Comments on: Ministry http://ukrainiac.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/ministry/ Living Coram Deo in Kyiv, Ukraine Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:59:37 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ukrainiac http://ukrainiac.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/ministry/#comment-5594 ukrainiac Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:02:51 +0000 http://ukrainiac.wordpress.com/?p=684#comment-5594 Michelle: Short-term teams can sometimes open doors that might otherwise stay closed...allowing us to begin or deepen relationships. I know that visitors who actually SEE what we're doing can go back home and speak with passion about what they saw. (At least that's what WE did after visiting Ukraine for several short trips!) People who REPEATEDLY just come for a vacation (calling it missions)...well, that's a different story! Or those who don't seem to listen to you about how best to help... Throwing money is rarely a good solution! We have been very fortunate in our short time here to have hosted some really awesome folks! And hope they come back again!! Michelle: Short-term teams can sometimes open doors that might otherwise stay closed…allowing us to begin or deepen relationships. I know that visitors who actually SEE what we’re doing can go back home and speak with passion about what they saw. (At least that’s what WE did after visiting Ukraine for several short trips!)

People who REPEATEDLY just come for a vacation (calling it missions)…well, that’s a different story! Or those who don’t seem to listen to you about how best to help… Throwing money is rarely a good solution! We have been very fortunate in our short time here to have hosted some really awesome folks! And hope they come back again!!

]]> By: Michelle http://ukrainiac.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/ministry/#comment-5584 Michelle Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:33:34 +0000 http://ukrainiac.wordpress.com/?p=684#comment-5584 Fabulous post. It is so hard to explain to people who want to come to Ukraine for a short term trips that being a missionary does not mean you are here to minister to visiting Americans. People don't realize you have to drop everything you are doing in your life to host them or show them around/translate/help them do some kind of ministry which since they can't speak the language is totally different from what a long term missionary can do. I always feel so torn in having to explain this to people because I know they want to help but it is hard to explain to them that unless it is a "planned" event like a mission trip or something connected to a church or group that can help host them, they might not be as helpful as they think they are being. God has called you and Jim and all us long term missionaries to "live" in Ukraine. We have to learn the language, build relationships with Ukrainians and minister to those living here. This is a totally different concept than a short term trip. God uses people on short term mission trips but they are not long term missionaries. One is not better than the other but both ministries are totally different callings and have different challenges. Fabulous post. It is so hard to explain to people who want to come to Ukraine for a short term trips that being a missionary does not mean you are here to minister to visiting Americans. People don’t realize you have to drop everything you are doing in your life to host them or show them around/translate/help them do some kind of ministry which since they can’t speak the language is totally different from what a long term missionary can do. I always feel so torn in having to explain this to people because I know they want to help but it is hard to explain to them that unless it is a “planned” event like a mission trip or something connected to a church or group that can help host them, they might not be as helpful as they think they are being.

God has called you and Jim and all us long term missionaries to “live” in Ukraine. We have to learn the language, build relationships with Ukrainians and minister to those living here. This is a totally different concept than a short term trip. God uses people on short term mission trips but they are not long term missionaries. One is not better than the other but both ministries are totally different callings and have different challenges.

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