{"id":6430,"date":"2016-05-03T12:19:28","date_gmt":"2016-05-03T09:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=6430"},"modified":"2016-05-05T19:34:23","modified_gmt":"2016-05-05T16:34:23","slug":"a-tense-easter-holiday-weekend-in-odessa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/a-tense-easter-holiday-weekend-in-odessa\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tense Easter Holiday Weekend in Odessa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Armed men in men in camouflage showed up in our city just a few days before our Easter holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

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The “Odessa Clashes”<\/a> which occurred exactly 2 years earlier on May 2nd 2014 raised the likelihood that violence could break out as pro-Russian activists prepared\u00a0to protest against the Ukrainian government in remembrance of the nearly 50 people killed 2 years ago.<\/p>\n

The slogan for anti-Ukraine protesters in the wake of this tragedy has been,<\/p>\n

“We will not forget, we will not forgive!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How sadly ironic in the light of this weekend’s celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and as a result God’s promise to forgive and forget our sins. (Isa 43:25)<\/p>\n

Preaching the Gospel in Tragic Times<\/h3>\n

Rather than raise our voices against other groups in protest and disapproval we took the opportunity to raise our voices to God and preach the glorious and life changing message of Jesus Christ risen from the dead!<\/p>\n

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I preached the gospel twice this weekend, first in the village of Limany, about an hour outside of Odessa along the shore of an estuary of the Black Sea.<\/p>\n