Church Construction Photos - Main Floor

After the worship service Sunday afternoon, everyone went over to the church building site to see what it now looks like. I had to clean up after my Sunday School class and that takes several minutes, plus I was talking with the gal who is going to take my class while we are gone the end of this month and May. So, we were much later arriving than was everyone else.

My photos are not the best. However, if you are interested in seeing more photos, check out Jamie and Julia's Blog, here: Thorntons In Ukraine. I'm going to ask Julia for a copy of hers as well to put on the flicker site. There is a PCA historical society in the States that keeps records of things like this, as well as our greater Ukraine Team also has a History that we need to keep up to date. Some day it will be wonderful to look back over all of this - the whole Ukraine Team record - and see what God has done in each of the churches.

When Mel and I were there last week, if you look back through the blog posts you'll see that the guys were working on the stairs. When we got to the church site, everyone was up on the main floor. Here are several photos of the inside:
Sergei N. on a ladder looking up at the 2nd floor, in alcove where we think the pulpit will be.
Julia, in green top, area that will be sanctuary:I seem to be very good at getting photos mostly of people's backs :) Alyona A. in red, Valentina Ch. holding Lydia's arm, Melinda looking down:Looking toward the rooms which will be toilet and baby cry rooms, also the front entrance area. The faces you can actually see are Sergei K. in the back smiling, Tanya Kh facing left, Olya N. in black, far back are Vitaly T. talking to Sergei N. The young man in gray is Kolya, visiting from western Ukraine. (got that all straight now? there will be a quiz on who's who! :) :) ):Sanctuary area looking toward emergency exit side door that will open out on side street, from L to R - Melinda, Natasha K., Olya K.:These 3 women have been with us since the very first Bible studies in 1998, and with CoMission before that! Lydia Polycarpovna (her father's name was Polycarp and yes, she knows who the original Polycarp was!) - the grandmother of our church, Valentina Ch. - Melinda's Russian tutor, translator for women's Bible study and now my translator in Sunday School, Tanya Kh. We love these 3 women very much. Lydia prays for the church, for the leadership and even for our supporters back home, daily. She is an amazing prayer warrior.Lydia, me (the woman with the bug eyes on her head, as usual), Tanya:Nadia with the beautiful golden hair, talking to Vitaly, Olya K. looking to the side, Jamie talking with Sergei K.

As is the norm in life, there was a lot of discussion about how the building is laid out, what colors the walls will be painted and a host of other issues. As is also the norm, not everyone was happy with everything. As I have posted before - even I wondered why the windows in the alcove were put in "upside down" in my opinion, and why the walls are so thick and so forth and so on. Pray with us that people will rejoice at the gift God has given us and not just knit-pick over every little thing that doesn't happen to please their personal taste. It was great to hear the positive comments, discouraging to hear the negative. But oh my - everyone is so excited to see how far the building is now and to know that we should be able to worship there by this fall. The building will not be completed by fall, not by any means. Money was given for the structure only, with the view that the church herself will finish and furnish the inside, with Ukrainian and other American donations. This will be a challenge, especially now in the current economic crisis. But God is faithful, of that we are certain.

Again, if you want to see other photos (better photos) check out the Thornton's blog as well!