Spring 2011 - Report #7

Sunday March 27^th

We put our clocks on one hour last night so lost an hour sleep, but did not have to get up early, as we were going to Lviv for the Breaking of Bread which is at 12noon. We left at 10:30 and picked up 3 ladies who wanted to come to the meeting. They had all been in fellowship at Solidarity and looked for the day they could remember the Lord again.

It had snowed in the night but was all wet and yucky. Fortunately, the snow ran out as we neared Lviv and became much warmer. About 18 of us sat down to Break Bread; it was such a joy to hear each brother worship the Lord. I gave a message at the end of the meeting on the 3 “ifs” in Luke 23 and the absence of an “if” in verse 42.

Of course, dear Flo had made a quick meal for us as we might faint on the way home without something to eat. We then packed a box of baby clothes and some blankets and were on our way home. The only problem was that we didn’t leave enough time to get home at 4pm for the meeting here in Ivano. We were 15 minutes late but everyone was waiting outside for us.

We had a good meeting with several people out we had wanted to see, which was an encouragement.

Dan and I were not too hungry so went for a walk and found a “hole in the wall” cafe, where we had a small salad and juice and then headed home to bed.

Monday March 28^th

We found out last night that Luba, one of the sisters that came with us to Lviv, has a daughter who has had a kidney problem and was in a children’s sanatorium in the hills. She was ready to come home today and Luba and her autistic son where going on the bus to get her. As it was going to take 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to come home, we thought we should go and get her. We left at about 10am for the 1 hour trip, so we thought! I can say that I have never ridden on such pot holed roads for so long a distance, in my life. The road was good until we turned off the highway. There were holes that bottomed out the van, full of water. The problem is that the Sanatorium is in a logging area and the logging trucks have destroyed the communist built roads.

Enough about the drive. We met the Administrator of the sanatorium, a very pleasant lady, and told her what we do and wondered if we could speak to the children. She says they will be very happy to have us after the first of April, as they expect to have a full house of children in that week. It seems children come in batches and they were clearing out today. We are looking forward to the visit but NOT the drive. We headed home with another lady and daughter on board who was a neighbour of Luba’s. We invited her to the meetings and hope she comes.

We were completely worn out after the trip but managed to do so things around town and in the apartment. We have plans to visit a baby orphanage with supplies and hopefully a word to staff.

All for now Malcolm and Dan.  

Spring 2011 - Report #6

Friday March 25^th

Decided we should look for summer tires for the van and get them before going to Lviv on Sunday. One thing Vadym knows it all the best places for “things”. We got prices but did not buy yet as we were not satisfied. We had some visiting we wanted to do and so natually decided to get the tires put on the 4 extra wheels we got with the van. We went to visit a lady, while they were doing that. She comes out to meeting but is badly crippled with a stroke. She was outside burning off the garden but invited us in the house, it was in a mess as her brother was doing some remodelling or “remont” as they call it. She lives with her daughter of 20 some years who is paid to look after her mother. The daughter was very pleasant but does not come out to meeting. I had a nice chat about being saved and she did agree to come out on Tuesday.

We then went back to get the wheels on and they were busy and by the time we were done, we were almost late for the 5 oclock meeting.  We had a good number out again and there seemed to be good attention.

Saturday March 26^th

Not a nice day, rather cool and cloudy. Vadym and his family go swimming on Saturday morning at 7am. I elected not to go but Dan was away when I woke up at 8am. I had a leisurely shower and breakfast. When they came back, Dan was limping as he had come down the slide too fast and banged his heel on the bottom of the pool. He is still limping but we think he will live without having to amputate his foot.  We later went to visit a man who comes regularly and brings an adult son who is a little slow but listens well. We found his father in bed but he got up and told us he is suffering from a balance problem when he stands up and starts to move. The doctor has not found out what it is yet. It sounds like vertigo or some inner ear problem. We prayed for him and hope he will soon be out again.

We went to Vadym’s for a good supper. Then  home to get ready for Sunday in Lviv, it had started to snow, we hope it doesn’t stick.

All for now

Malcolm and Dan

Spring 2011 - Report #5

Wednesday March 23

Spring seems to have sprung as there a flowers popping and sun shining. The wind is still a little cool but really quite nice.

Vadym phoned to say that Amelia, his daughter had woken with a tooth ache, so he was on his way to pick us up in a taxi and take her to the dentist. We had a little personal shopping to do so we shopped while the dentist fixed Amelia. We then met the man who had the vehicle we wanted to buy and went to the Mercedes dealer and had the van diagnosed again, just to be sure everything was good. It checked out 100% and no charge as the man who did it is a friend of Vadym’s. The same old story, it’s not WHAT you know but WHO you know that counts, in Ukraine any way.

Once this was done we paid for the vehicle and went to a notary public, called an “Advocat” here, to prepare a legal bill of sale. It took her about an hour to write up the 5 pages of the contract. The cost was 400Rhivney or $50.00. So now the van is ours and we are very happy with it. I don’t think this vehicle is in North America, it is called a Mercedes Vito.

It is a 9 passenger with removable seats. A 2000 with a Diesel engine.

By the time all this was done it was time to get ready for meeting at 5pm.

We were glad to see the room fill up with old friends and some new people that I had not met but Dan had met last year. Tania and he mother were out. Her mother looked wonderful since the surgery to replace her nose that had to be removed. I found out the problem that had attacked her was Lupus. Some of you will have heard of it.

Tania is leaving tomorrow for Montreal, Canada. She has got her visa and is going to seek and work to better the situation for her mother and brothers. She needs our prayers.

We went to Tania’s home for a nice lunch and then home to bed.

Thursday.

Vadym arrived in the van at 8:30 am to pick us up as well as some supplies for an old folk’s home. We were going to the town this home is in because Vadym’s father-in-law was to be buried today. We arrived to find the upstairs of an apartment house, full of people singing in response to the priest’s prayers over the open coffin. We stayed until they moved outside and brought the coffin outside, with the coffin open and “Grandpa” lying in state for the entire crowd to see. Now there was another session, with everyone who wanted to, kissing the corpse. There must have been 50 people attending. While we were standing outside, some ladies moved through the crowd giving everyone a fresh round loaf of bread in a plastic bag.

After a while (about a good hour so far) they loaded the casket, now with its top on, onto an old WW 2 truck, draped in black and began the “march” to the cemetery.

We left in the van to go another route to the cemetery. It was way up in the hills on terrible roads. It took the procession a good hour to walk all the way to the cemetery. It really was a beautiful spot overlooking a beautiful valley. The wind was fierce but not too cold. Once there, they then crowded into the church at the cemetery for another service and then to the grave side for another service before lowering the casket in to a VERY deep grave.

We had gone to the old people’s home before going to the cemetery and gave out some clothes. I spoke briefly to two staff and a few of the residents.

We were going to head home after the party returned to the house from the funeral, but one of the daughters of the man who died would not hear of it, we HAD to go in and eat. What a spread of food, and our waists I’m sure.

We packed the van with 10 of us and headed home, quite weary after so long in the wind and fresh air but looking to do some visiting in town tomorrow.

All for now and thank you for those who donated and prayed for us to get a good vehicle. God answered prayer.

Malcolm and Dan.

Spring 2011 - Report #4

Monday and Tuesday March 21 & 22^nd.

We were all ready for Ruslan to pick us up at 10 am, and leave our “foster mother Flo” for 3 weeks, and move to Ivano Frankivsk. As we would not be having a meeting on Monday night, Flo elected to stay home and sort out her last shipment of boxes.

We picked some Bibles from the Canadian Bible House before getting on our way. What a trip. The roads are breaking up now the frost has lifted. Pot holes almost the entire hour and a half trip; very hard on drivers and cars.

Vadym was at the apartment to meet us. The apartment was spotless and we proceeded to unpack and then head over to have a visit and supper with Vadym, Sveta and their daughter Amelia, who now spends all day at day care/ kindergarden. Sveta has a new job selling items to pharmacies and had to leave on the 7pm train to go for training in Kiev, 11 hours on this train through the night. Seminar all day Tuesday, back on the train and arrive at 7am Wednesday.

We came home and got our beds ready and crawled in at 11:45 pm. My room was cold, as a case had been put on top of the only radiator and no heat “radiated”. My nose and arms froze, and I had a miserable night.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Tuesday.

O well, the morning came and we were up and ready by 7am. Our plan was to shop for a vehicle to be left for the work in Ivano. Most of the morning was spent going through the Ukrainian “Truck Trader” on the web. We found one in Ivano and several others in a town near-by. However it turned out that the first one we saw in Ivano is most likely the most suited so we will see what tomorrow brings.

We have to do some quick visiting as the schools are on mid-term break next week and we would like to visit some this week.

Not too much of interest to report but a big decision for us to make. Please pray that the vehicle will be trustworthy and serve us well and long.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Malcolm and Dan.

Spring 2011 - Report #3

Saturday turned out to be cloudy and cold and wet, still not spring. We were going to visit in town once again. First we went to see Maria. She is an abandoned wife and mother of five children. The oldest is in university and still lives at home with his mother and a younger brother and two younger sisters. These 5 sleep in one room off the kitchen on two flip flop sofa’s that were ripped apart when the husband left. The sponge is all exposed. The eldest son has just gone into the army but also sleeps in the same room when he is home. They have to go outside to use a toilet shared with other tenants. There is no bathroom. It’s hard to believe in this day that people have to live in such circumstances. We would like to buy at least one new sofa bed if the funds permit.

Next we went into a village a few miles out of the city to see another sad case and give a little encouragement. Natalia is a teacher of Ukrainian language and culture and lives with her two young sons in a hovel of an apartment. Her husband left her while she was having the youngest boy in hospital. She came home to see he had left, taking the furniture and anything of value. He then denied that the new baby was his and refused to support her charging her with infidelity. Now one of his relatives is trying to get her evicted from her apartment as she wants to sell it. The boys are lovely boys the one could speak good English and is also learning Polish, he is only 9 years old. His brother is 12.

Natalia is not saved but is very interested and we had a good conversation with her about the need of salvation and blessing of having God as our Father and Friend. We left her with some supplies and some funds as she has had to hire a lawyer to help with the apartment problem.

We were close to the place we first had meetings in the home of Stefka in the village of Nesnevachi. When we first came with Ross Vanstone and Seed Sowers, we had meetings each Sunday for several weeks. It’s sad to see the people getting so old and needing serious surgery both Stefka and her son Orst have had serious surgery but seemed to have benefitted so far. Flo also visited another friend across the road. We brought garden seeds to all these people, so greatly appreciated by them all. We thank Brother Jim Solomon for donating so many seeds for us to distribute.

Sunday March 20^th

We had a good breakfast of Flo’s special crepes. (There goes the diet!) We got things ready for the Breaking of Bread meeting held at 12 noon. About 15 in fellowship and 3 unsaved watching on. It was so exciting to hear each brother pray so intelligently and thank God for giving His Son to die for them. All except one are from non Christian backgrounds. I gave a word at the end on Acts 2 and what was expected of each one who was formed the first new-testament church.

We all had a nice cold lunch and fellowshipped for a while before going out to visit one of the families and having supper and a nice time round the scriptures. Then home in a taxi and started to get ready to leave for Ivano Frankivsk tomorrow at 10am.

A great week in Lviv. I omitted to say that Dan got his lost bag on Tuesday ok.                                                                                 

Thanks for praying for the work

Malcolm & Dan

Spring 2011 - Report #2

Report Thursday March 17^th We woke to a miserable cold and rainy day. There is no snow but lots of mud.

We got under way at 10am to spend the day visiting in Lviv. Of course we have to take some food supplies to these people, so visit our famous super market first. The super markets certainly have plenty of selection but the prices have really gone up.

The first lady we visited is named Oxana and she was very sad and cried most of the time. The last time we visited with her, she had her 18 year old cerebral palsy daughter with her in her home. The girl died about 9 months ago and she is having a real problem getting over the loss. We are sure the girl was saved as she would show amazing joy when we talked to her about the Saviour, the last time we visited with her. Oxana’s mother was their too and we are quite sure both ladies are trusting in Christ as their Saviour. Oxana said she will come to meeting now that she is free of the 24 hour care of her daughter.

We then went to visit a lovely sister in Christ Lesia who is house-bound in a wheel-chair with MS. She has 5 grown children and a good husband who is not saved but listens to what Flo says to him when we visit. I have mentioned for prayer, the need for a new or good wheel-chair for Lesia as the seat is broken and cannot be repaired. It is a toilet wheel-chair and is most uncomfortable for this lovely lady. We spoke with her and prayed and left some house hold and medical supplies.

Friday March 18^th

Still foggy and raining this morning but not so cold today.

We were going out of town today to visit the children’s home at Yosopowich, our favourite little orphanage in a small village. We were going to visit with the ex-doctor who carves for a living now in the town of Stri. Before we leave we have to pick up supplies for both places as both are in desperate need of help.

The orphanage was having some plumbing problems with the water pressure, so the plumber who installed the system two years ago, and a helper came along with us to find the problem. We arrived at noon and they got to work right away. It seemed that the pressure pump could not maintain enough water pressure. While they traced the problem we visited with the staff but the children, all pre-schoolers, were having their afternoon nap, except they were all awake! After the problem was found and solved with the system, we headed back down the road, full of pot holes, to visit with Michael the doctor in the 2 room apartment he shares with his wife and 5 children. His sixth daughter has just married and moved out. Since the last time we were there a year ago, he was able to renovate the apartment with funds we left. He painted, got rid of the cockroaches that infested the place, even though it was not dirty, and put down some new flooring. Now the ceiling has developed large patches of mould because of the lack of any air movement. Dan was almost sick with the smell of the dampness that these people have to live in. It can’t be healthy.

We headed home and had supper and got ready for meeting at 7pm. This was not a regular meeting, but one we arranged to just have a home Bible study in the book of James. About 8 people came and we had a profitable time that all said they appreciated. There was good participation.

After every one had gone home we relaxed and watched a very good video Dan had brought called “the forbidden book” about the history of the Bible.

And so to bed.

Malcolm

Spring 2011 - Report #1

Report #1 dated Tuesday March 15^th 2011.

Everything went well on Sunday morning as David, my middle son, drove me to Winnipeg at 4:15am for my 6:20am flight to Toronto. God graciously gave us clear roads after the roads had been closed until Saturday noon with ice and blowing snow.                                                                                                 

 The wait in Toronto was long and boring except for a very nice talk with a young lady from Newfoundland, on her way home from teaching in Soul Korea. I was able to give her my testimony and God’s plan of salvation. She was very interested and it passed a good 1 ½ hours.

Dan arrived and we got the LOT Air plane in good time. It was not full and we both got an outside seat with an empty one in the middle. Good for stretching long legs in. We arrived on time in Warsaw and made a good connection to Lviv. Only one snag, Dan’s one and only bag did not arrive and was not in Warsaw either. A tracer has been put on it and he should get it on Thursday when the next LOT flight comes in.                                                                                                                                                                   

  We were met by Flo and Ruslan and were glad that the Customs  didn’t ask anything about my bags. We were worried about the seeds we had brought to give away, but no problems.

 We were able to have a nap before supper but thankfully were still able to get 7 hours sleep.

Tuesday we had to change our Canadian or US money. The exchange rate is good for us but not for the Ukrainian economy.  Canadian was 8.2Rhivney and US was 7.94Rhivney per dollar.

We then picked up some sewing material for one of the orphanages then headed out to deliver some goods to Vileky Luben (Great Love), one of our favourite orphanages since we first came here. It has about 120 children, some of which are mentally challenged. We had a very nice time talking over the Scriptures with the Director and then we spoke to most of the kids and staff in their auditorium. After a light lunch with the director we headed home.

To say the least, our jet-lag caught up in the evening and Dan didn’t get to sleep until about 3am. I slept like a log.

Wednesday we woke to a heavy foggy morning but what turned out to be a lovely sunny warm day.

We left at about 10am to travel to the orphanage in Lopartin. That is also one the orphanages we have visited and helped for years. It is the one that we helped build a bathhouse for, many years ago. We were to take the material we got yesterday but we forgot it, as we were taking a box of clothes as well as toilet paper and other necessities as well. We had our usual great reception. After lunch with the director, a lady, we met all the children in the auditorium and Dan spoke very well on the Lost Sheep. There are 125 kids there and most of them were in the meeting and many staff.                                    

We headed home for supper made by Flo, cabbage rolls with chopped beef. Time for a quick nap before meeting at 7pm. Just 12 of us out as quite a number either working or sick. We both spoke and there seemed to be good interest. After a time of fellowship and a small lunch, they went home, but want a meeting on Friday as well as the meetings on Sunday.                                     

 Malcolm.