Six members of Clear Creek Community Church are spending approximately seven days in Ukraine working toward the mission of “leading unchurched people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” The team is serving alongside our Ukrainian partners and church plant (Trinity Church) in the ocean region of L’viv, Ukraine. These projects will serve to share the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ at the doorsteps of those in the community surrounding Trinity Church. In addition, the team is spending time in fellowship with our partners, encouraging them and building them up for continued service in our shared mission of “leading unchurched people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.”
Team Members:
Andy Restivo
Chris Nelson
Chuck Gussler
Jerry Jones
Laura Luett
Patricia Pena
Pray for the team on their flights (local time):
April 30 – 11:55 AM Houston to Munich (via Dulles)
May 1 – 9:35 AM Munich to L’viv
May 7 – 4:15 PM L’viv to Vienna (overnight stay in Vienna)
May 9 – 6:40 AM Vienna to Frankfurt; 10:50 AM Frankfurt to Houston
Arrive at IAH at 2:25 PM!
Team-specific Prayer:
April 30: Pray for safe travel, our flights to be on time, and our entire checked luggage to arrive with flights. Pray that we engage in prayer and meditation for the tasks at hand and for all of us to feel God’s peace.
May 1: Pray that God strengthen us and give us energy to overcome jet lag while experiencing an easy assimilation into L’viv. Pray that our participation in the City Anniversary Celebration goes safely and fruitful for God’s kingdom.
May 2: Prayer for the sermon we’ll give and for God to lead our time in the various church groups of Trinity. Pray for opportunities to give to the community and dialog with the Ocean team as they work to grow a new church.
May 3: Service project kick-off. Pray for a healthy, engaging dialog to occur with the many workers who’ll be serving throughout the week, even with our language barriers. Pray for our health and strength as we begin our work projects.
May 4 - 6: Pray for continued openness and sharing in who we are in Christ, what Christ has done for us, and demonstrating the proof of His transformational power through us. Pray for open hearts, eyes, and ears among our team and those attending, that they be open to what God is saying to and showing each of us. Pray for continued health and strength as we continue working in the community.
May 7: Pray for a strong conclusion to our service projects and openness in sharing our thanksgiving for God’s work in Ukraine. Pray for safe travel to Vienna and a restful evening of team building.
May 8: Pray for a time of reflection about what we’ve witnessed and where God is leading our ministry in Ukraine. Pray for safety and openness as we spend a day to pour into one another, solidifying the growth that God has done through us all on this trip.
May 9: Pray for a safe trip home and a smooth re-entry to our American way of life. Pray for opportunities to share our experiences with those we encounter as we re-enter our communities, homes, and jobs.
Here’s a quick update I just received from the team…
Chad, I am writing a brief update of our trip, in hope that you will be able to post it on theGOsite…
By Gods good grace we arrived in Lviv on schedule,with luggage in tact. We were met by Sashko, Olya K., Anya, Oleg,etc.
Upon our arrival, we went directly to the church office, outlined our weeks programmed work assignments and then ate at the local pizzeria. Some of the work we will be doing is mostly located near the church office, and includes; building park benches and painting, painting and repairing the entryways, building relationships, and landscape improvements.
I can see God’s fingerprints all around… from the strength of relationships with church partners I haven’t seen in two years (it seems like yesterday since I was here),to the way our ‘first timers’ have been embraced by our Ukrainian partners, to the acceptance of us by so many Ukrainian strangers.
Interpretively, I think there has been a culture shift here,since I was last here. The smiles are more frequent, and the open,sharing of God’s love and Christ’s message easier to convey.
After our dinner yesterday we were driven out to our host home. The accommodations are ample and nice… our host couple (Andrei and Sasha), amazing! Last night, we enjoyed fellowship, played Uno and ate a good Ukrainian meal consisting of boiled mash potatoes and slaw.
This morning, we started work at 8am. We met our partners and immediately began to build basketball goals, sandboxes and paint. All of the work today is in front of the Trinity church office, and so many neighbors, both young and old, have been open to us sharing God’s story and love.
As was the case on my last visit, God is using all our team’s separate spiritual gifts. Chris has been an amazing leader and has been attentive to both our team’s needs and our partners’ instruction. It is only day 1, but God is already using us to build bridges and open doors!
Our Ukrainian partners have been very hospitable and have made our time here problem-free. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow and the rest of our team’s experiences will be like. God is amazing on these trips… probably why everyone is always smiling, even when exhausted.
I will write more (as requested by Chris), when able.
In HIM,always…
Jerome “Jerry” Jones, Jr.
I was elected to write an update today since I brought my laptop along to McDonald’s! Full keyboards are an under-appreciated blessing!
Today was our third workday in L’viv. We are having such a great time! Who knew that being exhausted could be this enjoyable? We have built & painted park benches, made & hung basketball backboards, hung basketball rings, painted over graffiti, scraped & painted hallways, planted flowers, built & filled a sandbox, and filled holes in the basketball court….all while building relationships within the church and community. Many thanks and much love goes out to our partners at Trinity Church here in L’viv. They have been gracious, understanding, flexible, and did I mention TONS of fun? It is such a great experience to share the work of God with these wonderful people. Our church family really does reach to the ends of the Earth.
There are so many stories to share. Several ladies and I had tea and coffee this morning with an old man from the neighborhood. He was a survivor of a concentration camp during WWII. His five brothers died there but he and his wife survived. With tears in his eyes, he told us that she passed away two months ago after being married 56 years. I think all our hearts broke for him.
There is a little girl, Nastia, who lives across the street from the Trinity Church office. On Monday, she watched us for a long time from her balcony, then came down to see what we were doing. Jerry and Nastia became immediate friends as they played Peek-A-Boo and Hide-And-Seek. I got to love on her too and we became great friends. On Tuesday, she joined me in clearing weeds and trash from around the basketball court. She came over this morning to tell us sorry she had to go to school. I know I missed her today! I can’t wait to show pictures to all of you.
We were blessed to see “community” in action among the little boys too. One boy investigated right away on Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, he brought all his friends too and we had another whole team! They have worked with us every day this week. It is so great to see them get involved and take ownership of what is really their playground. It’s also a great reminder that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these. It is so important to build relationships with children as well as adults. These children are the future of L’viv. A future we are helping shape today.
Much love and many blessings to all of you,
Laura Mae