• Woke up around 9am and left the Bible College around 10am. Traveled to a square downtown Kyiv. The architecture is amazing and got lots of pictures around the square. Interesting that a lot of the shops and stuff is under the city. Some of the team traveled by subway.

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  We had a quick lunch at a McDonalds and then we made our way to St. Michael’s. We entered the church – guys had to take their hats off – ladies had to wear hats. Couldn’t put hands in pockets or take pictures or video. Incredible paintings and artwork BUT sad that it’s the church is really doing nothing for the people of

  

  Ukraine….(with all the money poured into the building…was this really what Christ was thinking of when He started His church?)

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  From there we walked down the road by St. Andrews Cathedral (known as St. Andrews descent because legend/history has it that he was led to his crucifixion down that road.

• We stopped in a little café and crowded into there for some tea and to warm up (very cold day..was -11 to -13 degrees Celsius).

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  After the café we did some souvenir shopping. There were a bunch of different little stalls lining the road on St. Andrew’s descent. You had to bargain if you wanted to pay a fair price for the souvenir’s. I was looking at a jewelry box to get my daughters at one stall and the vendor was asking 90 grivna for it. I said no. He said 80. I said no and started to walk away and then he said 70 grivna. I told him I might be back. The very NEXT stall had the same box marked for 45 grivna! At one of the last stalls a gentleman said I could have a box for 50 grivna and I bargained to get two for 80. I realize that it’s still probably marked up an incredible amount (and that setup of stalls is probably planned somehow so that by the time the tourist makes it to the last stall they think they’re getting an incredible bargain…) but nevertheless I came away happy with the purchase – alls well.

• From there we walked to an internet café in one of the below ground malls – man what a busy place! At least 100 computers networked together. My internet usage was sparse and limited while in Ukraine so I welcomed the few times I could get connected. I was able to get connected and chat with my wife – awesome.
• From there some went to see “Mother Russia” while I stuck around with Walt, Ira and Johnny to shop around the area we were in. We went in various shops and I picked up some Ukrainian chocolates to take home.

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  For supper all of us went to TGIF (yes there is one in Kyiv). Then we took a cab back to the Bible College to get ready for the next day (going home yay!)

The next day was rather uneventful as we made our way back to Waterloo.  It was kind of interesting going through customs and in some ways I was more nervous getting through Canadian customs than I was through Ukrainian!  The Canadian customs agent I went through GRILLED me like crazy with all kinds of questions (while the other team members made it through no problem)…I must be special or something.