"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’"

--Matthew 25:35-40

Our church has been given the incredible opportunity to give back to our community. We decided to build a space/room to store clothes,shoes,household items, toys, blankets for needy families. Many of the items that are stored there were sent to Ruslan andArchie to share with our family. However, we don't need everything that has been given to us. This has been a huge blessing as it has already helped several families and I'm sure will continue. 

Many of you have been asking me if you can send something over here to help with what I am doing and this is it! If you or anybody you know needs to get rid of some clothes, this is the place to send them. Obviously since the weather here is pretty chilly, the big need is for winter clothes, accessories, shoes, and such. Gloves, hats, and scarves are always needed.

I know that there are some shipping services that will not charge if the package is under "humanitarian aid." I will be sure to write a follow up blog on any information that I have to address this situation. If you have any questions or information, please feel free to contact me at: raelivinginspired@yahoo.com.

Thank you in advance!

*All donations can be sent to this address:

Raegan Geyer

(c/o Ruslan Tkachuk)

Zaliznychna 51 B

Village Nemia

Mohyliv-Podilskyi Region

Vinnytsa Oblast

Ukraine 24006 Ukraine

 

"Time to Get Your Healthy On"

One of the most popular questions I got while I was home in the States was, "Have you eaten anything weird yet?" The answer is no. The weirdest thing I have eaten so far is either fruity yogurt in borscht or having the pet geese (the ones I so lovingly named Sonny & Cher) for Christmas dinner.

I'm so blessed to be living in a home with off-the-chain food. Everything thing that I have eaten in the Tkachuk home has been SO good. There are times when Archie cooks Mexican, Chinese, Indian. It's awesome! I think some people have this idea that because I live in Ukraine, I am served purple fish gel (whatever that's supposed to mean) for breakfast,lunch,and dinner. Uh no. I'll be sure to blow up my blog as soon as I eat something abnormal.
Living with a family who has their own greenhouse, garden, and vineyard has incredible benefits. Almost everything served here is from the 'backyard'. The advantage of eating all this home grown deliciousness, is that my body is becoming healthier. I thought I would take some time to share the health benefits of some of the things I eat everyday. 
Go organic.


1. Tomatoes: anti-oxidant (full of Vitamin A and C), can improve eyesight due to the Vitamin A, help lower blood pressure and high cholesterol,  keeps hairy shiny, helps repair bone and bone tissue to the Vitamin K, lowers the risks of kidney stone and gallstones. That's too bad that I have a loathing for tomatoes.

2. Beets: Okay. Until I came to the Ukraine, I had never seen or eaten a beet. The only reason I knew what they were was due to a popular 90's cartoon "Doug". Yes, you read that correctly. Doug's favorite band were the "Beets." So, thank you creators of Doug for informing me that this vegetable actually exists.They have zero trans fat, high in carbohydrates which means energy boost, contains lots of iron-which for an anemic (like myself) is c.o.o.l.

3. Green Onions: Let's face it, this is not the best vegetable to munch on before a job interview or before you kiss your sweetheart but they have incredible benefits.  They lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, lower risk of colon cancer and OFFERS PROTECTION OF SKIN WRINKLING. Whaaatt? So. I will continue to munch on green onions like they're candy. Amen.


4. Carrots: I see too many people who walk around looking like carrots, but that's another topic. These veggies are full of vitamin A (anti-oxidant compounds), protects against cardiovascular disease, promote good vision...especially night vision. I don't know why you would need this, but hey, it's something.


5. Apples: True life-I love apples. I think they are super yum and are good in just about anything. This delicious red fruit offers bone protection, lowers chance of asthma for children, helps manage diabetes, and to top it all off...helps weight loss. I bet they don't tell you that in Weight Watchers. 


So. Hope that was inspirational for you. If not, surry.

"Whoa Mama!"

Let's face it. I have epically failed at keeping up my blog since I've been back in home. I felt like I needed to take some time to write this blog out of gratitude and maybe a few laughs for you moms reading. 
My life has been going non-stop, but I am loving it. I would post pictures from New Years/Christmas, but Blogger is fighting with me. Urgh.  Part of the business of the past few weeks has been partying, entertaining (children & guests), cleaning, going, coming, visiting, remodeling, cooking. It has been absolutely b-a-n-a-n-a-s (insert Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl"). Amongst all the chaos that has taken place, the chicken pox has hit the Tkachuk home. That means for a week we had three little ones home from kindergarten ("sadik"). Only Yula had the chicken pox, but we had to keep the other two home (Isabella and Sneezhana) so the virus wouldn't spread. In saying all this, I got a taste of what a mommy's life consists of. I have caught glimpses of it just from living here, but last week is where I really felt like a mom. 
Last Tuesday, Archie and Ruslan had to be at church for a few hours to help some families. This means I was left with three little girls, Sasha and Dima (A&R's sons), cabinets to wash (as we were remodeling the kitchen), garlic to peel, potatoes to peel, onions to peel. Blah. I would be in the middle of washing cabinets, when one of the girls would run into the kitchen to tell me that someone hit her. I became a referee. Then I would be in the middle of peeling potatoes and have another girl come in and say she wants a drink. I became a bartender. Then I would be talking to one of the boys when a girl would come up and ask me to make necklaces with them. I become an artist. Then when it was time for a nap, one of the girls would be whispering/playing. I became a disciplinary. I'm sure some of you are reading this and thinking, 'So what, Raegan? You just had to do a few chores and take care of three little girls. What's the big deal.' Well let me just tell you that it isn't a cake walk. By the end of the day, I felt like I had been run-over by truck...thrice.
Playing mom gave me a lot of time to really study the little ones I looked after. I began to study how they interacted with each other, how they interacted with me, what made them laugh, what made them upset, what their love language is. I have found that the greatest way to really serve and love people are to find out what makes them feel loved. There are 5 love languages: acts of service, gifts, physical touch, quality time, words of encouragement. Just being with these girls for the day helped me see how they felt loved not just by me, but their mama.

*Example #1: Isabella would come into the kitchen just to see what I was doing. Fifteen minutes later she would ask me to come watch a movie with them or dance with them. When I was in another room, she would call me to come and help her write letters. Her love language is obviously quality time.
*Example #2: Yula would constantly show me the necklace she was working on or a picture she drew. Every time she saw me, she would have something to show me that she had done. I would tell her how beautiful it was or what a great job she did. A smile lit up her face. Her love language is obviously words of encouragement.
*Example #3: Sneezhana would take my hands to just dance around the room. When I would sit down, she would crawl into my lap. Every time she saw me, she ran up and hugged me. Even if she didn't want anything at all, she would want me to just hold her hand. Her love language is obviously physical touch.


In writing all this, I think that being a mother requires so much more than putting a meal on the table or getting kids to their soccer game. This role requires extra love,wisdom, patience, empathy, and learning. Thank you to all moms (biological, adoptive, mother figures) reading this who have given up their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual energy to be an impact on your child's life. 

*Thank you, Mama.

"Confessions of the Girl Living in Ukraine."

*Honest Confession #1-When I was 10 years old, my grandparents made their first mission trip to the Ukraine. I remember being in Sunday school and asking my class to pray for their trip. My teacher asked me where Ukraine was. I stood in front of a map for a few minutes searching for a country that I'd never heard of. Finally, I found it...and I couldn't stop looking at it.

 

*Honest Confession #2-I had a secret identity when I was younger. My name was Anya and I was from the Ukraine. I wasn't a very believable Ukrainian since all I could say was 'privet.' I thought it was pretty legit.

*Honest Confession #3-I love bread. Which is kind of a shame considering I'm living in the country that is the breadbasket of Eastern Europe. However, over the past few weeks, I've grown to not like the texture/taste as much. Will see how long this lasts...

*Honest Confession #4-I'm not the biggest fan of physical touch. I never have been. For years, I would fight my Mom when she tried to hug me. Those were some sad times in my life. Now, I love to hug on others...especially the kids.

*Honest Confession #5-For most of my life, I have disliked kids. To be completely honest, I found children to be obnoxious and a nuisance to society. My heart has been molded living here. I can't imagine my day without Vika,Diana,Bogdon, Bogdonchik,Alona,Sneezhana,Isabella, and Yula.

*Honest Confession #6-When I was probably 12, my grandparents took in a young Ukrainian man named Alex. He moved to Nashville from Ukraine desiring to become a lawyer in America. I would gloat to my friends that I had an Ukrainian "uncle."

*Honest Confession #7-When I was probably in middle school, my granddaddy tutored a Ukrainian boy named Travis. While my brother and I were visiting our grandparents, we went ice skating with Travis. I found it weird that he ordered a fish sandwich instead of a cheeseburger from McDonald's. However, he was incredibly kind to me and helped my ice skate.

*Honest Confession #8-I have a Polaroid picture in my Bible of my granddaddy at an orphanage in Ukraine. He is surrounded by children, with two sitting on his lap. One of the boys sitting on his lap is Dima, who is one of Archie and Ruslan's kids.

*Honest Confession #9-I made my first trip to Ukraine when I was 16 years old. To me, everything was like a dream. My surroundings were so colorful and unreal. The golden sunflower fields, the bright blue skies, the green land that stretch for miles. It was so beautiful.

*Honest Confession #10-When I was making a final decision on where to be this year, it was between Germany and Ukraine. I was 98% sure I would go to Germany, but there was that 2% that still considered Ukraine. I went with that 2%...and I don't regret it.

I was lucky to go see Tangled with my Mama while I was home. Let me just say, I wish that my hair glowed when I sang and I think the 'prince' is a hottie. I loved this song and found it so inspiring. Enjoy!

***

7 AM, the usual morning lineup
Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean
Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up
Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15

And so I'll read a book
Or maybe two or three
I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery
I'll play guitar and knit
And cook and basically
Just wonder when will my life begin?

Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking
Paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess
Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making
Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb
Sew a dress!

And I'll reread the books
If I have time to spare
I'll paint the walls some more
I'm sure there's room somewhere
And then I'll brush and brush
and brush and brush my hair
Stuck in the same place I've always been

And I'll keep wanderin' and wanderin'
And wanderin' and wonderin'
When will my life begin?

And tomorrow night
Lights will appear
Just like they do on my birthday each year
What is it like
Out there where they glow?
Now that I'm older
Mother might just
Let me go...

"Life is Beautiful"

 ***

 First, if you have never seen this movie: please watch. It is on my favorite inspirational films and changed my perspective on many things.
While I was home in the States for a few weeks, I took 50% of that time to ponder about my life. Nothing in general, it's usually what people dwell on: their past, their mistakes, their relationships, their ups, their downs, their futures, their destinies. Most of my thoughts consisted of the steps I've taken in my 19 years of life. I looked back at the places I've been and the people I've met. Truly incredible. I'm amazed at how every day of my life has been perfectly brought together to make something extraordinary.


Maybe the fact that I'm going to be 20 in May has made me think a little bit more. I know, I know, it's not that old. However, I want the next 20 years of my life to be so much more than the first. I can only hope that I will be radical in love, in hope, in peace, in service, in humility, in justice, in decisions, in faith, etc.


The most ideal moment I saw of how special, significant, and beautiful life is when I was writing the tram in the Atlanta airport. I was standing next to an older gentleman who was sitting in a wheelchair, holding a cane. He probably could have been a war veteran. Although his back was hunched a little bit, his skin looked weathered and wrinkled...his eyes sparkled. Then there was this beautiful baby girl. She had big brown eyes, a soft face, she basically resembled a baby doll. As the tram rolled on the baby kept studying the older man. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. The older man slowly raised his hand to wave at the baby. The little one kept watching him as he waved his hand. After a few seconds, she raised her pudgy little hand and waved back. At the same time, they both smiled. 
Of course, I teared up. It was so unreal for some reason. To me, it was almost like they were acknowledging each other's presence and how precious it was. The man looked at the baby with such joy as if he were excited for all the things ahead of her. The baby looked at the man with such awe as if she wanted to know what his story was.


We all have horribly bad times throughout our life that seem unbearable, but do we ever think of those moments of undefiled happiness? These are the moments that have given our stories hope and a reason for continuing on. So simply, no better words-
Life is beautiful.