Victory Day

Sunday, May 9th, was "Victory Day" here in Ukraine. This is the celebration of the Soviet victory over the Nazi Germans in 1944. This is a festive holiday for Ukrainians, complete with parades, street performances, and fireworks.

After our church services, we went to a memorial park for veterans, then downtown. At 10pm, near the "Lenin statue" (which, by the way, is in every city here in Ukraine), we were able to watch a great fireworks display with our kids. It was a fun evening spent as a family, and was another way for us to learn more about the history and culture of the country God has called us to.

Here are some pictures from Victory Day:

The "eternal flame" dedicated to fallen soldiers
Hundreds of flowers were left in memory of the war veterans. It is interesting to note that there were many pictures of Stalin lying among the flowers. Memorials erected to honor Russian heroes

David and Nate, enjoying their walk through the park

Posing with a veteran

My boys enjoying the fireworks display. The Lenin statue is to their left.

We are forever Americans. But, we are also missionaries; therefore, we are trying our best to learn the culture and sentiments of the people we work with. Taking part in their holidays is one way that we do that. Since Ukrainians do not celebrate Mother's Day, we instead congratulated everyone for Victory Day. And, we also reminded everyone that every day is a "Victory Day" when we live with Christ in our hearts!