Many Mixed Emotions
Time with family, holiday fun with the church, and the elephant on the border
Five Weeks of Family
My parents flew home last Thursday. They were able to spend five weeks with us here. This was our first time in four years to spend Christmas in Ukraine. It was nice to stay home, and it was a blessing to share the holidays with my parents. Justus relished the endless playtime and books, and Katie and I appreciated the help. Now that my parents are gone, Justus is going through attention withdrawal symptoms that we hope will subside soon.
Winter Festivities
On December 25th (which isn't when Ukraine traditionally celebrates Christmas), our church held a New Year's “Carnival." It was a six-hour-long costume party with lots of fun and games and food. Justus is really into pirates these days and got a pirate costume for Christmas, so the whole Price family followed suit.
New Year’s Eve
In Ukraine, New Year's gets the attention that Americans give Christmas. It's when Ukrainians give each other gifts, and it's when Grandfather Frost brings surprises for the children. New Year's Eve is a special night, traditionally celebrated over a large meal at home with family (which is why our church celebrated a week early). We invited a few friends to celebrate with us, and we had a wonderful night ringing in the new year together. Justus made it all the way till 1:30am, and Katie and I lasted until our guests left at 5:30am.
Ukrainian Christmas
A week later, our church celebrated Christmas together. (Orthodox cultures celebrate Christmas on January 7th.) It was another all-nighter (this time, my parents stayed home with Justus) filled with food, games, karaoke, as well as praise for and remembrance of what God did through the birth of Jesus. It was a special night we enjoyed with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Snow White
The next day, we had an all-day dress rehearsal for our church's annual winter play. This year, it was a rendition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Justus played the role of Grumpy, and Katie and I played distant relatives of the dwarfs. That Sunday, we had our performance. Justus did great, and everyone enjoyed the show very much.
Even though it’s all in Russian, you can peruse our participation at the following time stamps:
Justus' Main Scenes
16:24 – Justus' entrance and first lines
17:50 – Justus’ second set of lines
21:25 – Introduction of Grumpy
27:25 – Arriving at dwarves’ house
Brandon and Katie's scenes
43:40 – Our first scene
52:40 – Our second scene
The Elephant on the Border
Despite the joy of the holiday season and the satisfaction of being back at work, the looming threat of a Russian invasion is never far from our minds these days. Meetings between Russia, the U.S., NATO, and OSCE have gone nowhere. And despite denying any intention to invade Ukraine, Russia has made several ominous threats while at the same time continuing to build up the number of troops along the border.
This developing news over these last two weeks has made it difficult for us to concentrate on other things. It seems as though every few days there is more discouraging news. Our minds are constantly playing out the possible scenarios, all of which weigh heavy on our hearts.
And yet, nothing has happened yet. So until we get a clearer picture of the future, we will strive to be faithful in the present. We are preparing classes for this next semester, graduation will be here before we know it, and our plans to build the future of UBI continue.
No matter what happens, it is clear to me that the work of UBI is needed now more than ever. We need to continue to train Christians to know God's Word and to lead ministries which will meet the needs of those around us. UBI graduates were instrumental in facilitating humanitarian aid and in planting churches after the last invasion in 2014. No matter what form UBI may take in the days to come, I believe this school is a vital part of Ukraine's future.
Please pray for Ukraine. Pray for peace. Pray that Russia does not destroy this beautiful nation any more than it already has. Please pray that Katie and I will have wisdom in the decisions we might be forced to make, and pray that we will have confidence in those decisions. We want to be faithful and to be wise. Not just for our sake, but for the sake of those who rely on our presence and leadership.
As always, thank you for your constant love and support.
We’ll keep you updated.
—Brandon and Katie
“In heaven children will be able to play with guns because nothing is impossible with God!” —Justus Price
Thanks, Brandon, for this update. God's strong hand be with you and your family, with all the wonderful brothers and sisters connected with UBI, and with Ukraine. We pray for you all.