About Brian and Ukraine

     Looking back through the posts here, you'll see scattered references to the who, what, why, when, where and how of this trip. Over the time since landing in Kiev in July, 2015, I've written thousands of words on everything from food to ministry to language. But in all of it, here they all are, coalesced into one page.

     Why does someone just close up shop and move to another country? The reasons vary depending on person and circumstance. For me, it was a combination of contributing factors. Job, calling, inspiration, dissatisfaction. After working for five years as an airplane mechanic in Edgewater, Maryland, I decided to do something new with the direction of my life. I had just gotten back from a short term missions trip to Kiev, Ukraine in August, 2014. On the trip, I was inspired to become more involved in the ministry work there. I worked on finding ways to go back and finally settled on being a missionary and teacher in an English club.
     Obviously it was a massive change from what I'd been doing previously. But the people, the country, and the work in 2014 had such a massive influence on my outlook that I had to do something about it. I felt that God was calling me to leave my job and serve in Kiev. So in July of 2015, after almost a year of fund-raising and preparation, I left the States for what was planned as a six-month trip. It morphed into thirteen months with the potential for more short-term trips. Writing this at the half-way point gives me enough perspective to finally write this blog introduction with a sense of history as well as direction. That direction, I see now, is to a life extremely different to that I grew up with.
     Throughout the posts here, you'll see scattered references to classic rock titles and lyrics. Music is a big part of my life. I've mostly listened to classic rock since highschool. It fills the quiet moments and can brighten my outlook like few things on Earth can. Contrary the reputation, not all of it is about partying, boozing and sex. There are hundreds of very human stories about life, growth, challenges and discovery. One of the stories I find most analogous to this trip is Kansas's "Point of Know Return."
     Kansas, probably best known for "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry on Wayward Son," built a surprising and profound life lesson into this rock-ballad. The title, at first, seems to be a play on the phrase "point of no return." In reality, it's much more than that. According to Professor Jim Owston, the two phrases go hand-in-hand by sharing a common result.

When one ventures forward and gains knowledge through experience, there is no turning back. The point of “know return” is a point of “no return” to past ideas and experiences. It becomes similar to Kurt Lewin’s change theory. In the process of changing, we are constantly being challenged by our previously held perspectives and beliefs. Sometimes these challenges come from our friends and family who attempt to influence our path. These obstacles create great discomfort, as cognitive dissonance often accompanies change. Eventually, our mental anguish subsides as we cross that threshold of acceptance and sail over the imaginary edge of the earth.

     The reference to Kurt Lewin is about his change theory and the process of change. Wikipedia has a good explanation. Basically, it's a process where our comfort zones are shattered, modified and reformed into something bigger and better. We grow through change. Early in the life of this blog, I wrote that "change is growth and constancy is stagnation." I realized before I ever left the States that I would do a lot of growing in this trip.
     In this case, my personal "Point of Know Return" happened back in 2014. I had just wrapped up ten amazing days in Ukraine on my second short-term missions trip. I'll freely admit that I was angry and depressed the whole ten-hour flight back to the States. The trip itself was a point of no return as well as know return. I had seen, with my own eyes, just a taste of the world outside the borders of the US. That trip forever changed my perspective in two major ways.
     First, missions as a career. Up to that point in my life, I'd never considered going into the missions field as a career or job. I wanted to work in my chosen degree field of aviation and build my life there. But after five years stagnating in that job, I found out about the trip to Ukraine. After the trip, I felt an itch to go back and serve. I didn't know how right away, but after weeks of research, I finally settled on missionary service.
     Second, answer the call no matter when or where it comes. A simple visit from a Ukrainian pastor in the summer of 2014 started the gears turning in my head. But after the trip that year, I felt the call even more strongly. In my case, it was an itch, a need, an interest, and a desire all wrapped up into one ball of urging to go. I didn't hear a voice from Heaven. I didn't see words written in the frost on a window. I didn't see the Virgin Mary on a piece of toast. What I felt was an urge to go.
     I'm a firm believer in the idea that God influences what you do in your life by the interests He instills in your heart. While I was growing up, that interest was aviation. In 2014, that interest became Ukraine. That interest led me to a short-term missions trip which drove that interest deeper and morphed it into an urge and a desire. On the 2014 trip, I saw a new place I could be effective and useful. Not that I wasn't in my previous job. But that interest opened a new world of options to me for my life; options that I had, to one extent or another, ignored or dismissed. Fortunately I didn't need to be tossed over the railing of a ship or swallowed by a huge fish to learn that lesson. I'm not stupid, just slow.
     In the six months after answering the call, I realized that missions was not the career I'm called to stick with. But it was a worthwhile time, even if it's not for life. Being here demonstrated to me that sacrificing a year of my life, away from home and family and friends, to serve is worth the trouble. The impact I've seen in only that short time is huge. I've also learned that if you are doing what God has called you to, He will take care of you.
     About two weeks into my time here, I finally discovered what I had signed up for. On that day, the team from my church flew out on the plane back to America and I was left here by myself. I wasn't really alone. Even at that point, I had many friends here. But for me, it was the point where I realized the magnitude of what I had chosen to do. I felt like the only American in the whole city. Like literal dust in the wind. I had decided to sail over the edge of the world out of the safety of Columbus's New World directly into the arms of the Old World.
     But even then, God was watching out for me. He brought people into my life (many of them Americans) who showed to me that it was possible to survive and thrive in Ukraine. Things are very differently there. Chief on the list of differences are language and culture. I didn't realize it at that point, but stepping onto that plane in July of 2015 was the instant where my comfort zone was shattered. I could never go back to my life and be the same man I used to be. I now have over thirteen months of experience living in a foreign country and culture which has completely changed my perspective on life.     
     Along the way, I've been taking pictures and videos. I'll upload several every week to a Google Photos folder. It can be found here. Check back there often for new photos and videos from my time in Ukraine. There are also some from Krakow, Poland from a short trip I took there in 2015. Generally, it's just things I see around the country.
     This blog has a little bit of everything; humor, horror, observations, photos, videos, and a whole lot of life. It's also a continuous work in progress. I'm constantly learning about writing and formatting and the tricks of improving this page. And even though I left Ukraine in September of 2016, it wasn't the last time I was there. Check back regularly for new posts and content. Thanks for following along on these adventures.
















Brian Tuscher