Malcolm's Report #7

Malcolm’s Report #7 for Monday and Tuesday April 28 and 29.

Another bright sunny day greeted us this morning, with temperature in low 20’s.

We had several things to do this morning, the first being to get the air-conditioning working on our van. Even though it is not really hot yet, Ukrainian people do not like air blowing in their face while driving, so we cannot have the windows open. We went to our favorite garage and the technician did a wonderful job of seeing if there was a leak. He found none so charged the system with Freon and it works fine.PTL. All for less than $80.00 Cdn.

After changing some money, we saw an old friend Andre, from Solidarity and spent half an hour catching up with the political situation. He is quite an expert on those things.

A lady named Tania has been coming regularly to our meetings with two small children. Her husband Ivan is in hospital and has lost his leg from just below the knee. He has had TB since a young boy. Eric and Marge had visited him and bought medication. We were asked to go and see the man in the hospital. He said we could meet outside even though his TB is not infectious. We went over and met with him; he is very depressed and worried about his wife and children and their ability to keep up the rent. We will help her in this area; and see if we can help him get a prosthesis fitted.

We then went to look for two used bicycles for the home in Sniatin, so that the patients can exercise on the grounds, as many are only mildly mentally handicapped. We finished up buying one used one and one new one. Both of them for about $250.00 and excellent bikes.

In spite of the news media, you would never think there was any problem in Ukraine. The streets are full of nice cars; people are walking on the streets eating ice cream. Thankfully, the problems are only in East so far. The people in the West, where we are, don’t seem to think the problem will come this far.

Very weary and glad for a good night’s sleep.

Tuesday.

We left at 8:30 am for the town of Sniatin, to visit an older men’s mental home. The Administrator is a fine man who does a fantastic job of caring for the over 100 men. We took the 2 bikes with us and both men and staff were very happy with the. One inmate jumped on right away and I thought we had lost him but he came back grinning from ear to ear.

We then went over to the main building and spoke to about 30 of the staff. It is amazing how well they listen and show such interest.

We then headed home on terrible roads again and acquired a nasty banging under the van when we hit some rough spots, so we decided to go right away to our garage to check it out. They put it up right away and found it was only the exhaust pipe that was hitting on the axle. Thankfully it was fixed right away and all for $7.00. What a rip off???

We had meeting a 7 PM with the biggest crowd yet. Tania and Ivan were out too with their 2 girls. We talked to Ivan before taking him home to the hospital. He told us that the Government is going to fit him with a prosthesis, so we don’t need to worry about that. He said his biggest concern is to get better physically so he can be home with his family. He only asked us to buy prescription drugs for him which we will do tomorrow God Willing.  God gave help in the meeting and we will have our next gospel meeting on Sunday. We may have a Bible reading on Thursday, if we can find some people to come.

Out for supper and then home to bed.

Please continue to pray as we are already half way through our stay.

Workers together in Christ.

Malcolm, Howard and Volodia.

Malcolm's Report #6.

Malcolm’s Report #6 for April 26^th and 27^th

Saturday.

We cleaned up the apartment and did a wash, three loads. No dryer but are amazed how quickly the clothes dry on the folding rack. Most were dry by bedtime. We then went and shopped for some needed items for us. As Volodia is so good at woodwork, we decided to fix the door into the bathroom. It had come lose in the joints and would not close at all well. We needed 2 long clamps so went to the Epi-centre and bought two and some glue. Volodia wanted some clamps so he bought one for him and he bought the other one. We took the door completely apart, it had two full length glass panels. We found it was doweled but had never been glued. We glued, reassembled and clamped it and left it to dry till morning.

We went to visit our dear friend Natalia, who has MS and is confined to her bed at home. Her mother was so glad to have us and prepared us a true Paska  meal. We spent a good hour or so with them both and had a good talk over the scriptures and then prayed.

We left and then went to get the van washed ready for going to meeting tomorrow in Lviv.

We then picked up Sasha’s parents, Oleg and Olia and headed out of the city to and amazing restaurant in a dumpy little village down the most horrible road. I thought as we went, why would anyone build a restaurant out here. Well! What an amazing place. It has a main building that seats 500 guests for wedding, one was there before we left, and another simply amazing round building built like a big wooden barrel. It housed a swimming pool, hot tub and sauna. We had booked a room upstairs that had a table that would have probably seated 30 people that was half round against the round windows. We had the room to ourselves with a special waitress. I can’t begin to describe the menu, which was rather disappointing as nothing was in English.

Outside the building on the grounds, was a miniature zoo with all kinds of birds, small animals and 2 deer, plus a lake. This man owns a wood mill in several towns and had seemingly begun with nothing. He seemed to be very well thought of.

I was feeling a little under the weather in the evening, not due to anything I could think of that I ate, anyway I went to bed at 10 pm and woke a 3am, never to sleep again. I hope I manage Sunday OK.

Sunday.

Wasn’t feeling too well when I woke up but thought I would still go to Lviv for the meeting. We left at 8am with Sasha, Volodia, Yaroslav and 2 sisters. I let Volodia drive while I sat back and napped, when ever possible because of the roads. Well very glad to say was feeling fine by meeting time and had no more effects the whole day, God is so good.

We had a good number at the Breaking of Bread meeting and Howard spoke after the meeting. We then had lunch and I felt well enough to drive home. 

We relaxed and got ready for meeting tonight.

There were a good number out, some who said they didn’t know we were here, so missed all last week’s meetings. We had picked a nurse up from her home on the way home from Lviv, that had attended some meetings at different times before. She went to a ball park with the men for some exercise and then came to meeting. She looked very interested. Her name is Tania.

We went out for a pizza after meeting and then home and to bed for a good night’s sleep, I hope.

Your Brothers in Service.

Malcolm, Howard and Volodia.

Malcolm's Report #5

Report #5 for April 23 and 24.

Another beautiful day with flowers in bloom everywhere. Temp to go to the 20’s today.

We planned to go to a village that we did not know the name of, but hoped to find. Sounds a bit scary, but we had all been there before were not sure of the direction. Well we set off trusting in God to take us there, and He did. We stopped at Halia’s mother’s home in a village first and accepted a “coffee break”. Well they know nothing about just having a cup of coffee, it has to be a meal, something we really didn’t need that early in the morning. We found the name of the village was Stetseva and was only a couple of Kilometers from Halia’s mother.

We went straight to speak at the school. The Principal met us and you would have thought we were relatives, the welcome he gave us. He introduced us to his deputy lady who arranged for us to speak to the younger children in the auditorium. We thought they would never stop coming in. They filled the auditorium with about 125 -150 from about 8-12 years old.

I spoke first and had excellent attention. Then they left after we gave texts etc. to the teachers to distribute. Then about 50 senior students came in and both Howard and I spoke to them. The also gave good attention. We noticed some happy looking girls in the crowd who came to us after and told us they were saved. They all attended the only evangelical church in town, a Pentecostal church. They were a lovely testimony in this school.

We then went to visit a saved Catholic priest named Ivan whom we had met when last in the village. His wife Svetlana invited us into their house and we sat for over an hour and talked over the scriptures with this man. As hard as it is for most of us to understand how a man can function as a Roman Catholic priest and be a born again Christian, this man is doing it. We talked and showed him many places in scripture where what the “Church” was doing was wrong. He listened and was genuinely concerned about some of the practices of those within his church. They gave us lunch and we left, very happy for the time spent in the village.

We stopped at Halia’s on the way home and were told the priest had phoned and told us to wait for him. After about 15 minutes he arrived in his car and loaded us up with 5 loaves of Easter bread, flour, sugar canned pickles, etc etc. These items for us and any poor we know. What an evidence of Christian charity.

Home to another meeting at 7 pm with a more encouraging number out.

Friday.

Woke to another lovely spring day: going up to 20c or more again. Volodia went early to play soccer with some boys. Good to make some contacts to youth as only the older people seem to have any interest in meeting or spiritual things. Carnality is rampant everywhere but with a pseudo religious display. Both young and old must cross themselves when passing shrines or churches, even though they may be a block away. As usual, religion is harder to break through with the gospel than rank ungodliness. Wicked people often accept the fact that they are not right with God and may listen to the gospel.

We left for Petriliv (Peter Village) as soon as Volodia returned, picking up Sasha on the way. Our main purpose was to see where we could put a hot water heater, to heat water for a shower cabinet that Christians had bought for the kindergarten in this school. Older students will use it too.  As the Principal we usually meet with was in hospital, Irina the Vice Principal welcomed us and showed us the room where it would be located. Nothing is easy in Ukraine as all the walls are about 10-12 inches thick concrete. But they are used to working on these walls and floors. Irina said “no problem” we have an old man who will fix it! Poor man!

She then got the children together and I and Howard spoke to them and about 12 staff. They gave good attention. We were then taken for a hot meal and then left to go and see the principal, Hanna who is in hospital in Ivano. We stopped on the way to pick up some flowers. The flowers are absolutely beautiful here, many grown in Ukraine. We found Hanna with 4 other women in her room, suffering from something with her upper spine and neck. She cannot turn her head. I don’t like the sound of the treatment they are giving, it sounds like a bit of quackery mixed with medicine. 

Anyway, she was overjoyed to see us and we can only hope she will be cured. We are not sure but feel she may be saved. We prayed with them in the room and left tracts. Hanna was in tears when we left.

We came home and got ready for meeting; a good number out and good attention. The next meeting will be on  Sunday at 7pm.

Thank you for praying.

Malcolm, Howard, Volodia and Sasha.

Malcolm's Report #4

Malcolm’s Report #4 For April 21^st and 22^nd.

We all had a good night’s sleep and slept in until after 8 am. There was no use being up earlier as we had no milk or juice for breakfast, and we were not sure the stores were open today. Howard went shopping at 9am but could not find a store open so it had to be coffee and bread with no jam or cheese.

Sasha arrived at 10am and we set out to find a store open. We found the “Val Mart” open and could get all we needed to stock our kitchen.

 As we were in the locality, we went to look for the home for men drying out from drugs and alcohol. We found it quite easily and were welcomed by 9 men and treated to tea and Easter Bread plus a box of our cookies we had just bought! 3 other arrived later and we had a good conversation around the table. They have a heavy dose of bible teaching and most of them profess and seem to be sure of salvation. It was really a joy to be with them for about an hour.

We went home from there after going to one more store.

At 7 pm we had another meeting and were glad to see a few more attending. It was good to see our friends Ruslan and Ann out. He is the man whom we helped get his American passport back, after losing it for no apparent reason.

We are hoping to find some places and people “back in business” tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

Another nice day on Tuesday, temp going into the 20’s. We went to the Half-way house as we call it, a home for children taken off the street or from abusive families. The Director Maria and her adult son have been given the authority to change the format and control of this home and now have children for 9 months instead of 3. This allows them to have more time to rehabilitate the children and get them back into school for a school year. We had a good talk but will go back with slippers and some sports items such as balls for different things. They have 17 children with 2 more to come. As usual, there are next to no funds from government.

We went for lunch then with Louisa and Uri, our interpreters Svetlana’s parents. They invited us, as Svetlana is now working in the Arab Emirates for a year. They are very interesting people, Louisa is a Social worker and Uri a truck driver. He has not worked for 3 months as his trips are all into the troubled East of the country. As you can imagine, he has a LOT to say about the situation. He is not a happy man!

We went to do some shopping but still many stores closed for Pasca. We came back and got ready for meeting. Fewer people out, again because of the last day of Paska and people still with families.

Came home and then to bed. Volodia went with Sasha to “work out” with some basket ball, they have more energy than us to old men.

Trusting things do not escalate here and that sanity will prevail.

Malcolm and Howard and Volodia.

Malcolm's Report #3.

Malcolm’s Report # 3 from Ukraine. April 19 and 20

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Today was cold and wet to start but warmed up later. As this is Easter Saturday, people by the thousands, go to the churches with their little baskets of bread and vegetables, and wait in line outside for the priest to sprinkle their basket with holy water and bless the produce hoping for a good summer harvest. Rain or shine or distance to church does not deter them. Mother Father and children, often walk for miles. The traditions of the church hold these dear people very tightly.

As the schools, institutions and many stores and eating places are closed today, we decided to visit in the village of  Postometi / Nisnevachi in the home of Stefka, the first home we had meetings in when Ross Vanstone and a group of “seed Sowers” came to Ukraine in either 2002 or 3, not quite sure. Stefka is the Grandmother and her son Orst and wife Olga live with her. Her granddaughter, Oxana and husband and 2 boys live in an upstairs suite. Stefka is a living miracle after numerous abdominal surgeries. For years Orst was an almost hopeless alcoholic but a few years ago took a serious stroke that did two things, it gave him a limp but best of all, cured his drinking! For the first time since knowing him, we talked for almost an hour about his need of forgiveness of sins and faith in Christ. He listened without comment for quite a while but then became defensive. We can only hope that the word got into his heart. The rest of the family were also listening.

We then visited across the road from Stefka’s with Volodia’s Grandmother and cousins; again we opened the subject of what Pasca meant and why Christ had to die. Good attention around the table once more.

We came home and had our first meal of pilmeni, meat in little pastry pockets. Now to get ready for Sunday.

Sunday. Volodia  arrived at the apartment to load our bags, ready to go to Ivano after morning meeting.

We drove to meeting and Broke Bread with about 12 others. At this time of the year the Easter season is very much a time for family dinners etc, so there were no visitors. One of the brothers in the meeting, Andre, had felt he should go to Kiev and join in the “Maidan” demonstrations. He spent 3 weeks there during the shooting of over 100 people. He was fairly stressed about it all, but felt he needed to support it. We along with others think it was not, as a Christian, right that he was part of it.

I gave a word after meeting and Howard will speak if we go next week.

We drove back to Ivano without seeing much improvement to the road, and got ready for the meeting in the hotel. We have planned to have meetings for the week. There were about 12 out and it was good to see some old and some new faces. We are hoping to see more once everything is back to normal after Pasca.

 We went to our favorite Pizza place, just around the corner from the meeting place and then home to bed.

Thank you for praying. No signs of the problems in East Ukraine, but a very volatile situation.

Malcolm and Howard.