Another from teh Uganda/Ethiopian 2010 Team. Back at it in Ukraine.....

Kara and I have had quite the journey so far!

Praise the Lord the driving and airplane rides went well! I could feel your prayers because the flight and drive didn’t make me feel anywhere near as bad as I usually feel on long travels- there was such a grace over it.  On our layover, we ended up in one of four huge lines to get through customs. When we got to the man at the customs desk, he informed us that it was one minute after our plane said it was boarding and we had a 15 minute jaunt to our terminal… so we ran! Our terminal was boarding to Paris and we had to find where our flight had been switched to. It had been delayed for 30 minutes and boarded shortly after we reached our gate “just in time”.
Ishtvan, a friend of COI staff who had his own taxi business, drove us from Budapest, Hungary across the border to Uzhgorod, Ukraine. We stopped by a McDonalds in Budapest (there aren’t any in Uzhgorod). It was the most modern, fancy looking McDonalds I’ve ever seen- filled with leather couches and TV’s everywhere. This wasn’t at all what I imagined, but I was told- and came to find for myself- that there is a vast contrast between Uzhgorod and Budapest.
We reached our sky-scraper of an apartment that lit up the night. It seemed charming like a serene scene in a movie. The first few minutes walking into the building felt like walking into what I imagine to be a ghetto apartment in a large city. There were no lights through the first few doorways and Kristy, our Iowan roommate, suggested we use the elevator to take our luggage up to the 3rd floor. Sure enough, the elevator was broken and there was a little red light on and what I saw around me in the light of the red light was run-down and looked in need of repair. So as we walked up the steps I saw some windows with the glass cracked and I began to wonder what I got myself into. How would the next few months look?
We reached our vault-looking apartment door and there was a welcome committee of 3 other teachers to greet us! They had put our apartment together and made supper for us. Their names are Valya (short for Valentina), Beth (from the US), and Inga. We’ve hit it off pretty well together so far! They’ve been so gracious in showing us around, giving us a taste of the culture, as well as some good tips and pointers. It looks like this semester there will only be ladies teaching, which will be interesting I’m sure. 
Taking a walk around (and walking is the most common form of transportation you’d use) Uzhgorod, one may notice lots of puddles (it’s rainy season here), paths of pavement mixed in along dirt, patterned cobblestone. The main streets are paved, but with many pot holes, and there are many back alley roads. People here highly value fashion. One teacher told me a student of hers once said they would rather have fashionable clothes and skip meals than to eat well and not have fashionable garments. Many women wear stilettos through the cobblestone and dirt- how they survive like that I do not know; just wearing a pair of nice flats for a walk around the city gave me blisters!
The downtown buildings are historical and diverse in architecture. It’s a very interesting place to walk around and there is a castle near downtown. It was a bit shocking to see little children walking around unsupervised through the town. It was also quite moving for me having a beggar woman come up to us a few time in the streets asking for money. The look in her eyes gave me such a strange feeling like time slowed down for a moment. I began to ask the Lord what to do in that sort of a situation, and I am still waiting for His wisdom in such matters. I also saw a woman sitting on the main walking bridge over “The Uzh”- the river that runs through Uzhgorod. Her skin on her face was discolored in such a way that I could tell she had some type of disease. What moved me the most seeing these women was the thought that this is what they do with their lives. That was frustrating and sad. I want them to have the help that is lasting- not just money to get them by another day.
This city is beautiful in its own way, but even when the sun shines, there is still such a depressive atmosphere over the people. The people don’t seem to smile in public much or say hello.

Monday we both started teaching evening classes- we are excited and now there is much work to be done! Kara has taught before, but this was my first time.
We will give you another update on how the first week of school went soon! 
Thank you all so much for your prayers, love, and support!
Until next time—dos vidonya!

The Savchenko Sisters


P.S. We are learning how to say our last name the correct way now! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you, cause His face to shine on you, be gracious to you and give you His peace as you go deeper in Him!