This is just for me!

"This is just for me" was something that we have heard over and over from many Ukrainian women as we have done these conferences. And we heard it again in Belgorod on Saturday. It was hard to get up early and leave at 6:45 AM but it was worth it! Luda and Sveta had a simple breakfast for us when we arrived at the church around 8:15 or so. Then we had the big meeting of translators and speakers and then we started again! Rachel again did her talk on Peter but included more of herself and it was so good. We did the seminars three times, with a lunch break. And then Rachel closed with the Parable of the Talents. This was a totally different group of women -- much older women with a few young ones sprinkled through the crowd and women from the villages around Belgorod. There was also a group of women from Izmail. It was good to have long time missionary friends in the audience. Darlene was there and Adeline had just returned from her Home leave in the USA and had surgery during that time so she was moving more slowly. When we asked them at the end of the day, how they thought the women had liked the conference they smiled and looked around and said -- "See they are still here talking - they don't want to leave." That was a huge compliment. We all closed the day by gathering in the tea room for a supper that Sveta had made us. Before we left Belgorod, we stopped by the Medical Clinic so that our team could see a project that MDI has been involved with for a long time. Along the way we stopped to say hello to Sveta's husband, Victor, who gave Debbie a card for Julianne who is so loved here. It was a beautiful sunset drive back to Odessa. We gathered for our final Prayer time and blessing over all of the people that we have met.

And then some of us went out for a walk to enjoy this lovely city one more time. The lights throughout the trees on the Promenade were like fairy land! We stopped and had cherry Vareniki one more time and had a great time talking about all that God had done during this trip.

We head out in 5 minutes to begin the journey home (except for Steve and I who head to England to meet Randy Morgan!) We go home "full" -- and will be eager to share stories of women who we have met, ministry leaders who we have spent time with and orphans who broke our hearts. Please pray for the next two days of travel for us -- now that we are leaving each woman is looking back with joy knowing that God called her here for this time and place but also looking towards home with anticipation! Spaciba for reading this!