8:14pm

We are in very hot plane getting ready to complete the "last flight" that will bring us to Simferopol and then a short bus ride to the "hamlet" of Krasny Mak. It's been another long day starting with an early check-in at Heathrow airport (6am) and finishing tonight at around 12am when we final arrive at our host's homes. It's hot out too - about 30 degrees, which means Simferopol will probably be hotter.

Jordyn asks me if there will be air-conditioning where we're sleeping tonight. I smile and think to myself that it's going to be a little shock therapy when they see this place. Think of something right out of the30's and you might be close. We're definitely picking up on the distinctive-ness of Ukrainian culture, and realizing it's very different than England. I'm not sure if that is mostly because of the language barrier, or other things, like the way you get bombarded by guys trying to give you a taxi ride somewhere. Either way, we have fun doing the most basic of things like ordering seven "vadas" (waters). Luke even takes a shot at it a couple hours later (we're very thirsty in this climate) and comes back feeling pretty proud to have accomplished the feat as well.

The captain our plane gets on to make the routine welcome, first in Russian then in English, and we kind of chuckle when his English is just as hard to understand as his Russian was a minute before.

I'm excited to be in Krasny Mak!! Through all the sites and experiences so far, I know that none will compare to seeing those people again, and living alongside them for the next two weeks, laboring together for the Kingdom of God in their community. There's something very profound about having good friends that know you by name, that are part of this foreign culture. It's a personal connection to an alien environment, that somehow makes you feel more at home than "away-from-home". I look forward to exposing Sara and the kids to this beautiful thing.

On a side note, the other half of our team got delayed coming out of Vancouver by 12 hours, so will see them arrive early tomorrow morning. They'll arrive in time for church, and very tired I'm sure!