Thursday, August 30, 2012

Direct Mail of Parcels to the Ukraine

For many years we have just had to put a name of someone in Ukraine on a box with our address and it has not been questioned. We are now informed that for the past three months Customs has held boxes because the address was not the address for the person whose name was on the box.

The director for MEEST has informed us that we must put both the names and addresses of the people on the label. He will try to persuade the authorities to allow the boxes to be shipped to the same place as before, and not delivered to each individual home. Another twist is that a person can only receive one box every three months. This means that if we send the boxes as we have been sending them we can’t be sure that they will be delivered. We will have to co-ordinate what parcels are sent to each person once we know the facts.

If we can still get boxes delivered to one address for distribution, we may have to get a longer list of names and addresses from people in Ukraine and not send boxes with the same addresses as often. We are prepared to start a database with information regarding the boxes and coordinate shipments. The only carrier we have heard from is MEEST.
We suggest you hold off sending any boxes at the moment.

This is all very new to us, so please send us any suggestions you may have. We never know when the regulations will change.

Malcolm and Jean Stanley.
Christian Assembly Work in Ukraine.
Portage la Prairie. MB

Update from Malcolm

Update on the work continuing in Western Ukraine.

Thankfully there has been a worker in Lviv and Ivano for most of the Spring and summer. This is very
encouraging for the Assembly in Lviv and the group in Ivano. Both need the help of brethren from
outside the country to keep up their interest and to encourage them.

In early Spring, Eric Fowler and Howard Pratt were together in Ivano Frankivsk along with Dan Perez.
Then Gilles Plourde arrived on July 26th and ministered in both Lviv and Ivano until August 9th. This was
very helpful as Edmund and Agnes Johnston had gone back to Ireland and so there was no one in Lviv or
Ivano to meet with the Christians as well as the non Christians.

Only a few weeks have elapsed with no one there and now Dan Perez will return on September3rd. for 3
months. Edmund and Agnes should be back in Lviv early September too.

Malcolm Stanley and Howard Pratt plan on returning on October the 9th for a month. Following their
visit, Louis Smith is planning to visit as well.

We are asking once more for your prayers as we seek to bring the gospel to those who are not yet sure
where they will spend eternity, and to teach those who need help to live as Christians. The family of Flo
Kancir would also desire your prayers for Flo who is still in hospital after two major surgeries and is not
making good progress.

Please pray also that we will still be able to send humanitarian aid with no problems from the
authorities, as the needs are still very great for the poor and those in institutions.

Malcolm Stanley.

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.