hard; the kids want to be with you, you want to be with them but it’s hard to get past the fact that you can’t talk. My wife and I went to bed that evening exhausted and getting mentally prepared for a long week.
The first blessing from God came the next morning. After three strong cups of coffee and an early morning team meeting I walked to the breakfast area to meet my group for the 2nd day. I was the first to arrive but within a few minutes two of my 11 year olds saw me and flew to me with a huge hug and some of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. The other three boys quickly followed and there was a circle of yammering boys around my son and I that filled my heart with Him and energized my body for the week. The rest of the week was the same or better and my son moved out of our room to stay with the Ukrainian boys (how they communicated is still a mystery to me). It’s amazing how little you have to talk when you are playing ping pong, soccer/football, chasing kids around, singing songs, etc. When it comes time to talk there is always a way to communicate when your heart is in the right place.
Kompas Park is truly a magical place. Alla, Nadya, Cyndee and all of the Ukrainian leaders are truly gifted leaders that have the unique ability to bring teams together to enrich the lives and souls of everyone that stays there. It’s been two weeks since our family left there yet not a day has gone by that we have not communicated with many of our new best friends from Ukraine or prayed for the children that blessed our lives. We never could have expected what the experience would give to us. What a wonderful God we all have!
As the summer season at Kompas Park draws to a close with the September
widows’ and widowers’ camps, this seems a good time to say thank you to
our wonderful staff.
My story starts more than 17 years ago when I first met Vic Jackopson;
this was when he first started coming to Ukraine. Vic was one of the
first foreigners I ever met.
How do you measure success? No doubt there are many different answers to
that question. But when it comes down to how do you manage success at a
Bible School, there are two indicators.
During the past ten years Vera and I have visited the Day Care Study
Centre in Cherkassy to oversee and play a part in the refurbishing and
equipping of classrooms to better serve the needs of the students who
have physical or mental disabilities and their teachers.
01.02.2012 Pray for Alla, Lena, Ksenya and the team presently working in Calcutta for another two weeks with Tear Fund projects
02.02.2012 Pray that the Mission Fund, which undergirds all that is done both here and in Ukraine, will have the finances to meet all our obligations
03.02.2012 Pray for all the older people that came to our Christmas party in Cherkiassy, that the Lord will bless them whatever their situation or background
04.02.2012 Pray for those who had a well installed last year, that as they share their water they will get opportunities to share their faith also
05.02.2012 Pray for all those who are attending the Bible School that they can give adequate time to studying, working and being with their families
06.02.2012 For all the foster parents of children supported by Hope Now, that they will have patience as they have to deal with problems that occur from time to time
07.02.2012 Our auditors visit the Southampton offices today to audit our accounts – pray that all will be in order as figures are checked
08.02.2012 Give thanks for all the volunteers that come into the office and give of their time so sacrificially, doing jobs at times without even being asked
09.02.2012 Pray for Frank and Lin as they plan for the summer at Kompas Park, and visit churches to speak about the varying areas of service possible
10.02.2012 Pray for Misha and all the staff at the Ukraine office as they consider all the requests from those asking for help
11.02.2012 Pray that all the plans for the Annual Weekend Away next month will come together well, and that people will register early while rooms are still available
12.02.2012 Pray for Alla Kostyunina, Director of Kompas Park, that she will be given wisdom in her decisions and management of the Park
13.02.2012 Give thanks that the young people in South Africa are doing well with their education, and pray for wisdom for Margaret Ferguson as she guides and directs them
14.02.2012 On this St Valentine’s Day, pray for the students we support who are in relationships, that they will be sensible and keep up their studies
15.02.2012 Pray for David and Valerie Reddaway as they oversee the Bible School, and the Church planting and twinning programme
16.02.2012 Pray for Jon as he attends a Men Meet meeting in Milford on Sea this evening
17.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Buckinghamshire to attend the Vetinerary Christian Conference this weekend
18.02.2012 Pray for Maria Shevchuki of Kuchkivka village as she celebrates her 86th birthday today
19.02.2012 Pray for the Directors and Staff of Orphanages we are involved with, that they will look after their children with love and dedication
20.02.2012 Pray for the young girls in Swindon House, and boys in Cornah House as they learn new skills which will prepare them for their futures
21.02.2012 Pray for Jon in his many responsibilities, that he will have wisdom in each decision that he has to make
22.02.2012 Pray for Lidia Savelieva and her vision of a sheltered home for older people to be realised, and pray for finances to come in for this project
23.02.2012 For Larisa Vovk in her work of overseeing the work being done with children in the orphanages and cottage homes
24.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Carlisle for the Northern Vet’s Christian Conference
25.02.2012 Pray for Cyndee and Darrell Knight and the work they do in the American Office for Kompas Park
26.02.2012 Pray for the Food Programme in Ukraine, especially through this winter time, that all those in need will receive help and no-one will be overlooked
27.02.2012 Pray for Vitaly and Ludmila Sidenko in their work with the African Students at 2nd Baptist Church, and Ludmila’s work with the deaf community at the same church
28.02.2012 Pray that we may be able to assemble a team of dentists and nurses to treat the children in the internats
29.02.2012 Give thanks for all our supporters who pray regularly for the work of Hope Now, and give sacrificially month upon month – pray the Lord will bless them as they bless the people of Ukraine
