In the next few posts I'd like to say a few things about each of the modules of our crescent-like sweep through Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

We leave on Wednesday, June 7th arriving in Budapest, Hungary. From here we take the train to Chop, Ukraine, our entry point. Here we we will be met by Ivan Yurishko from Khust, Ukraine who will take us for a welcome night's rest after many hours in the air, airports and train and car.

Ivan and his family are dear friends with whom we have worked since 1992. He is a business leader in Khust and part of the Sabbath-keeping community in western Ukraine. Through the Church we have implemented cooperative programs going back to the days when we first met. Programs have included exchange visits, educational programs such as an Ambassador University English as a Second Language (ESL) summer project for students to sponsoring summer camps for children in the Carpathian Mountains to setting up computer schools to working with orphans and street children.

One area that they are helping the United Church of God in is the printing of literature that will be sent from Eastern Europe. They have printed literature so far in the Russian and Estonian languages. On this trip we are taking over a booklet in the Swedish language.

Please keep following this blog for lots more information. We hope to keep up our journaling through the entire trip.