The anticipation of meeting someone for the first time is usually accompanied by anxiety, but within the 24 hours that we met with Lyudmila and Iaroslav bonds of friendships were formed. As I struggled to describe our visit with the CBN team from Kiev, I found this poem that beautifully captures our meeting.
As we walk our path of life,
We meet people everyday.
Most are simply met by chance.
But, some God sent our way.
Their love contains no boundaries.
So, even when we are apart.
Their presence enhances us
With a warmth felt in the heart.
This love becomes a passageway,
When even the miles disappear.
And so, these friends, God sends our way,
Remain forever near.
(by Anonymous)
Only God can so quickly erase boundaries of time, distance, and cultural differences, and unite hearts in His love.
Luydmila Stebeneva is the director of Superbook initiatives for the former USSR. She has been with the CBN ministry in Kiev for 20 years. Luydmila is a visionary, and has a warm heart full of love for children. Listening to her share testimonies of God accomplishing the impossible in neighboring countries, was a great encouragement to the Georgian team.
Iaroslav is the sound engineer of Superbook projects for the former USSR. A man of many talents, he bought new inspiration to our technical team through the knowledge and creative insights he shared with them. It was an intense session, and watching the team interact was quite a sight.
This was Luydmila and Iaroslav’s first visit to Georgia, and a lot was accomplished in just 24 hours. We did some strategic planning, studio step-up evaluation, discussed web content exchange and the possibilities of Superbook club creation in Georgia, and even managed to squeeze in time to enjoy great Georgian food, traditional music and dance, as well as a bit of sightseeing.
We praise the Lord for new friends and look forward to seeing God at work through our joint efforts in Georgia. I am convinced this is not the last time we’ll be seeing this team in Tbilisi!