I found out about Kiev Christian Academy through my best friend, Lisa. One of the missionaries who lived in Kiev visited her church to recruit teachers for KCA. After Lisa left for Ukraine, she tried several times to convince me to come, but my thought was always, 'why would I want to go to Ukraine?' It wasn't until she came back during the summer that I began to think differently.
Lisa is very passionate about teaching and her students, so when she showed me her yearbook I felt her excitement--the students became more than just names. I was still a little hesitant about going to a completely different country. One of the main reasons, which sounds kind of silly, was the food. I have always been a "selective" eater, and wondered how I would survive in Ukraine where they eat fish and salo (lard) on bread!
Lisa has always encouraged me to try new things (including food). During the summer, she explained what I would need to do to prepare to go to Ukraine. She talked as if I had already decided to go (I call this brainwashing) and it worked! My passport and visa was expedited--a God-thing! I was also able to raise enough money for my first two years in Ukraine.
In the fall of 2007, I took my first plane ride to Europe. It took me a couple of months to adjust to life in a foreign country. By the end of my first year, I had learned the basics of the Russian language and felt confident enough to take public transportation by myself!
I am now starting my sixth year and love it!
