Just an Afternoon Walk

7 years ago, wow.

Little did we know this would be our last time walking around the village to our favorite spots.

Tension in the village was high. Everyone was bunkered down, glued to the news. A small part of train tracks had been blown up not too far from us.  Some men in the village were bragging about being paid by the Russians to do different things. 

Our families would frequently ask, “Are you coming home yet?” 

Our reply, “God hasn’t given us peace to leave. We would rather be in the center of God’s will in the middle of a war, then somewhere ‘safe’ out of the will of God.”

So we continued Bible lessons, knocking on doors, leaving tracts.  The Sunday before these pictures a dear lady made a profession of salvation.  We had been working with her for over 2 years!  Was it real? Only the Lord knows.  She has since passed away.  A few days before these pictures were taken, we had finished leaving a tract at every house in our village.

This particular day, we decided that we needed to get out of the house, and walk around the village to loosen some of the tension.  We needed a new family picture anyway, so we got dressed up and went to our favorite spots.  Why we did that, I will never know…but I am forever thankful that God laid that on our hearts.

It was the last walk we had around our village. The precious village God had called us to. A hard village, some called “The village of criminals.” 

Then God removed the peace.  My husband said, “Pack. We’re leaving in the morning.”

So with two suitcases and some carryons, mostly filled with school books and diapers, we left all once again and followed the Lord. We had no clue that it would be our last.  

I have replayed that walk hundreds of times. I have dreamed about that walk. About hugging those that had become as dear to me as family. About getting to say goodbye.

I have wept…but I have no regrets.

I left my heart there. It will always be there.

But God did not leave me broken.  He performed heart surgery, and gave me a new heart and love for the ministry and people He has called me to now. 

Truly, it is a privilege to serve the Lord! I am so thankful for how He works, even when we do not understand! It is hard to understand why God would call us away after we already knew the language…but we know, God has us here, in America, for someone for such a time as this.

Oh! May the Lord find us faithful!

Continue to pray for the ministry in Vvedenka, Ukraine.  It has had much against it.