Eventually I got over my fear that my jumbo liner would dive into a key target after returning from Europe.   I had realized that fuel tanks must be low so why would they crash my plane.

Today, I learned that at least twenty people had decided to commit suicide and take out hundreds of innocent passenger.   Somewhere over the ocean they planned to blow a hole in the plane, leading to catastrophic depressurization and the death of possibly thousands in multiple airlines.   Now I am nervous again.

Several people have told me today that I have nothing to worry about because security is tight right now.  However, I stood there thinking, "But you are not flying are you."  At any rate, despite the sickening feel to this.I still feel that this trip is on the Father's Heart.  Just a month ago the funds were not there.  God's people came through again.  Our friends in Ukraine are excited for our visit and a possible book. 

And for me.to see Him once again in the eyes of these children.will make it all worth it.  Funny, yesterday, before all this came about, I kept humming an old hymn.  I haven't sung this since.well.a long time. 

This world is not my home,

I'm just a pass-ing thru,

My treas-ures are laid up

Some-where be-yond the blue;

The an-gels beck-on me

from heav-en's o-pen door.

And I can't feel at home 

in this world an-y more.

Chorus

O Lord, you know, 

I have no friend like You,

If heav-en's not my home, 

then, Lord, what will I do?

The an-gels beck-on me 

from heav-en's o-pen door.

And I can't feel at home 

in this world an-y more.

The funny thing is that I wasn't relating these words just to me.  I was hearing the street kids singing them.  I could visualize young children, teens that have grown up in the sewers singing these words to their Father.  The thing is - I do have treasures I hate to leave.  The truth is - my life is so filled with noise that I can't always hear the angels beckoning me. It is true that I have no friend like Jesus, but I don't want to leave my friends.  And the reality is that I do feel at home in this world because I have such a blessed life style.  I have it made.it is like Heaven on earth with my wife, and my family.   It is a really good thing for me.  I would hate to leave.

But, I wondered about the kids living in the streets. 

They have never had any treasures

They still believe in the angels

They still believe in their Heavenly Father

And I doubt they feel at home here.and never have.

Next week at this time I hope to be in the presence of these young saints.

Nastya-the heart of it.  It has been almost four years since my heart was broken by a sweet young girl in a video.  She was all smiles as she gave a team of short-term missionaries a tour of her home--in the sewers of Kherson.  Her home was dark, cave-like, with trash piled on the cement floor.  When I first saw Nastya I was convinced we could get this blond-haired, blue-eyed girl into a nice home. 

I was wrong.  It was not that simple. We have met Nastya and spent time getting to know her.  A couple of years ago she was hit and run, broken pelvis, and left unconcious on the street.  Here is her picture when we arrived in the hospital and gave her a stuffed tiger for her birthday.  She named it "Michael".

Now, several years have passed and I have gotten to know Nastya, as many of you have through our writings.  I email her ever so often and she emails me back.  Of course this is done through the street kid center she visits.  Alla, the director, is Nastya's Auntie Alla.  Her was Alla's report to me this morning.

"Nastya comes to our ministry as well as to services on Sundays; however,
she still does some bad things, you know. Last Sunday she came to repent
again. You know, there is a huge wrestling inside her soul and praise
the Lord she is becoming better. She still lives in the hatch or
somewhere else in streets. Please, always write letters to her. If you
say good things about her, she becomes glad and flourishing; if you
point on her mistakes, she becomes sad but thinks about your wise
teachings."

In less than two weeks I hope to see Anastasia again.  Our hope is to interview her on video for an hour or so to use in a promo DVD and our book.  But, most of all my hope is to spend some time with this sweet young girl that we always pray for and that we love a lot.