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This morning we met at the Chamber of Commerce for our first class in the Strategic Leadership segment.  It was a day of learning for all of us as we attempted Troika’s first ever internet session.

Alan Cole and Tim Whitener got up early in the morning to broadcast live from the Team Room at Calvary for Module 1.  Despite there being a few technical glitches, all in all the format of having an instructor piped in worked reasonably well.  Thanks to our translator, Mariana, who did an excellent job in spite of some dropping in and out of the audio.  Nice job by Tim and Alan also of communicating well across the video medium and still being able to interact with the class.  Before the class started, Andriy was kind enough to bring the three of us t-shirts with the Ukrainian national symbol on them–just in case our luggage hadn’t arrive yet!

There were 14 members present today, and it was good for Perry to reconnect with some friends while Jim and Jay met them for the first time.  Along with the session on building a vision and mission statement of the company, Jay shared the process for Calvary’s vision and walked the class through it.  It was fun to communicate to them how even though a church is not a business, strategic alignment to a vision (especially in an organization that operates through volunteers and members who choose to partner with Calvary instead of being motivated by a paycheck) is key to accomplishing what we believe God has for us to do.

After lunch with the class participants, we took some time to rest and prepare for Tuesday’s Module 2 which Perry will be leading, and our leadership seminar based from the book, Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard.  Pray that the principles that we will teach from Jesus’ life about leadership will open the door for gospel conversations.  There is some apprehension about the subject in the fear that we will interject religion to the business world (where some believe it doesn’t belong), so pray that the participants listen with open minds and hearts.

We had an outstanding dinner with Slavic Pyzh and his wife Nadia, who is the president of the Ukranian Baptist Theological Seminary here in Lviv, Shannon Ford and his wife, who are IMB missionaries to Lviv, and Shannon’s friend Russell a missionary out of The Summit Church in Raleigh.  We talked church and missions strategy over some great food.  Dr. Pyzh’s dissertation was on the effects of Anabaptist ecclesiology on the Ukranian and American church, so we gave him a book from the Moravian archives on the foundations of the church traced back to Jan Huss (who the Anabaptists also trace their history too).  He was so appreciative and impressed, that he invited us to come and visit with him at the seminary for a tour on Wednesday afternoon so that we can spend more time talking about how they can strategically use their limited space and his vision for students to lead churches that are biblical, missional and accountable.

After our devotion time and some reflections on the day, it’s off to prepare for tomorrow.  Thanks for your continued prayers!

Lviv Chamber of Commerce

Coat of arms at the Chamber of Commerce

T-shirt with the Ukrainian symbol, in case our luggage hadn’t arrived!

The class engaged in the video teaching

Don’t let the shirt and tie fool you…they were wearing shorts (for real).

Connecting during the break

75 degrees outside makes this a great place to prepare and study.

For the third day in a row, our team donned our Troika shirts and traveling pants since our luggage did not make it in from Munich on Saturday night.  I know that at least one of us handwashed his clothes in the bathtub, thus forcing him to use a hairdryer to knock the dampness out on Sunday morning.  Nonetheless, the day started well!

After breakfast we worshiped together in a house church of about 20 people on the 4th floor of an apartment building in Lviv.  Pastor Sasha was gracious enough to ask Perry to introduce our team, Jim shared his story of how he came to know Christ, and Jay preached from Hebrews 11-12.  After the service, we spend time with the church members socializing and having tea and coffee.

For lunch, we joined Sasha and his wife, along with Pastor Dima and his wife Natalia for lunch at the Forum Mall.  It was a great time hearing more about their churches (Dima’s church of 120 has planted 4 churches since 1999) and how he came to know Christ from a completely unchurched background (through a video simulcast of a Billy Graham crusade in Germany that was played in a local stadium in Lviv. He did not want to go, but did so at the invitation of a relative he respected. The Graham people followed up on his decision and got him into a small group of new believers where he began to follow Jesus. From there he was called into the ministry.).

After lunch we rested at the hotel, before finding a late afternoon surprise that our luggage had finally been delivered! It’s like we were new men!

We spent some time walking around the beautiful park that’s adjacent to the hotel and chamber building before enjoying some time at the outside dining area.  After our evening devotion we spent some time praying and preparing for the week before calling it a night.

Monday has the potential for several technical issues with Tim Whitener and Alan Cole teaching via Skype, so pray for a smooth morning and that we build on the foundations already laid with this group so show them the love of Christ.

Street where the house church sits.

Outside the house church apartment

Calvary magnet on the house church refrigerator

Ukrainian worship songs

Worshiping at Pastor Sasha’s church

Jim sharing his story

Jay preaching from Hebrews

Coffee and Tea with church members

Pastor Sasha and Jay

Lunch with pastors, their wives, Igor and Andre

Perry and Dima take a selfie

Encouraging English…graffiti

Stryis’kyi Park

Greek Catholic Church at Stryis’kyi Park

Thanks to all of you who joined us at the Scout Hut on Friday morning for prayer as Perry Hudspeth, Jim Kinney and Jay McGuirk left for Lviv, Ukraine to teach the Strategic Leadership in the Successful Company Module!  We are sad that Tim Whitener was unable to join us, but we are looking forward to having him and Alan Cole join us via Skype on Monday for Session 1.

Alan, thanks again for the ride to Charlotte and the airport!

Our trip from Charlotte to Washington, DC went well, but weather kept us grounded in DC for almost an hour and a half past our takeoff time.  That led to an extremely tight turnaround in Munich with only 15 minutes to spare.  They held the flight for us, but when we arrived in Lviv, we found out that our bags did not make it.

As of right now, we still have not received them, but are hopeful they will show up sometime tomorrow.  Hopefully we don’t smell TOO bad at this point…

After resting a bit this afternoon, we had a great dinner with Igor, Andre and our translators.  It was nice to sit leisurely in an outdoor cabana over good food getting to know each other, watching EuroCup soccer and sharing the common joy we have together in Christ.  We talked about the opportunities ahead of us this week as we have a chance to share Christ’s love in an unconventional way through bringing value to these businessmen and women.

Sunday morning we will join a local house church for worship.  Perry will introduce us, Jim will share his story of faith, and Jay will preach for the church.  Pray for us as we encourage the local church here, and begin meeting with some local pastors.

A dead sprint in Munich

Ukraine from the air

Lviv International Airport

The Delice Hotel

Planning our week

Local beverages

One of our translators used to work in Pell City, Alabama near where Jay grew up.

April 11, 2016 Monday

Bob taught Module 5 Compensation

Thanks to Denise Pazda, one of the authors of Module 5 and Travis Joiner for establishing a Skype session permitting the students to ask questions and seek advice from Denise. We met her after the banquet and certification presentation at 2 PM and her 7 AM.

Certificates were presented to the February Financial students.

Late afternoon featured a visit to the local Baptist Seminary.

Flying home tomorrow leaving hotel at 10 AM reverse return from Lviv to Munich then Washington DC then Charlotte around midnight. Perry will bus us back to Winston-Salem around 3 AM.

April 10, 2016 Sunday

Church for all. We divided into 3 teams to speak at churches.

We had time in the afternoon for some souvenir shopping before a late lunch or was it an early supper with the 3 pastors and their wives.

April 9, 2016 Saturday

Day began half hour later than previous days with breakfast and devotions followed with a business meeting with Igor.

Short 30 min ride to a beautiful park for picnic with the families of students, interpreters and our team. We enjoyed walking around the lake, visiting the animals and eating a delicious lunch of pork and chicken with salad olives and drinks. The families included children ranging in age from a few months to 14 years old. Only Igor was courageous enough to ride the zip line across the entire lake.

Back to Lviv where we toured The Citadel. This consists of 6 historical forts covering a very large area built in 1835. One is in ruins, another converted into a swanky hotel. The main thought that will remain with us is a large cross dedicated to the 140,000 soldiers murdered by the Nazi’s concentration camp located there in the 1940’s.

Dinner was enjoyed at “the American Embassy”……….. McDonald’s.

April 8, 2016

Only one class today. Scott presented Module 4 – Managing Performance providing Core Values and detailed examples of Performance Appraisal Forms translated for the students.

A trio of gentlemen demonstrated how not to conduct an employee appraisal review…….. picture worth 1000 words!

Scott visited EKKO Ltd, where Olena works along with Pavil. This company manufactures labels.

We ended the day with dinner at the secret Underground restaurant and then early to bed for all.

April 7, 2016 Thursday

3 teams compete for fabulous prizes!

April 7, 2016 Thursday

Ken finished up Module 2

Alan presented Module 3

Nice evening dinner with Seminary and Missionaries their wives and Team

April 6, 2016

Due to changes in airline schedules we need to arrive and leave Lviv on a Tuesday.

In order to fit this schedule two modules were taught today.

Opening with Denis and Olga

Scott with Pavlo discusses Leadership

Galyna receives certificate

Module 2 begins with Ken and Marianna

Team F

Team G

Team H

Park adjacent to our classroom

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