Going

Blind Date on Sunday

Posted on by kimnjed

Warning, I’m in a bit of a mood.  Not a bad mood, just a quirky mood.  An I’m-not-sure-what-will-come-out-of-my-mouth (or fingers) mood.  You’ve been warned.  Now feel free to read on.  ðŸ™‚
Today was loads of fun.  I laughed a lot today.  Don’t you love days like that?  
Today I got to go to Kiev Vineyard!  I love that place so much.  Jed was super jealous, and you all should be jealous too because it’s a wonderful place to be.  Hehe

Last year when we walked into Kiev Vineyard we felt right at home, and I felt that even more this time.  I feel like I can just “be”.  I don’t have to be “on”.  I don’t have to be a certain anything.  I am loved just as I am.  I may not understand a lick of the worship or teaching, but I understand the heart, the passion, the love.  Our hearts beat the same as the other hearts in that room and that’s enough.  
     

After church my friends Anya and Sasha walked me to the metro because I had a blind date with an American couple.  Anya and Sasha were pretty afraid to leave me to navigate the metro alone.  What? Me, alone in a city of millions of people I can’t communicate with, on the metro, alone?  What’s to worry about?  Ha!  I wasn’t worried at all.  

They wanted to come along, but I promised I would be fine. After I finally promised to call Sasha when I arrived, they let me go.  I felt so loved!  ðŸ™‚
The metro is a people-watcher’s heaven.  Seriously.  Old people, babies, people in a rush, people taking their time, people with flowers, people with guitars, Babushkas with big grocery bags.  I just want to squeeze those cute little grandmas!  They’re so stinkin’ cute!  
Annnnnd I made the trip without a hitch!  Aren’t you all proud of me?  

I met Kevin and Debbie Nelson on my blind date and just had the best time.  I can’t say enough.  I love them!  The crazy thing is, I got their info from my friend Kim who’s been praying for them for a long time now, but she’s never met them.  Jed and I thought we shouldn’t turn down any possible connection so we emailed the Nelsons and arranged the date.  Then I was talking with a co-worker at the hospital a week before I left for this trip and she told me she has a cousin in Kiev and I should meet her.  Well, the cousin just happens to be the one and only, Debbie Nelson!  Ha!  Destiny’s child I tell ya.

Kevin, Debbie, and I went to my fave restaurant, Puzata Hata, so I was instantly happy.  We proceeded to spend the next almost 3 hours chattin it up about life in Ukraine and what brought us all here.  I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of the Nelsons because they are just fabulous.  They are real, funny, wise, and faithful.  God first took them to Russia where they served for several years, and now they’ve been in Ukraine for the past 8 years.  They gave me advice on everything from prayer support, to visas, to apartment choosing, to appliance voltage, to grocery shopping.
(You all know I was thankful for that one in particular!) 

I would totally consider a second date with Kevin and Debbie.  Too bad it can’t be tomorrow!  ðŸ™‚
I managed to make it home to Olya’s apartment without getting even close to lost, and came home to an apartment filled with friends.  Success.

Tomorrow Olya and I head to Zhitomir to check out the future Johnson landing place and to meet with a realtor.  It should be quite the adventure.  House Hunters International anyone?  

Good night all!  A special good night to my Mom.  Love you Mom!  Happy Mother’s Day!  Here’s your present! 

(She wants more pictures of me on the blog, just like I can’t get enough pics of my babies while I’m gone.  Once a mommy, always a mommy)  ðŸ™‚








Celebrity Sightings

Posted on by kimnjed

Today I had a celebrity sighting, Ukraine style.

Ever since this journey began in 2010, we’ve been on the lookout for people in Ukraine doin’ the stuff.  “The Stuff” being, outrageous obedience to God.  We’ve been on the lookout for people who are living lives Wide Awake, lives that don’t make sense to the world, but make perfect sense when you’re talking The Kingdom.  Lives lived on the edge of their seat…awaiting the Fathers voice.  
About 2 years ago, while on the lookout for such people, I stumbled upon the Malone family.  Chris and Mary Malone first had 4 healthy biological kids, and then their 5th child, Ethan, was born with an extra chromosome and their lives were changed forever.  Their eyes were opened, like ours, to what life is like in Ukraine for orphans born with Down Syndrome, like Ethan.  Since then they have adopted 4 precious kiddos from Ukraine, all with Down Syndrome.  My kind of people!
After I’d been following their story for a while I read that they were moving their family to Ukraine!  Okay, definitely my kind of people!  Last year Jed and I tried to meet the Malones when we were in Ukraine, but they had just recently moved and the timing didn’t work out.  Well, today it worked out and it was seriously like a celebrity sighting!  ðŸ™‚  

God has opened the doors for Chris and Mary to be able to minister to other local families who are raising children with disabilities.  He has provided a wonderful home where they can welcome mothers in and encourage them as they navigate raising their special children.  What a breath of fresh air!  Absolutely brave and beautiful and humbling and awe-inspiring.  

Olya and I got to meet up with the Malones and attend a special Easter program for kids with disabilities and their families.  Puppets, cartoons, singing, beautiful children free to be who God created them to be, smiling mothers relieved to see their children accepted and embraced.  We loved it!

Thank you Chris and Mary for your obedience to do what may sound crazy to a lot of people.  I think it’s radical and amazing and I can’t wait to join you in the craziness. 🙂
You can follow the Malone’s journey here: http://malonesinukraine.com/

After the program we headed to Chris and Mary’s house to chat and meet some other pretty special celebrities!
Randy, Cephas, and Lucia Kacirek.  

I can’t even tell you how happy I was to see those faces in the flesh.  
I’ve been following the Kacirek’s adoption journeys (yes, plural) for some time now.  I love Tina’s heart and her writing.  Talk about people living on the edge of their seat!   
Randy and Tina just adopted Cephas and Lucia from an orphanage here in Ukraine. Randy and the kids have been staying with the Malones as they await their flight home.  
I wish I could adequately explain the beauty.  Cephas and Lucia were both “laying down” children.  Both unable to walk, they laid and waited for years and years.  Now they are chosen!  It is unbelievable.  The Kacireks met Cephas and Lucia in 2010 while they were in Ukraine adopting one of their sons.  They fell in love.  In the fall of 2012 the kids were moved to a different facility and Lucia made sure the caregivers knew she wouldn’t be there long “My parents are coming for me”.  When Tina asked Lucia if she ever worried when many months had passed and they hadn’t returned to Ukraine for her.  Lucia replied “No, I wasn’t worried.  I knew you would come.”

To read more about Lucia and Cephas I really encourage you to read these two posts (at least):
You will not be sorry. 
Their stories are of the amazing redemptive work of God.  He’s always rooting for the underdog.  He’s always behind the scenes: moving hearts, making ways, smoothing paths.  How did Lucia maintain such hope- despite her hopeless circumstances?  She was literally adopted in the knick of time.  She was about to age out and be lost in the system for the remainder of her days.  Yet she knew.  She had faith.  Both Cephas and Lucia have such life in their eyes.  Cephas could talk your ear off in a minute flat.  He doesn’t miss a beat!  Lucia was telling Olya her story, and about how she so happy to have a family now, with a mommy and a daddy- every child’s dream.  
Thank you Randy and Tina for keeping your hearts Wide Awake.  It was worth it for those two treasures.
I wish each one of you could just spend 5 minutes with Cephas and Lucia Kacirek, with Ethan, Matthew, Micah, and Eliana Malone.  Six beautiful children created with purpose and destiny, now called son and daughter, sister and brother- all because some people said yes.  The Malones and Kacireks would tell you they aren’t celebrities, or superstars (though I might beg to differ), they are just people who said yes- Wide Awake.  
Please don’t turn away because the need is overwhelming.  The need is great, but God is greater.  We can’t respond only to need.  We see the need, our hearts are broken, but we respond to His voice.  

If He says pray, pray!
If He says give, give!
If He says go, go!
If He says adopt, adopt!  
Every yes is valuable.  Every yes is beautiful.  Just say yes to your yes!!!  DO IT!  
 Olya has a new friend 🙂

Sunny Walks, Squishy Thighs, and Glimpses of Kingdom

Posted on by kimnjed

It’s already 8:15pm? Where did this day go?

Time truly does fly when you’re having fun.

Today I got up and took the metro downtown to meet my dear friend Dasha.  You would all be so proud of me!  I managed the metro all by myself without getting lost or getting too many strange looks.  I’d like to think that since I left my big camera, Hawaiian shirt, and tall white socks with sandals at home that I didn’t look too touristy and possibly blended in a bit…probably wishful thinking though.  ðŸ™‚  
Dasha and I had a grand old time.  After spotting each other from across Independence Square and frolicking toward each other with giddy laughter and huge smiles we had made enough of a spectacle of ourselves for me to forget about blending in.  Hehe
We got something tasty to drink and walked all around downtown, catching up and wishing Jed was with us.  It’s so amazing how God knits hearts together.  It seriously felt like we’d only been missing each other for a week, not a year!  I love friendships like that and am blessed to have many of them here.  Thank you Jesus!
After my time with Dasha, Olya and I had a super special treat.  We got to spend the afternoon with Marianna, an American missionary who’s been living in Kiev with her husband for the past 11 years.  I’ve been following Jim and Marianna’s work for some time now and already had a strong suspicion that we would like each other.  Not only is Marianna a lover of kiddos, and a big coffee fan, but she lives across the ocean from her grandbabies and I’ve read about her proud Grammy moments from afar.  Since my in-laws live overseas as missionaries too, we’ve been on the receiving end of faraway “Grammy-Love”.  I had a feeling I would like Marianna and I was very right!

Every Friday, when she’s able, Marianna visits a hospital right on the edge of Kiev.  In that hospital there is a special room for some very special kids.  It’s a room for HIV positive children without parents present to take care of them.  In Ukraine when a child is hospitalized it is the parents’ responsibility to provide all non-medical care.  They bring food and supplies from home and take care of their children 24/7.  Where does that leave children who’s parents aren’t present, or aren’t able to care for them?  It leaves them alone.

Marianna visits the children, loves on them, and encourages the staff.  She and Jim have helped make it possible to hire staff to be in that room all day until 5:00pm so the babies and children aren’t left alone.  They have a dream now to have staff present in the room 24 hours a day.  It really is needed!  No child should have to be in a hospital alone, with no one to soothe them when they cry or are scared.  I love this work.  
Today there was just one baby in the room.  OMG.  What a cutie!!!  I’m not able to post pics so you’ll just have to take my word for it.  I’m not exaggerating on the cuteness.  Picture curly black hair, chocolate skin, longest eyelashes known to man, and sweetest smile I’ve seen since I left my babies on Tuesday.  Add squeezable thighs and big brown eyes and you have a recipe for perfection.  
We passed baby girl around and I got the honor of feeding her a bottle.  It was such a lovely afternoon.  It was beautiful to hear about the hearts of the staff softening as they see the believers being the hands and feet of Jesus.  
Every life has value, every life was created with purpose and destiny.  Marianna’s visits speak volumes to that truth.  “You are such a loved baby!” she said to baby girl.  Amen to that.  Baby girl is precious and valuable, created with purpose and destiny.  As is every child who spends months of their life in that room.  As are the children in this city who lay down in cribs all day, every day.  
Hearts softening, lives being valued, eyes being looked into, all glimpses of His Kingdom coming to earth.  Beautiful, right?

Flights, Friends, and Beets

Posted on by kimnjed

(Sorry in advance for the serious formatting/photo issues in this post…I can’t get the iPad to cooperate and I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out how to move pictures..grr..FirstWorldProblems…hehe)

Here I am!  Back in Ukraine.  It feels pretty surreal.  I can’t believe it was a year ago that we first stepped foot here.  Now, after a year of remembering, dreaming, loving Ukraine and it’s people from afar, I’m back.  The only thing I’m missing is my family.  ðŸ™‚

My trip here was fabulous.  Really!  God took care of me in some pretty sweet ways.

For one thing, on my flight to Amsterdam I had the best seat-mates you could ask for!  I got to sit with some George Fox University faculty who were taking some students on a trip all over Europe.  They know some people I know…small world!  I got to hear all about their fun plans for the next 3 weeks and thn I got to share Wide Awake with them!  It was just like The Lord to make a way for two complete strangers to discuss listening for His voice and saying yes to Him as we fly over the Atlantic on an airplane full of other strangers.  What a gift.  It almost makes me want to cry it was such an unexpected blessing.

On the next flight I got to sit next to an awesome Dutch Grandpa with the best giggle EVER.  We had so many laughs.  I wish I could just tuck him in my pocket for future fun.  He was the coolest.  How often do you get to belly laugh with a complete stranger when you’re jetlagged like crazy and your feet are swollen like sausages?  Good memory for sure. 🙂

My friend Olya met me at the airport.  It was sooooo good to see her face in real life- not on a computer screen!  We set off on buses, metros, and mini buses and finally ended up at Olya’s flat.  I’m so thankful to get to stay with friends!

We rested a bit, I skyped my fam, chatted with my sis Carli who was watching the kids (technology rocks), and then I began the task of staying awake till a decent hour.  Goal: beat jet lag.  I was feeling pretty good till everyone was speaking Russian and it was like wonderful white noise lolling me to a nice, cozy state of relaxation….AH!  I gotta stay awake!  So, we headed out to run some errands.  Whew!  Jet lag crisis averted

We got me semi-set up with a phone, chatted in the park, and almost got in trouble over my awe of beets.  Hehe

I was seriously in awe of the GINORMOUS beets in the store.  Think small cantaloupe.  What in the world!??  Hahahaha!  I generally detest being “touristy”, but I couldn’t help it.  I had to take a pic of the beets.  Then we decided to have Olya pose with a beet, and it all went downhill.  The security guard at the store was feeling protective of the beets and got pretty upset about me taking pictures, so the beet fun stopped there.  ðŸ™‚  Good times, good times…

I successfully stayed up till 10:00pm, and managed to sleep off and on till about 5:00am, so I would say jet-lag was defeated.  We’ll find out as the day goes on.  Right now I’m awake and everyone else is asleep.  I whisper-skyped Jed and the kids in the bathroom, so all is good.

Thank you all for praying.  I appreciate it more than I can say.  I’m excited to watch God have His way as He puts His plans into place for the forgotten children of Ukraine.  What a joy to play a part.

THANKFUL.

Up, Up and Away!

Posted on by kimnjed

Welp, here I sit in the airport, waiting to board. I feel like I’ve forgotten something…like 4 kids and husband perhaps? Ha! For a homeschooling Mama of 4, I’ve already had more alone time today than I’ve had for the past week, and I haven’t even left the state! Strangely quiet…I haven’t spoken to anyone since my friend Sarah dropped me off an hour ago.

Thoughts while I wait:
*My friend Alexis let me know that Seth pooped in his diaper less than 15 minutes after I dropped the kids at her house. I’ll consider his waiting as a farewell gift for Mommy. Hehe 🙂 (Remember we were trying to potty train? Yep, that didn’t work out so well)

*I’m trying to use the iPad blogger app on this trip, but I can’t figure out how to insert pictures in the middle of a post. Hmmm…anyone have any insight?

*Last night we met with our web developers to talk about plans for building our Wide Awake website! We even bought a domain name! Sweeeeet.

*Being in airports makes me want to eat TCBY. Remember that place? Why do I only see them in airports these days? TCBY always makes me think of my friend Jillian. Back in high school we had a long drive to school and back and we loved to scrounge up enough change to stop ffor TCBY on our way home. Memories…

*When I’m in public places without my kids I feel like I have to explain myself. Like, if I’m grocery shopping alone and I see a mom trying to wrangle her kids as I blissfully stroll down the aisles carefree, I feel like I should stick a pack of diapers in my cart, just so she knows I have kids too. Is that weird? Probably. As I sit here with no one to care for except myself, I feel like I should explain to the lady across the way whose toddler is already fussy that it’s okay…I have 4 fussers of my own. Why do I feel the need? Am I the only one? Anywaysssss…

I’ll stop now. I could ramble on and on with thoughts…since I obviously miss talking and it’s only been 110 minutes. Watch out random person assigned to the seat next to me- you don’t know it, but we’re about to be new best friends! 🙂