Paetkau's Place
# 124 April 2011
Христос Воскрес! Воистину Воскрес! (Christ has risen! Truly He has risen!)
3:30 a.m. is when the alarm went off, attempting to get the family out of bed so that we could prepare for the 5 a.m. Easter morning service.
# 123 Feb & March 2011
(Leanne) "Hi, the faucet is leaking and we need to fix it."
(John) "Ok, send Lanae to the open market, and phone me from there. I will tell you which kiosk to go to and which part to look for."
# 122 January 2011
2011 kicked off with a first ever 5 day Jr High Winter Camp at Grace Camp. On January 1 (Saturday), Lanae, Alicia and I returned home after the New Years Eve celebration. On January 2 (Sunday) we returned to the camp
# 121 November & December 2010
Budapest, Hungary is a beautiful city at night - unless you are lost, it's raining, and you are trying to find an address….
# 120 September & October 2010
One of the advantages of living in another culture is the opportunity to experience multiple celebrations on a familiar theme.
# 119 August 2010
It was an amazing sight - 500 people sitting under the stars worshipping God together. 450 + were young people from the Sumy Oblast and 7 other oblasts (provinces/states) from the Central Ukraine region.
# 118 July 2010
Summer Ministries - Part 2
Andre stopped me and said, "Natasha, (the assistant cook) would like to trade her evening prep shift so that she can be at the service tonight. She wants to..."
# 117 June 2010
Summer Ministries - Part 1
Put up the tent, take down the tent, put up the tent, take down the tent, put up the tent, take down the tent…
# 116 April & May 2010
"You can touch my eyeball, but you can't touch my heart."
Leanne was outside hanging up bed sheets on the common clothesline in the square in front of our building. As she was working, a lady (a complete stranger) approached her and said
# 115 March 2010
What an opportunity! 35 young men, all involved in youth ministry around the region, sitting and waiting expectantly for the pearls of wisdom that I was prepared to deliver. I could see by their poised pens the message, "Oh wise one, ......
# 114 February 2010
Valentines Day brings visions of sappy cards, flowers, chocolate, pizza…. Oops, that seems like it shouldn't be on the list. Well, since.....
# 113 January 2010
Well, it's catch up time - at least a little bit. So grab a cup of coffee and lets have a little chat - I guess it's kind of one-sided at the moment, but it is the best I can do...
# 112 July 2009
"A tree just took down a power line by the cabins….." Not something that you want to hear in the middle of a rainstorm and campers huddled on the front porches for shelter nearby. But such is life at camp - never a dull moment
# 111 June 2009
One evening as I was setting up a tent for approximately the 45th time in 8 days, I thought to myself, this is crazy. But as crazy as it was, it worked.
# 110 May 2009
I knew I was in hot water as soon as I saw the policeman with the dreaded "stick". More on that a bit later. In the meantime, what has been happening in May?
# 109 April 2009
Finding a village in rural Ukraine is always a bit of a challenge. There usually aren't signs for every little place off of the main roads, so you wander down the various potholed trails until you find someone who can give you directions - usually telling you that....
# 108 March 2009
"Lord, I want to go to heaven, but I would prefer to see Ukraine again before I do." This was my earnest prayer during our travels through the country of Georgia.
# 107 February 2009
"Hi John, there has been a tragedy in Lutsk." At midnight on Monday, February 9th, our home phone rang, and it was a teammate from Kiev. He was calling with the heart-rending news of the sudden death of Andrew Burkett, the 16 yr old son of our teammates Herb & Kim Burkett who serve in western Ukraine.
# 106 December 2008 & January 2009
"I am definitely getting too old for this." Famous last words - as I stumbled into our apartment at 7:40 a.m. on New Years Day. This was after an all-nighter with Lanae and a number of the youth, bringing in the New Years in the traditional fashion of food, fellowship and fun.
# 105 November 2008
It has been interesting watching the citizens of our fair city attempt to change their habits. This past month a number of traffic laws (seatbelts, cell phone use, speeding ticket fines etc) were changed. The obvious affect has been on public transport.....
# 104 September & October 2008
Getting a phone call on Sunday morning just when I am ready to walk out the door to church is not always the most convenient,
# 103 August 2008
August began with the "enjoyable" opportunity of trying to mop up the mess made by the neighbours who lived in the 9 stories above one of the apartments here in Sumy owned by SEND. The ministry center apartment...
# 102 June & July 2008
Rain. More rain. Rain. More rain. Portions of western Ukraine were declared a disaster area due to flooding, with roads, train tracks, villages and towns and fields under water and severely damaged by the deluge. Over on our side of the country, we were concerned, .....
# 101 May 2008
Ukraine driving tip # 103: If you are following a shortcut through a new area in the dark, only drive where you see everyone else has driven.
# 100 April 2008
Alicia had to write a short story for school this past month about one of her experiences. I suggested the title "Sliced in Sumy", but she didn't like that one too much about her little adventure in the local medical system.
# 99 February & March 2008
Here is an interesting statistic that I found this past month in the Kyiv Post, an English newspaper here in Ukraine: "The number of mobile telecom subscribers in Ukraine.....
# 98 January 2008
"What are they teaching in those schools today?" The reaction of one lady to Lanae at the meat market - after she asked if they had any cows eyes for sale. Lanae wanted to do an extracurricular science experiment and went to the open market to see if the necessary supplies were available.
# 97 December 2007
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sorry, we are a bit tardy in that greeting (but then, Christmas is celebrated in January here so that might be a little bit of an excuse) So, on with the news and notes…..
Roses. Purchasing flowers in Sumy is a fairly simple affair, especially if you are making your way through our local open market. There are a number of booths...
# 96 November 2007
Romania. A country next to Ukraine, one which we had heard much about but never had the opportunity to visit. This month we took that opportunity, for a very good reason.
# 95 October 2007
Registration - the thought of the process before us wasn't an encouraging one. But part of the joy of living in a foreign country is experiencing the various ways that they have to create paperwork. So, off I go to stand in a number of lines in order to have a number of people ask me a number of questions in order that they.....
# 94 September 2007
On September 30, there was a national election which would ultimately affect who will be the Prime Minister. Within Ukraine politics (Russia also) there are both a President and a Prime Minister, with the prime minister holding (or supposedly holding) less power than the president. Is this confusing? Of course it is, both to those who are on the street and to those who are in power. It gets better, as in more confusing as you go along. This election only had 20+ parties running candidates.....
# 93 August 2007
One aspect of August that I always "enjoy" is a heat wave. Not just your ordinary, a few degrees above normal wave, but a good, old fashioned, peel the paint off the barn wall heat wave. But since
# 92 July 2007
Greetings everyone from the north eastern corner of Ukraine, from our very warm apartment this sunny Thursday. It seems like only a few days ago when we left southern Alberta to get on the plane
# 91 June 2007
Hi Everyone,
I write to you today a brief note, primarily because time is of the essence. This past month has been one of saying goodbyes, and we are in the process...
# 90 May 2007
It is definitely a small world. At the end of May we found ourselves sitting at a small marina (boat launch), just north of Vancouver, B.C. Our purpose in being there was to catch a small boat taxi......
# 89 April 2007
Snow. Sun. Snow. Sun. Make up your mind! One day wearing shorts and t-shirts, the next day we have 8 inches of wet snow sitting on our sidewalk. Spring finally decided to arrive, but it sure took awhile.
# 88 March 2007
Greetings everyone from a land which is trying to notice that it is spring, yet hasn't yet totally decided if it is or not.
# 87 February 2007
Hi Everone,
A few musings on last months travels.....
Snow....
# 86 December 2006 & January 2007
Anyone who has been in Canada or listened to the news about the "great white north" will be aware of the fact that there has been a bit of a stampede by the general populous...
# 85 November 2006
Wind. One of the realities of living on the prairies is the incessant breeze (locals call it breezy, we call it a hurricane).
# 84 October 2006
"Just help yourself to the jam in the fridge." Such an innocent, ordinary offer, yet fraught with danger for the visiting missionary.
# 83 September 2006
What comes to mind when you hear the word September? If you are of school age.......
# 82 August 2006
So, trivia question # 1: What is a chuckwagon race? Answer: It is an extremely intense 1½ minute race filled with wagons, horses and men attempting to thread their way......
# 81 July 2006
Cultural blunder #6
One Wednesday afternoon I received an email from a pastor in Michigan.
# 80 June 2006
Plans - always plan to change your plans is a good way to plan, especially when traveling in Ukraine.
# 79 May 2006
Call me a prophet. I knew when I saw the two policemen standing there, that we would have trouble. It was 5:00 a.m., a beautiful May morning at the train station here in Sumy.
# 78 March & April 2006
Floods - again. In February it was in an apartment. In March & April it was out at the camp, well, not just out at the camp but anywhere near the river which makes its way from western Russia, through Sumy and further southeast.
# 77 February 2006
"John, I have a water problem." Those are not words that I enjoy hearing, especially
just after 8 a.m. on a Monday morning after a very busy ministry weekend. Thane, our new 1 year short term-er was on the phone. "Oh, what kind of problem?" "I have almost an inch (2 cm) of water on the floor over most of the apartment. One of the pipes in the toilet room broke."
# 76 January 2006
Praznik, praznik, praznik (celebration).....I am getting to old for these all night things. But you know, can't break tradition. So there I was at 4 a.m. attempting to stay awake and coherent, assisting at the New Years eve overnighter.
# 75 November & December 2005
Late in November, Martin (a teammate here in Sumy) and I bundled up and rode our bikes out to the camp to spend the day working on the bridge. Yes, it was nice enough to ride our bikes, and yes, it was chilly. I think it was one of those "attempting to be more cultural" things.
# 74 October, 2005
So, what do you do when you are enjoying a great nights sleep on the overnight train from Kiev to Sumy, and the conductor opens the door on your cabin a crack and calls out "Sumy".
# 73 August & September, 2005
Rain. No jacket. Heat - non existent. Just what you would expect when you try and get a break that is always "warm".
# 72 June & July, 2005
Camp. Sun. Rain. Snow. Snow? Well, no snow, but it almost felt like it should have snowed the first couple days of kids camp. Chilly is a good way to put it. I definitely didn't plan any water balloon fights for the first few days. It did put a bit of a damper on some of my plans for games, but the kids and everyone else survived
# 71 May, 2005
It was a wonderful day in May, the sun was shining, and we were happily traveling along…..well, sort of. I was in the midst of another cultural lesson, and as always, there was a something to be learned and applied to future situations.
#70 Apr. 2005
Sumy Region has approximately 3000 children living in its orphanages, state run institutions which are located throughout the region in the cities and villages. Each institution has its own flavour, as children are usually grouped according to age and/or according to specific physical needs.
#69 Jan-Mar. 2005
Where have we been? This is a good question. Actually, we have been here in Sumy the majority of the time :-)
#68 Dec. 2004
What do you do when standing in front of 200 - 250 restless young people who are wondering what you are going to say? You pray quickly, open your mouth and speak loudly. Very loudly - since you don't have a microphone or a sound system.
#67 Oct, Nov. 2004
"She's going to need stitches."That was what our neighbour (a doctor in the local hospital) said when he saw Alicia's head that Wednesday night in mid November. That was not what I expected to see when I came home that evening.
#66 Sep. 2004
Bricks. Lots of bricks. Reminds me of the book of Nehemiah, where the walls of Jerusalem were needing to be rebuilt. They needed bricks & mortar to build the walls.
#65 July - Aug 2004
Sunsets. Each night God takes a paintbrush and uses the sky to create another masterpiece. For 7 weeks this summer we had the privilege of seeing this view unobstructed by the high rise apartment buildings in our area of the city of Sumy. 6 weeks at the camp, and one week at a lake in neighbouring Hungary while we were getting new visas.
#64 June 2004
Camps, culture and public testimonies.......... This month has been one filled with a variety of events and experiences. I am going to attempt to give you a few of the highlights and humorous events that took place...
#63 May. 2004
Diesel & dairy farm, my prelude to supper a few nights each week this past month of May. There is regular bus service to the villages surrounding Sumy. So after a short 10 -15 minute walk from the camp you can catch a bus back into town.
#62 Mar/Apr. 2004
"Daniel. No Daniel, leave them alone. No, they don't want to play right now." We had to say that a fair number of times in different locations around the world last month. Mid April found Leanne, Daniel & I in Kiev, Vienna, Toronto & Edmonton as we made a quickly planned trip to northern Alberta.
#61 Jan/Feb 2004
Praznehk, Praznehk, lets all go to the praznehk! Welcome to January in Ukraine. It is called celebrate, celebrate, let's all go and celebrate. We started the celebrations with a Christmas eve service on December 24th, and continued with at least one type of religious holiday service for the following 6 weeks.
#60 Dec, 2003
Bibles. More than 16,000 sitting in boxes at the back of the church. Amazing! The stop at our church was just part of the journey for these bibles. From us they moved on to another location for distribution to various churches, groups and individuals throughout the region. Amazing...
#59 Sep, 2003
It is a strange feeling to have the ground tremble beneath your feet. Something akin to what a bug must feel if an elephant happened to trundle by on his way to the local feed store. But tremble it did...
#58 August 2003
"See you in Kiev." Those were Leanne's parting words to me as I left the kids and her standing on the platform beside the train in Budapest, Hungary. The problem was pizza - Pizza Hut pizza to be exact. Leanne's reaction had merit under the circumstances.
#57 June/July 2003
"In Ukraine, remont is life, life is remont" (remont = renovations, repairs). "The key word is flexibility." "It's not always what you know, but who you know."Those three phrases are essential to life here in Ukraine. If you keep those dear to your heart, it makes life a lot simpler. Let me explain....
#56 May 2003
"Does she know you?", Pastor Victor asked. The train was rolling past, and the conductor standing in the doorway of one wagon waved & pointed. Pastor Victor and I were standing on the platform, meeting guests from Kiev who were coming to work at the camp.
#55 Apr. 2003
Water. Camp. River. What do these 3 words have in common? All are related to our spring flooding this year. The river that flows past the camp also flows through the city of Sumy near our place. The water rose between 2 & 3 meters (6 to 10 feet), flooding a variety of roads and fields.
#54 Mar. 2003
The booming voice echoed through the streets as Daniel & I drew closer to the center of Sumy. It was late one Sunday morning early in March and we were going to a downtown theater for a church service. Our church and our daughter congregations rented the theater in order to have a worship service together. I was pushing Daniel in the stroller while the girls and Leanne took the bus.
#53 Feb. 2003
Picture the scene: a quiet and peaceful family supper one evening (well as quiet and peaceful meal as it is with 3 little kids)..."What's that sound?"
#52 Jan. 2003
One of the problems faced by car owners here is the cold weather. In the colder areas of North America cars are equipped with block heaters, so that they will start in cold weather. That is not the case here. So, what to do when the vehicle won't start and it's -25 C and the people want to leave? Start a fire,
#51 Aug, Sep 2002
Angry. The man standing in my doorway was angry, an emotion that under the circumstances wasn't a surprise. The situation that brought about this encounter would be good fodder for a book that we thought of writing. One for missionaries called: "How to meet your neighbours in 4 easy steps: Funeral, Flood, Fire & Flood" by John & Leanne Paetkau.
#50 July 2002
I had to travel into Kiev at the end of July, so off I went one evening to the train station. I climbed on board and began to make my way to my seat. I met a tall young man in the corridor who stopped me and asked my seat number. He was a fairly muscular fellow, not one that you would want to meet in a dark alley if he was in a bad mood....
#49 Jun, 2002
Walking down the corridor of the train is difficult at the best of times, but especially when you are under the influence - not me, just a few people I met one day on the train. There I sat, an empty cabin and only 4 minutes until the train left. I was hoping that it would stay that way. Alas, two minutes later...
#48 May, 2002
You know you live in a smaller city in Ukraine when.......
- You personally know 6 people in a public transport van heading for a village on the outskirts of town on a Sunday afternoon, and you all got on at different stops
#46 & 47, Mar/Apr, 2002
Contrasts. A word that describes the month of March is contrasts. Winter and spring play volleyball with the weather - one day warm, one day frigid. Getting dressed to go somewhere becomes a decision that needs to be pondered. Freeze or sweat? The colors have also begun to see contrasts....
#45 Feb, 2002
"On the train again, yes we are back on the train again, yes Daniel isn't sure just how this will all end, but praise the Lord we're on the train again" (hum to the tune of "on the road again" for any of you who remember the tune)...
#44 Jan, 2002
"Savor this.""Yep, we'd better.""Our last cup of Tim Horton's coffee for a long, long time."
#43 Nov, Dec 2001
Christmas wrappings lay everywhere as the presents get put into their respective packaging in preparation for the big day. Everything begins to focus on leading up to that moment when you get to give the gift to that special person.
#42 October 2001
We were at a friends place, and I was preparing to put a kids video on for Alicia and the other younger kids. I was kneeling in front of the entertainment unit, video cassette in hand and had just opened the cabinet door when their 91/2 year old son knelt beside me. With total sincerity in his voice and eyes he asked, "Do you know how to work that?
#41 August 2001
Bumper to bumper we travel along, enjoying the pouring rain and the general lack of visibility. As I am sailing along in the left hand lane beside a large semi doing his best to wash my van as I pass, I notice a flickering taillight travelling along in the right lane ahead...
#40 June & July 2001
The waitress said, "It will be a few minutes", turned and began to step away from our table."Neecheevoe" (It's nothing/no problem), I replied.She stopped in her tracks, turned and said: "What did you say?""Neecheevoe, eta nee problema" (It's nothing, it isn't a problem).She asked, "Vwee govahreetya pahrooski? (You speak Russian).
#39 Apr & May. 2001
Language. Such an integral part of who we are and what we do. Returning to the west reminded us of a few things. First, it was great to be able to understand everything that was being said to us specifically and around us in general. Secondly, it was terrible to be able to understand everything that was being said to us specifically and around us in general.
#38 Mar. 2001
One day we are looking at a skyline that has buildings dating from the 17th century, the next day we are looking at the CN Tower as we circle overhead. Yes, we are in Canada, and yes, we are alive!
#37 Feb. 2001
Ministry here is in a constant state of flux. New opportunities, new ideas, new challenges. We really enjoy working with our Ukrainian co-labourers here in Sumy Oblast.
#36 Dec Jan. 2001
Time flies when you're having fun or ministering in Ukraine (which is better than fun). Especially over the Christmas season since you are dealing with two sets of traditions and a multitude of holidays that don't exist in the western traditions.
#35 Nov. 2000
The chair at the back of the sanctuary scraped decisively against the cement floor. The teenager's footsteps echoed as he made his way to the front of the sanctuary. There he slipped to his knees and prayed, accepting Christ as his Saviour.
#34 Oct. 2000
Miracle month - that is what October has been. In the big things that impact for eternity, and in the small things that just impact everyday life. Hot water, for example...
#33 Sep. 2000 In ministry there are quite a few challenges that we are facing. Our church is growing, and reaching out to the surrounding area. A team from Canada was here mid month and spent a week doing door to door evangelism.
#32 Aug. 2000
Every culture has its own way of doing certain things, its own definition for a term that would be common to many cultures. For example, "The Line". Let me tell you about "The Line"...
#31 Jul. 2000
Tents. Teenagers. Ants. River. These are all components of another week of camp that our team took part in. We had a teen camp out in the forest, accessible only by a very bad road. 100 people slept in tents and spent the week battling ants and various other forest crawlies as we spent time looking at Jesus through the eyes of the disciple Peter...
#29 May. 2000
Yes, we are still alive. A good picture of the past 6 weeks is a small boat out in the waves of the ocean. Lots of high points up on a crest, and then back into trough and paddling like crazy...
#28 Apr. 2000
"On the train again, I seem to be on the train again, seems like my month went by riding on the rails, seems like I'm back on the train again" (hum to the tune On the Road again by Willie Nelson)
#27 Mar. 2000
Potty trained. That's kind of how I feel right now. The safety net (or diaper) of language school has been removed and now we are to venture forth, hoping not to have too many "accidents" along the way. Language learning is a life long process (just like going to the....
#26 Feb. 2000
February. The month of love, of ministry and of expensive pizza. Ukraine is as bad as everyone else in trying to capitalize on the Valentines Day holiday. Flowers and chocolates were everywhere. But then, flowers and chocolates are everywhere all the time - isn't it a great country?
#25 Jan. 2000
Leanne and I are in the midst of wrapping up language study here in Kiev. Leanne finished at the end of the month and I will be completing my studies in March. It won't be long before we begin packing our belongings in preparation for our move to Sumy.
#24b Dec. 1999
We were going down the sidewalk and a lady begins to pass us going the opposite direction. Suddenly she stops and says "Are those bibles?" Yes, we reply, new testaments. "May I have one?" ...
#24 Dec. 1999
As per the tradition, the last weekend of November was a cold one with lots of snow. Winter had finally arrived - or so we thought. 2 weeks later it has all melted away due to the mild temperatures. I miss the snow and the cold - what would Christmas be without them? But on the other hand, I am thankful for the warmer temperatures.
#23 Nov. 1999
In October the leaves begin their metamorphosis from green to gold. Change is part of the process of nature, just as it is part of the process of life here for us.
#22 Oct. 1999
Politics. Presidential campaigns. Who is more honest, me or the other guy? That is what has been filling the news here in Ukraine. The end of October will bring the vote for the new president, and there are 12 or 13 candidates vying for the job.
#21 Sep. 1999.
"John, I gave your bible away." These were the words that greeted a fellow missionary and I as we walked in the door of our bungalow. We were staying in a bungalow with 4 motel rooms and a common sitting area for part of our time in Budapest....
#20 Aug. 1999
The short term teams that came had a tremendous impact for eternity in the lives of the Ukrainian people. Hard to believe that it's over. All the praying & planning that went into it and now it's finished. Well, maybe physically finished but not spiritually.
#19 Jul. 1999.
I think I am going to write a book. The title - "101 Creative Ways to play with Horseflies and Other Things that Fly, Crawl, Run, Hop or Slither"...
#18 Jun. 1999.
This month was a month of travel. On May 14th Leanne, the kids and I got on a train in Kiev and went west for two weeks. Across two international borders to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe (according to the locals - and from what we saw it would be hard to dispute the claim).
#17 May. 1999.
Our church held the Easter morning service outside in the small park...it was a beautiful morning, perfect for an outdoor service. As we worshipped people passing by would stop and listen, some for most of the service. Ukrainians love music, and a visiting choir from a sister church sang beautifully. There are approx.20,000 people within listening distance...
#16 Apr. 1999.
Attila the hairdresser has a thing for army guys, I think. She starts with the clippers (you know, the ones that sound like an outboard motor revved too high) and buzzes one side of my head, thankfully leaving the skin behind...
#15 Mar. 1999.
It is quite the experience living in a country where each week seems to bring word of a new crisis - political, economical, ecological etc.
#14 Feb. 1999.
Culturally, we are learning new insights every day. We never know what each day will bring.
#13 Jan. 1999.
One problem with learning a new language is that you begin to understand enough to get into trouble but not enough to get out of it...
#12 Dec. 1998.
I hate having a knife waved in my face. Especially when it's someone who wants my money...
#11 Nov. 1998.
Fall in the Ukraine gives us so many reminders of Canada and yet it is so different.
#10 Oct. 1998.
The continuing story of our trip back to Canada to get medical help for Lanae.
#9 Aug. 1998.
August filled with some very interesting experiences that we would never have dreamed of or expected.
#8 Aug. 1998.
Salmonella poisoning visits our family, Al Gore visits Kiev and John is part of a car race through the streets of Kiev.
#7 Jul. 1998.
During this summer we have provided living space for those on their way through to various summer ministries set up through SEND. And we experienced an outdoor baptismal service at a near by lake.
#6 Jun. 1998.
We've returned to the summer heat of Kiev from Canada where we attended the funeral of Leanne's Dad.
#5 May. 1998.
Experiencing Weddings and funerals in the Ukraine
#4 Apr. 1998.
Life is becoming educational, inspirational, and sobering...
#3 Mar. 1998.
How the days fly by...
#2 Feb. 1998.
Sinking into the local language.
#1 Jan. 1998.
What our first month in Kiev has been like.
Dec. 12, 1997.
The Paetkau's have landed.
Dec. 4, 1997.
We are now flying to the Ukraine.
Oct. 16, 1997.
The time is getting closer to our actual leaving for the Ukraine.
Христос Воскрес! Воистину Воскрес! (Christ has risen! Truly He has risen!)
3:30 a.m. is when the alarm went off, attempting to get the family out of bed so that we could prepare for the 5 a.m. Easter morning service.
# 123 Feb & March 2011
(Leanne) "Hi, the faucet is leaking and we need to fix it."
(John) "Ok, send Lanae to the open market, and phone me from there. I will tell you which kiosk to go to and which part to look for."
# 122 January 2011
2011 kicked off with a first ever 5 day Jr High Winter Camp at Grace Camp. On January 1 (Saturday), Lanae, Alicia and I returned home after the New Years Eve celebration. On January 2 (Sunday) we returned to the camp
# 121 November & December 2010
Budapest, Hungary is a beautiful city at night - unless you are lost, it's raining, and you are trying to find an address….
# 120 September & October 2010
One of the advantages of living in another culture is the opportunity to experience multiple celebrations on a familiar theme.
# 119 August 2010
It was an amazing sight - 500 people sitting under the stars worshipping God together. 450 + were young people from the Sumy Oblast and 7 other oblasts (provinces/states) from the Central Ukraine region.
# 118 July 2010
Summer Ministries - Part 2
Andre stopped me and said, "Natasha, (the assistant cook) would like to trade her evening prep shift so that she can be at the service tonight. She wants to..."
# 117 June 2010
Summer Ministries - Part 1
Put up the tent, take down the tent, put up the tent, take down the tent, put up the tent, take down the tent…
# 116 April & May 2010
"You can touch my eyeball, but you can't touch my heart."
Leanne was outside hanging up bed sheets on the common clothesline in the square in front of our building. As she was working, a lady (a complete stranger) approached her and said
# 115 March 2010
What an opportunity! 35 young men, all involved in youth ministry around the region, sitting and waiting expectantly for the pearls of wisdom that I was prepared to deliver. I could see by their poised pens the message, "Oh wise one, ......
# 114 February 2010
Valentines Day brings visions of sappy cards, flowers, chocolate, pizza…. Oops, that seems like it shouldn't be on the list. Well, since.....
# 113 January 2010
Well, it's catch up time - at least a little bit. So grab a cup of coffee and lets have a little chat - I guess it's kind of one-sided at the moment, but it is the best I can do...
# 112 July 2009
"A tree just took down a power line by the cabins….." Not something that you want to hear in the middle of a rainstorm and campers huddled on the front porches for shelter nearby. But such is life at camp - never a dull moment
# 111 June 2009
One evening as I was setting up a tent for approximately the 45th time in 8 days, I thought to myself, this is crazy. But as crazy as it was, it worked.
# 110 May 2009
I knew I was in hot water as soon as I saw the policeman with the dreaded "stick". More on that a bit later. In the meantime, what has been happening in May?
# 109 April 2009
Finding a village in rural Ukraine is always a bit of a challenge. There usually aren't signs for every little place off of the main roads, so you wander down the various potholed trails until you find someone who can give you directions - usually telling you that....
# 108 March 2009
"Lord, I want to go to heaven, but I would prefer to see Ukraine again before I do." This was my earnest prayer during our travels through the country of Georgia.
# 107 February 2009
"Hi John, there has been a tragedy in Lutsk." At midnight on Monday, February 9th, our home phone rang, and it was a teammate from Kiev. He was calling with the heart-rending news of the sudden death of Andrew Burkett, the 16 yr old son of our teammates Herb & Kim Burkett who serve in western Ukraine.
# 106 December 2008 & January 2009
"I am definitely getting too old for this." Famous last words - as I stumbled into our apartment at 7:40 a.m. on New Years Day. This was after an all-nighter with Lanae and a number of the youth, bringing in the New Years in the traditional fashion of food, fellowship and fun.
# 105 November 2008
It has been interesting watching the citizens of our fair city attempt to change their habits. This past month a number of traffic laws (seatbelts, cell phone use, speeding ticket fines etc) were changed. The obvious affect has been on public transport.....
# 104 September & October 2008
Getting a phone call on Sunday morning just when I am ready to walk out the door to church is not always the most convenient,
# 103 August 2008
August began with the "enjoyable" opportunity of trying to mop up the mess made by the neighbours who lived in the 9 stories above one of the apartments here in Sumy owned by SEND. The ministry center apartment...
# 102 June & July 2008
Rain. More rain. Rain. More rain. Portions of western Ukraine were declared a disaster area due to flooding, with roads, train tracks, villages and towns and fields under water and severely damaged by the deluge. Over on our side of the country, we were concerned, .....
# 101 May 2008
Ukraine driving tip # 103: If you are following a shortcut through a new area in the dark, only drive where you see everyone else has driven.
# 100 April 2008
Alicia had to write a short story for school this past month about one of her experiences. I suggested the title "Sliced in Sumy", but she didn't like that one too much about her little adventure in the local medical system.
# 99 February & March 2008
Here is an interesting statistic that I found this past month in the Kyiv Post, an English newspaper here in Ukraine: "The number of mobile telecom subscribers in Ukraine.....
# 98 January 2008
"What are they teaching in those schools today?" The reaction of one lady to Lanae at the meat market - after she asked if they had any cows eyes for sale. Lanae wanted to do an extracurricular science experiment and went to the open market to see if the necessary supplies were available.
# 97 December 2007
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sorry, we are a bit tardy in that greeting (but then, Christmas is celebrated in January here so that might be a little bit of an excuse) So, on with the news and notes…..
Roses. Purchasing flowers in Sumy is a fairly simple affair, especially if you are making your way through our local open market. There are a number of booths...
# 96 November 2007
Romania. A country next to Ukraine, one which we had heard much about but never had the opportunity to visit. This month we took that opportunity, for a very good reason.
# 95 October 2007
Registration - the thought of the process before us wasn't an encouraging one. But part of the joy of living in a foreign country is experiencing the various ways that they have to create paperwork. So, off I go to stand in a number of lines in order to have a number of people ask me a number of questions in order that they.....
# 94 September 2007
On September 30, there was a national election which would ultimately affect who will be the Prime Minister. Within Ukraine politics (Russia also) there are both a President and a Prime Minister, with the prime minister holding (or supposedly holding) less power than the president. Is this confusing? Of course it is, both to those who are on the street and to those who are in power. It gets better, as in more confusing as you go along. This election only had 20+ parties running candidates.....
# 93 August 2007
One aspect of August that I always "enjoy" is a heat wave. Not just your ordinary, a few degrees above normal wave, but a good, old fashioned, peel the paint off the barn wall heat wave. But since
# 92 July 2007
Greetings everyone from the north eastern corner of Ukraine, from our very warm apartment this sunny Thursday. It seems like only a few days ago when we left southern Alberta to get on the plane
# 91 June 2007
Hi Everyone,
I write to you today a brief note, primarily because time is of the essence. This past month has been one of saying goodbyes, and we are in the process...
# 90 May 2007
It is definitely a small world. At the end of May we found ourselves sitting at a small marina (boat launch), just north of Vancouver, B.C. Our purpose in being there was to catch a small boat taxi......
# 89 April 2007
Snow. Sun. Snow. Sun. Make up your mind! One day wearing shorts and t-shirts, the next day we have 8 inches of wet snow sitting on our sidewalk. Spring finally decided to arrive, but it sure took awhile.
# 88 March 2007
Greetings everyone from a land which is trying to notice that it is spring, yet hasn't yet totally decided if it is or not.
# 87 February 2007
Hi Everone,
A few musings on last months travels.....
Snow....
# 86 December 2006 & January 2007
Anyone who has been in Canada or listened to the news about the "great white north" will be aware of the fact that there has been a bit of a stampede by the general populous...
# 85 November 2006
Wind. One of the realities of living on the prairies is the incessant breeze (locals call it breezy, we call it a hurricane).
# 84 October 2006
"Just help yourself to the jam in the fridge." Such an innocent, ordinary offer, yet fraught with danger for the visiting missionary.
# 83 September 2006
What comes to mind when you hear the word September? If you are of school age.......
# 82 August 2006
So, trivia question # 1: What is a chuckwagon race? Answer: It is an extremely intense 1½ minute race filled with wagons, horses and men attempting to thread their way......
# 81 July 2006
Cultural blunder #6
One Wednesday afternoon I received an email from a pastor in Michigan.
# 80 June 2006
Plans - always plan to change your plans is a good way to plan, especially when traveling in Ukraine.
# 79 May 2006
Call me a prophet. I knew when I saw the two policemen standing there, that we would have trouble. It was 5:00 a.m., a beautiful May morning at the train station here in Sumy.
# 78 March & April 2006
Floods - again. In February it was in an apartment. In March & April it was out at the camp, well, not just out at the camp but anywhere near the river which makes its way from western Russia, through Sumy and further southeast.
# 77 February 2006
"John, I have a water problem." Those are not words that I enjoy hearing, especially
just after 8 a.m. on a Monday morning after a very busy ministry weekend. Thane, our new 1 year short term-er was on the phone. "Oh, what kind of problem?" "I have almost an inch (2 cm) of water on the floor over most of the apartment. One of the pipes in the toilet room broke."
# 76 January 2006
Praznik, praznik, praznik (celebration).....I am getting to old for these all night things. But you know, can't break tradition. So there I was at 4 a.m. attempting to stay awake and coherent, assisting at the New Years eve overnighter.
# 75 November & December 2005
Late in November, Martin (a teammate here in Sumy) and I bundled up and rode our bikes out to the camp to spend the day working on the bridge. Yes, it was nice enough to ride our bikes, and yes, it was chilly. I think it was one of those "attempting to be more cultural" things.
# 74 October, 2005
So, what do you do when you are enjoying a great nights sleep on the overnight train from Kiev to Sumy, and the conductor opens the door on your cabin a crack and calls out "Sumy".
# 73 August & September, 2005
Rain. No jacket. Heat - non existent. Just what you would expect when you try and get a break that is always "warm".
# 72 June & July, 2005
Camp. Sun. Rain. Snow. Snow? Well, no snow, but it almost felt like it should have snowed the first couple days of kids camp. Chilly is a good way to put it. I definitely didn't plan any water balloon fights for the first few days. It did put a bit of a damper on some of my plans for games, but the kids and everyone else survived
# 71 May, 2005
It was a wonderful day in May, the sun was shining, and we were happily traveling along…..well, sort of. I was in the midst of another cultural lesson, and as always, there was a something to be learned and applied to future situations.
#70 Apr. 2005
Sumy Region has approximately 3000 children living in its orphanages, state run institutions which are located throughout the region in the cities and villages. Each institution has its own flavour, as children are usually grouped according to age and/or according to specific physical needs.
#69 Jan-Mar. 2005
Where have we been? This is a good question. Actually, we have been here in Sumy the majority of the time :-)
#68 Dec. 2004
What do you do when standing in front of 200 - 250 restless young people who are wondering what you are going to say? You pray quickly, open your mouth and speak loudly. Very loudly - since you don't have a microphone or a sound system.
#67 Oct, Nov. 2004
"She's going to need stitches."That was what our neighbour (a doctor in the local hospital) said when he saw Alicia's head that Wednesday night in mid November. That was not what I expected to see when I came home that evening.
#66 Sep. 2004
Bricks. Lots of bricks. Reminds me of the book of Nehemiah, where the walls of Jerusalem were needing to be rebuilt. They needed bricks & mortar to build the walls.
#65 July - Aug 2004
Sunsets. Each night God takes a paintbrush and uses the sky to create another masterpiece. For 7 weeks this summer we had the privilege of seeing this view unobstructed by the high rise apartment buildings in our area of the city of Sumy. 6 weeks at the camp, and one week at a lake in neighbouring Hungary while we were getting new visas.
#64 June 2004
Camps, culture and public testimonies.......... This month has been one filled with a variety of events and experiences. I am going to attempt to give you a few of the highlights and humorous events that took place...
#63 May. 2004
Diesel & dairy farm, my prelude to supper a few nights each week this past month of May. There is regular bus service to the villages surrounding Sumy. So after a short 10 -15 minute walk from the camp you can catch a bus back into town.
#62 Mar/Apr. 2004
"Daniel. No Daniel, leave them alone. No, they don't want to play right now." We had to say that a fair number of times in different locations around the world last month. Mid April found Leanne, Daniel & I in Kiev, Vienna, Toronto & Edmonton as we made a quickly planned trip to northern Alberta.
#61 Jan/Feb 2004
Praznehk, Praznehk, lets all go to the praznehk! Welcome to January in Ukraine. It is called celebrate, celebrate, let's all go and celebrate. We started the celebrations with a Christmas eve service on December 24th, and continued with at least one type of religious holiday service for the following 6 weeks.
#60 Dec, 2003
Bibles. More than 16,000 sitting in boxes at the back of the church. Amazing! The stop at our church was just part of the journey for these bibles. From us they moved on to another location for distribution to various churches, groups and individuals throughout the region. Amazing...
#59 Sep, 2003
It is a strange feeling to have the ground tremble beneath your feet. Something akin to what a bug must feel if an elephant happened to trundle by on his way to the local feed store. But tremble it did...
#58 August 2003
"See you in Kiev." Those were Leanne's parting words to me as I left the kids and her standing on the platform beside the train in Budapest, Hungary. The problem was pizza - Pizza Hut pizza to be exact. Leanne's reaction had merit under the circumstances.
#57 June/July 2003
"In Ukraine, remont is life, life is remont" (remont = renovations, repairs). "The key word is flexibility." "It's not always what you know, but who you know."Those three phrases are essential to life here in Ukraine. If you keep those dear to your heart, it makes life a lot simpler. Let me explain....
#56 May 2003
"Does she know you?", Pastor Victor asked. The train was rolling past, and the conductor standing in the doorway of one wagon waved & pointed. Pastor Victor and I were standing on the platform, meeting guests from Kiev who were coming to work at the camp.
#55 Apr. 2003
Water. Camp. River. What do these 3 words have in common? All are related to our spring flooding this year. The river that flows past the camp also flows through the city of Sumy near our place. The water rose between 2 & 3 meters (6 to 10 feet), flooding a variety of roads and fields.
#54 Mar. 2003
The booming voice echoed through the streets as Daniel & I drew closer to the center of Sumy. It was late one Sunday morning early in March and we were going to a downtown theater for a church service. Our church and our daughter congregations rented the theater in order to have a worship service together. I was pushing Daniel in the stroller while the girls and Leanne took the bus.
#53 Feb. 2003
Picture the scene: a quiet and peaceful family supper one evening (well as quiet and peaceful meal as it is with 3 little kids)..."What's that sound?"
#52 Jan. 2003
One of the problems faced by car owners here is the cold weather. In the colder areas of North America cars are equipped with block heaters, so that they will start in cold weather. That is not the case here. So, what to do when the vehicle won't start and it's -25 C and the people want to leave? Start a fire,
#51 Aug, Sep 2002
Angry. The man standing in my doorway was angry, an emotion that under the circumstances wasn't a surprise. The situation that brought about this encounter would be good fodder for a book that we thought of writing. One for missionaries called: "How to meet your neighbours in 4 easy steps: Funeral, Flood, Fire & Flood" by John & Leanne Paetkau.
#50 July 2002
I had to travel into Kiev at the end of July, so off I went one evening to the train station. I climbed on board and began to make my way to my seat. I met a tall young man in the corridor who stopped me and asked my seat number. He was a fairly muscular fellow, not one that you would want to meet in a dark alley if he was in a bad mood....
#49 Jun, 2002
Walking down the corridor of the train is difficult at the best of times, but especially when you are under the influence - not me, just a few people I met one day on the train. There I sat, an empty cabin and only 4 minutes until the train left. I was hoping that it would stay that way. Alas, two minutes later...
#48 May, 2002
You know you live in a smaller city in Ukraine when.......
- You personally know 6 people in a public transport van heading for a village on the outskirts of town on a Sunday afternoon, and you all got on at different stops
#46 & 47, Mar/Apr, 2002
Contrasts. A word that describes the month of March is contrasts. Winter and spring play volleyball with the weather - one day warm, one day frigid. Getting dressed to go somewhere becomes a decision that needs to be pondered. Freeze or sweat? The colors have also begun to see contrasts....
#45 Feb, 2002
"On the train again, yes we are back on the train again, yes Daniel isn't sure just how this will all end, but praise the Lord we're on the train again" (hum to the tune of "on the road again" for any of you who remember the tune)...
#44 Jan, 2002
"Savor this.""Yep, we'd better.""Our last cup of Tim Horton's coffee for a long, long time."
#43 Nov, Dec 2001
Christmas wrappings lay everywhere as the presents get put into their respective packaging in preparation for the big day. Everything begins to focus on leading up to that moment when you get to give the gift to that special person.
#42 October 2001
We were at a friends place, and I was preparing to put a kids video on for Alicia and the other younger kids. I was kneeling in front of the entertainment unit, video cassette in hand and had just opened the cabinet door when their 91/2 year old son knelt beside me. With total sincerity in his voice and eyes he asked, "Do you know how to work that?
#41 August 2001
Bumper to bumper we travel along, enjoying the pouring rain and the general lack of visibility. As I am sailing along in the left hand lane beside a large semi doing his best to wash my van as I pass, I notice a flickering taillight travelling along in the right lane ahead...
#40 June & July 2001
The waitress said, "It will be a few minutes", turned and began to step away from our table."Neecheevoe" (It's nothing/no problem), I replied.She stopped in her tracks, turned and said: "What did you say?""Neecheevoe, eta nee problema" (It's nothing, it isn't a problem).She asked, "Vwee govahreetya pahrooski? (You speak Russian).
#39 Apr & May. 2001
Language. Such an integral part of who we are and what we do. Returning to the west reminded us of a few things. First, it was great to be able to understand everything that was being said to us specifically and around us in general. Secondly, it was terrible to be able to understand everything that was being said to us specifically and around us in general.
#38 Mar. 2001
One day we are looking at a skyline that has buildings dating from the 17th century, the next day we are looking at the CN Tower as we circle overhead. Yes, we are in Canada, and yes, we are alive!
#37 Feb. 2001
Ministry here is in a constant state of flux. New opportunities, new ideas, new challenges. We really enjoy working with our Ukrainian co-labourers here in Sumy Oblast.
#36 Dec Jan. 2001
Time flies when you're having fun or ministering in Ukraine (which is better than fun). Especially over the Christmas season since you are dealing with two sets of traditions and a multitude of holidays that don't exist in the western traditions.
#35 Nov. 2000
The chair at the back of the sanctuary scraped decisively against the cement floor. The teenager's footsteps echoed as he made his way to the front of the sanctuary. There he slipped to his knees and prayed, accepting Christ as his Saviour.
#34 Oct. 2000
Miracle month - that is what October has been. In the big things that impact for eternity, and in the small things that just impact everyday life. Hot water, for example...
#33 Sep. 2000 In ministry there are quite a few challenges that we are facing. Our church is growing, and reaching out to the surrounding area. A team from Canada was here mid month and spent a week doing door to door evangelism.
#32 Aug. 2000
Every culture has its own way of doing certain things, its own definition for a term that would be common to many cultures. For example, "The Line". Let me tell you about "The Line"...
#31 Jul. 2000
Tents. Teenagers. Ants. River. These are all components of another week of camp that our team took part in. We had a teen camp out in the forest, accessible only by a very bad road. 100 people slept in tents and spent the week battling ants and various other forest crawlies as we spent time looking at Jesus through the eyes of the disciple Peter...
#29 May. 2000
Yes, we are still alive. A good picture of the past 6 weeks is a small boat out in the waves of the ocean. Lots of high points up on a crest, and then back into trough and paddling like crazy...
#28 Apr. 2000
"On the train again, I seem to be on the train again, seems like my month went by riding on the rails, seems like I'm back on the train again" (hum to the tune On the Road again by Willie Nelson)
#27 Mar. 2000
Potty trained. That's kind of how I feel right now. The safety net (or diaper) of language school has been removed and now we are to venture forth, hoping not to have too many "accidents" along the way. Language learning is a life long process (just like going to the....
#26 Feb. 2000
February. The month of love, of ministry and of expensive pizza. Ukraine is as bad as everyone else in trying to capitalize on the Valentines Day holiday. Flowers and chocolates were everywhere. But then, flowers and chocolates are everywhere all the time - isn't it a great country?
#25 Jan. 2000
Leanne and I are in the midst of wrapping up language study here in Kiev. Leanne finished at the end of the month and I will be completing my studies in March. It won't be long before we begin packing our belongings in preparation for our move to Sumy.
#24b Dec. 1999
We were going down the sidewalk and a lady begins to pass us going the opposite direction. Suddenly she stops and says "Are those bibles?" Yes, we reply, new testaments. "May I have one?" ...
#24 Dec. 1999
As per the tradition, the last weekend of November was a cold one with lots of snow. Winter had finally arrived - or so we thought. 2 weeks later it has all melted away due to the mild temperatures. I miss the snow and the cold - what would Christmas be without them? But on the other hand, I am thankful for the warmer temperatures.
#23 Nov. 1999
In October the leaves begin their metamorphosis from green to gold. Change is part of the process of nature, just as it is part of the process of life here for us.
#22 Oct. 1999
Politics. Presidential campaigns. Who is more honest, me or the other guy? That is what has been filling the news here in Ukraine. The end of October will bring the vote for the new president, and there are 12 or 13 candidates vying for the job.
#21 Sep. 1999.
"John, I gave your bible away." These were the words that greeted a fellow missionary and I as we walked in the door of our bungalow. We were staying in a bungalow with 4 motel rooms and a common sitting area for part of our time in Budapest....
#20 Aug. 1999
The short term teams that came had a tremendous impact for eternity in the lives of the Ukrainian people. Hard to believe that it's over. All the praying & planning that went into it and now it's finished. Well, maybe physically finished but not spiritually.
#19 Jul. 1999.
I think I am going to write a book. The title - "101 Creative Ways to play with Horseflies and Other Things that Fly, Crawl, Run, Hop or Slither"...
#18 Jun. 1999.
This month was a month of travel. On May 14th Leanne, the kids and I got on a train in Kiev and went west for two weeks. Across two international borders to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe (according to the locals - and from what we saw it would be hard to dispute the claim).
#17 May. 1999.
Our church held the Easter morning service outside in the small park...it was a beautiful morning, perfect for an outdoor service. As we worshipped people passing by would stop and listen, some for most of the service. Ukrainians love music, and a visiting choir from a sister church sang beautifully. There are approx.20,000 people within listening distance...
#16 Apr. 1999.
Attila the hairdresser has a thing for army guys, I think. She starts with the clippers (you know, the ones that sound like an outboard motor revved too high) and buzzes one side of my head, thankfully leaving the skin behind...
#15 Mar. 1999.
It is quite the experience living in a country where each week seems to bring word of a new crisis - political, economical, ecological etc.
#14 Feb. 1999.
Culturally, we are learning new insights every day. We never know what each day will bring.
#13 Jan. 1999.
One problem with learning a new language is that you begin to understand enough to get into trouble but not enough to get out of it...
#12 Dec. 1998.
I hate having a knife waved in my face. Especially when it's someone who wants my money...
#11 Nov. 1998.
Fall in the Ukraine gives us so many reminders of Canada and yet it is so different.
#10 Oct. 1998.
The continuing story of our trip back to Canada to get medical help for Lanae.
#9 Aug. 1998.
August filled with some very interesting experiences that we would never have dreamed of or expected.
#8 Aug. 1998.
Salmonella poisoning visits our family, Al Gore visits Kiev and John is part of a car race through the streets of Kiev.
#7 Jul. 1998.
During this summer we have provided living space for those on their way through to various summer ministries set up through SEND. And we experienced an outdoor baptismal service at a near by lake.
#6 Jun. 1998.
We've returned to the summer heat of Kiev from Canada where we attended the funeral of Leanne's Dad.
#5 May. 1998.
Experiencing Weddings and funerals in the Ukraine
#4 Apr. 1998.
Life is becoming educational, inspirational, and sobering...
#3 Mar. 1998.
How the days fly by...
#2 Feb. 1998.
Sinking into the local language.
#1 Jan. 1998.
What our first month in Kiev has been like.
Dec. 12, 1997.
The Paetkau's have landed.
Dec. 4, 1997.
We are now flying to the Ukraine.
Oct. 16, 1997.
The time is getting closer to our actual leaving for the Ukraine.
