Kyiv...history and pray!

Weekend in Budapest was great...Josh's team won it all - go Bulldogs!  The tournament I've been hearing about since Robby was in high school fulfilled all expectations.  I hung out with the Bulldog mascot all weekend (Skinner dog...Dude) and we bonded.  He was a good dog - a big chicken really but good.  It was a good time had by all.
Monday I headed to Kyiv.  I stayed with some Ukrainian friends and got to see some friends from John Day, OR (where I grew up).  What a great, small world right?  Anyway...Viollleta and Andrey (family I stayed with) took me to the Maidan.  WOW.  Oh my gosh...there were a couple times that I was in tears.  As Viollleta says; 'Kyiv (Ukraine) is in a revolution'.  There were several areas set up with flowers and candles for those that have lost their lives.  Viollleta got candles for us to put on one of the places.  I just cried.  Amazing to see how people have set up places to sleep and stay, places for people to come for drinks, food and their own medical stations/workers.   Andrey was telling me how he was down at Maidan a while ago and wanted to donate to the food/drink etc and there was a line to donate!  Meaning - people were standing in line to give funds so people would be supplied with what they needed!  Isn't that amazing?  Anyway; a very moving and historical moment for me.  We were there just as it was getting dark so people were splitting their wood to start fires in the makeshift sleeping areas etc.  It was like a refugee camp; oh how I pray for Ukraine!  Such a tough road ahead.  The people do not want to go backwards; they definitely want to have forward movement.  That much is clear.
On Tuesday I went to lunch with my friends from Oregon...great to see them and 'use' them for transport of items to and from the States.  Thank you Armstrongs!  That was the day that the latest violence broke out in Kyiv - and is still going on.  I took the metro to meet Andrey so we could head back to the apartment.  They closed the metro about 30 minutes after I made it to my destination.  I was in the square and a LOT of people were pouring out of the metro...that was the last stop that was open so everybody had to get off.  Later they closed the metro for all trains coming into the city and later that night they closed the metro down completely.  As of today (Thursday) the metro is still closed.  According to my friends; the violence is still pretty much in the center of the city but more deaths and risk is rising.  Again...WOW.
I landed back in Poland and I kid you not; it did feel good to come 'home'.  I sat in line for passport control with a very odd feeling...coming home at this point really is Poland and it was a relief to be there.
Now I'm back in Poznan and working today doing office stuff.  Good times, these employees are just the best.  Oh so kind and helpful...and patient!
Tonight (10:00 a.m. PST time) I will be Facetiming with some folks at Fremont Church - in the sanctuary :).  That cracks me up - but it is during the mission week at the church and so there is a panel of mission folks being interviewed and I get to join in!  I'm kinda of excited...hope the connection is good and not distracting.  Once again - life is good and God is waayyy better.  Lots of prayers for Ukraine so they can see how great God is!