Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #8

Monday Oct.26 Report #8

Another day of running around trying to get organized as to who and where to visit.

We had planned to visit a man who has come to our meetings and had a severely mentally handicapped boy. He used to live in town but now lives in a village. We started out for the village only to find that he was in Ivano getting some meds for his boy. We turned around and went to the Half Way House home in town but found that the director was in a meeting until the afternoon. So goes the visitation in Ukraine sometimes. One may wonder why we don’t phone up first. There are two reasons. Firstly it is sometimes impossible to get a person on the phone. Secondly, the people we go to are usually at home or work.

We then went to visit a quite ill lady, Maria, who has had numerous spinal surgeries and uses 2 crutches. Needless to say she had cooked us a bountiful lunch which absolutely exhausted her. She lay on the couch while we ate but we did have a great conversation with her and I think that if she is not saved she is really thinking about it.

We then went to pick up a large van that Vadym can use when we go out to the country and take more boxes than before. Well the battery was dead and so I toed it until it went, but Vadym tested the battery and we think it is shot. Well he left it at his garage and we went on our way back to the Half way house and had a good talk with the administrator, Maria (Again!). We found out what the 25 children needed and will go back later and give them out and speak to the children She share with us how that she has to have 3 jobs to support her family, administrator, teacher and one other.

We were invited to visit Tania and her family for tea. Her mother who has had the problem with her nose is able to work again after 2 years of treatment for her loss of the skin on the end of her nose. It is still evident of there having been a problem but a skin graft has made a big difference. All the family were there for the first time, Tania the oldest at 25 and 4 brothers. They all profess to be saved and certainly seem like a very happy family.

We thank God for the opportunity to visit and encourage these different families. We then came home to bed.

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #7

Sunday Oct 25^th Report # 7

We were up early Sunday as Vadym had to take the van we were using, back to the owner. Every Sunday there is a massive vehicle market just outside Ivano with literally hundreds of vehicles of every shape size and year. The van was left for the day and if not sold, we would get it back on Sunday night, which in fact we did.

As the meeting is at 3pm on Sunday, 5pm during the week, we spent our time getting ready. We went a little early so that we could put the heater on but it didn’t do too much as the room was very cold and is made of very thick concrete and so retains the cold.

Just over 20 people came to meeting and gave good attention. Howard gave gospel message and I spoke from 1 Peter 2 on the subject of “What does God expect in a New Testament Church?” It was obviously new to some there but I saw many nodding in agreement with the scriptures.

One of the young ladies who is usually at the meetings, Tania, had to work at the coffee shop she now works for, so we went to visit her. Some of you will remember that it is her mother that has been receiving “treatment” for want of a better word, for a problem with the end of her nose where the skin has “slid off”, which is the best way to describe it. Tania told us that they have spent somewhere near $8,000 in treatments and medications. Her nose has not healed but she is able at least to cover it, I suppose, and go to work.

We came home and are trying to plan our week of visitation and distribution.

Malcolm

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #6

Saturday Oct 24^th Report # 6

Our morning was taken up with transferring boxes to the Meeting room from Vadym’s home. There are about 75 boxes but we only took 35 over at one time so that the ladies can sort them out.

We also fixed another light in the room and installed a ceramic wall heater that may or may not help heat the room.

We were invited to Marika’s mother’s apartment for a late lunch and spent a nice time with her mother and her husband. Uri is a lovely man who is in the fourth stage cancer. He doesn’t know it because over here they don’t tell the patient, only the relatives.

He has multiple surgeries and is slated for another one. They told us that things in the hospital are so bad, we could hardly believe it. The elevator was not working to the top floor operating room and so Uri had to get some of his friends to carry him up the stairs. Reminds us of the man in mark 2 with his 4 friends. While he was in surgery, Marika was sent to buy some medication. Not once but 4 times!

Medications alone cost 4,500 R ($555US $608C)and an MRI cost 1700R. ($239 Cdn) . Altogether with doctors costs etc they have had to borrow over 6,000R. These figures may seem insignificant but to these people it is horrendous. When pensioners get just over $100US a month, it doesn’t leave much to live on or for emergencies.

We came home and got ready for Sunday meeting.

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #5

Friday Oct 23^rd Report # 5

We had several things to do today that took a lot of running around. As I wrote before, we got the Meeting Room back but everything had been piled into boxes and the room was in a mess.

The first thing we did was go looking for a folding table for the ladies to sort clothing on. We went to three stores before settling for a drop leaf table for about $35.00. We then went to meet the banker and pay the room rent and talk about the situation with the room. It seems the building was rented by the local government and they have now found them government property, so the place is empty except for us. He says that we can stay until the end of the year as they are doing a total renovation of the building.

We then went to the Meeting Room and took out boxes of garbage that had accumulated and sorted out the bibles and the many Seed Sowers. We had also bought a wall hanging ceramic heater for the room as we can’t expect the ladies to work in a freezing cold room.

As we were going into the market to buy me some slippers (very expensive, about $5.00 ?) we met Ola one of the ladies who had worked at Solidarity ever since we had been coming. She told us she was no longer part of Solidarity nor was she or her husband going to the meeting at Solidarity. She had her own business now. We were invited to visit her and Oleg in the evening, but as I will relate, we never made it.

It might sound as if we are not doing much “missionary” work, but there are days when one has to get things in order and we do give out tracts and John 3:16 magnets as we shop.

Finale! After supper we headed out to visit Oleg and Ola in a nice Range Rover that Vadym had as he waited for some parts to fix it. We just got on to the main road and it ran out of gas, about 1,000 yds from a gas station. So we pushed it to the pumps and he puts gas in it. We went to leave but it won’t move.

The dash board reads “gear box not engaged” or something like that. We pushed it away from the pumps and after Vadym exhausting every possibility, we towed it home with his other vehicle.

Needless to say, it was too late to visit our friends as we didn’t get in until 10:45pm.

So went a busy day with many little but MOSTLY necessary things

Thank you for your interest and prayers.

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #4

Thursday Oct 22 Report #4

The day dawned dry but overcast at about 7C. Ruslan arrived at 9:45 am and loaded us up, ready to move us to Ivano Frankivsk about one and a half hours away. The trip is quite good and very pretty through the countryside of hills and valleys. We say several large John Deere tractors on the road, pulling large American pieces equipment. Someone is obviously financing some farming operations .

We arrived in Ivano and went to the Meeting Room to see if we could get in. It was locked up and some men were working in the building doing renovations. The whole building was empty except for our room. We got hold of Marika who had keys and is the lady in charge of sorting the boxes of clothing that are sent. When we got into the room we found that all the metal shelving had gone and most of the cupboards. They were not ours but had been in the room when we rented it. The only thing that was ours and was missing, was the plywood that was laid in the shelving. Thankfully, all our chairs were there.

Vadym was at work so Ruslan took us to Vadym’s house where we unloaded our stuff. Sveta, Vadym’s wife warmed us soup and we settled into our bedroom.

Marika had phoned around to tell people about the meeting at 5pm and about 21 people came into the cold Meeting room, we all kept our coats on.

There were several new people came, 2 men and 3 women, they seemed very interested and we hope will come back on Sunday.

We went out for pizza and then came home to relax. I could not get on the internet last night, but will have to try today.

All for now.

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #3

Wednesday October 21, 2009

We got up to a cloudy but dry day with temperature around 7C. We were to start a little earlier as we had to go into the country to a boy’s prison.

First we had to buy some bibles from the bible society for Ivano Frankivsk when we go on Thursday.

We headed out with the load of bibles as well as some boxes of school supplies for the school in the prison. The town is called San Bier and is an hour away from Lviv.

There have been several visits to this prison; I was there several years ago. We were met by a charming Christian lady who is in charge; it seems, of the religious education of these boys. We were ushered into the Head Warden’s office and treated to tea and cookies. After formal introductions, we went into the prison proper, through many locked gates, surrendered our passports and cell phones and made our way up to the nice auditorium on the top floor.

There were 60 or so of the population of 200 boys, aged from 10 or 11 to 18 or so. We didn’t get the actual figures but the last time Flo was there she met an 11 year old who had cut his mothers head off. There are some real young criminals there.

There were several warders with them and the boys looked the picture of misery and hopelessness.

Howard spoke first and I followed after. God gave help as I used the rope “trick” showing how there are not good sinners and bad sinners but rather we have ALL sinned and ALL need a Saviour.

We couldn’t have had a better audience. When we had finished a tall good looking prisoner stood up and thanked us very much for coming. They then all clapped.

We were able to give them John 3:16’s and I was even allowed to take a picture, something that is not usually allowed.

We stopped for a nice meal on the way home and then came and prepared for the meeting tonight in our apartment. There were 14 of us, some were sick and some were working. God gave help to Howard and we then had a birthday lunch for one of the ladies, with birthday cake and fruit salad and meats and pickled herrings. A really great combination!

We are now packed up ready to go to Ivano Frankivsk tomorrow at 9:30. DV.

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #2

Monday Oct 19 09

Quite cold in our apartment due to little or no heat; it seems that “someone” who has the authority, only turns the heat on when THEY feel cold. The silly thing is that there is hot water and the heat for the apartments comes from the same central heating plant. The other thing that bugs the tenants is that they still pay for heat in October.

Well we have the gas stove burners on that warm up the kitchen, so at least we eat in comfort.

We started out, as usual, by buying food for a baby orphanage in the city that we have visited many times. They only get enough funding to buy the very basic baby foods with no meat products. We brought sliced bread and bologna and watched them eat it up like it was the tastiest steak. They are very well looked after but there are a fair number of mentally handicapped children among them.

We then went to a large market to see if we could get any good deals on winter coats for the children in Lopartin. We struck it good with a store owner and were able to get 25 coats for an average of 200Rhivney each. That is $27.00Cdn. each, We thought that was pretty good. We got 3 other smaller ones for 150R.from another stall. This was not enough for all the children but certainly would help.

Before we left the market, Flo met this old lady begging and was really touched with her story and so decided she would help her Tuesday with some produce.

Tuesday. October 20^th

Off to the Supermarket again to get produce for the beggar and two other families in need in a village.

We found the address of the beggar but it was an empty apartment being renovated. No one seemed to know who we were looking for. Flo doesn’t know what to think; either she is suffering a little dementure and gave a wrong address or she is a con woman, we may never know.

We headed off into the pouring rain, heading for Lopartin. I wish you could have seen the reception the kids gave us when we arrived. The usual confusion with the sizing and distribution of coats and more shoes and we were done. Every one given away but still half of the children not fitted with a good coat.

We really don’t have any more funds to spend on this orphanage as there are many more that have pressing needs too.

We were taken for tea by the deputy Administrator and her assistant. This proved to be one of the highlights of the day. We had been listening as they told us what they got for a salary, a mere 1,000R per month for teachers. That is $138.00Cdn. or $124US. Not much for a professional is it? I then asked what they thought the most important thing was in life ? They said it was good health. This then opened the subject of assurance of being in Heaven. We had a good conversation for over half an hour, it was very rewarding.

Off in the rain again for the village of Krasne, where a slightly simple lady lives in a large house alone, since her mother died a year ago. She seems to be managing but is very lonely. We had a talk about salvation and the left a food package.

In the same village live a family we have visited often, where grandparents are raising to lovely teenagers since their mother died of cancer and their father was killed by a train.

The girl Nadia, has the same problem with her kidneys that her mother died of but they think they may have it under control. She is very confident of being in Heaven as she has trusted Jesus to forgive her sins, she told us.

Her brother Volodia is attending a college in a close by town and is a lovely bright boy; however he does not profess to be saved yet. After a good conversation with Grandpa and Grandma we left in the pouring rain for home.

Everyone was very weary when we returned but Flo made a good fish dinner, so we are well fed and ready for bed.

Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #1

Friday October 16, 2009

I arrived in Lviv safely Thursday afternoon about 2 hours late. We had to wait for some passengers to arrive from New York and then were delayed by heavy wet snow in Lviv, not a nice time to land with wet slush on the runway, but a good pilot thankfully.

We awoke to most of the snow gone but very wet and cool. Still no heat on every day yet and no hot water. Two of the Christian men have been painting the apartment and were re-grouting the tile in the bathroom and so we couldn’t shower any way.

We decided to go to the orphanage in Lopartin with clothing, especially shoes and some housekeeping items. We got all the children (there a 135 in this orphanage) and began to fit the most needy ones first.

There were not enough for everyone but we got a list of sizes of the most needy ones and will get some in the market.

On Saturday we had a very interesting and we felt profitable visit to a house, for want of a better name, being used to rehabilitate drug and alcohol users. The Christian man running it has no support from government but just trusts the Lord to supply. He has eight men and boys at present and they were all ready for us, sitting on benches with their own well worn Bibles. Three of them told their testimonies of their former life and what God had done since they came there. It was a very emotional time with many tears.

Howard and I told our testimonies too and it seemed to be a help. We left them with clothes and food items which were well appreciated.

On our way back we stopped at one of the massive hardware stores called Epi Centre. One of the brethren here has been out of work for months but is able to do electrical work. The problem was that he did not have any tools suitable to work, so we felt it profitable to set him up with what he would need to start up. He was most appreciative and kept wanting to buy the cheapest tools but we persuaded him to take some that would last.

We had decided to go to Lutsk on our first Sunday and so two vans set out at 7:15 with 13 of us. We get there just in time for meeting at 10am. It is a long and very rough ride but worth it (once in a while) to encourage the Assembly there as well as Timothy Sloan, the full time missionary. It was good to hear all our men from Lviv take part in the meeting. Howard and I both spoke after the Breaking of Bread.

The work on their hall renovation goes on slowly but surely but is a long way from occupancy yet.

Malcolm & Howard.

New Charitable fund formed.

Christian Assembly Work in Ukraine Fund.

210 Alfred Ave, Portage la Prairie

Manitoba Canada. R1N 0H3

204-857-9074

To those brethren and sisters who have had an interest in What God is doing in Western Ukraine. I am happy to say that there is now an official Canadian charity account in the name of “Christian Assembly Work in Ukraine Fund” that can receive funds and is able to issue charitable tax receipts to both Canadian and U.S. donors.

These funds will be used exclusively in the purchase and distribution of Bibles and Christian literature and in the alleviation of suffering where appropriate.

At the present time one sister is working in Lviv and I and another brother are going back in October.

Malcolm Stanley

Meeting with the Christians in the Portage la Prairie Gospel Hall on First Street.

Manitoba. Canada.

Summary of Ukraine Visit: Future Needs and Opportunities (Part 3)

This is the final post in a series of three installments which provide an overview of our recent visit to Ukraine in both Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk. See the previous posts here and here.

FUTURE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

What the work in Ukraine needs is a couple who have God’s leading to full time service in this country. Presently, the door is wide open to the gospel and the distribution of the scriptures. There is no opposition to the preaching or teaching of the word.

Wisdom is needed in not preaching “religion” as most people are “religious” and never pass a church or shrine without crossing themselves. We find that if we preach Christ and Him crucified, they are willing to hear the rest of the story. At their Easter time, everyone is greeted with “Christ is risen”. It isn’t too hard to get into conversation and ask why He had to die in the first place.

The Ukrainian people have lived for centuries with hardship and sorrow. The present financial situation is nothing new to them, but it is hard to see and to hear of their problems such as loss of jobs, non-payment of salaries and pensions and an increase in theft and violence. Many people cannot afford their medications or the costs incurred if a hospital visit is needed.

Please pray for the people of Ukraine that the government will be able to survive the present problems and that things will begin to improve.

Thank you for your interest in this often forgotten part of the world.

Malcolm Stanley.
Portage la Prairie MB

Summary of Ukraine Visit: Ivano Frankivsk (Part 2)

This is second in a series of three installments which provide an overview of our recent visit to Ukraine in both Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk. See the first post here.

WORK IN IVANO FRANKIVSK

Several years ago now, some brethren were invited to go to the city of Ivano Frankivsk. Several of us went and met in a meeting room and several were saved and baptized at that time. An Assembly was started and went on well for a while, but then the brother who had invited the men and also owned the building where the assembly met, had a falling out and basically didn’t want any more Assembly men to come and teach. To many of us this was a very sad decision but we did not feel we could continue to support him when he decided to join up with a denomination and have their preachers speak.

We knew there were many of the people who attended this “Assembly” who wanted us to speak to them, and so we decided to meet for the gospel and teaching elsewhere with whoever would come.

We are glad to say that almost all of those in the former Assembly came and still come to the meetings that we hold. We are also happy that there has been no pressure put on anyone not to come to our meetings. We do not meet on the former Assembly meeting night but meet 3 times a week. On our visit this year we saw a maximum of 30 people come out and a minimum of 20. They wanted 3 meetings a week and so we met on Tuesday, Thursday at 5pm and Sunday afternoon at 3pm.

Our interpreter and driver in Ivano is a young married man named Vadym. He speaks English and was saved while being our driver about 3 years ago. He was baptized last year, along with 4 from Lviv. He is a most useful young man because he knows everyone in Ivano, or so it seems. Meetings had been held for a while in the home of another brother and sister who eventually could not manage the group in their apartment. This meant that we had to look for a meeting room and a room to unpack boxes of humanitarian aid sent for distribution. A year ago we found a very suitable room with cupboards and shelving and room for 35 chairs for meetings. The biggest problem was the price of rooms in the centre of town. As most of the people have to come on public transportation, we needed a central location. The building was owned by a bank and they have a set price per sq meter. Vadym was able to get the price down to $400.00US per month, including light and gas. This year, they put it up to $460.00 per month. We decided that that was too much to continue with and so when we met the bank manager on the street, we told him that we were going to look for something else. The next day, he called Vadym and said he had talked to his boss and asked how $250.00US a month sounded? We said it sounded much better. There are people in Ivano paying $1,000.00+ US a month for half the area we have and so we feel very blessed.

We wanted to make sure that the people had some reason to continue coming to meeting once we and others were not there. Vadym is willing to have one or two meetings a week and I have agreed to give him an outline to share with the people. Misha has agreed to go up to Ivano on the bus twice a month or more if necessary and have a meeting. We are hoping that this will work to keep the people coming while we are away.

Boxes of clothing and other items are sent from Canada and the USA to both Flo Kancir and to Vadym who take them to either Flo’s apartment or the meeting room where the clothing is sorted into sizes for both children and adults.

Both Flo and Vadym take these items as well as food and laundry products, to orphanages and old people’s homes around the areas. Schools as well are visited and the children presented with the gospel. If it is a first call they will take New Testaments and Children’s Bibles. These items must be bought from the Ukrainian Bible society. The price seems to go up regularly as printing and paper costs rise.

- Malcolm

To be continued...

Summary of Ukraine Visit: Lviv (Part 1)

This is first in a series of three installments which provide an overview of our recent visit to Ukraine in both Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk.

WORK IN LVIV

As you may know, there is only one Assembly operating in western Ukraine, at this time. This Assembly is in the city of Lusk. Timothy Sloan saw the Assembly formed in 2002. The assembly has about 20 in fellowship and is in the process of renovating the building they have bought. They are presently meeting in part of it.

The work in Lviv was started by Flo Kancir of Kapuskaping ON Canada and she now has a rented apartment in that city. Most of those from North America that come to Ukraine arrive in Lviv and usually spend time in visitation in the area under Flo’s guidance to schools and orphanages in the region. She speaks fluent Ukrainian and is a great asset to the work in Lviv.

Meetings are held twice a week in her apartment with as many as 20 or more attending. About half this number would be saved and baptized and break bread when the opportunity to go to Lusk is provided. Lusk is about 2 hours from Lviv.

The situation in Ukraine is the same as in many parts of the world I’m sure, where women get saved and seem to grow and come to meetings but the men get saved but stay bound to their work and do not grow in the things of God as they should, thus making it hard to find dedicated leadership when thinking about forming an Assembly.

There are 3 men in the meetings in Lviv who have been received into the fellowship in Lusk and we are trusting that the day will not be too far in the future when an Assembly meets in Lviv.

I want to mention one brother who has taken on the responsibility of teaching the Word of God when there is no visiting brother in Lviv. This is vital if the teaching is to continue once brethren leave and return to North America. His name is Misha or Michael; he has a good grasp of the Scriptures, having gone to a fundamental Bible School here in Ukraine. He is completely convinced about the Assembly and is a great soul winner.

He was laid off from his job some time ago and after a time of prayer had felt that God would have him trust the Lord and visit the Christians as well as speak in the meetings, leaving God to supply his need. He had not mentioned this exercise to us.

Two brethren felt that he should receive some financial support and so have commenced to do so for the present. He is a single man in his 40’s and supports and lives with his ailing Christian mother. There will be more about Misha later in this series.

- Malcolm

To be continued...