The Ukraine Journal

Ukraine 2005 video clip

Flash Viewer 7 Required
for player below:

So much video tape and so many memories are difficult to combine into anything that can possibly sum up this year's Ukraine experience with any accuracy. The clip on this post features several of the athletes reporting their experiences while we were still in Ukraine. There are orphans, street kids, a World War II concentration camp survivor, members of the Tullahoma Team, lots of play footage and some time of sharing and responding to the Good News that we went to share. What you don't see is how the members of this team changed, there was so much growth in a very compressed time. You don't see how the people with whom we came in contact changed...but we are confident that there are changes going on from the seeds that were planted. There will be more videos forthcoming. This sample is one that we will share with the Belmont Trustees later today and in the coming weeks with a number of churches who have asked us to speak.

Fund raising for next year's trip to Venezuela will be more focused in the coming months. I hope that you will consider adding your support to this program. All donations to the Sports Evangelism Program are tax deductible and documented receipts are provided to all donors. Your ongoing support via prayers, encouraging words, and yes, your wallet, are much appreciated. A convenient and secure donation form is available here: Betty Wiseman Missions Fund - Online Donation Form

God bless,
Paul

Next Stop - Venezuela 2006

Our next stop in Sports Evangelism will be Venezuela next May 15-26, 2006. I have accepted an invitation through the Tennessee Baptist Convention Partnership Missions department to work with a missionary in Venezuela. We met in early June during his short stay in Tennessee to discuss the logistics. Plans are already underway for the venture into South America. I shared some video of what we do with the missionary and he was so excited to get home and begin preparations.

Begin now to pray for this upcoming mission opportunity for Belmont Sports Evangelism. It takes a full year of work and planning to make these trips happen. Pray for financial support, for the missionary and his preparations, and for God’s leadership as I begin thinking about who God wants to be a member of this team.

Some final thoughts

The trip and ministry is now over and we are making the transition back to our daily routines. It does not come easy. Part of me is still in the Ukraine and my life won’t ever be quite the same. I continue to process the trip, the ministry, the divine appointments, and all that happened to our team. The faces of street children and orphans fill my mind and cloud my sleep. The Ukrainian language rings in my ears. The sights and sounds of another world keep haunting me. It will take more time than usual to get beyond these two weeks of mission work.

Team members drop by the office daily to hug, remember, process, and shed more tears. They, too, are readjusting and trying to bring closure. God did a mighty work in these students’ lives, taking them out of their comfort zone and forcing them to unzip their hearts and let Jesus shine. They learned things about themselves they never knew. Their relationship with Christ took on a new and deeper intimacy. I watched as they “let go” and let God work in their lives. They gave their all, and yet, they received so much more. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

]]> It was a joy to work with Belmont Trustee and Pastor Don Dixon and his team from Highland Baptist Church in Tullahoma. The blending of two teams only enhanced the ministry and opportunities. Pastor Don has a beautiful heart and passion for sharing Christ. I watched as tears flowed while telling of his personal experiences. Someone else in the Belmont family now truly understands the impact of these Sports Evangelism Mission Trips. Thank you, Don, for initiating conversation and following God’s lead in the invitation to go to the Ukraine.

We estimate, conservatively, that over 100 people came to Christ during the week; maybe even as many as 150. There were many who prayed to receive him in groups, and others came to Him one by one. Lots of seeds were sown and we’ll never know the true impact in terms of numbers. God knows and that is all that matters.

Thank you to parents, families, friends, coaches, donors, and so many others who have shared this journey with us through the journal, your prayers, and support. Thank you, Belmont University, for allowing us to represent you as we shared Christ in the Ukraine. We have been blessed and changed. We give all praise, honor, and glory to God!

Betty

Thank you, Paul & Debbie!

I must thank Debbie & Paul Chenoweth for their roles in this mission endeavor. Debbie is a steady rock, always in the background but ever on the front lines. She paid the bills, ordered food, kept up with the schedule, and was a wonderful support to me. Basically, she freed me up to work, witness, and minister. She truly has a servant’s heart.

You have all benefited from Paul’s expertise. He is totally responsible for the Ukraine Journal and allowing you to be a part of our ministry through the web site. The upcoming videos he will produce will serve us well as we attempt to share the story through the lens of his trusted camera. Debbie and Paul give an added dimension to this ministry through their efforts.

Betty

A special memory - divine appointments

It was Tuesday afternoon and we had finished two days of play and ministry with a group of maybe two hundred kids. Before we left we all sat down for drama, testimonies, sharing of the gospel, and an invitation to pray a prayer to receive Christ. It was evident that the Holy Spirit was upon us as we felt God’s powerful presence. Many prayed the prayer to receive Christ.

Following the session Debbie pointed out to me three women with babies outside the fenced-in court. She said they had wondered off the street and had listened through the fence. I immediately went outside the court to them and asked if they understood what we had said. They said they understood. I asked if they would like to ask Jesus into their hearts and their response was, “We already have. We prayed with the children.” They received Christ that day as they wondered down the street and stopped to listen through a fence to some Americans sharing Christ with kids. We never know how God will use us when we are bold enough to stand up and profess His saving grace. It was a divine appointment!

Betty

Home!

For some of us being home means ice in a glass of tea, a shower head that sprays higher than chest-high, clean sheets, a room without mosquitos, air conditioning, toilet paper without grit, or even a morning cup of coffee where the spoon won't stand up in the cup by itself...regardless, we are are home! There are parts of us that are still in Ukraine and that is where those parts belong...it was our mission to leave behind the seeds of ministry, and that mission is accomplished.

For all of you who visited the Ukraine Journal over the last week or so, for those who have held this mission in prayer, and for the families of these athletes who were willing to share their children with the rest of the world...Betty, Debbie, and I want to say Thank You!

We have all been blessed by this experience. We can say without hesitation that the people of Ukraine have been blessed by this team.

...sipping fresh coffee at a high speed computer..at home,
Paul:)

Back on US soil...in search of ice and french fries

We landed in Detroit about an hour ago and everyone made it through customs and baggage inspection without a problem. In about 45 minutes, we will be on the very last flight of the trip.

...kickin' back with french fries and an iced cold drink,
Paul:)

Amsterdam and headed home

There must be a chapter for this trip about our bus...at 2:00AM in Ukraine, there was a group of men push starting a fully loaded church bus that was not quite ready to make the 2+ hour run from Zhitomire to Kiev...now, ask Betty about the power of answered prayer (I dare ya' *grin*)

All are well (well, sleepy) and lining up at the gate for the long flight to Detroit. We shall see you this afternoon in Nashville. The schedule is posted via a link on the home page of the Ukraine Journal if you need flight details.

...on the run in Amsterdam,
Paul:)

Good-byes have begun

In about 7 hours the team will be picked up in front of our hotel to begin the journey back to Nashville. The 2:00AM pick up hour will mean very little sleep in anything that resembles a bed for the next 24-36 hours...but we are ready and doing well

There is so much to be said for the translators that we worked with all week. They have all been wonderful and have become an integral part of the team. Saying good-bye is not an easy thing to do for a member of the family and these good-byes will not be easy.

Pictured here with me is Vlad and his son Eli. There are more stories to tell about this special man than there is space to fill. He is the epitomy of Christian service and the perfect picture of the struggle that individuals in ministry here. Pray for Vlad, Eli, his wife Maya, and their daughter. They deserve our prayers and support.

Betty

Saturday's orphange visits

Today's orphange visits seemed rushed for some reason. It may have been the extended amount of time spent in the market purchasing food, it may have been the long drive, and it may have been the threat of rain (that finally caught up with us). Somehow there just wasn't enough time to play with the children and get them comfortable with the tall Americans.

We will have some time to talk about these trips on Sunday night...maybe some of the team members can make better sense of what all happened. We were able to provide food, a time of testimonies, and some time to pass out testimonial bead bracelets... I just believe that we all wanted more. An orphanage is just something that cannot be fixed in a few hours. Maybe that is what we expected.

A message from Carrie Newton - Team Ukraine

Friday in Leschin
Wow spend some time with Betty Wiseman and her Belmont team and they will rub off on you! Be Bold for God! Today I helped deliver food bags with 2 members from my team along with a translator and two church members from the church in Leschin. I have never been so humbled in all my life. We delivered a food bag to one man who was out of work and at home taking care of his two small children. He was so grateful that he insisted that we take a sack of fish with us. He had just caught them so they were not even cleaned they were whole fish! So we come to bring food both spiritual and physical to the needy and walk away with a plastic bag with 4 or 5 freshly caught fish in it. These people are amazing!

Carrie

A note from Pastor Don - Team Ukraine

One of our prayers is that "Lord, let us see you at work in the world and join in that work." well T.E.A.M. Ukraine has seen that prayer answered in the ministry they have in Ukraine. The Tullahoma team has worked in the small towns and villages in the Zhitomir area. They have seen God's work in the spiritual hunger of the people and the wonderful response of so many to the Gospel. They have also seen God use them in sharing the gospel. Team members gave testimonies, taught in songs and the skit of Noah about God's promises, did crafts with children and presented God's truth in lessons and through sermons. Their own faith has been strengthened by fellowship with believers in Ukraine. Indeed, for many, both Ukrainian and team members, it has been a life-changing experience. Team members are Ken and Diane Tatum, Carrie Newton, Spenser Newton, Ben Ferrell, John and Tommie Solieou, Pastor Don Dixon and a minstry of eye care through used glasses has been done by Dr. Spencer Meckstroth of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Don Dixon

Friday evening - posted on Saturday night

Friday's ministry took us north to the town of Corosten, an hour and a half of bumpy bus ride to Grace Baptist Church and Bible College. This was once a Soviet hospital but abandoned and left to collapse and decay before the church expressed interest in it. Waiting for us at the church were 50 youth leaders from across the region who had been on retreat for several days. Our devotional time for the day focused on surrender, individually and, as a team...and that proved to be appropriate for the day. We played volleyball, court soccer, and youth-focused games all day with little apparent time for ministry...until the evening meal time arrived.

Today I learned that playing sports is much more than being competitive...and getting emotional and sometimes angry. Playing sports can be done in a way that honors God, I saw that today in this team from America. I could see this in the faces of these players. I could feel God's presence in our games today. I am so thankful thatGod brought this team here today, it has changed forever the way that I will play sports.
Serge - Youth Minister, Ukraine

Our team was the special guest at a festive banquet. Decorations were hanging around the room and a band played at one end of the room. The dressed up youth ministers were quite the contrast to the Belmont team who cleaned up as best they could following a day of exercise and play. Dan, Brittany, Josh, Jennifer, and John gave their testimonies and then it was time for their leaders to speak. Several spoke of the importance of finding new ways to reach out to youth. Youth do not naturally gravitate toward churches...and the platform of sports is something that meets these young people where they are. It helps to build trust and relationships that can then lead to opportunities for sharing. The Belmont team surrendered their agenda for today and by doing so, found a place in the future ministries of these youth leaders.

Thursday in Kiev - Wow!

If it is Thursday, it must be Kiev...the Belmont team and the Tullahoma team traveled to Kiev for a day of shopping and sightseeing. Two hours of un-airconditioned bus called for some unusual cooling off and the example of other Ukranians pulled our group, barefooted, into one of the fountains on the square. The million+ Ukrainians who camped out and demonstrated on this same square six months ago as part of the Orange Revolution are gone, replaced by numerous yellow and blue national flags prominently displayed around the area. This is a place of national pride for this country and a rallying point for freedom.

The story and the memorial at Babiy-Yar is equally powerful. In 1941-42 over 100,000 local Jews were led to the edge of an open trench an were shot...for days afterward, witnesses claim that the ground was still moving after the dead, wounded, and dying were covered in dirt. The magnitude of the deep, grassy trenches that stand as part of the memorial speak to the depth of the pain this country experienced during World War Two.

In our travels along highways in Ukraine, we had noticed signs that looked much like city limit signs except for the black background and a diagonal red stripe across the village name. There are 150 such villages surrounding Chernobyl (in what is called "the exclusion zone") where it may be several hundred (or thousand) years before it is safe to live. The Chernobyl National Museum documents the people, places, and tragedy from the explosion...much to process following that stop.

]]> The day was not completely somber...shopping along the streets, a stop at an underground mall, a change from our Ukrainian diet to McDonalds and Baskin Robbins, a visit to the monastery and St. Michael's Orthodox Church, a colection of 'potty adventure stories' and a return trip to Zhitomir finished the day. By the by, have you ever seen a roadside stork's nest?? Wayyy kewl!

It is impossible to stay out of the picture

This is a late addition to the journal, it has been sitting in draft status on my laptop for more than a few days. I have questioned my motives for posting this but have decided to do so anyway.

Taking stills and capturing video for the Belmont team is my primary contribution to these trips and for the most part I keep my distance and try to capture the spirit of the day in a candid style without being too obvious. I do sit down and rest (chasing athletes and active children around on a playground can be pretty taxing) and when I do it is not uncommon to be approached by curious children who either want their picture taken or who want to see the gadgets I carry. These three little guys spent a lot of time with me during one of the orphange visits. We had no interpreter...none was needed. There was a lot of hand waving and improvised sign language. There was hands-on camera time for the boys that made me a little nervous. We had a great time making silly faces, snapping digital stills, and then passing them back and forth to view on the small LCD screen on the camera.

This is one of those pictures that will stay with me...it summarizes for me, much of what we came to do...and that is that we share who we are with the people in Ukraine. For a few minutes on one hot, June day, these guys were photographers...and I'm pretty sure they had a great time. Betty nailed me a little later by saying that I probably didn't realize how much the attention that I gave these boys meant to them. I had not given it a thought. I have witnessed it with every other team member on this trip but had never realized how that felt, until now. Wow!