Home again.

Home again. It hardly seems almost six weeks since Howard and I came home from Ukraine. I suppose it must be something to do with getting older that time passes so quickly.

We had a good time again although it was different than other visits we have made. We were busy getting the Meeting Room ready in Ivano Frankivsk as well as locating and distributing a large shipment of winter boots that had been sent but were in storage in a garage. We eventually got them over to the meeting room and piled them into every available cupboard and on to shelves, piling them to the cieling.
We had to buy chairs before we could have any meetings and were happy to find a store with plenty of padded stacking chairs. We bought 25 but had to go and get more as there were not enough for the people who were coming to meeting.
We were able to fit many of the people and their children with winter boots which reduced the stacks significantly. We took several pairs of boots to the Assembly in Lusk on our visit there.
We did not get the opportunity to vist schools, as in other years but did go to an orphanage and an old folks home that we had not visited before. We took bibles and glasses for the old people, which were very well received.We spent much time visiting individuals in various sad conditions of health and poverty. Some had great debt because of serious sickness or surgery performed on their children OVER AND OVER with still no cure. Time and money was spent on some of these needy people.
I would like to mention that the situation at the Ukrainian Bible Society has changed somewhat, owing to some internal restructuring. They used to print and bring in thousands of New Testaments and we would go and buy what we needed. We now have to pay ahead before they will print them.
I would like to remind folks that we still distribute thousands of New Testaments and Childrens Bibles each year, both from Lviv with Flo Kancir and whoever is with her and also in Ivano Frankivsk.
I mention this as there are presently no funds to purchase more Bibles. There may have been a little confusion regarding where to send funds but Seed Sowers in both Canada and the U.S.A. will still issue receipts for funds donated for Bibles or printed material.
The confusion stemmed from Seed Sowers not being able to issue receipts for fund designated for humanitarian aid, only for printed material.
Thankfully, the work is going on in both Lviv and Ivano. Meetings are being held in Flo's apartment with Brother Misha preaching and teaching. In Ivano, Vadym is organizing sorting and distribution of clothing as well as overseeing the renovation of sister Luba's apartment. He hopes to start meetings this week.
The clothing is sorted by Vadym's wife and Sister Marika and others.
If God will, we may return in the Fall. Pray for us as three of us there last Spring were already pensioners and we need young men and women to get a vision for the lovely people of Ukraine. The door is still open but who knows for how long?

Malcolm Stanley.
Meeting with the Christians in Portage la Prairie. MB. Canada.