Malcolm's long delayed post # 4

Long delayed report.due to poor internet connection.

Howard and I have certainly not had a holiday here having many meetings each week with ministry or a children's meeting in Lviv each Sunday and then returning to Ivano Frankivsk for a gospel meeting on Sunday evening. Numbers varied from 12 to 30 each time in Ivano.

It has been good to see many friends we have known here since our first visit to Ivano in 2003.

The weather has been lovely with temps in the upper teens C and no rain until yesterday.

One thing has been especially exciting has been the Wednesday and Thursday meetings in the apartment with generally, invited people who are showing an interest in spiritual things. It is an "around the table" event with either a subject we may suggest or one that may be a concern to them. They have been about 1 to 2 hours long with some lunch to follow. Some are saved others are seeking so a most interesting time.

One of my most exciting contacts to come, was the wife and daughter of a former interpreter and driver, who we feel may have gotten saved at some time. Dema, our young interpreter and brother in in the assembly, had his sister Tania visiting from Toronto where she is working now. She was visiting her mother Nadia, the lady many of you will remember as having to have new nose built after cancer, who we were able to help at that time. These contacts along with others are very special, we only hope that their professions of faith are genuine.

Dan and Dema have had a meeting for and with children from homes in an area, on Saturday mornings for several years. They meet for games in a workshop for handicapped children that has a multitude of pieces of equipment they can use. After the fun time there is a bible lesson and then a quiz and memory verse. The they take them all for a hot meal in a nice restaurant. Several of these children come to Llviv on Sunday to help swell the Sunday school there.

Each day we try to travel, either in the city or to other villages and towns to Schools and orphanages, to both take humanitarian clothing an many other items and to give them a gospel message, usually with both of us speaking. Many of the places have been visited in past visits and we are really welcomed by staff and children.

This all mounts up to a lot of preaching to a variety of audiences in a variety of venues. 

we trust that all is to the Glory of God and not to self.

On a lighter side, even though the ground has been dry for weeks, we have mosquitoes in the apartment. No windows open, no outside door on this third floor, but one or two each night. 

thankfully we found a body spray we use each night and it seems to work.

I hope to find how to put some of the many photos I have on the website or blog when I get home, so as to better show life in this country of Ukraine.

Next Friday begins the Conference in Lviv. We are taking about 30 people from Ivano Frankivsk and are hoping to see lives changed at this time.

Please pray for this event and our last days here.

Malcolm and Howard.

Malcolm's Post #3

Thursday.October 11

We had to shop for stuff and food as we are in a new apartment with Dan. The old one is full of boxes and really needs tidying up and the boxes shipped out. We got the new apartment ready for a meeting at 7pm for mainly invited people who are wanting to know thing from the bible.

We were happy to see some unexpected people come, namely Vadym, our old drivers wife and Daughter Svetta and Amelia, both looking very nice. A young lady I had not met, Anna. Then Tania who now lives in Toronto, Dema's sister home for a holiday.  Also a man Misha who looks after the meeting place we rent.

Altogether An interesting meeting with many questions to answer.

Friday was spent in in helping get things together for Tania and Sasha's wedding in the evening. Tania lost her husband with cancer and has found a nice man to marry and help raise her children. The actual legal part was done at a marriage by a legal person in the afternoon. The reception was held in a rented place, with Tania and helpers preparing the multitude of dishes of food. They both wanted messages in the gospel to be spoken for the good of their unsaved relatives. I and Dan spoke to about 25 guests.

It was all very different but was God honouring.

We were late home after group pictures and taking chairs back to the apartment. Bed was very welcome.

Saturday is the day Dan has a children's meeting at the building that Dema works in with autistic children. It has a load of equipment and the children make VERY good use of it. These children are just from the neighbourhood who just come willingly. After games, they get a Gospel message followed by questions and prizes.

Once this hour is spent, he takes them all for lunch in a restaurant. All well organised and God honouring. 

Malcolm and Howard

Helene Plourde's Report. #12

Saturday October 6

We visited the homeless shelter this evening.

A good gospel message was spoken to those who had gathered in the lunch room.  Saturday is the only evening where the homeless are not served a meal at the shelter so we brought some food along to distribute to everyone present.  

There were three ladies tonight as well as about twenty men.

Sunday Oct 7th

Walked to the hall to meet with everyone else again to remember the Lord.  Two van loads from Ivano came also, Dan bringing about six or seven kids for the Sunday school.  Nice to see everyone again.  Malcolm spoke a word of ministry and Howard spoke to the kids.  

Thankful to be staying in town today and not getting bounced around in the van!

Supper with Edmund and Agnes again.  Gilles and Howard went out and met with Arthur, the young man they met in the early 2000s on visits here.  They used to play football together.  

Monday Oct 8

We headed out to Drohobych to visit the women’s shelter we have been visiting for 12 years.  We spoke with the staff and the ladies there.  There was only a couple of women this time as one lady was at the doctor with her baby.  It was a really enjoyable time today, lots of discussion on spiritual things.  

We hurried back home, everyone came for supper here and then we headed out to the first gospel meeting of our week of special testimony meetings.  Malcolm told how the Lord had saved him.  We were happy to see a new lady out with Halla.  As well Demitryii was out with his his grandmother.  

Malcolm's Blog #2.

Friday October 5th.

Well we loaded up 4 boxes of clothes to take to a village Holovetsko, in the Carpathian Mountains, about 2 hours way.

We had to go to the Superstore before heading out and bought about $200.00 worth of food.

The scenery was beautiful and the weather lovely and warm as well. The road was good for about half 

of the way and then became very uneven for the rest of the way. We picked up a lady Maria, on the way, who was going with us to the farm where we would distribute the clothes and food supplies.

To get to the farm we had to cross a small river in the water and then climb a very steep bank. The ladies were squealing a bit but we made it.

While  we waited, people began to come from the hills and valleys round about, until there were over 30 people waiting for us to speak. Two of us preached and they listened very well. We then took the boxes out and it looked like Black Friday as they attacked the boxes.Most seemed to get enough clothes for children and adults. Also bags of produce were given to each family.

Altogether, a very enjoyable time spent. We then went to Maria's house for a meal. I had been there before and preached, but this time she wanted us to have a meal with her and her son. Her husband is away working in Israel on a Kibutz .

We headed home after this, quite weary after the ride.

On Saturday we went to the centre of Lviv to give out tracts. I have never seen so many crowds of people. The whole centre of the city was packed with people. Most were tourists from Poland and UK and many other countries in Europe. We found many who would accept tracts and had conversation with many, it was a lovely summer day in the mid 20's.

We then bought some Matrushka dolls in the Vernasage Bazaar, where Flo Kancir always shopped.

By this time we were thirsty so began to look for a tea house. Almost all of them were full, but we eventually found one with some seats outside under an awning. There were just the 4 of us men, the two ladies were shopping in a huge new shopping centre, bigger and more active than anything in Manitoba.

There was so much for people to see downtown, musicians of every kind, fun things for children, electric cars and trucks for kids to rent in front of the Opera House. Really a very happy place on this Saturday.

Edmund and Agnes wanted to introduce us to a restaurant in this new Mall. It was up on the second floor where they barbecue any of 4 meats, lamb, beef, chicken or pork. All done on skewers right in our sight. Very good and very reasonable.

Well from the joy and pleasure of the town centre to a homeless shelter in the suburbs. There were about 25 people, 3 of them women, who come in and have a meal 6 days a week but not Saturdays. So the assembly has been taking food over now and then on a Saturday and has opportunity to preach too. They were very respectful and grateful for what was given them. They can only sleep there from 8 pm til 8 am.

Home then to prepare for Sunday and head to bed.

Sunday.

Meeting starts at 11am, to allow Dan to get here from Ivano. He was at the hall when we got there, with two van loads of adults and children. This really added to the number at the Morning Meeting.

The meeting went very well and I followed with ministry on the first 2 of the gates of Jerusalem., from Nehemiah.  Then Howard spoke a good word to the children.

We went home after a light lunch and rested until we went to Edmund and Agnes home for a good supper.

Yaroslav from Ivano, stayed over on Sunday night with Edmund and Agnes, as he has some medical papers to deliver to a doctor in Lviv on Monday.. His wife Halia has had to have serious abdominal surgery and is still recovering in Ivano.

 Please keep praying for God to make us a blessing while here.

Malcolm and Howard.

Malcolm Stanley's first blog for October 2018

Well here we are Howard Pratt from Kirkland lake Ontario and myself from Portage la Prairie Manitoba. Both of us arrived in Lviv on Tuesday afternoon October 2, weary but glad for a good flight with LOT Polish Air via Warsaw.

We were met by Edmund and Agnes Johnston, resident missionaries here from Ireland. We went with them for a good supper and then to the apartment we will share with Gilles and Helene Plourdes for a week.

Sleep was very welcome but thankfully refreshed us by the morning. The weather is still very nice with leaves on the trees, however turned wet and rainy by afternoon.

Some of the changes we see since being here two years ago and the number of cars now and the difficulty to park and the mass of traffic. Some of the roads are beginning to need repair since being newly built for  the 2012 World Soccer and the side roads are very bad already.

we were at meeting in the evening but were glad to get to bed in decent time here once again."

Today Thursday, we went to Losopowichi, one of our favourite orphanages in a small village an hour away. We did what we had learned to do with Flo Kancir, now over 6 years ago, and that was to "shop till we dropped " for needed items for the children. Mainly cleaning things and toilet paper, as the Government gives little for the needs of these institutions now.

There were about 15 children there with ages from five to 10, we would estimate. They were very happy as Ruslan, our driver and Edmund sang choruses with them. I spoke to them about how Jesus loved the little children just as much as the big people. They listened very well. We gave new toothbrushes, my dentist supplied, and they then went for their afternoon nap. We were given a lunch of soup and potatoes and a meat patty and beets. All very tasty.

We left and went to Maria and Michalo's home in Strye, near to the orphanage. This is the couple who used to live in a terrible mouldy home, but now live in a nice little apartment we were able to get for them. He is the ex-doctor who wood carves for a meagre living. It was a little different visit as we talked with Maria about Salvation. However, she could not understand that Mary could not be her Saviour, only Jesus Christ could. We pray her eyes will be opened to this fact one day. Thankfully Michalo was very clear that only Christ can save.

We cam home to a delicious Irish supper, once again prepared by Agnes. So much appreciated.

Hopefully heading to the Carpathian Mountains tomorrow.

Malcolm and Howard.