Update from Gilles - #1

Greetings from Ukraine, from Gilles Plourde of Kapuscaping Ontario.

All is well here and the summer weather is easy to take. My time here started on a busy note. On
Wednesday June 27th I arrived and I was expected to speak that evening at meeting and so I did on the
faith spoken of in Hebrews 11.

On the Friday I opened their Bible reading on John 9 and Saturday we travelled an hour north to
Sosnivka to a rehabilitation center for physically and mentally handicapped people of all ages. We had
been to this institution before and we are always welcomed here. As usual we brought some clothes and
groceries. Edmund and I preached the gospel to the staff and the residents.

On Sunday I gave ministry in Lviv. Monday Ruslan and I were off to the city of Ternopil 1.5 hours away
to get the van repaired. The motor has stopped running several times now, leaving us stranded on the
road. We have had the van now for seven years and it has over 400,000 kms on it. They exchanged the
computer that runs the motor for another second hand unit. The van seems to run better. The next day
we went two hours south to Ivano-Frankivsk for the regular Tuesday night gospel meeting. There were
about 17 or 18 people out to hear the gospel, at which Edmund and I preached.

The next day was the regular Wednesday night meeting in lviv and I gave ministry. There were several
unsaved people at the meeting, friends of some of the believers, so they heard a little bit of gospel also.
The next day being Thursday we went 1.5 hours in another direction to preach the gospel in a women’s
shelter in the city of Drohovitch. Again we are always welcomed here and we normally bring supplies
for new mothers and newborns. This time was no exception. The next day in Lviv we finished the Bible
reading on John chapter 9.

The next ten days took on a different character because it was conference time in Lutsk, two hours
north. The conference actually takes place at a Bible camp half an hour out of the city. The actual
facilities were originally built by Stalin to be a “Pioneer camp”. That is, a summer camp where youths
were to be indoctrinated in communism, Marxism and Leninism. Stalin would roll over in his grave if he
knew the Bible was now opened and taught here. There were approximately 110 – 120 people at the
conference. About 25 or 30 from north and south Ireland and England, four believers from Slovakia and
one from Canada (me). The rest were all Ukrainian. Some were older Sunday school students from
Lutsk.

There are too many details to write down but I’ll give you an outline of the conference.

Every morning after breakfast we had a ½ hour prayer meeting and then a half hour break. This was
followed by ½ hour of singing hymns (Ukrainian, English and some Slovakian) and then one hour plus of
ministry. The ministry given by Phil Coulson from Ireland was excellent. Every afternoon we went to
nearby villages to give out tracts and invitations to an opened air gospel meeting in their village center.
Every day there was a children’s meeting in the village of Ozero in their community center. There were
about 50 or 60 kids of every age out every day and they really seemed to enjoy the meetings. The children’s meetings were taken by James College from England and he was excellent. The gospel
meeting at the camp on the first Sunday was taken by Edmund and I. In the course of the week one
young lady got saved and on the Saturday two young people from Lutsk were baptized. I was very sick
for a few days but recovered in time to take the bus to return to Lviv.

The week following the conference, on Tuesday the 17th we went again to Ivano for the Tuesday
evening gospel meeting with a good number out. Edmund and I spoke. The next day we were off to the
jail in Sambir a good hour away from Lviv. We often come here to bring supplies for them. This time we
brought 48 pairs of jeans, 20 sweat shirts, several packages of printer paper and a few ink cartridges. I
had forgotten my passport and did not expect to get inside with Edmund and Ruslan. But to our
surprise, the new warden thought nothing of it and I was allowed to go in. There were 48 inmates
listening to the gospel as well as staff and guards. Everyone got a few candies after the meeting. This
prison has 150 boys between the ages of 14 to 18 – all here for on criminal charges. We were back in
Lviv for the 7:00 pm meeting.

On Friday Edmund and Agnes were off to Ireland and Ruslan and Tania and their daughter were off to
Bulgaria for some rest and relaxation beside the Black Sea. So the following two Tuesdays, Volodia
drove me to Ivano for meeting and interpreted for me also. We stayed overnight both times and got the
oil changed in the Mercedes van and took care of other business.

On Sunday, August 9th, I started to distribute food packages which I put together: a loaf of bread, a
kilo of rice, a kilo of macaroni, a package of tea, a small package of cookies, a banana, a Gospel of John
and a John 3:16 text, all in a large zip-lock bag. I went to various areas with garbage dumpsters and gave
the food parcels to individuals picking through the dumpsters for food. The parcels were well received.

When Ruslan and Tania came back from Bulgaria we went to visit a gypsy camp near Tchervonohrad.
Most of the gypsies migrate south to the Carpathian mountains for the summer, but there was a group
of about fifteen families in this particular area. So we brought some groceries and had the opportunity
to preach the gospel. Unfortunately most of the men were not interested in us or our message and
stayed together some distance away. Only the women and children came to listen, with the exception of
two men. The women asked us to give their regards to Flo as they are concerned for her and pray for
her.

The next day, Saturday August 4th, we went to the city of Stryiy to visit a certain family which we have
been helping for many years now. They have six children. The two older girls are married now reducing
the load somewhat on this household. Their oldest is a 22 year old mentally and physically handicapped
boy. The youngest boy was hit by a bus last year and suffered a fractured skull and some internal
injuries. He has recovered well. He has a major scar on his head but it doesn’t show because of the way
his hair lies. They said they were praying for Flora and if they would not see her again on earth, they
would see her in heaven. We had brought groceries for them and also for the ninety six year old
neighbour lady who appreciated our help and attention. She likes Ruslan our driver.

Sunday August 5th was busy with breaking of bread in Lviv at eleven where I spoke and then off to
Ivano-Frankivsk for meeting at four where I spoke also. We returned to Ivano again on Tuesday for meeting at six. Attendance was good this week with seventeen or eighteen out. This being the last
meeting for now, the believers here and everyone else are anxiously awaiting Dan Perez’s return, and
anyone else who will come and help with the work in this city. Edmund and Agnes should be back in Lviv
in September also.

Your brother in Christ, Gilles Plourde.