So... first few days.

Here's an outline of my time in Ukraine so far:

July 27th (Tuesday) - fly from Indy to Chicago and then London
Wednesday - fly from London to Kyiv, then take an overnight train with Mike from Kyiv to L'viv
Thursday - arrive in L'viv, immediately take a bus to Ternopil for the 2010 Ukraine Worship Conference
Thursday-Saturday - in Ternopil for the conference
Saturday - went to L'viv, hung out with the Pratts during the day
Sunday - church at the Pratt's house

I'm having a great time, learning a lot already, and meeting a bunch of really cool people.  While I was in Chicago, there was a big group in the airport of students and their leaders heading for North Africa to do some missions work.  That was super cool.  They needed some guitar strings, and I happened to have some in my guitar case.  On my flight from Chicago to London, I met a family from Switzerland that was returning with their daughters who were exchange students.  I got to talk to the dad for a long time.  While in London, I met another group coming back from Africa that was there teaching some kind of youth seminars or something with Salvation Army.  A bunch of them were from Messiah College.  There was another young woman in the airport that went a similar area in Africa that just got done teaching first aid.

When I got to Kyiv, going through Customs was a total breeze, praise the LORD!  Mike Pratt picked me up, we dropped off my bags at the check-in at the train station, and then spent some time around town.  We got my cell phone up and running (which, subsequently, has had a LOT of problems... :P), had some ice cream, and talked about vision.  God's good, and He's showing me through those talks that I really need to grow in prayer.

Something kinda crazy happened in the train ride to L'viv.  After I fell asleep on the train, I woke up once and knew where I was, especially because the conductor lady was talking to us in Russian to wake us up.  Then, later, I woke up again and thought I was in Indiana again.  When I realized where I was, I didn't believe it.  I honestly thought, "No... I'm in Indiana."

I think I spent about an hour in L'viv.  Mike and I went to McDonalds, and then he dropped me off at the bus stop.  I was soon in Ternopil, worshipping the LORD with the others at the conference.  God really spoke to my heart there, confirming a lot of things and encouraging me toward more pure worship of Him, spending time with Him personally.  It was so cool.  I also met Alyosha, the pastor from Kyiv.  That was really cool.  He was very encouraging.  A few of my friends were there from my other travels in Ukraine: Nate Medlong, Levi and Nastya Brinkerhoff, Jon Markey, and a few others.  It was a really good time of worship, the Word, and fellowship.  A-mazing.

Now, I'm back in L'viv, hanging with the Pratts.  Thanks a lot for all of the prayers and encouraging messages.  God is good.