Thursday, November 8, 2012

Malcolm Report #8

Ukraine report #8 Nov 1-3rd.
Thursday, we visited a lady who professed to be saved some time ago but has many doubts and home problems. She has a very sparse apartment and a 20 year old son who is a concern to her, they both sleep in the one room.
We had a good talk about eternal security and told her she did not need to confess to a priest, once Christ had forgiven her. People are so tied to the church here and find it hard to just trust Christ and His finished work.
At 4 pm a lady Lena and her 13 year old daughter came to the apartment to talk. She was a delightful Christian lady who wanted to let her daughter hear what we said about the gospel. Anyway they finished up staying for supper. I made them soup and then they stayed for our next meeting at 7pm.
A new man turned up who Dan and Volodia met at the Sports Complex and was really interested as we talked about the Bible and its history. He promised to come out again next week.
Friday. We went to the Half-Way House Internat or orphanage and spoke to about 15 children and gave out candy and balloons texts and calendars.
We had picked up 6 chalkboards for Peter Village School and plan to take them out on Saturday.
We were invited for lunch to a man named Ruslan and his wife Anya, who had come to Lviv with the other group of people we had met and who then asked to meet with us. We were so impressed with this couple (especially her cooking!) that we stopped and talked for 2 hours. He was saved as a teen but went to the USA and became a citizen and started a very profitable business that took him away from The Lord. He has since repented and come back to the Lord but has suffered a real setback. It seems he has been either wrongly convicted of a felony in the States so had his passport taken as he headed home to Ukraine. He is now stuck with no passport to do any business in Ukraine or the States. He cannot get any help from the US Consulate as to what he is supposed to have done. Very strange but Dan knows some Christian lawyers in the US and is taking all his paperwork to them when he returns.
Out for coffee in the evening and home to bed.
Saturday. We took the chalk-boards out to the school in Petriliv and the staff was delighted with them. The old Communist boards were warped, scratched and had holes in them and were shiny and could not be written on any longer.
While we ate lunch we talked about the future of the school and what would happen if they closed it down. The Administrator said that it would probably be made into a rehabilitation home for troubled children and it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to work with them in this project. She said they may not close the school but rather shut of the second floor and have the school all on the lower level and the rehab upstairs. It sounds interesting and needs much prayer. Nothing may happen soon but the child population in Petriliv is dropping each year.
Spent the rest of the day getting ready to leave for Lviv tomorrow. Went out to a swanky restaurant for supper and could not believe it only cost 100R each.
God bless and thank you for your prayers.
Malcolm, Howard, Dan and Volodia.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Malcolm Report #7

Ukraine Report #7 October 29-31
Monday morning we went to buy some school supplies for Yablunuv or apple village and also ordered some green boards to be made for Peter Village. We then headed off to Yablunuv. This must be a very popular name as we found 3 on the map. The administrator Natalia met us as we arrived and we had our usual chat about the situation in Ukraine with the lack of Government funding for institutions. They only get enough money for food and light and heat but nothing for maintenance of housekeeping. They are always robbing Peter to pay Paul and gong further into debt.
She called all the children into the auditorium and Howard and I spoke to them. There were quite a number of quite young children who were new to me. We gave the teachers some school supplies we had brought and the children some candy. They all listened very well but the older ones are quite unruly when it comes to receiving a gift such as candy. They push and grab and come back again and say they didn’t get any yet. Quite greedy and selfish but I suppose it’s to be expected when raised in an orphanage.
We then went over to the Maternity ward at the hospital and left baby clothes for the 3 mothers there. Not a very busy place at all. The nurse said that not many people are having children in that village.
We then went to the old people’s home in the same building and took a box of clothes for the women and a box of bedding but did not see the old folk’s as most were sleeping, however 5 nurses came to see the boxes and I had the opportunity to speak to them. I think this was the first time this had ever happened; they listened very well.
Tuesday We sorted some boxes to see what was in them as we needed some children’s clothing to take to Stari Lacets. What a name! It means Old People but had many young people and big new houses being built. This is the village we call Luba’s village as her mother-in-law lives there and this is the village we were made so welcome in the school. However, some parents have complained about us coming to the school, as we are not teaching what the priest teaches. So we had to go and have a talk with the priest. We went to the church and he was having a morning meeting, not Mass as they did not eat the wafer or anything. After he finished speaking to about 20 old people he came to us. He was very nice, about 45 or so and had been to the USA and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. He was very impressed.
His problem was that he felt he was teaching the people in the village all they needed to know and wondered how we could teach them anything he had not. He was having a building built next to the church that was going to be a youth centre. We parted friends and he was going to show the bishop our new testament and another book we put into the libraries.
We left him and went back to the school with Halia the Christian ethics teacher and had lunch and then made plans as to how we could still speak to groups of children. Halia is very brave and said that the priest did not say we could not come into the school so we made plans to go back tomorrow and speak to a group of difficult children and take clothing for some poor families. Then we had lunch and left for home and meeting at 5:30pm. About 15 were out again and we had our last meeting before going home next Tuesday.
Wednesday, we had an appointment at the garage to get the turn signals adjusted so that they cancel. The garage was having a problem with getting us in as planned so we cancelled and re-booked for the afternoon.
We had been invited to Yaroslav and Halia’s for breakfast so called to see if we came at 10am that would be ok? It was, so Volodia, Howard and I, Dan had stayed home; went for breakfast. I have never had a 6 course breakfast before, It was far too much, as we had eaten breakfast before going out.
We could only stay long enough to eat, but really wanted to talk to Halia, who has been sick and needs help. We rushed back to pick up Dan and 7 boxes to take to Luba’s Village and meet with the troubled kids. We arrived right on time and they were all waiting for us, about 13 boys and one girl. I spoke first, Howard followed and Dan finished. They all listened very well and we can only hope something stuck and will help them not be a disturbance in class and get their work done.
The 3 staff then opened the boxes and sorted clothing for the families of 3 little girls who came in. They have big and very poor families.
We left and rushed back to the garage and got the turn signal problem solved, then went to Yaroslav and Halia’s again to talk, but not before we had another 6 course meal for supper. We had a good talk with Halia but only time will tell if she will be willing to forsake her hold on the Charismatic teachings she has imbibed. Pray for Halia, she is a lovely woman.
And so to home and rest after a mixed up busy day, but a good and Godly one.
Pray for us and those who are coming next week, Louis  Smith and Eric Fowler.
Malcolm, Howard Dan and Volodia.

Malcolm Report #6

Ukraine Report #6 for October 25-28

Thursday was a run-around get ready for the Conference in Lviv sort of day. We picked up the van from the shop and really appreciate the new stick shift. We also got some bulbs put in the instrument panel. Now we are ready to go to Lviv tomorrow.
We did some more shopping and then headed home to get ready for meeting at 7pm. Oleg and Ola and Igor, from the prison authority met with us and we had a good study of Isaiah 53. There was some lively discussion, mainly by Oleg, who does not think the Ukrainian bible is not as true or accurate as the Russian or English one. We concluded that he was probably right.
Friday we were making final arrangements as to those who are going to the Conference. Things are different in Ukraine to Conferences in N America. There are no homes of Christians that are able to host visitors, so they must all be housed elsewhere. A large Baptist church is rented, or at least a portion of it. We use a side hall that has a kitchen and then upstairs they have 3 floors of dormitories. This is not enough for all the visitors, so they also have to rent rooms in a local hostel that is quite nice, so they say.
We were to leave at 4pm sharp with a bus plus our own van. The group we met a week ago were coming with 16 people and they were in a bus we rented. Well some were late arriving and so our van left at 4:15 and they got away a 4:30. We went as quickly as possible as they had supper waiting for us in Lviv. We arrived at 6:30 and they had our soup and sandwiches waiting for us. The meeting started at 7pm and the other van arrived at about 7:10.
The meeting was for the gospel and a brother from Ireland, Dennis Williamson and Howard preached. After meeting we had lunch and then began the job of getting everyone into the right rooms. Not an easy job, I can tell you. Eventually we left, Howard and I and Yaroslav to stay at Flo’s apartment and Dan with Volodia at his home.
Saturday morning we all had breakfast at the Church and also had good fellowship with the invited guest. We know little about them but they were all the most gracious guests.
The first meeting was for Prayer and it went very well. It was followed right away with a bible reading in 1 Corinthians Ch 1, lead by Brother Williamson. There was good participation by several brethren.
After a good lunch, the meeting was for ministry of the word of God. Dan Perez spoke first, I was next and lastly Brother Williamson. The ministry was well received by all who listened. After this meeting we had a good supper again prepared by the sisters in the Lviv meeting.
The day was over and the Lutsk Christians went home to Lusk but we and the visitors stayed over for the Sunday morning meeting. We turned our clocks back one Hour before going to bed.
Sunday.
Meeting was at 11am in the Gospel Hall but we were ready by 9am because of the time change.
The brothers had setup enough chairs for our visitors. None were in the fellowship but there were seats for all. We were surprised to see a new man with a shaved head sitting with our guests. We found out they had found him on the street and he was willing to be brought to the meeting. They had shaved his head as he had lice and got him clean clothes. They are bringing him back to Ivano as they have a drug and alcohol rehab here.
We all headed home after a lunch at the hall and arrived in time for meeting at 5 pm. Had a nice number into the meeting.
Altogether, a most enjoyable weekend, trusting there will much Glory to God been seen.
Malcolm and Howard and Daniel.