We all made it! Everyone is doing well other than being tired from the long flights.
One group had come directly from Seattle to Amsterdam and on to Kyiv. Most of the rest of the group came from Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit. These last three were on the same flight from Amsterdam to Kyiv. The flight arrived about 10 minutes late -- but that was the beginning of our delay. Once off the plane, we had to go through the passport check point. Another plane had come in so there were many people in line. The lines ordinarily move relatively slow. Try to pick a fast moving line and something always happens. We got up to about 6th place when the line stopped moving. It was shift change time so the agent left the kiosk. Then there was a person that had some problem with his passport that took the agent out of the kiosk several times. Fortunately, many of our group were in other lines. They were able to gather much of the luggage even for those still waiting at the passport check. Everyone made it through passport check, inventory of luggage was taken and the next step was to go through the green line of the customs check. So nearly 50 of us pisked up our bags and trooped past the inspectors, again no problems, out into the airport lobby where there were lots of taxi drivers waitinbg to offer us rides.
Our friends from the Ukrainian Lutheran Church were waiting with signs that read "ULC VBS". We gathered around them and trooped outside to a holding area until we located our bus. Our friends had also brought a large bottle of water for each of the weary travelers.
We found our two busses, loaded the luggage and got on for the ride to the Dubek Conference Center on the outskirsts of Kyiv. The trip to Dubek usually takes about an hour. But, this was rush hour in Kyiv and the streets clogged with cars. It took us about 2 hours in the slow moving traffic.
Upon arrival at Dubek, people and luggage were off loaded and taken to the third floor meeting area. There room assignments were made and keys handed out. The kitchen staff had been expecting us an hour earlier, so they were anxious to feed us dinner. Dinners was a breaded breast of chicken and mashed potatoes. There were a few announcements and people were on their own until breakfast at 8:00 AM.
This morning breakfast was at 8:00 followed by a morning devotion led by Pastor Bill Bader. A bus was waiting to take us on our Kyiv tour that today will include the 1000 year old St. Sophia Monastary, the restored St. Michael's Cathedral, Independence Square and St. Volodymyr's Cathdral as well as other sights in Kyiv.
Tonight we have dinner and then a worship service including the Lord's Supper using the liturgy of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church.
The weather is beautiful. Today somewhere in the high 70's to mid 80's. but, the humidity is much lower here than it is in the midwest!
Please continue to keep us in your prayers. More when I can get to the Internet again. I hope to be able to use my laptop so I can include some pictures when I get a little more time. I am doing this while the groups are touring the churches that I have visited several times.
Kermit Traska
PS: When I get a chance, I also check my e-mail at ktraska@att.net. Urgent questions can be sent to me and I will respond when I have the opportunity.
The city of Ivano-Frankivsk is named after the Ukrainian author Ivan Franko. His statue is in front of the hotel that I am staying in in the Old Town area of the city.
The VBS team in the Ivano-Frankivsk congregation (left to right) Peter Heyn, Sharon Anthony, Steve Ludwig and Pastor Serhiy Romanyuk. Today 48 children attended the three classes that are divided into primay (23), middle (9) and upper (16). They meet in three rooms of a business center near the center of the city.
The primary group made Joseph's Coat of Many Colors and were singing songs in both Ukraian and English.
The middle and upper groups craft project was to make a cross from clothes pins.
This placque was on a side street near the hotel. It recognizes Theodor Zoeckler as a German evangelist who was instrumental in helping to start the Lutheran church in Western Ukraine.
