So…life right now...is pretty awesome! I'm absolutely falling in love with this country and this city. We rode the bus downtown several times this weekend, and so certain stores, bus stops, and monuments are starting to feel really home-y to me. It was also cool to get off the campus and just have those random everyday interactions with Ukrainian people...smiling and making faces at somebody's baby on the trolley bus...introducing myself to an older woman who was sitting alone, buying things from stores, etc. Also this weekend we happened to run into some Mormon missionaries in a park and talked to them for a while (or rather, I should say, Sarah met some missionaries and we then flocked around her and met them too :)) Then the next day we happened to see one of them again in a different part of the city. Things like that make Donetsk feel like a small world that for now at least is actually my world.

Aside from the great experience of everyday life here, some highlights of the weekend included our visits to the Orthodox church and birthday lunch for Chelsea at an amazing Beatles-themed restaurant called Liverpool. We visited two churches briefly on Saturday, and then planned to all go back for service on Sunday. Unfortunately three girls got some kind of stomach bug (possibly food-poisoning) Saturday night and weren’t able to come on Sunday. But between the two days we were all able to have an experience with this church and I think all came out of it very renewed. There was a spirit of peace and reverence and unity there that was really powerful to take part in.

This weekend was good too because were able to sit down and reflect together, to share, and to pray. We've been running on such a hectic schedule these last few eeks that we've had very little time to connect together spiritually. It was so good to finally be able to have an extended time to encourage each other and pray for this new module, and I already feel like it’s making such a difference. Along with increased unity as a team, I think we’ve seen an answered prayer in our good relationships with the team that is here from Alabama for the week. We’ve been able to run a really good afternoon program, while genuinely enjoying our time together.

These first few days of this week have been weird because so many of the people we were close to last term are gone, and somehow that seems like forever ago even though it’s only been a few days...I think I'm having a hard time transitioning into this new term and letting my excitedness for getting to know these people surpass my sadness about saying goodbye to the other students. But, there a definitely some differences about this term that I’m really enjoying. Last module we were somewhat disconnected because we were all helping in different morning classes and leading different things in the afternoon while also spending time grading and lesson planning in the evenings, sometimes hardly crossing paths at all. This week we have the majority of our mornings free and are working much more closely together in the afternoons which has been a nice change of pace.

On a more general note, I've been really encouraged by Galatians 6:9-10 recently, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all peopele, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." May it encourage all of you as well!