Joe Ragan

A blog about my life and happenings

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Entries from July 2005

Road to rehabilitation

July 31st, 2005 · No Comments

Many of you have been praying for Alosha. I met Alosha last year during Grace church’s youth camp. I don’t know why Alosha struck a chord with me during the camp, only God knows for sure. However, one possible reason is so that many of you could pray for him.
You see, Alosha [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

On heat and summer in Ukraine

July 31st, 2005 · No Comments

It’s hot here. Now, I know everyone in the south, and especially my friends in Texas, are thinking, yea, right! But it is!
The last three days have been 88, and 90. Already it is 88 and it is only 12 noon here as I type this. Now, for some of you, [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

One of life’s greatest joys…

July 28th, 2005 · No Comments

is fellowshipping with other believers and learning from one another.
Last evening, I met up with one friend, Pasha, and a friend of his. We met downtown and got some ice cream and sat and visited.
He caught me up on what is going on in his life and how the youth camp for [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

A touch of old Europe

July 25th, 2005 · No Comments

Today I traveled a little east and then north of Kiev to Chernigiv. The dean of the Almaty Bible Institute and his family have been visiting the wife’s family there.
I drove over to spend some time with them before they head back to Kstan tomorrow.
First of all, if you have never been to Ukraine [...]

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Tags: Trying to understand Culture where I live

Text messages and calls

July 24th, 2005 · No Comments

I had text messaged my friend, Alibek (see previous blog), several times during the last few weeks. I wasn’t sure that he was receiving any of them. Finally, yesterday I received a text message from him.
So, I tried to call his cell phone, but for some reason it didn’t work. So I [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

Experience at the movie theater

July 22nd, 2005 · No Comments

Late last year, one of the movie theater’s in Kiev began showing one film in English every week. I tried several times in January to go but it never worked out, then I headed for Kstan.
Well, since I have been back in Kiev, they haven’t shown a movie in English. Last week I [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

Music

July 21st, 2005 · No Comments

I love music. I can listen to most kinds. I really miss Christian radio from America. What I really wish I was missing is “pop” music from America.
Pop music is everywhere here. In the stores and shops, the market. It seems that American pop music is played everywhere here. [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

What language today?

July 21st, 2005 · No Comments

Last November and December the Orange Revolution took to the streets of Kiev. It appeared that the people had found their collective voices and helped reshaped the politics of Ukraine.
A week after the inauguration of Yushchenko, I took off for the frozen tundra of Kstan. While I was gone it appears that another [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

News from Kazahstan

July 20th, 2005 · No Comments

I finally made a couple of calls to people I know in Kstan. First of all, I called Julie and James Kim. Julie was able to update me on what is going on in Temirtau.
It sounds like the English classes are going well and contacts are being made. Pray for God to [...]

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Tags: Life where I live

Can you ever really return home?

July 19th, 2005 · No Comments

I had the opportunity to go to Grace church last Sunday. Grace is the church that I attended for 14 months when I first arrived in Kiev in 2003.
In those 14 months those of us who attended there got to see God do some tremendous things. Cell groups grew from 2 to 4 [...]

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Tags: Reflections on Life as we know it