Greener Grass?

As I was sitting at my desk today filling out my gradebook I began thinking to myself.  "Man I wish I was back as a carpenter, I wouldn't have to do all this paperwork"  I chuckled to myself after I thought this and remembered working as a carpenter and thinking "I would love a desk job, then I wouldn't have to do all this manual labor"  So I began wondering, is the grass greener in Kiev?  Then the kids started filing into my class and the passion that I wrote about last week that God had rekindled fanned into flame and I was home.  Thank's to Jeremy back at GBF youth group in Sexsmith for commenting on my last post, I will miss youth as well but I am excited for what God has planned this year!

So this is where I will be spending the next 10 months.  If you go inside, you get this feeling like you are in a hospital from the 50's.  If you remember the Waltons and when Mary-Ellen became a nurse, that is what it is like inside.

So, my class is right on the first floor and there is nothing like being trapped in a room full of teenagers and having bars over your windows.  No Escape!!!

Thanks for all the prayers, the first day went well.  I had planned lessons for today and tomorrow, but we breezed through all the first day stuff and into the second day that I had to do all my planning again for tomorrow, but I guess there is no time like the present to learn how to make lesson plans and classroom management.

KCA has a huge passion to see Biblical principles integrated into the classroom as well as to see the kids grow in their faith.  We are encouraged to disciple the kids and take them under our wing.  Colleen has already planned on maybe having some of the classes over to our house as we are less than a 5 minute walk away from the school.

Speaking of Colleen, she needs our prayers.  Because, just as I started going to the school full time, Jolen started moving himself around the apartment.

 Oh boy is it busy at our house.

Praise the Lord, we are registered here in Kiev.  This means we can stay for a year and we won't have to wait in long lines until we de-register.  Apparently, you have to get permission to live here, and then when you want to leave, you have to get their permission to leave the country too.  A couple of teammates here forgot to start the process early so they missed their scheduled flights and are sticking around for a couple more weeks.

God is so good and as people ask how we ended up coming here to Ukraine and KCA, I can't help but see God in all of it, from not going to Mozambique, to having 2 kids, to moving 1200 kms to Sexsmith to having all Youth Pastor doors shut, to having the doors swing wide open to Ukraine!  We wouldn't be here without His Great Loving Kindness!