High-light 5,000

Well, all the hype about it coming, and the time is finally here: The one year marker. One year ago today, I just barely finished packing up my bags, with little time to spare, and hopped on a plane. I began the 22 hour journey, plus the 7 hour time switch, to move to Ukraine. Looking back over this past year, first, I realized that there is no way I could of made it, had it not been for God's divine hand on my life, and second, I just may be crazy!

Here are some of the highlighted moments, not all happy moments, but good stories at least...

Meeting Emma... She is the best, and getting to see Emma grow up,
and have a desire to go to church, is just great! Don't get me wrong,
She is such a handful, and stubborn to no end. But I know that she is in my life,
and my families life for a reason, so I am glad he brought me here to meet her. 

I am grateful that I got to reconnect with my family. Being away from them
for 3 years was too long. Of course it isn't always easy to be together, but
you only get one family, and I am glad that I got to reconnect with them over this
year. And that I've been able to do ministry with them, and also, seeing my brother,
grow into a man. It is something that I wouldn't trade, and grateful again, that God brought
me here for this season. 

Super happy that I got to meet all these kids over the year. I mean
of course they were wild, and at times I wondered if some were demon possessed,
but the amount of love these kids developed for me, and I for them. It is just amazing.
Where else can you go, and have a kid hug you and ask you if you could be their mom? As
heartbreaking as that question was to hear, I realized that by being there,
I had a forever impact on their lives, and God was happy that they were learning that they have
a forever heavenly father who will always love them. 

The cold! I mean, look at that coat. When it is minus 20 F you
learn the importance of a fur hood. I am not a huge fan of below freezing temps,
but after living in NC for two years, it was kind of nice to have a real winter. Especially
in a place that never stops moving because of the weather. 

Krakow! Last December I got to go to Krakow for the first time.
Talk about a beautiful city. If you are ever wondering where to go on a vacation,
Krakow is just the best vacation place, especially coming from a third world country to a not third world country . History, customer service, and the big things: Starbucks,
Subway(YUM), and H&M:) Man, that was a great trip. Well, minus the story about having our passports taken hostage
for ransom, and me having to call the US Embassy because we were trapped in this beautiful city. Well that wasn't
Krakow's fault, that was the Ukrainian Embassy, who we will just say, acted  in normal Ukrainian Government fashion. But in the end, all you rallied to help raise the funds for the extra time spent there in the passport hold up, and for that I am grateful that being here, allows me to be so blessed to have supporters like you!

I am grateful that this past year, I learned to look at people in their eyes, and just because
they stand on the street and beg, or are homeless, does not make them less human. I am grateful that
now, I can walk up to a stranger and start a conversation and offer food, and even help someone get into rehab.
If it hadn't been for this ministry, I would not have grown as a person, so I am thankful for those opportunities.

Jodie: The first intern. Having Jodie come and do ministry, was easily
one of the top five moments of this past year. And having interns is something I hope
will continue to be a part of Radical Feet. Being able to be here, and have others come and
be involved, and maybe develop hearts for missions, is a great experience. And hey, if you are
reading this, thinking, hmm, that could be me... send me a message, email can be
found on the radical feet website, love to talk to you about coming.

EURO 2012... Euro brought a crazy environment to L'viv.But it was
fun to hang out with friends and enjoy the live entertainment, and outdoor
screens with soccer the focus of everyone's lives!

 

Of course these are just a few. But reminiscing over this year, it has been a crazy ride. I mean, I guess I am crazy enough to want to continue the ride. I've met lots of people, made new friends, gone to new places, had adventures and experienced major crises. I've grown as a person. And as this year starts officially, I am looking forward to what is in stored. Whatever God brings my way, I just hope that your ready for another year. Another year of blog post  ( by the way, that is where the 5,000 comes from. This past year, to date, there has been over 5,000 views) and another year of me asking for funds (well I guess begging and annoying is more accurate...), plus another year of me needing your prayers to cover me, to keep me safe and flourishing in God's path set out for me. 

One thing that I hope for this coming year is more monthly supporters. So if your interested, again, feel free to email me if you need more details. Check out the website tab above, all information on giving is there. The more monthly income I can get, the more stability and ministry I can do. And if I can get to the point of being able to hire a translator so I can get more involved, that would be great! So think about it, pray about it, and maybe consider giving to Radical Feet. 

Also, I am looking for people to make a commitment to pray for me. One thing that I have learned this year is that Satan is serious when he attacks Christians. And I basically need protection. You all know from previous post that attacks happen, so please, pray. Adding me to prayer list/chains would be very much appreciated. And even sending scripture and encouragement letters, would mean so much. 

We all play a role. By reading this blog your are involved in the things going on here. Some of you are supporters, and I am "BLESSED" because of you, and your generosity. Seriously words can not express my gratitude. Some of you observe, and pray for me. I am blessed by you, because your prayers are the shield that keep me safe, thank you. And some of you are just by standers. You look time to time to just keep up with me, know what is up... and that is great, I mean it is the purpose of this blog, but maybe this year, you can make more of a commitment to be there for me. I really need to rally the troops so, think about how you could be more involved. How you could pray for Radical Feet, how you could do a fundraiser, or how you could send a care package, or a letter of encouragement, or how you could be an intern? There are so many options, and suitable for all levels of commitment. 

In previous post, I've mentioned how we are the body, and all I am asking, is that we as the body serve the people of Ukraine. How can you make a difference? How can I make a difference? Rather large scale, or super small scale, we can all live a radical life that reflects loving God and loving people... 

Thank you for this past year, and I look forward to embracing this new year with you all by my side! God bless!

Chelsey