Youth Camp Over!

Well, youth camp is now over bringing two weeks of our time to a close in Ukraine! What a youth camp! In-spite of the language barrier, we all made tons of new friends that will last a life time! I hardly know where to begin in describing the adventures that we had.

At first I was a little apprehensive about being a part of the youth camp. I didn't feel like I was connecting with the youth at all, while it seemed everyone else was. That did not last long however, and soon after I joined team Orange, I started developing friends. This fast-talking American learned how to talk slower and incorporate Ukrainian into his English whenever possible!

We played a lot of really fun games, including Wiffleball and Volleyball, and the young people really jumped into the games! Tuesday night, team Orange was on Security Duty. I stayed up till 3:30 that morning, and when I finally had the chance to start falling asleep, my sleeping bag almost caught on fire!! After that, I gave up sleeping by the fire and went back to our tent for a shorter night of sleep!

Now, with such a primitive youth camp, one might think we didn't eat too well. The reality is quite the opposite, as we found ourselves enjoying such dishes as Chicken Alfredo and Potato Soup! They were better than a lot of meals I've had back in the states, and they were made over a camp fire!

Although I could include many many more stories, I will try and add more pictures soon. Next on our agenda, is to head to Slovakia on Monday, then to Budapest on Wednesday, and fly home on Friday. I'm already not looking forward to leaving Ukraine. God has taught me so much here, and the sense of His governing hand as I gave the closing message of the youth camp was so clear! He is a truly great God!

Traveling to Ужгород (Uzhgorod)

Lviv--Perhaps one of the biggest surprises on our trip, we were not even meant to end up in this city, but I am glad we did! This is a picture of the most beautiful church I have ever seen, found about half a mile from the train station we came in on. Lviv's architecture is older than that of Kiev, and while it has all the modern conveniences, the ancientness of the area was felt!

Our original plan was to purchases tickets for an overnight train to Uzhgorod, and one of the first things we did when we got off the plane was go to the place to purchase said tickets. However, all tickets had been sold out, and the earliest ticket they had was for August 3rd. Mind you, the youth camp starts on the 1st, and a lot of prep-work still needed to be done, so this was not going to work. So instead, we purchased tickets to Lviv, and then tickets from Lviv to Uzhgorod. Getting up at 4:30 AM (about 8:30 PM EST), we headed for the station for our first train ride that lasted 5 hrs, only to wait in Lviv for another 5, and then take the final train to Uzhgorod--another 5 hours. Needless to say, our beds that night looked pretty welcoming!

The most important thing I came away with from Lviv was a simple truth: God has His people everywhere. As we walked by a park on the way back to the train station, Josiah heard a song that he recognized coming from the park center. As we got closer, we saw a group of people standing in a stone 'gazebo' that echoed the sound of their voices. Although we did not understand the words, we did know that they were singing Christian songs in beautiful harmony (albeit some mistakes with laughs from the singers themselves). Walking away, I thanked God that He had people in a city that were still being a LIGHT! As far as I know, the holiness movement has no churches there, and although the Catholic and Orthodox churches stand, I was encouraged to see believers worshiping God in sincerity and truth!

Close of Day Three

Today ends our time in Kiev, and what an awesome time it has been! Kiev is the beautiful capital of Ukraine, and we have had several adventures throughout the city, not the least of which was Zip-lining across the Dniper River! Although these past two days have been more of a time of tourism, we start off early tomorrow morning for Uzhgorod in west. We have to get up at 4:30 AM (about 4 and half hours from current local time) and take a train on an interesting little trip.

I have seen many fascinating sights, including an old crypt in a cave system underneath an Orthodox Church. My personal favorite stop today, however, was the WWII Museum (although the museum also included recent wars too.) One of the most impacting sights there was the torn clothing of a child from one of the concentration camps. Tim translated one of the signs and told me that over 2.5 million children were sent to various concentration camps in WWII. A massive photo from the time hung on the wall, with the faces of children looking through barbed wire. Once again, I was reminded of the horrors of the Holocaust, and reminded of why I am even here in the first place. I am here to be the best representative of Christ that I can, so that children, young adults, and adults don't have to enter an eternity without the hope of salvation.

I appreciate and covet all your prayers as we travel tomorrow, and as we prepare for the youth camp that starts on Monday. Pray that the Lord would help us and give us the words to speak and the translators the help to communicate it to the youth.

One of the buildings near the town center.

On The Way

Off to Ukraine! As I write this, I am traveling in the van on the way to JFK with Shane and Josiah! Br Paul Gingrich agreed to put up with us and drive us, and the excitement is building! Going through the checklist, I believe I have everything I need for these coming weeks in eastern Europe. Our first flight leaves at 5:45, and we will be landing in Amsterdam around 1 AM EST. We will land in Ukraine around 6:30 AM EST. Thanks to everyone for your prayers! Update you soon!

Jacob

Final Preperations Begin

12 days from now, I will be leaving from JFK on my flight to Ukraine! It is so hard to believe that the trip is just around the corner, and as I start my final preparations, it all is becoming a little more real to me. Over the past few weeks, I have been struggling against a great spiritual darkness, but even as I wrote some thank you's a few minutes ago the darkness continued giving way to the Light.

This Sunday will be final Sunday preaching at Stone Ridge PHC. As I prepare for that, my thoughts have began turning to the opportunity I have been given to speak at the Carpathian Christian Youth Camp in Ukraine. Naturally, I will be speaking through a translator as I am not familiar enough with the language to preach. I have some difficult topics to speak on, the first being titled The Truth about Yourself. Being honest, I have no idea where to start, but I know the Lord will lead me to the right place.

This trip will be my first of many missions trips I anticipate having in my life time. As such, the excitement just keeps building more and more every day! Today I am gathering my chechlists and writing some final thank you's to those who have supported me and made this trip possible. However, as much as the money is important, the prayers of my friends and family have been even more treasured. Thank you to all who labor in the place of prayer for me, because God is answering those prayers! He has led me this far, and now I follow in His steps to the European mission field. Please remember me in prayer as I gather everything I will need, as well as I prepare to speak to people I have never met on subjects that are challenging to many! Till next time!

Two Week Update!

So, I guess it would probably be a good idea to start telling you what a day in the life of a future missionary is like. Well, it's exactly like yours, especially if you have ever been a college student/bible college student. You wake up, you have breakfast, have devotions, go to work so you can go back to college, and then go back to sleep. Then there are other times like now when a trip to Europe is on the horizon, and you begin the final preparation stages.

Two weeks from this Monday I leave for Ukraine. Until then, I am preaching this Sunday and next at a church currently without a pastor. This is a pretty new experience for me preaching every week, and I find myself continually drawing nearer to God. As I lean upon His wisdom, I learn many new things myself as I prepare to present the Word of God. Although greatly challenging, these opportunities have presented me much preparation for the future work that God has for me. I do not yet know all those details, but I'm so glad He walks with us every single step of the way!

Over the next two weeks, I will do my best to post more regularly as I lead up to the final trip! If you have any questions, comments, etc, just toss them below! Our God is moving and doing great things, keep encouraged my friends!

Ukrainian Trip

This is the beautiful countryside of Ukraine, where I have the privilege of traveling to this summer. For a full week, I will be at the Carpathian Christian Youth Camp in a very different environment from the regular youth camps here. We have the privilege of drawing our own water, using primitive restrooms (trees, the woods, etc), and playing games and sleeping in the middle of nowhere with people whose language I don't have a strong grasp of. Not only will I be here in Ukraine, but I also have the privilege of visiting HIM's new work in Slovakia, a transition home for young girls coming out of the orphanages. One statistic I read said that 50% of young people who come out of the orphanages in Eastern Europe don't make it to the age of twenty. Many others enter into the vicious cycle of human trafficking and the degradation of society. Alcoholism and prostitution are rampant, and Lord help us to stand up for what is right. Pray for me and the work of God over in Eastern Europe. Pray that the Lord would open my eyes to the needs in this mission field, and would give me direction for what He would have for me.

The Silent Majority Too Silent

Over the past several months, I have been working on reading The Ethics of Smuggling by Brother Andrew. As I finished the end of the second section today, I was reminded of the Christian church of today. Many things cloud our vision, and this part particularly stood out in my mind of how the current American political situation is the fault of the moral degradation and the failure of the Church in its duties. Br. Andrew wrote the following:

One more thing my heart constrains me to say on this tremendous subject. When I read Isaiah 42:22, I seem to see my brothers and sisters in Christ living under Communist Oppression today: "but this is a people robbed and plundered, they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become a prey with note to rescue, a spoil with none to say, 'Restore." For that phrase 'to say' I want to substitute "none to demand" None to approach the enemy, the enemy of souls, and demand that he let my people go, as Moses well demanded of Pharaoh, and as Jesus  came with the demand to the prince of darkness. Let my people go!

Christians in the West generally are teh silent majority, making no such demand. Spineless, colorless, passive individuals, we as the silent majority form the bridge over which the world of corruption, revolution and hatred passes unhindered. Passes over to corrode and curse the lives of the rising generations. And in what we call democracy there is no force than can possibly stop it, except the power of God.

He really has to be made manifest in us. The big problem in our democracies is that we even have liberty to kill democracy, and we are working real hard on it by being the silent majority in our own nations, not defending the liberties of our own families, and not speaking out for those who have no democracy--who cannot speak without going to prison or to death for it. None to demand--Restore!

Is this what God has to say about the church today? About the silent majority? In not speaking out for the persecuted church, in not taking our stand for Jesus Christ, we fully back the devil in his evil plans for exterminating the church today. You see, there is no way to avoid involvement in the spiritual warfare. If we say nothing, and do nothing, our very default becomes a major contribution to the triumph of godlessness. On the other hand, if we act aggressively in obedience to Christ's command, and in reliance on the mighty spiritual resources which God makes available, we shall see the very gates of Hell give way! Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He shall reign forever and ever. What a destiny is ours to be marching in his train across the battlefield which is this world!

Missionary Tales and 2016

   2016. Life never seems to slow down. They say it just gets faster as you get older, and I think I have found that to be true. This summer will be five years since I was saved and entirely sanctified. Also, at the end of July, it will be five years since I received my call to be a missionary. Over these past several years, God has used the stories of several missionaries to challenge my way of life and my outlook on the future.

   One of the books standing out in my memory is Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose. The story of this young woman's days as a missionary in the Pacific during the darkest days of WWII (and prior) transformed my spiritual life. The strength and courage that God gave her in the midst of weakness and fear once again shone forth like it had with other stories, but their was something unique that I needed for my life in that book. While in solitary confinement in the Japanese "Gestapo's" prison, she was on her knees praying with the presence of the Holy Spirit all around her when suddenly it seemed like He disappeared, like He withdrew Himself from the room and her. Searching her heart frantically, she sought for any hidden sin that might have cause Him to leave her. But she found none, and realized that she didn't need the tangible presence of the Lord to know that He was with her. In every Christian's life we go through those "dry seasons." Where is God? Has He left us? What did I do? I must have sinned. And yet, many times in 2015 I remembered in the times where it felt like my prayers only went as far as the ceiling that He is "with [me] always, even unto the end of the age." 

   Currently, I am reading God's Smuggler. Many people know at least the stories of Brother Andrew and his work behind the Iron Curtain, and now the Middle East. I have heard many of the stories from other students at Penn View, and decided I wanted to get the book and read it myself. Once again, I realize how much God uses the experiences of these missionary 'greats' to challenge me. Brother Andrew sold himself out to God, consecrating everything to Him, and the Lord used Him in incredible ways! Faith and total reliance on Christ should be the ONLY way Christians live, and yet... are we? 

   I want to be used of God. I want to know Jesus more personally. He brought me out of so much, the absolute least I can do is offer my body as a living sacrifice. I want to be a Brother Andrew and I want to be a Darlene Rose. I want to be a servant, humble and meek. I want to lift up those who are weak. I want to tell the whole world about Jesus, what He has done for me and what He can do for them. So, am I willing to make the sacrifice? Am I willing to fully follow Him, laying aside every weight (maybe nothing wrong or bad, but things that might be hindering me from pursing completely) and running the race that is before me? Yeah, I am. To God be the glory!