Jonchik's Xanga

Go, go, go, go, go

Wed, 07 May 2008 03:57:49 GMT

Hey all! Just got back from the national conference. What an awesome, edifying and challenging time. The theme of the conference was The Church - it's structure, uniqueness, purpose, future. God has really challenged me through everything that was shared to be more simple as far as my purpose and goals go. John Chubik was sharing how the church is the body and Christ is the LIFE. And we can have all of the body parts, but without the life we're....well, dead. We so often view Christ as only our redeemer, our friend - which he is. But he's more! He's our LIFE!!! Do we live that way. The second thing that really impacted me was the great commission - the purpose of the church, thus the title of this weblog. Phil Metzger was sharing of how we just need to go. Go to the mission field, go to the streets of your city, go to school, go home.... There are plenty of places to go and spread the life of Christ!! Man, how simple. Yet it's one of the elements the church and it's members, myself included, lack most!!!

Live a life of abandon to Christ. There isn't anything that comes close to it's importance or beauty.

Peace

Jon

"The Funeral Procession" Going to bury the old bodies of new believers:)

Krissy was baptized at the conference

Me with my pastor, Alyosha Satenko, at the baptisms

Worship service, Saturday night

Alyosha Satenko, Brian Brodersen, Georgie and me

Praying before worship, Sunday morning

Hold me Jesus

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:22:07 GMT

Well, sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small
So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart
So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees
And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin
I'm singing hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

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Friday, March 21, 2008

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:24:53 GMT

....

I'm never going to promise that I will be a better blogger again... But here I am! Posting after only a few months:) I do hope to keep this up though.

There are tons of things starting to happen, so I think I'll have more to write about. First of all, Steffie is going to be taking russian courses through a mission called SEND. She went today and really liked the way they do things. It's been an answer to prayer, since trying to do it on her own has been tough, and I'm busy a lot of the time so I can't really be her teacher.

I have a concert coming up this weekend at the philharmonic! Yikes, going to be my first time performing there. The music school I used to go to is having it's anniversary concert and they asked me to be a part of it. Definitely a great experience, just really nervous!!!

Well, haven't been able to take very many pictures lately because the screen on our camera broke:( Hopefully we'll get that working soon and we will be able to post some pics....that slideshow is getting pretty old

Peace

Jonny
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Maybe I should post?

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:32:58 GMT

Does anyone actually read this anymore? Well, in any case, I guess I'll start throwing random thoughts, news, photos etc. out here again:) Sorry it's been so long...

Been a great couple of weeks. Steffie's parents have been here, visiting. Fun to show them the city and to spend time talking, definitely an encouragement.

Today is actually sixth anniversary...or rather monthaversary. It's gone so fast! My goodness...Well, so far so good...it's neat to learn all of these new things about each other and to grow in humility and grace with one another.

Well, I can't think of much to say at the moment. I'll write more later (famous last words)

Jonny

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:24:36 GMT

Hey all!

Little update...

Steffie and I were in Ternopil this last week for the first service of the new Calvary there. It was amazing! around 35 people came. Georgie invited me to do worship down there and there were a couple other people from our church that wanted to come and support the team as well. Steffie got to help with the nursery...well, 2 kids:) It was a really awesome time.

Going to ternopil will be one of things I will be focusing on this year. I want to be doing the same there as here...helping to teach people to play in worship...Lots of stuff going on at the Kyiv church right now. Lots of new people want to play in worship and we are really praying about how they can serve.

Well, that's about it for now, my wife put pics of our trip up (she took all the pics) xanga.com/stephitchka

Peace to all

Jonny
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Dad's birthday

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:44:42 GMT

It was always so tough trying to find something to give Dad for his birthday, especially since they don't have black licorice or ginger snaps in Ukraine. Actually, one of his favorite things was just being with a lot of people. Kinda funny because everyone else in the family was big on the "family time" we got to have when it was just us. But he loved to be with other people, to encourage them, laugh with them...

Too bad I don't have "it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world" on hand...we would have watched that in his honor today.

Happy b-day Dad (I'm sure it's the happiest ever for you)

Some random pics of Dad....

Whatever....

Dad loved puzzles....some things just were not passed on to me....

Dad with Josh....

Well, that's all the pics I could find....got this little clip from my sister Robin tho...thought it was pretty funny...two very competitive generations of Markeys...

Monday, September 24, 2007

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:58:43 GMT

Yeah, yeah, yeah.....I know....it's been forever and a day since I posted. Well, I sort of have an excuse...actually, I think it's a pretty good excuse!

Don't exactly know what to say on here, and that's not because there isn't anything to say at all...on the contrary there is TOO MUCH to fill all of you in on.

In a nutshell tho...it was the most awesome summer of my life (duh). Not only was it an amazing wedding and now awesome to have a beautiful wife, it was also sweet to spend time with so many people that are so special to me. Everyone in my family made it to the wedding except Paul and Mel and their little dudes. It's awesome how even tho we hardly ever get to see each other any more, we are so close. The Lord really allowed us to pack the short time we all had together with so many awesome memories. It was so special.

Honeymoon was sweet...I'll try to get some pics up here for y'all. We went to Oregon and Washington...well, not at the same time...first Oregon then Washington. It's amazing out there!

Waterfall close to Portland, OR....

Oregon Coast...

Ok....on to Washington

Quinault rainforest Lake Crescent Merrimere Falls Ruby Beach

Olympic mountains from hurricane ridge

Mount index (from our cabin!!!)

Seattle

It's been quite the adjustment being back in Kyiv. It's definitely tougher on Steffie since she doesn't speak the language yet and is in a place she never lived. But even though I grew up here...it's pretty strange being the ONLY Markeys in Kyiv!!! Seriously, it totally takes some getting used to, finally starting our own family. I would have laughed hard a couple of years ago if you would have told me that I would be the last Markey in Kyiv:) But we both see that the Lord wants us here. Don't exaclty know why yet...but we see him leading us step by step...

Please pray for my entrance exams this October. I'm trying to enter the post-graduate program at the conservatory here. Feel a little overwhelmed by that, especially since there is so much else going on at the same time. I'm leading worship here now, and there are so many things that we want to do. First of all, need to be teaching a couple of people to play drums, since Georgie is gone now. Also working with some of the youth so they can play in worship too...etc. etc. etc....oh! one more thing worth mentioning is that we are praying about recording another album. It's all really awesome and I'm totally excited to be in the middle of all this...just need TIME!!! Oh well...Lord knows.

Ok, all for now...peace to you all

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Sunday, June 03, 2007

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:24:16 GMT

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Monday, April 23, 2007

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:18:32 GMT

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with out weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need

Hebrews 4:14-16

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:20:05 GMT

Ok...I'm finally going to try and get back in to this:)

Sorry it's been so long...it's taken a while to get back in to things here in Kyiv. Oh yeah...for those of you who don't know, Mom, Aaron, Kristen, Georgie, Sharon, Samuel and myself are all living together in Kyiv again. It's been quite the adjustment, especially since this is really where reality seems to be settling in concerning Dad...this is where I knew him. The last time I saw him before he got sick was here, this is where he spent almost 15 years of his life pastoring the Calvary Chapel here. It's strange though, I mean, I was here for almost half a year after he left for Bishkek, yet somehow it's so strange to go to church and not see him there...The easter service was this last sunday. I know it was hard for Mom. It was such a celebration when Dad did it...he just had a way of reflecting the victory of Christ and thus our victory thru him and what he did. Not to say it wasn't a great service! It was awesome...but I will always remember the way Dad would do it.

So...just trying to pull everything together and finish school. I've got 4 exams and they are all quite spread out. My chamber music exam is at the end of this month, accompaniment is the beginning of May, piano is the very end of May and I will be defending my thesus in the middle of June...please pray! on one hand I really want to get it over with...and on the other I want to finish school as best I can though I missed almost the entirety of the second sememster.

I really want to try and update on here as much as possible. I know i'm bad about getting on but I really want to keep in touch with everyone in the xanga world:) Thank you all so much for all of your prayers and support these past months...it's been so special to be a part of the same family as all of you!

Peace to you all

Jonny

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