Linwood House in Ukraine

We are staying at Hope Centre here in Kerch, Crimea. It is an old Communist Camp, unused for many years and in great need of updating. Slowly they have been painting, fixing etc but the lawn is uncut, there is little to no decorating and needless to say resources are limited.

But God's extravagance means we live from abundance not scarcity. Abundance is colour, life, fragrance and hope. Scarcity is a place of little hope, little vision, and ambiguity.

So this morning Robyn, Larissa and I could hear Gwen, Carrie, Kathy, Beth, Jackie, and Kathy all taking at once and with great excitement! They obviously had ideas happening down the hall!

Our quarters are in a building with 5 rooms, high ceilings that echo, no heat, one toilet (or rather 2 side by side with no privacy) and no hot water. Scarcity? Could be. Abundance - certainly. We have heavy blankets to keep us warm, we have chairs, tables and running water. We have purpose and hope! Today, tomorrow and the rest of this week we have invited women in the churches and town to come and join us for conversation, prayer and tea. Transformation is happening in our building. A quick trip to the market for flowers, bread, a tea pot and cookies, iris and lilacs from around the camp, fabric that was given to us to bring, our bed spreads, table and chairs, and heaps of creative feminine hearts and minds and we are making a Linwood House here on the eastern most tip of the Crimean Peninsula! Beauty, life and colour surround us when we look at creation. Our Divine Maestro has provided us with artist hearts and from this each of us can bring abundance into scarcity. Hence the hive of activity within our quarters. This place that once housed people living under oppression has been prayed over this morning so we can give glimpses of freedom. Freedom to women who live in oppression and poverty, sickness and hopelessness. We who have come from Canada and Washington also press into this freedom wanting more of it, thirsty for it, hungry for it and eager to bring others with us in the seach for the One who offers us freedom in the Living Water.

Thank you for your prayers for us here. We are well, having a great time and so excited about the adventure here this week.