Unexpected Expected Return

 So I arrived back in Ukraine this past Wednesday (October 19th) and am now mostly settled into my new dwelling, and returning to the familiar setting of Zaporozhye.

After spending just one day with my friend John Charlier, a missionary from Southern California, who also does work with New Hope Center, I found a nicely located apartment near the center of the city that is convenient for me to get to work and is nearby most people that I know.

Also a huge bonus is the fact that I have a land lady that really enjoys feeding me.   To the left are a couple things she's given me. She's a pensioner that lives with her granddaughter, and uses the rent from the apartment I'm staying in to pay for her granddaughter's medical school tuition.  She's had me over for tea and coffee and food twice already, and I've only been living there for about 4 days.

Sweet Pumpkin Kasha

Though the land lady and her food are incredibly awesome, New Hope Center, graduated orphans, and other acquaintances are the reason that I am back in Ukraine.

It has been quite the experience assimilating back into the community that I called home for most of last year.  Aside from Pastor John and Max, it seems like most people didn't expect that I'd actually return.  I can't count the number of times that people have said to me "You've returned!"  As if they expected that I would never be back in their city.

Homemade Pickles, Jam, and Bread

I told most of the people that I would be returning, and I'd spent a long period of time with them before, but even though I got to know a number of these people pretty well, there was strong sense of doubt that I would be back.

While I don't think most people thought too deeply on whether I'd come back or not, I think this surprise in my return is really telling about a mentality you often see in the former Soviet Union about promises, especially from Westerners or those in authority.  People expect you to let them down until you've repeatedly given them reasons to believe otherwise.

This is true of politicians (who conveniently were Communists 20+ years ago) after the collapse of the Soviet Union, taking advantage of the system, and making millions, if not billions of dollars off of the majority of people who are living on a fraction of the American poverty line.  And this is also unfortunately true of some missionaries that crossed into these borders in the early 90s.  While many did a lot of good for the growth of Christianity, there are almost as many stories of Westerners who came and made promises of return or staying in contact, or swiftly converted a few folks and then left them without any support spiritually or financially.

Graduated Orphan Boys
Using Computers at New Hope Center

The people that New Hope Center is working with that have felt this let down the hardest.  Orphans have been let down by their parents, by teachers, by their government, by pastors, and by missionaries with unkept promises.

So I guess when a young American guy like me says, "hey I'm coming back in two months," I should understand why they are surprised.

Trust needs to be built.  Bonds need to be formed.  Promises need to be kept.  It takes time, it can be difficult, but it can be done.  And all of that can slip away very easily.   So I need to walk humbly.

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

      -Micah 6:8