For example, a few days ago, we had some neighbors, Vasiliy and Nadia, and their son and his wife, Misha and Marina, over as guests.  As we visited together, they asked me about one of the toys that the children were playing with, and I shocked them by telling them that we had found it at a garage sale in America.  

  “A what?”

  “A garage sale.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Oh, when the weather is nice, people clean out their houses and set things outside that they don’t need or want to sell, and other people can come and buy them.”  

  “Why would people want to buy those things?”

  “Because many of those things are still nice and work fine.”

  “Well then why do they want to sell those things in they’re nice and work fine?”

  “Well, maybe they have newer things or don’t need them anymore.”  

  “But if they’re still good, why don’t they hang on to them, just in case?”

  “They probably just don’t want to have so many things laying around.”

  “Hmm.”

  It was clear that the concept of a garage sale wasn’t going to catch on any time soon here in this neighborhood.  

  And it is amazing how many cultural differences there really are between the United States and Ukraine.  On a regular basis we find ourselves noticing and chuckling about the differences.  

  But that’s the beautiful thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The message of the cross truly does transcend every cultural boundary!  When I get into a conversation about American life, there is bound to be some amazement and perplexity about the way those strange Americans live.  But when the conversation turns to the message of Christ and God’s love in sending His own Son to be our substitute and take upon Himself the punishment for our sins, the smiles and shakes of the head cease.  For this is now something that goes deeper than any international differences.  This is about humanity, about our Creator, about our sin, about our salvation.  

  I think I’d have a hard time being a diplomat for the U.S. here in Ukraine.  I have a hard time explaining garage sales, must less the finer points of American culture (you should see me trying to describe the concept of American customer service).  But that’s definitely not why we’re here!  What a blessing to be in Ukraine as an ambassador for Jesus Christ and to share the transcendent message of hope and salvation through His name.

  That’s one thing that doesn’t get lost in the translation!