Welcome to Potemkin Village . . .

While reading today, I came across the expression, "Potemkin Village." Apparently the phrase refers back to a Russian army officer in 1700's, Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin. He had apparently taken a liking to Catherine The Great. Wanting to impress Catherine during one of her visits to Ukraine in 1778, Potemkin ordered that "fake," temporary, yet splendid looking villages be built along the path Catherine would take to reach her destination. What lined Catherine's path appeared to be rich and beautiful, yet it hid the actual poverty that stood behind the fake houses. I know when Josh and I are walking the village streets in Ukraine in less than a month (whoa, it really is approaching fast) there won't be any "Potemkin Villages." We'll see the tiny village we'll be staying in for what it really is. I hope we're able to make real connections with people we meet, especially our host family. Though the poor, Ukrainians we will come to know as friends may think that we are rich Americans who have so much, I hope they see inside us and know that the thing we have with the highest value is the love of God.