Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #10

Wednesday Oct 28 Report # 10

I expect that Missionaries all have days like today. A day when nothing goes as planned or right. As we reported before, the big van we have had loaned to us was having charging problems and needed an alternator. Vadym took the van early to the garage that repairs and installs alternators.

Sveta, his wife had gone early to work so we were looking after their two and a half year old, Amelia. I should say that she is a little sweetheart and not hard to look after.

The job was to take about an hour which meant we could be on the road by 10:30 OR SO? Vadym told us to call if we had any problems. The first problem came at 12 noon when Amelia needed some potty care, but no answer from Vadym on his phone. After 10 or so attempts I gave up and assumed he was either dead or the van had run over his phone.

At 1pm Sveta arrived home from work, O joy, O rapture! She had been trying to get Vadym as well.

Howard and I decided we might as well busy ourselves with something, Howard read and I worked on a project on my computer copying CD’s of the Ukrainian bible for a blind Christian lady.

Vadym arrived home at about 5pm! To say the least of it, he was ready to burst. When he went to buy parts, he didn’t have enough money so he had to leave his phone as hock, hence no phone.: then the mechanic ? put the battery in the wrong way and blew the side out of it. The garage had to replace it but had a hard job finding the right one.

After Vadym had cleaned up and had something hot to eat as the temperature dropped rapidly in the afternoon and he was chilled through, we headed out to visit in the city. We called one lady but it was not convenient so then went to Dana and Ivan, the man suffering from radiation sickness since working to clean up the disaster at Chernobyl. I can never relate to such a family with so many health related problems. 5 children, 4 with health problems plus Ivan an Dana. Without repeating all their problems, enough to say they are deeply in debt to friends for repeated visits to hospital and purchase of medicines. The apartment is badly in need of renovating and over half of the family sleep on the floor on mattresses. We have one sponsor in Canada who is prepared to help with some renovations but help is also needed for their medical needs.

We had a good talk with them as to who was saved and it seems that at least 4 of them say they have trusted Christ for salvation, for which we thank God. We plan to purchase some folding beds for them because there is no room for permanent beds. We found some good ones for about $100.00CDN each.

Everyone is in a panic here because of a sickness that has killed 20 people already in the last week. Schools have been closed and people are rushing for cold medications. Seemingly it is not H1N1 but is very sudden and serious. One Catholic priest has died with it too. PLEASE PRAY FOR US.

All for now, hoping for a better day on Thursday.