Keep Up with Chelsey

Whenever I make it back to L'viv- to my computer-- I plan to do a full update of my nomadic summer. Till then I just want to share tid bits here and there:) Today I had a moment. It was simple. It was sweet. It was just me and a three year old. He was running from the end of the driveway, just running right toward me... as he ran he opened his arms up real wide and then-- woosh-- He jumped into my arms and I would scoop him up, embrace him, set him down, and back he, went up the driveway to do it all over again. Over and over we did this... He never grew tired, but he love the reward of being picked up and hugged! It was a beautiful reminder from God today, that he does the same for us. I felt in that moment this peace that my heavenly father loves me, more than I will ever understand. Today I had a glimpse of that joy and love that he must have as he looks down on his little ones:) Pray for this little three old boy, V. Pray for his mom and sister. Pray specifically for his...

Hello all,      I do not have my own laptop, so please forgive the lack of updates! But I wanted to quickly share with everyone that I am happily and safely in Moldova!    God has shown himself so much already, and I can't wait for what else he has in stored for me. Leaving L'viv I was so stressed because I did not know what to expect with the whole "being illegal" thing. So I get to the airport with my loved ones, and my dad went to the information's desk to see if we could find out the process before I was on my own. The desk got a customs officer to come down and we told him are long story of why I was late... He must have know Jesus because he assured me that it would not be a big deal. After he left, I went up to go through to boarder control, and I go up to an officer and he was thinking about giving me a hard time ( he really did not want to do the paperwork to make a legit fine). I was worried. But then the officer who had come downstairs to tal...

Kids are like that- unpredictable. One year your classes can be just the greatest, filled with learning and love. Other years, you get a bunch that are just "energetic" and "unique"... Despite the differences, you love the crazy bunches just as much as the calm because they become your kids. People everyday are doing ordinary things. They go to work, they care for their families. They are studying, making friends. Just ordinary people, doing the ordinary things. When I think about extraordinary people, I think about people who save lives, or do these huge ministries. But then I realized something, we are all just people. All of us doing our version of ordinary. These kids have been lessons on patience and showing love. But they have been ordinary days for me. It wasn't until this week the kids were asked to retail all that they remember from our lessons-- and you should've heard them. They told, in detail mind you, stories that for some, were...

I can't say that I am really afraid of going to jail for being illegally in Ukraine, because I know that God has a plan for all things. But it is quite a heavy thought to think about leaving Sunday without knowing what to expect from the immigration officers at customs. What I can say is that I hate packing, I hate not knowing things and I especially hate being told I can't return to Ukraine for 90 days. Hate is a strong word and I don't mean hate in a strong way, the word I should use instead is " I'm Highly annoyed" by these things. But I've made peace with the unknown, because the only thoughts I'm able to have is that obviously God's got bigger plans for me than I can imagine for myself, so cheers to this upcoming adventure! ( Lets just all now say a prayer that I am not detained when I try to leave the country on Sunday, and that the fine will be small and not an exorbitant amount!) I am still fundraising-- Honestly I am not sure if I will e...

L'viv is showing signs of life finally... The sun has shone days in a row, flowers and trees are blooming-- Spring is happening in two weeks, but I'm glad it has finally decided to arrive! The days have been longer, and it is nice to be able to walk around town without freezing. I love seeing things come back to life, and the whole atmosphere of L'viv change. Outdoor cafes pop up all around the city, as do little ice cream stands which make me happy:) This past Sunday Ukraine ( and most of Eastern Europe) celebrated Easter! Church was wonderful as well having the whole church pray over me and my family! Anytime people lay hands and pray for me, I just tear up--I love feeling the Holy Spirit filling my cup up through the love and concern of my brothers and sisters in Christ--- Community is a beautiful thing when it is done right:) After Church me, the parentals, my brother and little Emma, had lunch together... Meat, potatoes, green beans and deviled eggs (love my d...

Sometimes, I am not sure how my life can become so crazy, so quickly. One minute I'm doing ministry, and the next, I am trying to buy a plane ticket to get out of the country... My family is still trying to find a house/pet sitter and making arrangements before they officially buy their tickets out, but most likely by the 31st of May they will return to NC. I have decided to not join them on the trip back to the states, instead I will go to do my internship with Project Rescue in Moldova, and they graciously invited me to stay throughout the rest of the time I have to be out of Ukraine. For me it is better to do ministry where my heart is-- so sorry if you thought you'd get to see me back in NC too:) I plan to leave here next week! People have emailed, called, and FB asking about the needs we have... Mainly financial and logistical are all of our biggest needs... -Pray my parents can find someone to care for the dogs and their apartment -Pray that I can afford to cover...