Thursday the 12th of December Report #76 from Dan Perez.

Thursday the 12th of December Report #76 from Dan Perez. This week we have had some of the coldest temperature of the season and some of the warmest too, not normal for it to be so warm. Left early in the morning to a school in a town near Yasan . This is a new school and the first time they ever had a foreigner there! We were not sure what group of kids we will be speaking to but was told somewhere between 60-80 will be there. We were taken to their gym and watched as the kids came in, when it looked like the 60 to 80 we asked if it was time to speak, they said more are coming so we waited and then asked again this time they laughed a little and said still more will be coming. When they all came in there were a lot of little munchkins in the gym and a total 160+. In spite of the many munchkins they behaved and listened well and I could tell that they enjoyed the time. I do ask the kids if they had any questions so one kid asked “does America have any problems” what a loaded question! They all received a new testament, calendars and some candy and we were invited back which was good! Had to leave quickly to get to the sanatorium in the same town, where kids go for rest after illness. There we met with the director who has been sick for some time and still looked a little tired. He showed us some historical things they keep in a room as a museum part of the sanatorium. They use this to show the kids a time that once was, a kind of history lesson for them. Then we had some coffee and tea, he had to leave but wanted us to spend some time together. Then we spoke to about 120 kids plus staff. Here too they all listened well and participated well! All the kids received new testaments, calendars and some candy. Also left boxes of clothes and games that they asked for, they said they were in need of games and sporting goods for the kids. Then came back to Ivano and had our evening meeting, all when well but a very long day! Friday) I had some people over to get some clothes for their family. Then Sasha and I tried once again to learn each others language, not ever enough time before you get brain fatigue! On Saturday boxes came from Meest and as always a Big Thank You to all who put the time and effort in sending these boxes to help the Ukrainian people and to reach out to them with the Love of Christ! Sunday) Took the long journey to Lviv to be with the saint in remembering our Lord Jesus Christ! Then Mesha, one of the elders gave a good message on the effects of having the sun go down on your wrath ( Eph 4:26). Made it back in time for our meeting where Yaroslav and I spoke, all listened well! Monday) In the wee hours of the morning I was feeling some stomach problems and went to the hospital with Sasha. Though I wasn’t feeling well the nurse thought it cute that a foreigner was at their hospital, no real help was given but received a couple of shots to bring down the symptoms and it did. Tuesday) Sorted some of the boxes before meeting. Then had our meeting, Yaroslov spoke on complaining about others and against God, I spoke on forgiveness, why we need to ask God for forgiveness. All listened well and at the end of our prayer one lady came in and sat down, she was there for the next meeting that will be in this room. Then two more ladies came in, I gave them a calendar and a tract and an invitation. One of the ladies spoke English very well and said she is thinking about being an interpreter, I thought this was great news and invited her to our meetings, hope she can make it! Continue to pray for those that are coming to these meetings would come to know the Savor as their own and new people would come with a ready heart to hear the gospel message. Also for the messages that they would be honoring to our great God! I would also ask for prayers for these stomach problems! Thank You all for your prayers!! In Christ our Lord Dan

Dan's report #75.

Dan’s report #75. Wednesday the 4th of December Had an appointment to visit an orphanage in a village called Smonyaka up in the mountains about 2 hours from Ivano. Made it there in good time. We first met with the Director then went into one of the classrooms to speak with the kids but we came in while they were in the middle of a lesson. After I spoke the Director thought instead of going class to class it would be better if I spoke to all at once in the auditorium. By now it was lunch time so they made a nice meal for us but with no meat due to their religious holidays; (the 40 days fast before Saint Nicholas Day).After lunch I spoke to about 150 kids, found it a little difficult but it went well they listened and participated very well. All the kids received candy, a calendar and some received new testaments. We left also boxes of clothes and cleaning supplies. Before heading back to Ivano we went to visit the Director of a school we met while Malcolm and Jean were here. It is a big building but just under a hundred students. The Director’s mother started this school 50 years ago and now her son has become the director. In one of the rooms is a small museum to show some of their culture. This was an unexpected visit but we were welcome to come again to speak to the kids. On our way back we picked up a man that wanted a ride to a village close to Ivano, he works at the prison so I asked if he know of a way we can come to speak with the inmates there but he had no leads. Thursday) There were more protests today in the center of town; no longer for joining the EU, that door in now closed but now they are protesting for CHANGE! In one day they have raised $50,000 to send people from Ivano to their capital Kiev to help the demonstrators there. Left in the morning to a town called Olesh, there we visited a school and met with the Vice Principal. We had planned to visit this school weeks ago but they were having their annual testing and this was the first week after the tests. Before I spoke to the kids I talked to the English teacher, she was very disappointed with her students, their scores were bad and she showed me some of their books and said “how someone can learn from these”, she was so disappointed! The kids listened well and they received candy, calendars and new testaments, also left boxes of clothes for the poor families. Had our evening meeting all went well as we continue our topic on “Wrath”. We have been looking at this in three ways, God’s Wrath, Human Wrath and Eternal Wrath. We are coming to the end and I am now searching for another topic to discuss. Friday) Sasha and I spend some time together to learn each other’s language. Because he can already speak English he is much ahead of me but I can only do what I can! We then made up an invitation to the meetings now in a new place. I wanted to make sure others in town knew that these meetings are open to the public whether they come or not is their choice. On Saturday I printed the invitations and passed them out at the bazaar. Sunday) It looked like thousands of people came once again to the center to protest but this time the priest was at the microphone make his long prayers. I was told he was praying for the demonstrators. Then went to see Andrei who runs a charity and he shared with me some of the projects he hopes to start in the future. Had our gospel meeting, at first it looked like it was going to be small but after fifteen minutes the meeting more than doubled. I was hoping to see some new people from the invitations but not yet. After the meeting went to visit Ivan( the amputee) . He said he thought we forgot about him. I said we didn’t we had just been busy. He was a little sick and said that there is still no improvement in what is left of his marriage. Monday) Met with Sasha and we called a few places to visit for the week. We then went to buy some prescriptions for Roman’s wife who recently had some kind of spine surgery. Then visited Tania who works at the hospital and gave her a small box of baby clothes , she said she can give them to the needy that comes to the hospital and she asked for invitations to give with the baby clothes. Tuesday) We went to have our evening gospel meeting but could not get into the room. The security guard said we are not on his list as we had not paid, so after some time and commotion his boss called and said to open the door for use as we had paid but the woman who has the receipt did not pass them to the woman that does the booking. All went well at the meeting but no new people out tonight. Please continue to pray for these meetings, there are big difficulties with the language barrier and for Sasha’s salvation and with his learning how to interpret!! Thank You All!! In Christ our Lord! Dan

Dan's report # 74

Ukraine #74 from Dan. Wednesday the 27th of November There were more protest and hundreds of students took to the streets and started walking to the center of town where the White House is. They should all be in their classes but still pushing and hope for joining the EU. I did some errands in town in winterizing the van and in trying to make it “Ukrainian road resistant”, not an easy task! It was an all-day thing but will have to continue another day. Thursday) More protest at the White House; tomorrow is the final decision the President will make if Ukraine will join the EU. Had our evening meeting, this was the first time we had it at 6:30, some said an earlier time would work better for them and other are finishing the work at 6:00 so thought to move it a half hour earlier to meet in the middle. The meeting went well though one couple (Oleg and Olah) came at 7:00; they must have not gotten the message or just came when they could. After i had taken them all home, I heard someone at the door but ignored it. I then I heard it again and looked through the peephole and saw a drunken man so I just continue doing what I was doing, but now he is using force to try to open the door. So I then ask what he wanted but couldn’t understand him so I called Taras. The man told him he was going to the pharmacy. Taras told me told me leave him and he will go away. Ten minutes later he is doing the same thing and using force to try to open the door. I talk to him again and then walked him out the door he thanked me, then I realized he was too drunk to know how to get out of the apartment block!! Saturday) had to get winter tires for the van in the morning then went to visit Yaroslav. He has been sick all week and hasn’t been working; I wanted to see how he was doing. He didn’t look so good, I helped him with some prescriptions and left some funds for him, hope he gets better soon! Sunday) Left early to Lviv and once again was good to remember that price that was paid for us at Calvary. Today was Edmund and Agnes last meeting before they leave tomorrow for Ireland. They will be away for five weeks. This is a young gathering even though this is their third year meeting as an assembly. There are signs of growth but many struggle and still need mush prayer for God protection! Made it back for our meeting in Ivano, not many out so I thought to have a time of answering question. Some of the questions asked were, should we fear God if he is love? Why are there so many religion when there is one God? If you mean in your hart to pray to the true God would he hear your prayers? There were many good questions and I did my best to answer them! Monday) Sasha came in the morning and we made appointments to visit schools for the week. Then we visited a village called Harushka. We visited a few homes with the mayor’s assistant then met with the Mayor and had something to eat together; there we talked mostly about the happenings of the village. Then we had a gospel meeting in the small mayor’s office with the Mayor there. There were more people waiting for the meeting but had to leave and about 6 came and listened well! I was asked if I can come back tomorrow to visit more homes, I said I can! Tuesday) Headed back to Harushka in the morning with a few boxes of cloths. Each home we visited we brought cloths for them and I had time to talk to them about God’s free gift of salvation then gave them a new testament, a bible text and a calendar. When we got back to Ivano we met with a women named Lessia who comes to the meetings and she told me about some of her medical conditions that required a good diet so I took her to a supermarket call Wal-Mart, yes here too, where I bought food and prescriptions for her. We had a good talk about salvation and she could be a true believer, I encouraged her to keep coming to these meeting that we have here for her to understand more and to be strengthen. Had our evening meeting all listened well, Yaroslav is still sick so only I spoke. Lessia came out with her husband Yuri and their little son. I took them home after the meeting and had a good talk with Yuri, he is an unsaved man but said he will try to make it to the meetings, hope he does! Then bought some cleaning supplies for and orphanage we plan to visit tomorrow. Continue to pray for all meetings and visitations that God would give help and wisdom and that God would be honored and glorified!! Thank you all!! In Christ our Lord! Dan

Report #73 from Dan Perez

Report #73 from Dan Perez Thursday the 21st on November Went early in the morning to Lviv and met with Edmond and Paul. Paul brings in cargo vans from Europe and revamps them to passenger vans and sells them in Ukraine. New laws will make this harder to do and more expensive and it looks like Paul will have to close his shop. There we exchanged vans and I left with a newer one that handles these Ukrainian roads better. On my way back I was waived by the traffic police to stop and I did, there is another new law that you must have your lights on at all times. I did have my parking lights on which meets the new law’s requirement but the officer said I had no lights on, he kept my documents for a while before giving them back and letting me go. This being a revamped van there could be problems so I was glad that all the documents were there and correct. Made it back in time for our meeting, this is the first time on a Thursday that no one but me and Sasha was there. Though at first it didn’t look good but my time with Sasha couldn’t have been better and I saw God using this time as He has the other meetings, Praise God!! Friday) Paid the rent for the room where we have our meeting then headed up to Rasen. In Rasen there is a sanatorium and is about a two hour drive from Ivano and some parts of the road looked and felt like a war zone but the Vito (the van) handled well! There we went to see the director but he was still in the hospital and has been for weeks or months but the second in command had no problems in allowing us to speak to the kids. There were about 90 to 100 kids plus the staff, I can tell that the staff really likes when we come and the kids seem to enjoy this time too! They all listened well, interacted well and asked questions. They all received New Testaments, a calendar with bible verse on them for next year, some candies and left a few boxes there. On the way back I stopped by one of the schools near to Rasen and talked with the vice principal and asked if we can speak to the kids the next time we are in the area. She took us to her office and was delighted to have a foreigner at the school of 450 students and welcomed us to come back to speak to the students. When we got back to Ivano I received a phone call from one of the ladies that comes to the meeting. She was in the hospital and wanted me to visit her. I bought her some prescriptions that she needed and she told me that she did not like this hospital because it is where her husband died and is afraid that she might too. We then had a good talk about God’s plan of salvation! Saturday/Sunday) Spent the weekend in Lviv with the saints there, Edmond invited some of us from Ivano for a time of fellowship. Saturday we had a time for questions and games both with biblical topics and throughout the evening we had good talks, good food and a good time and was glad that Sasha was able to make it too! Sunday morning we met to remember our great God and His great works through His righteous Servant the Lord Jesus! Made it back to Ivano in good timing and before the meeting Sasha and I went through some passages and words to remember. Yaroslav and I spoke and all listened well! Monday) Boxes were delivered today from Meest and sorted them throughout the day. It was a cold and rainy day that later turned into snow, the first snow fall of the season. As I left the apartment for some fresh air (the dust on the boxes causes me to sneeze) and was walking down the street I was hearing loud chanting’s from a crowd coming from somewhere. On my way back to the apartment I came a different way and saw hundreds of people protesting in front of the government building that they call The White House. Police officers were barricading the doors to keep the protester out. The protesters were mostly students that were responding to their President’s decision to stop or suspend all talks about joining the EU (European Union). Most of these students see joining the EU as their future and the only way out of poverty but now they see no future. I then got a call from one lady that works at the school in Petrilliv, a town we visit often. We met and I gave her the meat grinder that was bought while Malcolm and Jean were here. The school there was still using a hand operated one and asked if we could help with getting an electric one, she was very thankful! Tuesday) Went to visit Anolina again at the hospital and helped her with more prescriptions that she needed to give to the nurse to do the injections. Then met with the director of a mentally ill home for men, a place we visit regularly. He was in Ivano for a meeting and asked in our last visit there with Malcolm and Jean for some strips that are used in a blood sugar monitor for the patients. I was able to find them here in Ivano and gave them to him before he left town. We then had our evening meeting, Yaroslav has been sick for the past couple of days so I was the only one that spoke. Continue to pray for the Lord’s work here in Ukraine, laws are constantly changing and could have a direct effect on what we do here and for unity among His own that come to help with the Lord's work here! Thank You!! In Christ our Lord Dan

Dan Perez report #72

From Dan Perez. Ukraine #72 Saturday the 16th of November Had a visitor today, Roman, a 72 year old man that comes to the meetings. Roman spends most of his days just walking around town, doesn’t care much to stay at home. Though he has big problems with his hearing and knows no English he does well in communicating his thoughts and ideas. I wasn’t too clear what he wanted but then I could see he just wanted to spend time with someone. I gave him coffee and put some cookies and chocolate candy on a plate. We communicated as he ate one cookie and a little later he put the rest in his pocket. He started to hold one of the candies and then put them all in his other pocket, I did offer him something to eat but he declined. He also has problems seeing and I gave him some glasses to try on, his prescription is higher than what we normally have but before he left he took one pair that might work. Sunday) I woke up late again and called Sasha to see if he was coming to the Lviv meeting this morning and he woke up as I called but he made it to the apartment in time and six of us went to Lviv. On the way there just outside Lviv there was a van stalled in the middle of the road. One man tried to wave as he was pushing the van so I pulled over to see if I could help. They ran out of gas so I asked if I could tow them to the next gas station so I did, all went well as I did my good deed of the morning. Had a good time with the Christians there and made it back in time for our meeting. Yaroslav and I spoke, though the ride to Lviv tires us, but we all stayed awake during the meeting. Then Sasha and I went to get something to eat at a famous restaurant called Taco Bell. Monday) Called a few places in the morning to visit for the week. Then went to visit the school in Steri Lisets ( Luba’s village). We met with the Christian ethics teacher and I gave her some biblical teaching material she asked for some for her and some for the kids. She shared some of her life’s journey and we talked longer then expected and by the time we were ready to speak to the kids she came back and said most of them have already gone home so she took us to her house were we had something to eat. Her niece was there and I gave her the bag of baby clothes that Jean had pack for her. Her niece has one little boy but will be having another, it looks like any minute now. Then went to pick up Luba and her son at her mother’s house. She is 83 years old and still walks her cow and works in the garden. I asked her if she had God’s salvation, she said she did and then I asked her if she knew she was going to heaven, she said she did and that Jesus died for her. She went on to say that God gives her the strength to work in her garden and said she does not know how she can do all that she does but it all gets done and said only God could do this! Tuesday) Met with a lady that runs a some charity call Charity and Heath Foundation. It was started by the head teacher at the medical school in 1989. It is considered part of the schools charity work but now this lady is the only one that is trying to keep it going. We talked about orphanages which she knows that we have not visited and we’ll make some time to go together to these places. Had our meeting, one new man out and he and the others all listened well! Wednesday) Went to Visit Ivan (the amputee) to see how he is doing. I brought him some food and talked a little. He seems to be doing better than the last time and was very happy to see us. He told me since our last talk he has been praying and said it has helped him a lot! He started to talk about his wife but I had to switch the focus to him and his heart. He listened well to what I had to say and then ask why people talk about Jesus more than God, I said this is easy to answer, because Jesus is the only one that can bring us to God no one else can do this! He listened carefully and said I gave him things to think about, hope he does think about his salvation! Thank You for all your prayers and please continue! Dan