The People of Ukraine 2013
TITLE: “The People of Ukraine”
DATA: Ukraine, October 2013
Photos taken with iPhone 4 in Ukraine, October 2013.
Copyright retained by Amber John.
Work (Photos and writing) may not be reproduced in any form without written consent of Amber John.
DATA: Ukraine, October 2013
I had no idea how quickly
I could fall in love with a people-group. I also had no idea how
easy it was to communicate with someone, even when you cannot speak
to them in any spoken language. I learned to speak the language of
love in a deep and divine way during my time in Ukraine. I spoke no
Ukrainian, no Russian, not a lick of Hungarian; nothing that
resembled any of the Eastern European languages native to that part
of the world. All I had with me was my American English, a bit of
sign language, and bits and pieces of Spanish, which kept wanting to
escape my lips when trying to communicate with these beautiful
people. But it was to no avail. I had no spoken language to speak,
to be understood, or to understand. So I had to rely on something
much more powerful – the language of love. A handshake, a hug, a
touch here or there, a genuine smile, light in the eyes, respect and
courtesy, a gift; these are the most powerful gestures of
communication around the globe. These seemingly small acts of
kindness and respect won the hearts of all with whom I crossed paths.
These beautiful people, with their wrinkles, worn hands, and
crooked-tooth smiles, warmed my heart and touched my soul in a
profound way, as we learned a new set of communication rules, one
unspoken word at a time.
Copyright retained by Amber John.
Work (Photos and writing) may not be reproduced in any form without written consent of Amber John.
Comments
Post a Comment