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 We first stopped in Krakow, Poland. My friend Jeff Bullock started the church in Krakow years ago and has since left to pioneer another church in Budapest, Hungary. The new pastor is Przemek Sielatycki. (Przemek is pronounced “Shemeck” but we invented many different nicknames for him including Shrek, Shimmy, and Shimmy Shank.) Schemeck has just recently married, and you can see from the picture he did well for himself.
We spent the first day teaching leadership and communication principles with the staff and extended leadership team from the church. We also taught a few sessions of their Every Nation Leadership Institute class. In between ministry, we found a little time to explore the beautiful and historic city of Krakow.
We then made the arduous trip from Krakow to Ternopil, Ukraine. The day began at four am when a taxi picked us up from our hotel in Krakow. The rest of the day was a surreal encounter with planes, trains, automobiles, and irritable customs officers.
 When we finally arrived in Ternopil at 7:00 pm., I had been up for 37 hours – in the same clothes. As soon as I stepped off the bus, they informed me that I would speak in one minute. I never needed God’s grace more in any ministry situation in my life. There were one hundred Ukrainian pastors and leaders waiting to hear something significant, and I was fairly convinced that I had little to offer them. But that is one of the reasons we go on mission trips: to let God place us in uncomfortable situations and then show His power through us.
Mike and I spoke to the pastors and leaders that night and the next day. Then the annual Ukrainian Conference began. Our host, Pastor Oleg Savchak, was celebrating the twelfth anniversary of the church. There were around 500 delegates from the six Every Nation churches in the Ukraine. There was also a delegation from our church in Latvia. We had a memorable time of worship, fellowship, and preaching.
After the conference, we went to Lviv, Ukraine for the night. Lviv is a beautiful city near the Polish-Ukraine border. Mike and I enjoyed an evening of good food and good fun.
The best part of our trip to Eastern Europe was the connection we were able to make with the men and women who are giving their lives for the people of Eastern Europe. Rommel Cervantes, Mike Watkins, and Jeff Bulock are my heroes in the faith. I am honored to know them and to labor with them on the mission field.
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