Poor Malcolm and Louis. I just read Malcolm's post for Sunday. He said they went to the bakery and bought "water & bread"! I cannot help but feel for the poor men. They were dipping their store bought bread in their bottled water, while we were feasting on home made pizza, cinnamon rolls and later - fresh home made raisin bread!!! That Flo is amazing in the kitchen.... Louis, you can move back to Lviv with us any day if Malcolm isn't treating you to anything better than bread and water!
We had some excitement at Flo's apartment building today. Ruslan picked me up at home and we drove to Flo's. When we got there, smoke was coming from somewhere (and it wasn't Flo's kitchen). We were waiting for the elevator and noticed the smoke coming from the elevator shaft! Well, we didn't use the elevator to go up. We went to get Flo and while we were waiting two fire trucks came down the road to our building. The firemen went from one building to another and then scurried about a bit, got the electricity turned offand while we were leaving the building, one of them was coming in with a pail of water! No hose in site and now that I think about it there are no fire hydrants anywhere. It would seem that someone threw a cigarette butt down the shaft and there might have been some paper there and that is what was smoking.
Got a few pictures of these firemen in their fire fighting gear....not very up do date equipment.
Sunday March 29
Had the meeting this morning with a nice turnout.
The doorbell rang at five to eleven and to our surprise there was Maria, one of the regular ladies. Flo was in pizza dough up to her elbows, (it would later turn into cinnamon roll dough – eat your heart out Malcolm in Ivano!!!) and asked Maria how come she was so early. It turns out we were the only ones who did not know about the time change. Thankfully everyone was coming to us for the meeting and not the other way around otherwise Flo and I would have been terribly late. So everyone came, Ruslan opened with a reading from Isaiah 53 and prayed then Misha gave a word.
Flo’s pizzas were a hit as is whatever she makes for the people.
Misha stayed behind wanting to talk to Flo about several issues.
I went by bus back home and then changed into good walking shoes and walked up to where our (Gilles’ & my) Ukrainian teacher lives. I had a nice visit with her and she & her daughter sang a couple of Ukrainian worship songs, one of which I knew in English. It was such a nice time. She walked me back part way home and we enjoyed looking at the various flowers growing in people’s front yards….and this just less than a week since the last snow fall. And as I am typing this, I heard that there was quite a snow fall in Northern Ontario?!?! Hopefully it will all fall before I return on April 10th and then be done till next November.
Monday March 30
Happy Birthday Gilles.
We left this morning to go buy a little bit of groceries for a couple of families we planned on visiting in Krasne.
Some of you might remember the lady who was housebound and couldn’t get up. She had problems with her legs and lived with her daughter. The daughter’s son lives in Kiev. Forgive me as I cannot remember her name right now…..the elderly lady passed away last year, leaving her daughter Anniah. We stopped by to visit Anniah and standing outside we could hear her music, but she was not answering the door. We knocked and knocked with no reply. Flo and Ruslan were walking back to the van and I thought to try the front window. After rapping on it quite loudly Anniah woke up and came to the door. We were very happy to see her as she is now living alone and we are not sure of her abilities to fend for herself. She was very happy to see us and took us inside where we found a very orderly house, clean and smelling fresh. There was some small talk and the subject went around to her mother who was now in heaven. Flo assured her that her mother was much better off now than before when she suffered and then was able to speak of Anniah about the gospel one more time. We are not sure how much understanding she has. We prayed with her and then left to go visit another family.
In the same town lives the grandmother and grandfather who raised their grandchildren after the mother died quite young of some kidney problems and the father committed suicide in his grief. This was 12 or 13 years ago. Now the children are 14 and 17 and the young lad is studying in Lviv. We brought some clothes and footwear for them along with some groceries. While these people require food and clothing what they are needing the most is money for medication as the 12 year old girl has the same kidney problem her mother had. The cost of medication has gone up tremendously and we are finding people who have to choose between buying food or meds. What a choice to be faced with.
Along the way we stopped also to drop some clothes off to a family whom we know of who have 8 kids living at home, one in college and one daughter who is now married but has returned to live with her parents because of the rising cost of living in Lviv. We were told that the man of the house used to work full time but now only works one day a week. Whereas they were doing very well before, suddenly everything has ground to a halt. With only one income and that being cut to one day a week things are not looking very good. The seven kids still in school are all boys and she asked if we had pants and shoes or boots. Boys will be boys and we are not surprised at the fact that pants are needed.
So we left there with a promise to return and to bring them some clothing.
We drove back home and Ruslan was going to buy some brake parts for the van. Regular maintenance of the vehicle is important and is never ceasing.
The work on the van gets done tomorrow so Flo and I will spend the day trying to sort out some more clothes and getting it ready to deliver. Also we have meeting tomorrow night. I personally enjoyed having Malcolm and Louis in Lviv because when they gave ministry it was of course in English so I got something out of the meeting. I find it rather difficult when everything is in Ukrainian. It doesn’t get translated into English because it breaks the flow of the message for the people….so I just sit there and read!
That’s all for now….. please remember us along the way and drop a line if you have time. We would love to hear from anyone reading these reports.
Helene and Flora
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Report #3 from Ivano
Report #3 Sunday March 29, 2009
It was not quite as nice a morning but not cold. We spent our devotion time listening to Mr. Jack Hunter speaking on “The Christ of God” I have a disc with a multitude of his messages on it.
We then went for a walk to the nearby bakery and bought bread and water and returned to wait for Vadym. We had no particular plans before meeting at 3pm.
We were thrilled to see the Meeting Room packed again with more in than the last time and about 4 new people. We have 35 chairs and all were filled. I felt lead to put up our “2-Roads Chart”. I never cease to marvel at the effectiveness of this chart. Louis followed with verses out of Hebrews 11.
We came home quite weary not having had our Sunday afternoon nap. I flaked out for a “few” minutes and then we had a light supper of cereal and banana, followed by some more “soul food” from Mr. Hunter.
We are planning to hit some of the far out institutions at the beginning of this week so that any change in weather will not hinder us later. Vadym is to phone and make contact first thing in the morning.
That should suffice for today. We trust you all had a good day with The Lord and His people.
Malcolm and Louis.
Report #2 from Ivano
Report #2 from Ivano Saturday March 28.2009
We awoke to a lovely sunny spring day. There are snow drops and crocus’s out in many gardens.
We planned to look at other properties for rent for a meeting room as the price of the present one had become too high to continue renting, going from a high $400 US a month to $460 US per month.
After delivering some parts from the bus from Poland to his work, Vadym picked us up at about 11 am. We went to the market first to buy a couple of personal things, picked up a paper for the adds, and went for lunch. While there, Vadym phoned an ad and found it was a house in the suburbs for $250 US per month. We arrange to go and see it and were absolutely amazed and impressed with it. Beautifully clean and partly furnished with a large living room and modern kitchen with almost new appliances. There are two large bedrooms upstairs and a very nice full bathroom downstairs. It has city water and an independent gas hot water heating system.
We were so impressed that we paid the first months rent and have possession on April 1.
On our way home Vadym phoned the bank manager to tell him we had found a property, however the bank manager told him that he had talked to his boss and told him to lower the rent to $250 US ! Now what to do? Well Vadym, who had just lost his apartment because he could no longer pay the $400 per month plus utilities, said he would be able to rent this house and also house any workers who come to this area.
For now this is what we may do if his wife feels good about it.
Sorry for the details but many of you have known of the problems that Ukraine is experiencing right now and have asked to be kept informed.
Our next meeting is tomorrow at 3pm.
Thank you praying and for answers to some of our financial concerns.
Yours in the service of The Best of Masters.
Malcolm and Louis
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Report #1 from Ivano
Report #1 from Ivano Frankivsk Friday 27th of March 2009
I was awakened in Lviv by a call for help from Flo. She had leaned over the
tank and the toilet to pick something from behind and a bolt broke holding
the tank on and emptied the tank of water on the floor. There was water
every where but we got it mopped up and got a new bolt to fix it for her.
Well we spent the rest of the morning in Lviv visiting a lady named Lesia,
who is in a wheelchair with MS. She is a dear Christian lady with a large
family. She told us that her husband has been reduced to 3 days a week of
work and now gets 400 Rhivney a month. Her rent and heat last month was
800R.! How does she feed her family? She said it would be bread for today
and something to put on it tomorrow. We were able to help her with some
produce and funds for other needs.
We loaded up for the van at 1 o'clock and grabbed a chicken sandwich before
heading for Ivano Frankivsk an hour and a half away. We were expected for a
meeting in the Meeting Room at 4 pm. We arrived to a find the room packed.
There were the usual hugs and kisses that are so much a way in Ukraine and
we tried to start but people kept coming until every seat was filled with
one standing.. That meant there were 31 plus us four from Lviv. This was
very encouraging.
I opened with a welcome and then let Louis speak, we had brought Misha with
us as he is very interested in the work here and is the brother who has
continues with bible studies in Lviv when Flo is away, and we let him speak.
They say he did very well and the people listened very well. I closed and
gave challenge to them all to memorize the books of the New Testament. I
said we would give prize to all those who will do it. We will wait and see.
We asked how many meetings they want to have and the said 3 a week starting
on Sunday at 3 PM.
We left the room and went to our lodgings and unloaded our bags and then
went for supper and bought groceries.
We are very comfortable in the same basement suite as last fall.
Our man Vadym has had some set backs in the last months, with the financial
crisis hitting his automotive business hard. So much so that he has had to
leave his newly rented apartment and return to his in-laws apartment. His
rent was paid inUS dollars and his business paid only in Rhivnry. The
exchange has jumped so much that is not worth keeping the apartment. He is
very confident that things are changing and has got 3 big jobs his men are
working on now.
I think he is going to keep us busy visiting in the next two weeks.
All for now. Louis has gone to bed as I write this epistle.
Malcolm and Louis.
I was awakened in Lviv by a call for help from Flo. She had leaned over the
tank and the toilet to pick something from behind and a bolt broke holding
the tank on and emptied the tank of water on the floor. There was water
every where but we got it mopped up and got a new bolt to fix it for her.
Well we spent the rest of the morning in Lviv visiting a lady named Lesia,
who is in a wheelchair with MS. She is a dear Christian lady with a large
family. She told us that her husband has been reduced to 3 days a week of
work and now gets 400 Rhivney a month. Her rent and heat last month was
800R.! How does she feed her family? She said it would be bread for today
and something to put on it tomorrow. We were able to help her with some
produce and funds for other needs.
We loaded up for the van at 1 o'clock and grabbed a chicken sandwich before
heading for Ivano Frankivsk an hour and a half away. We were expected for a
meeting in the Meeting Room at 4 pm. We arrived to a find the room packed.
There were the usual hugs and kisses that are so much a way in Ukraine and
we tried to start but people kept coming until every seat was filled with
one standing.. That meant there were 31 plus us four from Lviv. This was
very encouraging.
I opened with a welcome and then let Louis speak, we had brought Misha with
us as he is very interested in the work here and is the brother who has
continues with bible studies in Lviv when Flo is away, and we let him speak.
They say he did very well and the people listened very well. I closed and
gave challenge to them all to memorize the books of the New Testament. I
said we would give prize to all those who will do it. We will wait and see.
We asked how many meetings they want to have and the said 3 a week starting
on Sunday at 3 PM.
We left the room and went to our lodgings and unloaded our bags and then
went for supper and bought groceries.
We are very comfortable in the same basement suite as last fall.
Our man Vadym has had some set backs in the last months, with the financial
crisis hitting his automotive business hard. So much so that he has had to
leave his newly rented apartment and return to his in-laws apartment. His
rent was paid inUS dollars and his business paid only in Rhivnry. The
exchange has jumped so much that is not worth keeping the apartment. He is
very confident that things are changing and has got 3 big jobs his men are
working on now.
I think he is going to keep us busy visiting in the next two weeks.
All for now. Louis has gone to bed as I write this epistle.
Malcolm and Louis.
March 26 & 27th
Thursday March 26
One thing I have to clarify from previous notes. Yesterday I said that Malcolm had rated Flo’s Diner at a 5.5! That wasn’t out of 10…it was a 5.5 star rating. He was more than satisfied with all the food, especially all the goodies Flo baked for him even as he balked at the amount of butter she bought (Shortbreads require butter Malcolm! A cook knows what she needs in her kitchen Malcolm!....Flora’s replies to Malcolm’s protests)
Also, you might have noticed (or you might not) that I changed the word Gypsies for Ramoni on the Facebook postings. It was unknown to me that the former terminology is not right and considered rude. My apologies to anyone who might have been offended by this.
Today we decided to stay in Lviv and visit some of the people we know here.
We picked up some groceries for the ones who would have difficulty getting their own and off we went.
We found a gem of a lady in her apartment on the third floor of a very old building in the center of Lviv. She lives here with her grandson as she is unable to live on her own anymore. She suffered a minor stroke last year and now has difficulty walking and is completely unable to get out. We made arrangements with Anatoly from Lutsk to bring up a walker for her when he and Jeannette come for a visit next week. She also is in need of reading glasses as she cannot read at all without them. We found a pair for her in the glasses we received last year. Ivanka was a regular at all the meetings we had in the past and she is also in fellowship with the assembly in Lutsk. She was very happy to see us as we were happy to see her also. There are three girls who board there also, so that provides her with some income. She was telling us that they cannot afford to buy meat anymore because of the price. We had purchased a chicken for her(along with other groceries) and she said they don’t even buy that. We stayed for awhile as Flo chatted with her. Finally it was time to go see Maria and Oxana so we prayed with her, said our goodbyes and promised to return soon. She said she would love to go spend a few days at her sister Stephka in the village. We are trying to figure out a way to bring her there. The stairs present a great challenge for her.
Off we went to visit Maria and Oxana. Some of you might remember Maria…the sixteen year old girl with cerebral palsy. Maria is in a wheelchair and they live on the second floor and have to handle a spiral staircase to get downstairs. She rarely gets to go outside as her mother has to carry her down because there is no elevator. Here again money is scarce because medication takes up the bulk of whatever comes in. We usually bring quite a bit of groceries here because it is very difficult for Oxana to get out to go buy anything. She can’t leave Maria and when she does have someone to look after her, she has to walk quite a distance to get anything. We stayed with them for a bit, talking about the bible and salvation and heaven. Maria gets quite excited when we talk about Jesus and heaven. Her body is in very bad condition but she has much of her understanding. I tried a bit of my Ukrainian with her and had her laughing quite a bit…..She is a sweet girl and we just wish we could do something to alleviate the pain she is enduring. Her condition is deteriorating. Flo had a good talk with Oxana and was commenting on the strong faith that Oxana has in God. We pray that she has put her trust in the finished work of Christ at the cross. We prayed with them and went home. It seemed like a short day but we had started a bit later than we expected. The third family we wanted to visit were not home when we called there.
Friday March 27, 2009
We headed out after our daily devotional reading to visit Lecia who we couldn’t see yesterday. Lecia is in a wheelchair due of MS. When her family leaves for work/school they lock the door as they leave and Lecia stays inside alone, unable to go out even if fire broke out in her apartment! Flo, Louis and Malcolm went to visit her as Ruslan and I had to return to the center to my apartment to get something I had forgotten. We also had to pick up some piece needed to fix Flo’s toilet. Getting to the center of Lviv is not a problem, but getting thru the traffic to where you want to go once you are there is something else altogether. Repairs to some portions of the road complicated things a bit as well as a Lexus with a major front end problem which was blocking the road completely. So over an hour later we returned to Lecia’s apartment in time to pick Flo, Louis and Malcolm who were waiting.
We were running on a tight schedule again today because we had to be in Ivano Frankivsk for four o’clock for a gospel meeting. Today, Malcolm and Louis were going to move to Ivano and it was their first meeting there.
After lunch and filling the van with the boxes of clothes and suitcases, we were off and only half an hour behind schedule. Well, if I thought the road to Lutsk was bad on Sunday, the road of Ivano proved to be just as bad if not worse. However we had a beautiful sunny day to travel.
We arrived in Ivano with just a few minutes to spare and there was a room full of people waiting for Malcolm and Louis. There must have been at least thirty five or forty people in that room. Louis spoke in the gospel as did Misha from Lviv who had come along with us. Afterwards Malcolm gave a little word and put out a challenge to everyone to learn the books of the New Testament. He had something to give to whoever learned them. We hope many take up this challenge and learn the books of the Bible. It was very encouraging to see all these people out and we pray that it will continue and that there might be a real interest to continue on even while there are no visitors present.
After chatting around a bit afterwards and bringing Malcolm and Louis to their accommodations for the two weeks they will be there Flo, Misha and myself got in the van and Ruslan drove us all back to Lviv.
The end to another week. Tomorrow we will sort out some more clothing and get ready to head out to the Carpathians. We have some schools lined up for next week as the spring break will be done.
That's all for now.......Helene - for Flo, Malcolm and Louis
One thing I have to clarify from previous notes. Yesterday I said that Malcolm had rated Flo’s Diner at a 5.5! That wasn’t out of 10…it was a 5.5 star rating. He was more than satisfied with all the food, especially all the goodies Flo baked for him even as he balked at the amount of butter she bought (Shortbreads require butter Malcolm! A cook knows what she needs in her kitchen Malcolm!....Flora’s replies to Malcolm’s protests)
Also, you might have noticed (or you might not) that I changed the word Gypsies for Ramoni on the Facebook postings. It was unknown to me that the former terminology is not right and considered rude. My apologies to anyone who might have been offended by this.
Today we decided to stay in Lviv and visit some of the people we know here.
We picked up some groceries for the ones who would have difficulty getting their own and off we went.
We found a gem of a lady in her apartment on the third floor of a very old building in the center of Lviv. She lives here with her grandson as she is unable to live on her own anymore. She suffered a minor stroke last year and now has difficulty walking and is completely unable to get out. We made arrangements with Anatoly from Lutsk to bring up a walker for her when he and Jeannette come for a visit next week. She also is in need of reading glasses as she cannot read at all without them. We found a pair for her in the glasses we received last year. Ivanka was a regular at all the meetings we had in the past and she is also in fellowship with the assembly in Lutsk. She was very happy to see us as we were happy to see her also. There are three girls who board there also, so that provides her with some income. She was telling us that they cannot afford to buy meat anymore because of the price. We had purchased a chicken for her(along with other groceries) and she said they don’t even buy that. We stayed for awhile as Flo chatted with her. Finally it was time to go see Maria and Oxana so we prayed with her, said our goodbyes and promised to return soon. She said she would love to go spend a few days at her sister Stephka in the village. We are trying to figure out a way to bring her there. The stairs present a great challenge for her.
Off we went to visit Maria and Oxana. Some of you might remember Maria…the sixteen year old girl with cerebral palsy. Maria is in a wheelchair and they live on the second floor and have to handle a spiral staircase to get downstairs. She rarely gets to go outside as her mother has to carry her down because there is no elevator. Here again money is scarce because medication takes up the bulk of whatever comes in. We usually bring quite a bit of groceries here because it is very difficult for Oxana to get out to go buy anything. She can’t leave Maria and when she does have someone to look after her, she has to walk quite a distance to get anything. We stayed with them for a bit, talking about the bible and salvation and heaven. Maria gets quite excited when we talk about Jesus and heaven. Her body is in very bad condition but she has much of her understanding. I tried a bit of my Ukrainian with her and had her laughing quite a bit…..She is a sweet girl and we just wish we could do something to alleviate the pain she is enduring. Her condition is deteriorating. Flo had a good talk with Oxana and was commenting on the strong faith that Oxana has in God. We pray that she has put her trust in the finished work of Christ at the cross. We prayed with them and went home. It seemed like a short day but we had started a bit later than we expected. The third family we wanted to visit were not home when we called there.
Friday March 27, 2009
We headed out after our daily devotional reading to visit Lecia who we couldn’t see yesterday. Lecia is in a wheelchair due of MS. When her family leaves for work/school they lock the door as they leave and Lecia stays inside alone, unable to go out even if fire broke out in her apartment! Flo, Louis and Malcolm went to visit her as Ruslan and I had to return to the center to my apartment to get something I had forgotten. We also had to pick up some piece needed to fix Flo’s toilet. Getting to the center of Lviv is not a problem, but getting thru the traffic to where you want to go once you are there is something else altogether. Repairs to some portions of the road complicated things a bit as well as a Lexus with a major front end problem which was blocking the road completely. So over an hour later we returned to Lecia’s apartment in time to pick Flo, Louis and Malcolm who were waiting.
We were running on a tight schedule again today because we had to be in Ivano Frankivsk for four o’clock for a gospel meeting. Today, Malcolm and Louis were going to move to Ivano and it was their first meeting there.
After lunch and filling the van with the boxes of clothes and suitcases, we were off and only half an hour behind schedule. Well, if I thought the road to Lutsk was bad on Sunday, the road of Ivano proved to be just as bad if not worse. However we had a beautiful sunny day to travel.
We arrived in Ivano with just a few minutes to spare and there was a room full of people waiting for Malcolm and Louis. There must have been at least thirty five or forty people in that room. Louis spoke in the gospel as did Misha from Lviv who had come along with us. Afterwards Malcolm gave a little word and put out a challenge to everyone to learn the books of the New Testament. He had something to give to whoever learned them. We hope many take up this challenge and learn the books of the Bible. It was very encouraging to see all these people out and we pray that it will continue and that there might be a real interest to continue on even while there are no visitors present.
After chatting around a bit afterwards and bringing Malcolm and Louis to their accommodations for the two weeks they will be there Flo, Misha and myself got in the van and Ruslan drove us all back to Lviv.
The end to another week. Tomorrow we will sort out some more clothing and get ready to head out to the Carpathians. We have some schools lined up for next week as the spring break will be done.
That's all for now.......Helene - for Flo, Malcolm and Louis
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday March 24th
Wednesday March 24
Bookva, the orphanage for handicapped girls ages 1 to 30 was our destination today.
The day started with an attempt to get up one of the cobblestone roads. It was slippery enough that we had to back up to the bottom of the hill and try another road. The cobblestone turns very slippery when it is wet, so when it is snow and slush it becomes almost an impossible thing to go up some of these hills.
We were picking up Flo & Malcolm and Louis at ten o’clock.
We had a deadline of looming in front of us today because one of the leaf springs needed to be changed. The appointment at the garage was set for four or four thirty. Bookva is 1.5 hours from Lviv… It would be tight but Ruslan was sure we could do it. But first we had to do a “quick” (nothing is quick here) stop at the warehouse to pick up the regular lightbulbs, soap etc etc….supplies we always bring to these homes. The cost of these has gone up 50% from last year. Finally with supplies in the van as well as boxes of clothing we received and the products we purchased yesterday, we headed off. Ohh…. Another stop to a car parts dealer. We picked up a new leaf for the work that needed to be done on the van, Ruslan dealing with the salesman, Malcolm getting sniffed out by the resident Rottweiller guard dog. Friendly puppy…..really!!
Off we go with the part needed. Ohh One more stop at the gas station and then we really were on the road. It was now 11:45.
An hour and a half later we arrived at our destination. It took a bit more time to get there because the roads are so full of pot holes in some places that it is impossible to miss them. And Bookva is well hidden down a very bad road, through the edge of a forest on a mud path.
The director’s secretary met us as we arrived. We brought the items inside and went around to see the girls there and to give them some candies. They were all happy to see us as they have come to know us from many previous visits. With about five or six members of the staff in the room and many others standing outside in the hallway, Malcolm gave a very short word about the gospel. He talked about the staff’s love for these kids and how that is very honorable but it is not what can get a person into heaven. He then told of the love of Jesus for these kids and how they will all be in heaven one day as they are unable to understand their needs as sinners. But we know we (Flo, Malcolm Louis and me) will be in heaven because we have the word of God that tells us of the sacrifice of Christ and we have believed what it said. Would we meet any of them in heaven? It was a short message and very to the point.
Afterwards we were invited for tea with the director. Tea and cake. He told us to call next time and he would have some fish prepared for us. That would have to be next time because today we had to rush out, and we did and arrived in Lviv at 4:15. We drove through a blinding snow storm, very poor visibility, high winds. Louis and Malcolm had their seat belts on even! It was not good driving.
We arrived at Flo’s and she prepared the tastiest pork chops along with mashed potatoes and a Howard Pratt salad (onion, tomatoes and cucumbers). Malcolm rated Flo’s Diner at a 5.5!!! After the fresh raisin bread and donuts she made for him yesterday!! After much talk about weight loss (or was it weight gain?) Ruslan was back from the garage and picked me up to bring me back to my apartment.
Bookva, the orphanage for handicapped girls ages 1 to 30 was our destination today.
The day started with an attempt to get up one of the cobblestone roads. It was slippery enough that we had to back up to the bottom of the hill and try another road. The cobblestone turns very slippery when it is wet, so when it is snow and slush it becomes almost an impossible thing to go up some of these hills.
We were picking up Flo & Malcolm and Louis at ten o’clock.
We had a deadline of looming in front of us today because one of the leaf springs needed to be changed. The appointment at the garage was set for four or four thirty. Bookva is 1.5 hours from Lviv… It would be tight but Ruslan was sure we could do it. But first we had to do a “quick” (nothing is quick here) stop at the warehouse to pick up the regular lightbulbs, soap etc etc….supplies we always bring to these homes. The cost of these has gone up 50% from last year. Finally with supplies in the van as well as boxes of clothing we received and the products we purchased yesterday, we headed off. Ohh…. Another stop to a car parts dealer. We picked up a new leaf for the work that needed to be done on the van, Ruslan dealing with the salesman, Malcolm getting sniffed out by the resident Rottweiller guard dog. Friendly puppy…..really!!
Off we go with the part needed. Ohh One more stop at the gas station and then we really were on the road. It was now 11:45.
An hour and a half later we arrived at our destination. It took a bit more time to get there because the roads are so full of pot holes in some places that it is impossible to miss them. And Bookva is well hidden down a very bad road, through the edge of a forest on a mud path.
The director’s secretary met us as we arrived. We brought the items inside and went around to see the girls there and to give them some candies. They were all happy to see us as they have come to know us from many previous visits. With about five or six members of the staff in the room and many others standing outside in the hallway, Malcolm gave a very short word about the gospel. He talked about the staff’s love for these kids and how that is very honorable but it is not what can get a person into heaven. He then told of the love of Jesus for these kids and how they will all be in heaven one day as they are unable to understand their needs as sinners. But we know we (Flo, Malcolm Louis and me) will be in heaven because we have the word of God that tells us of the sacrifice of Christ and we have believed what it said. Would we meet any of them in heaven? It was a short message and very to the point.
Afterwards we were invited for tea with the director. Tea and cake. He told us to call next time and he would have some fish prepared for us. That would have to be next time because today we had to rush out, and we did and arrived in Lviv at 4:15. We drove through a blinding snow storm, very poor visibility, high winds. Louis and Malcolm had their seat belts on even! It was not good driving.
We arrived at Flo’s and she prepared the tastiest pork chops along with mashed potatoes and a Howard Pratt salad (onion, tomatoes and cucumbers). Malcolm rated Flo’s Diner at a 5.5!!! After the fresh raisin bread and donuts she made for him yesterday!! After much talk about weight loss (or was it weight gain?) Ruslan was back from the garage and picked me up to bring me back to my apartment.
Monday, March 23, 2009
March 23rd - Nursing Home Visit
Monday March 23rd
Dear Friends
Thanks for reading up on what is happening in Ukraine. We appreciate every reply we get. You can look up the blog which has updates of what is going on in and around Lviv and also what will be happening in Ivano-Frankivsk once Malcolm and Louis head out there on Friday. The blog’s address for those who don’t have it is www.ukrainechristianmission.blogspot.com
We sat around this morning for a little while and read Philippians chapter four and talked about the truths in this chapter. Verse 6 & 7 especially come to mind: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Peace with God through salvation
Peace of God through faith in God
Jesus the Prince of Peace
We headed out to buy fruits to bring to the residents in the nursing home we were planning to visit near Chervonograd. We had been to this nursing home last year and visited with some of the residents. When we arrived we chatted with the director about the renovations that he been done there. He told us that they received money from the government to do these renovations. He also told us that they don’t really need any clothes there as they are well taken care of. The Red Cross has donated beds. He did mention that whatever we did bring as far as Depends, or soap or oil freed up some of their money to finish the renovations and to look after the needs of the residents.
Some of the residents gathered in a small area and we had the opportunity to speak with them about the Bible and everyone’s need to be saved. Everyone listened really well.
When we distributed the fruits to the people who were in their beds we noticed that several of them had a large print gospel booklet. We found out that Bogdan, the fellow from the Bible Society who came with us to visit the Romani is the one who brought these portions of scripture to this place. We had brought some glasses and left them with those who needed them.
We drove the 45 minutes back to Lviv with bright sunshine pouring into the van. It felt so good to be sitting in that sun. :o)
We will be staying in Lviv tomorrow and visiting around….but more of that tomorrow.
Helene
Dear Friends
Thanks for reading up on what is happening in Ukraine. We appreciate every reply we get. You can look up the blog which has updates of what is going on in and around Lviv and also what will be happening in Ivano-Frankivsk once Malcolm and Louis head out there on Friday. The blog’s address for those who don’t have it is www.ukrainechristianmission.blogspot.com
We sat around this morning for a little while and read Philippians chapter four and talked about the truths in this chapter. Verse 6 & 7 especially come to mind: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Peace with God through salvation
Peace of God through faith in God
Jesus the Prince of Peace
We headed out to buy fruits to bring to the residents in the nursing home we were planning to visit near Chervonograd. We had been to this nursing home last year and visited with some of the residents. When we arrived we chatted with the director about the renovations that he been done there. He told us that they received money from the government to do these renovations. He also told us that they don’t really need any clothes there as they are well taken care of. The Red Cross has donated beds. He did mention that whatever we did bring as far as Depends, or soap or oil freed up some of their money to finish the renovations and to look after the needs of the residents.
Some of the residents gathered in a small area and we had the opportunity to speak with them about the Bible and everyone’s need to be saved. Everyone listened really well.
When we distributed the fruits to the people who were in their beds we noticed that several of them had a large print gospel booklet. We found out that Bogdan, the fellow from the Bible Society who came with us to visit the Romani is the one who brought these portions of scripture to this place. We had brought some glasses and left them with those who needed them.
We drove the 45 minutes back to Lviv with bright sunshine pouring into the van. It felt so good to be sitting in that sun. :o)
We will be staying in Lviv tomorrow and visiting around….but more of that tomorrow.
Helene
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday March 22, 2009
5:30 a.m. – shut off alarm clock
What a time to get up but with the two hour drive to Lutsk we need to get going early enough.
We were fifteen people going down to Lutsk to the Breaking of Bread. We had to get Stephane to drive a second van so that we could all go. And in fact we could have been more but lack of space dictated that there would only be 15 going.
We arrived with only five minutes to spare and it was a real joy to see the Christians again. We enjoyed the meeting very much and Malcolm and Louis gave a word afterwards.
Their building has been undergoing renovations and we were given a “tour” as it were. There is still a lot of work to be done but it is progressing nicely.
It was so nice to see Jeannette again. Her and Anatoly were married in Canada last August and she has since moved to Lutsk where they make their home. I well remember Jeannette at Flo’s apartment a few years ago, floating a few inches off the floor after having spoken to Anatoly over the phone when they were dating. There was no hiding that excitement! It was nice to see that same twinkle in her eye today.
While we were in Lutsk we noticed there was a stroller in the storage room. We inquired and were told we could take it with us as they had no one in mind for it. So we brought it with us and when we returned to Lviv we stopped by the gypsies and gave the stroller to one of the ladies there who had asked for one. It would be such a relief for one to have a stroller there as they cannot leave their baby on the ground and end up carrying them all day long.. If we had more strollers we certainly wouldn’t have difficulty finding a place for them.
We arrived back in Lviv tired from the long drive. The drive itself isn’t that bad, but the conditions of the road make it a dreadful trip. We are jostled around in the van for the whole trip.
An early night will feel very good.
Helene & Flo as well as Malcolm and Louis
Saturday March 21
We decided to go visit the gypsies again with some more clothing and food.
Malcolm and Louis were with us and we thought it would be a good opportunity to bring the message of the gospel to these people again.
We arrived and the people were quick to spot us parked on the highway and soon some of the men and women as well as children came out to greet us.
We walked up to and over the railroad tracks, thru the ditch and thru the little trail to get to their tent village.
There were about eight shelters there, so probably eight families live in this specific place. They have to be the poorest of the poor. Their shelters consist of plastic sheeting with branches acting as framework. They have a little stove of some sort in there to keep warm and to cook. There was laundry hanging on the lines but no water in sight. And judging by the cleanliness of the people, specifically the children, there can’t be too much water around. The kids range between infants and 10 year olds and a few closer to teen years. We were there with our winter coats, hats, gloves and still not specially warm. Many of these children were outside with nothing other than a sweater. Some with an adult size sweater dragging on the ground and in the dirty puddles, no coat, no pants, only the sweater.
One little girl in particular comes to mind. When we got there she was playing on the grass, rolling around. We cold not get her attention and we were told she was deaf and mute. Finally when she saw us going to their homes, she came near me and took my hand and stayed with me while Malcolm and Louis were speaking. This little one was shivering from the cold. Some of the kids came up to me and made signs indicating that she was deaf or that she was not like them. It was obvious that this little one is challenged and will have a very difficult life.
We had brought some oranges and bananas with us. The children were ecstatic at this and ate them with great delight. I think we all had the same thought in our mind, whether these kids had ever even tasted a banana.
The gospel was sounded out one more time and everyone listened quite well. We left the clothes with them to distribute amongst themselves and returned to Lviv to get ready for company for supper.
Lutsk tomorrow so it was an early night.
- Helene
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Ukraine #1: Visit to some Gypsies
Today was our first trip to visit needy people here. We travelled about 45 minutes out of Lviv into the country and found much less snow on the fields than we had in the city. It looks as though they did not have the snowfall of 2 nights ago.
We were travelling alongside a railway track for some of the way and then stopped at a "station" on the side of the road. I use the word "station" loosely as there was a concrete platform and a derilect building a few meters away.
Ruslan our driver got out and walked over the tracks and into a wood where we could see a number of tents made of plastic sheeting. He then returned with a group of men and children who had come to greet us and carry the boxes of clothes and the food we had brought for them.
Everone was very excited and most greeted us with the words "Slava Boga" or "praise God". We then made our way to the camp through mud and wet grass and came into the middle of the camp. By this time, the women had come and most of them were carrying babies. The condition of the clothing that the children were wearing was aweful, worn out, too big and dirty. Some only had a man's sweater that was so long it dragged in the mud.
They all gathered around and we told them of the love of Jesus, they listened very well and have probably had some preaching at other times. When Ruslan prayed at the end there were so many others "praying" it was hard to hear him. We think there may have been some Pentacostal contacts at some time in the past.
We are having some Christians in for supper tonight and off to Lusk tomorrow with two van loads.
Malcolm
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Malcolm and Louis Arrive
The trips to Ukraine mentioned here are well underway. Flo Kancir and Helene Plourdes have been in Lviv for a while now, and Helene emailed today reporting that they had picked up Malcolm Stanley and Louis Smith. Malcolm and Louis will be in Lviv for a few days before heading out to Ivano Frankivsk.
Please pray for the work in Ukraine. These workers will face many challenges this visit. They will need
Please pray for the work in Ukraine. These workers will face many challenges this visit. They will need
- wisdom to know how to best respond to the increased poverty
- guidance regarding where and how they spend their time
- Scriptural insight to instruct the believers to trust God more than North American provisions
- power to make the love and message of Christ known
- Divine companionship to sustain them while they're away from spouses and family
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Getting back into the work.
A new year of activity is about to begin once again in the Lviv area of Ukraine.
Flo Kancir and Helene Plourdes are retuning to Lviv on the 8th of March.
Louis Smith and I will be heading over on the 18th of March for a month.
We hear that things are getting very expensive in Ukraine and there are many being laid off work.
We expect there will be many looking for help in different ways.
We are hoping to continue meetings in Lviv as well as Ivano Frankivsk but expect that some who travel some distances to the meetings will need help with bus and train fares.
We are looking for the continued prayer of those interested in the furtherance of the gospel, as we can really tell when we are being upheld in prayer.
Malcolm Stanley.
Flo Kancir and Helene Plourdes are retuning to Lviv on the 8th of March.
Louis Smith and I will be heading over on the 18th of March for a month.
We hear that things are getting very expensive in Ukraine and there are many being laid off work.
We expect there will be many looking for help in different ways.
We are hoping to continue meetings in Lviv as well as Ivano Frankivsk but expect that some who travel some distances to the meetings will need help with bus and train fares.
We are looking for the continued prayer of those interested in the furtherance of the gospel, as we can really tell when we are being upheld in prayer.
Malcolm Stanley.
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