Many people have asked me this year “When are you going back to Ukraine?”

And now I have an answer. July 2008! Yes I am flying out of Brisbane on July 7, have a day in London with my brother Dave, and arrive in Ukraine on July 9.

I’ll be helping set up for the summer camp which my sister and brother in law, Ruth and Jon are leading with my friend Sasha. (I’ll send a prayer request around about this later)

After this I will be seeking with God’s help to set up the language school I registered last year. I am trusting that in those next few months, God will make my future clear as to the role He has for me in Ukraine.

As always – the greatest joy in the journey of life is found solely in Christ. This is my daily experience for which I am greatly thankful.

I want to say thank you so much to everyone who prays. To God be all the glory.

Love Jono

Keep Looking Up

December 13 I arrive at Joburg from Cape Town to find the plane tp Perth has already gone. The time on my ticket was wrong. My agent's fault so no compensation or accommodation. Tomorrow's flight is full but I can go on standby. Now I have to go and find my bag. I sit in the luggage area for over an hour reading "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian". Actually it's written in English and a book I recommend. I have to head back to Domestic to find internet to alert my friends in Perth. Then I wander on up to the viewing platform - find a fourseater bench - get the sleeping bag out and try to sleep (see article "Gate Crasher").

An uninvited guest came to my party. This was a prestigious party. A pity party of the highest quality. I am lonely. I had my camera and laptop stolen. I am stranded in JoBurg with no money and I’m sleeping on some hard airport benches. And then there’s that other thing looming over me – consuming my thoughts. There were already enough guests at this party. Oh, of course God was there. Someone had to listen to my complaining. I was griping about how much was too much and quoting verses about how much one can bear. I was also placating myself with feeble attempts of saying, “But I do trust You God – I trust You to get me out of this mess You got me into – well You allowed it.”

The day starts being picked up at 7:45 and we head off to the Zambezi for breakfast and a briefing. We sign the indemnity form, listen very carefully to the safety instructions and before too long we find ourselves with a life jacket, helmet and oar cautiously making our way down below the falls to The Boiling Pot. Choongo our guide gets us seated. Lucas and I up front. Behind me are Maria and Michelle with Kristin behind Lucas. Choongo is our man at the back. We practice forward, back, over left, over right, get down and then it’s time to head down the mighty Zambezi. The first rapid is a real beauty, and I thought we were going over. After we came through no worries, I knew it was going to be a great day. But the first casualty of the day was none other than me on rapid number 3, a grade 3 fall, not too difficult, but a big wave caught me by surprise and I found myself spluttering in and out of big waves floating down stream.

Where is the place you go to buy anything you need in Zambia? The bus of course! Sitting on a bus in Zambia can be quite an experience. Once you get a ticket and get yourself and your luggage on to the bus, you sit back and watch while any and everything comes past for sale. Local vendors bring in goods from DVDs to gumboots, face clothes to radios, ties, rolls of cloth, school books, watches, perfume, phone cards, shoes, hot foods, cold foods, fresh fruit, drinks of every sort; you get the picture. The funny thing is that they will wander on and off the buses at the depot, one, two, three, ten times.

I have travelled to 25 countries in 6 different continents. I’ve seen rich and poor. But never before this week had I been so far away from civilization as we know it. We all take electricity for granted. Even those of us who live where it is irregular – irregular electricity is a huge step up from NO electricity. Here in Lunda province of Zambia, near the Angola and Congo borders there is a hospital and school that have been here for decades. Just this year, a hydro station was opened here which services the hospital. The lines are still being built to the school, and the grid is still being built to provide lines to some of the villages. Most people here live in a mud brick hut with a thatched roof. A few have tin roofs – which I believe is a requirement for the government to allow them to have electricity. The mission hospital, where I am staying, for many years was running on generators, having a huge diesel bill and electricity just 3 hours a day.

Well glad you asked that question. I'm in Kalene in the north west of Zambia near the borders of Congo and Angola. Right near the source of the Zambezi River. I'm staying in a small Mission Hospital here.

Yesterday I saw a small power station which has been built here recently on the Zambezi. They now have power most of the time instead of 3 hours a day on expensive diesel generators. I have helped out at the hospital by replacing broken window panes where the rain has been coming in on patient's beds.
Where to next? Maybe Kabwe, maybe Zomba in Malawi. God is leading this trip - and may I say how very very good He is.

I thank Him and praise Him for everything.
Keep Looking Up
Jono

Wandering the maze of London streets, taking the leisurely route home from school, I stopped to look at some books outside a shop advertised for 1 pound each. Nothing really caught my eye, but as I was browsing a jolly old chap fronted up to me and said in a thick accent, “And whereabouts are you from young man?”

We chatted aimlessly for a bit and then he asked me what I was looking for. I said I was just browsing and most probably wouldn’t buy anything. He started to walk off then came back and said, “You’re probably not going to feel comfortable with what I’m about to do . . .” My selfish sinful heart immediately thought he was about to ask me for money, but as I looked down he was pressing a ten pound note into my hand saying, “ . . . buy yourself a book. I’m Irish! Buy yourself a book!”

The following is something straight out of my diary after watching a movie. Instead of looking for the obvious theological inaccuracies - see my heart recognizing that without Him I can do nothing - but I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

RATATOUILLE
I am Linguini. Hopeless with no talent. God is the rat. He can do it - but only through me. I must let Him. I must welcome Him. I must not try to add others - like Colette. I must listen only to Him and give all the credit to Him. Gusteau is like the Holy Spirit. There to guide me if I will listen and to warn me from doing wrong. And the Health Inspector may shut me down. And the world may cry "RAT!" But they don't understand. God I want you to be the leader and guider of my actions and also of my thoughts and feelings.

So what does it mean to take a year off?
I hope to answer that question more as time goes on - but for now I thought it would be good to let you know where I am and what I'm doing.
I've been in London for 2 weeks supply teaching. This week I'm going to Scotland for a short break as it is mid term break here. I then have another week and a half of teaching in London before heading south - first stop Zambia.