A Return to Ukraine

Posted on April 12, 2014 by fsdthreshold

Since even before our first date back in 2012, I’ve known that Julie would need to travel to Ukraine for a few months to conduct her dissertation research. She served as a missionary there from 2000 to 2010, and after returning to the U.S., she has made regular trips to visit her Ukrainian missionary colleagues and to continue studying Ukraine’s unique challenges through Biola University’s PhD program in Intercultural Studies. Well, that stage of her doctoral work has come: she has passed her qualifying exams, is finishing up her dissertation proposal about worship in Ukraine’s simple churches, and the next step is the field research, so that she can write the dissertation itself. She will need to visit several churches and conduct 20-30 face-to-face interviews.

I will be going along as Julie’s chief confidante, consultant, and (as she puts it) sanity-preserver, while I continue to work on two exciting ongoing writing projects from the road. My boss is very graciously allowing me to make this trip and then return to my job, for which I’m extremely thankful!

As many of you know, our window of opportunity for going between school years coincides with a time of unrest. We’ve been watching the news closely and are aware of the ever-changing situation in Ukraine. Be assured that we are cautiously moving forward with prayer, consideration, and consultation with Free Methodist World Mission, missionary colleagues, and our friends in Ukraine.

And now we come to the fund-raising plea. We will need to raise approximately $6,000 for this trip; the majority of the expenses are airfare, in-country travel, and lodging. Contributions of any size are welcome, and if you are able to pray for us but aren’t able to contribute financially, we are very grateful for that, too! (Friends of the Blog: I know this is a small, intimate setting we have here. Please do not feel any pressure or expectation. Julie and I are putting our news and request out there through every available channel, but please understand that this blog announcement is only intended as an opportunity for those interested. It is certainly not a requirement!)

If anyone does wish to contribute, please make checks out to The New Brighton Free Methodist Church, and write “Ukraine Trip” on the memo line. All contributions are tax deductible. The church’s address is: 925 11th Street, New Brighton, PA 15066. If possible, please make any contributions by May 5, as we are hoping to depart for this trip by May 7 — Lord willing. We know that things could change in Ukraine at any moment, and we want you to be assured that your contribution will be handled appropriately. Should the trip be postponed, funds will be held until travel becomes possible. In the unlikely event that the trip is called off completely, we will contact you to arrange return or redirection of your gift.

After our short-term mission trip to Ukraine last summer, I wrote a three-part chronicle of our experiences, including photo coverage. If anyone missed that or would like to see it again, here are the links to those blog entries:

Part I: The Land —

http://www.fredericsdurbin.com/?p=2236

Part II: Shadow of the Past —

http://www.fredericsdurbin.com/?p=2284

Part III: Primary Ministry —

http://www.fredericsdurbin.com/?p=2361

We appreciate your continued prayer for us and for Ukraine as we look ahead to this next adventure!

 

 

8 Responses to A Return to Ukraine

1. i am mr brown snowflake says:

   I note with alarm that world-class buffoon (Crazy) Joe Biden is scheduled to make a trip there shortly. I pray that doesn’t spoil everything for you.

   How long will you be gone? Do you intend to attend our 30th class reunion?

   Reply
   • Literate Lady says:

     No name calling, Mr. Brown Snowflake. Fred’s blog doesn’t go there and neither should we.

     Safe travels, Fred and Julie!

     Reply
2. fsdthreshold says:

   Thank you both for commenting. Yes, Literate Lady, thank you — that’s a good reminder about how name-calling isn’t productive. Thanks for the well-wishes!

   Mr. Brown Snowflake, we’re still watching reports very carefully, and anything is subject to change, but we’ll likely be gone until early July — so once again, our class reunion falls at just the wrong time for me to be able to get there. Would love to be there, but I don’t think it’s going to be possible this time.

   Reply
3. i am mr brown snowflake says:

   You will be missed and in our thoughts and prayers. I pray for a peaceful resolution to the recent troubles in Ukraine and the utter defeat of all Putin values and desires.

   Reply
4. jhagman says:

   It will be interesting to know if you can fly into an Ukrainian airport not crawling w/undercover Spetsnaz, they love airports- they always arrive ahead of the airborne troops. You had better have access to a car so you can drive to the border! While I lean towards Brown Snowflake’s opinion of Uncle Joe Biden, I don’t think he deserves the worry of Americans going into a Civil War Zone.

   Reply
5. Julie says:

   Mи ні американці, ми усиновлені українці. 🙂

   Hi all, Fred’s wife here, former 10-year resident of Ukraine, and the one to blame for Fred’s upcoming trip. [Indeed sorry for missing the big class reunion 🙁 Would have loved to have taken part in that as his +1!]

   There are two things that come to mind as I think about how to explain our trip. One is a story Fred has told me about (the first?) time he went up in a plane, with his dad, I think. His mom was staying on the ground, and reassured young Fred that he’d be okay. Nothing bad will happen to you, she said. Even if you die, nothing bad will happen to you.

   Such is a worldview grounded in trust that a Divine hand is orchestrating things — a worldview with an eye for eternity. I’m grateful that my husband had such an upbringing. It shows in how he lives his life and in how he writes.

   As we sat in the (awesome — in every sense of the word) Anglican Good Friday service yesterday, the thought came to me: It’s no wonder Fred is willing to go with me to Ukraine (besides the fact that he loves me and is nice).

   In Fred’s best stories, people who are acquainted with the light, find out about a grave danger and darkness. And they go there — to the place of darkness — to do battle. Very Tolkienesque, of course (“I will take the ring to Mordor…”)

   Why should any of us be surprised?

   Though Ukraine is not only a place of darkness these days, but also of bravely shimmering light. I expect, should we get to follow through, that we will be inspired and encouraged as much as we are given the chance to encourage others.

   Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

   Reply
6. jhagman says:

   Years ago my Dad was offered a job teaching things he knows in Iraq, I freaked, but my Mom seemed very serene. I said to my Mom “how can you stay so calm? She said “because he is not going”, and I said “how are you going to stop him”? She said not to worry! Years later I asked her how she got him to turn down the job, she told me she said to him “he could go to Iraq”, but when he came home, he would find that she had given away his dogs. My Dad loves his dogs. He knew she was not joking. Julie, do you really want someone who practices crossing a ledge in his living room, in a war zone? Am I the only one who thinks this is a REALLY BAD IDEA. Julie someone needs to threaten to give away your dogs.

   Reply
7. Blsamoo says:

   My thoughts and prayers to you both in your travels. I will hope for a peaceful visit and that you return home safe !

   Reply