News from Ivano Frankivsk

Yesterday we visited 7 families, mostly ones we knew but one or two newpeople. Things do not get any better for the senior population. We had tearsof utter hopelessness from more than one of the homes. Old pensioner womenlooking after grandchildren who had lost both parents, others who’salcoholic parent had left their family and their spouse and children and thegrandparents now had to both provide a home and some of the expense.The one family that is most serious trouble is the family with sevenchildren whose father is suffering from radiation sickness because he wassent to clean up Chernobyl, after the accident. The man’s name is Ivan, wecan’t think of the mothers name at the moment. I want this family to be madea matter of prayer and provision as their need is critical. Here is a listof the ailments the family has and most of them are radiation related.Because Ivan is not totally incapacitated he receives no compensation orpension. Marika,is 13, the only girl, and is now receiving treatment in Kievfor a spinal problem and something else. The next boy 18, is receivingradiation on his thyroid. The next at 22, was hit by a car and sufferedbrain injury. The next is 26, and has TB. The next boy is 28, and wasworking up north and lost all his toes and half of one foot. The next at 30has just received his fifth operation for what sounds like an ulceratedstomach and is still not right and needs another operation. They have takenaway part of his stomach I understand. The eldest boy at 32 and is ok andtries to help where he can but the hospital and drug expenses justcompletely drain them. Then to cap it off, the mother told us she has atumor but will not do anything because what money they get goes for thekids. She wept the whole time we were there. She is a lovely lady and sheand her husband both come out to the meetings and brought their oldest boylast Thursday. The mother didn’t want to tell us the amount of a loan aneighbor had lent them for the operations the one boy had to have, but wefound out it was 12,000 Rhivney or about $2,600 Canadian. Now the lenderwants to be paid back. They just don’t know what to do and we are not ableto help at this moment although we did give Ivan enough for the train fareto Kiev to bring his daughter back home until they have enough money to takeher back for further treatment.What a mess the health system is in. Not only do the charge for doingsurgery but most of the time it is not effective and has to be repeatedseveral times. Thank God for Medicare. Several other cases were quite bad but we were able to help with some ofthem by buying medication and other needs.Well Saturday was to be a more restful day but one of the thing that hasbeen a tradition for the poor people, in fact all that were coming to themeetings, was to have a picnic. Well the weather has and still is, veryunsettled with many periods of rain, however yesterday started out withclear blue skies. We went shopping at the Supermarket to get enough food for30 people. We had quite the overloaded basket of cooked chicken pieces, coldmeats and cheese, bread salad items and cold drinks. Well at one o’clock we all met at the river bank that runs through the cityand found a picnic spot in the trees. The kids cleared the area of papercups and wine bottles and one of the men lit a fire. Not that we needed itbecause it was just the right temp. The sky clouded over and it reallylooked like rain, but not a drop. However by suppertime it was pouringagain. Everyone of US thoroughly enjoyed the meal, then I gave a littleimpromptu word on a "table in the midst of our enemies" and "the greatsupper to be enjoyed in Heaven "We relaxed the rest of the day and went to Vadym, our driver’s home, for amuch not needed supper that his dear wife Svetlana had prepared. We bothfelt so bad that we could not do justice to her lovely meal.And so home to bed and looking forward to meeting on Sunday as well as avisit or two.Please keep us and these dear, poor Ukrainian Christians as well as the nonChristians who God puts in our path and hearts in your prayers..
Malcolm andHoward.