Voice of Ukraine

From Maia Mikhaluk from Kyiv traveling in Japan (652nd day): For the last 652 days, my mornings have always started with reading the news. Today’s news was discouraging, to say the least. Republicans blocked aid in U.S. Senate. Several articles talked about the consequences of that for us in the war against ruzzian invaders. It seems Republicans are giving putin a Christmas gift. There is a feeling of helplessness when reading news like that. What our partners do or don’t do to help us is beyond our control. Promises mean nothing, even the ones that are signed as documents (ex.Budapest Memorandum when we gave up our nuclear weapons in exchange for the guarantee of the sovereignty of our borders).

I was thinking today about this sense of having or not having control over circumstances and actions. Today, I was exploring Tokyo on my own. Danny was busy at University. Tokyo metro system is daunting at first glance. The lines are on several levels, there are many exits, and asking for directions is out of the question – English is not widely spoken or understood. But if you follow Google Maps instructions, it’s manageable. It’s actually quite efficient. The instructions give you information about what line to take, how many stops, where to transfer to another line, at what time you can take the train, what train car is the most convenient to take for the easiest transfer, what signs to look for when you step out of the train, what exit is the closest to your destination, etc. Most of the time, it felt like a quest, and it was rewarding to succeed in reaching the chosen destination.

But the data card I got for my phone didn’t work consistently; those were the times when I felt lost and had to find some coffee shop with wi-fi to get the next set of Google Maps instructions.

The sense of being in control is sure nice, but it’s an illusion. Without directions of Google Maps, I was lost until I could re-establish the connection to the Google Maps app. It’s the same way in our relationships with God. We get a feeling that we are in control of our life until we run into a challenge and realize that we are not and we need God to lead us. Knowing that He is totally in control of everything is a comfort.

My quest around Tokyo was quite successful. I got to meet with a friend from Ukraine, see a bit of The National Art Center, do shopping for gifts for Briana, and take some evening photos of Tokyo that we all imagine in our stereotypes – streets full of neon lights and cozy alleys of street food vendors.