When we partnered with Kontaktmission we knew that our first year of service in Ukraine would be dedicated to learning the language and culture and that we would not be doing any actual ministry.  But in July the Lord provided us with an amazing opportunity to reach out to the people of Kremenchuk through English classes.  Our leaders with Kontaktmission gav e us the go ahead and in September we started our English Club.  The beginners
 /intermediates meet on Wed. nights and the advanced class meets on Thurs. nights.  The classes have been going really well and we have been able not only to teach our students English, but we have been able to share the Gospel with them every week!  Many of our students have told us how much they enjoy the classes and how they feel we are changing their lives in more ways than just teaching them English.  One student wrote an e-mail to us that said, "Just think how you are changing our life here, your way to Ukraine was worth this."  Reading that one e-mail did make all of our struggles and difficulties with moving and learning a new culture and language worth it.  What a privilege it is to be a part of what God is doing in the hearts and minds of the people of Ukraine!

Thanksgiving is the first MAJOR holiday that we have spent away from our family and friends and we were unsure of how we were going to spend the special day.  Thankfully, there are some other American missionaries in our city so we were all able to get together to celebrate Thanksgiving together.  We gathered together at Jon and Andrea's house at 

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hoglunds

2:00pm and the feast began.  Andrea was able to find a whole turkey, something you can't usually find here, and there were mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, green bean casserole, a vegetable tray, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry salad, pumpkin pie and an apple Bavarian cream pie.  And as we gathered around the table to give thanks for the bounty of food, for just a minute we were able to forget that we were half a world away from our families and friends.  After we were all thoroughly stuffed we sang some Christian Hymns about giving thanks and then we all sat back down around the table and shared stories about our lives here in Kremenchuk.  It was a great time filled with good friends, good food and a lot of laughs.  We are so thankful for Jon and Andrea, Greg, Jayne and Steve who made our Thanksgiving away from home seem not that far away at all. 

The other day as I was walking with Jonah and Isaac to go pick up Alex I saw something that I just can't get out of my mind.  We were walking down a path and a woman who was obviously drunk was muttering something and walked past the man who was walking in front of her.  I have no idea whether they were together or not, but I could not believe what happened next.  Something told me to turn around and when I did, I saw the man grab the woman by the hood of her coat, slam her up against the fence and start pounding her in the head with his fist.  I immediately yelled out for him to stop astounded that one person could treat another this way at all, let alone in public.  He did stop and walked away but it left my heart hurting not only for this woman and all of the other alcoholics here, but also for the people who treat them as if they are less than human because of their alcoholism.  I have seen people treat the stray dogs wandering around the city better than their fellow human brothers and it breaks my heart.  Would you please join me in praying for the Ukrainians to see each other as God sees them and to treat each other with love regardless of who they are?  And please pray also that Jon and I would continue to act out with boldness in these situations and to show the love, hope and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ.