Jono Miller

AN APPOINTMENT

Have you ever had an appointment you didn’t arrange? Didn’t know about? Some may say circumstantial, some may say divine. Yesterday I came out of an underground shop in Kyiv after trying to buy some specialty ingredients to make Christmas pudding. Looking like a lost person I bumped into Tanya. I’ve met Tanya and Dave (a fellow Kiwi) a handful of times watching rugby. We chatted for well over an hour (sorry if you got in trouble for a long lunch break Tanya). I can’t put it all into words, yet I am convinced that God organised that appointment. Tanya is a psychologist and has a dream to start a school. I hope to be able to catch up with them often.

I thank God for the way He ordains these appointments in my life – so often I don’t even recognise them. My friend Ted Boyce has a few favourite sayings. One of which is: “God has you in this place at this time for His purposes.”

UTSIM

There are just two weeks left before we have a two week break for New Year and Christmas. Yes New Year comes first then Christmas is on the 7^th of January. December 25^th is a working day here. There is a lot to get done in these two weeks. Simbo and Asia have just one week left and then we welcome Sveta Artiukh who will be teaching with us through til the end of May 2010. We have half yearly reports to get out to each student so the next two weeks will be full.

I am planning a celebration lunch for all of my staff and volunteers. I realise that sometimes I see the program and the work that needs to be done and not the individual – the person who needs to do this work. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who works with us for the purpose of bringing glory to God by teaching people around Ukraine.

It truly is great to be with people. I love the moments when kids come into the office just to say hi. I like the idea that our office is a ‘safe’ place for them. I’m teaching two of the youngest teachers at school. One is a speech therapist and the other a psychologist. They share a small office below mine which they have decorated really nicely – they also have a heart for kids and the children appreciate and respond to them.

BITS AND PIECES

As I type this my computer tells me that the outside temperature is minus 5. I don’t need to go out and check – I’ll believe them. However it is 23 in Sydney and that is at night time! I definitely prefer warm climates.

We have a ‘meeting’ tonight. Please pray for the church in Rzhyshchiv. We seem to be a very loose organisation and there has been a push for more cohesive direction. However I feel something awry in the fact that only foreigners have been invited. Please pray that the believers (especially the older believers) have a sense of unity and love.

PRAYER AND PRAISE

New Year and Christmas holidays!

Tanya and Dave

Divine Appointments

Staff and students of UTSIM

The Church in Rzhyshchiv

THANKS TO

Tanya for ‘bumping into me’ in Kyiv

Love Jono

Keep Looking Up

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