Women walk through parks and grocery stores dressed to the nines. They wear heels wherever they go and are always in makeup with hair done to perfection. They are embracing the Ukrainian concept of beauty. Inside the houses, rugs and textiles are placed everywhere, not simply on the floors but on the walls as well. Icons and embroidery are found in almost every home as Ukrainian interior design seeks to be beautiful. Even the churches grab hold of this concept of beauty. The orthodox cathedrals stand tall, painted in beautiful, vibrant colors. The tops of their steeples are adorned with gold, shining over the city. When Ukrainians seek to give a blessing, their words flow from their mouths seamlessly, and even those who cannot understand what is being said know that it is beautiful. When seeking to commend a child on his/her artwork it is not common to say, "That looks great!" or "That's awesome!" No, when complimenting a child on their little picture frame decorated with pasta you say, "Це дужа гарна" or, "That's very beautiful." The word beautiful, which is saved for very special occasions in America, is used daily in Ukraine. Everything is гарна (beautiful).
At first glance, this obsession with beauty might seem to be a struggle with vanity. I asked about this several times, wondering if the self-esteems of Ukrainian women were being harmed by this beauty craze. However, this did not seem to be the case. Those I talked to about the concept of beauty simply recognized it as a part of their culture. As it turned out, it would be a part of the Ukrainian culture that God would use to create an opportunity of ministry.
There is a group of women in my church who make dresses, simple little sundresses, to donate to girls in need. As I was preparing for my trip they gave me a bag of 47 dresses for me to distribute. While we were in the village of Bushcha, it was clear that the fascination with beauty was not limited to the city walls. Though the clothes and hair styles were not as refined, little girls still came to camp in dresses and children refused to sit on the ground as it was too dirty. The gates in front of homes were painted in bright colors. Even in a place where there is no sewage system, people strived for beauty. It was here, in this village as well as a neighboring village that I was able to distribute the dresses. I gave dresses to girls who have most likely never had a brand new dress of their own. As I looked at each little girl and gave her a dress in the name of Jesus, explaining that she was a beautiful daughter of God and that He loved her very much, I could see their eyes lighting up. One little girl, still not grasping the idea that the dress was hers, looked at it and said, "Це дужа гарна!" When she realized that it was meant for her, she was even more amazed. Inside each dress pocket was a handmade card, equally as beautiful as the dresses which said, "Jesus loves you." Though I was nervous about distributing these dresses, as distribution is always tricky, I trusted that God had a plan. I did not know about the Ukrainian desire for beauty, but God did. I did not realize how much power could lie within a simple sundress, but God did. Watching Him reach the hearts of these little girls through the gift of dresses was an amazing experience. That was truly дужа гарна.
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