Ukraine Fall 2009 Report #15

Monday Nov 2 Report #15

Thankfully Vadym was up before us this morning and although rather plugged up in his nose, will probably be ok now. Although there is a real paranoia about Swine Flu there are many people sick with the flu, not the Swine flu.

We decided to go to an old folks home today as there is no point going to schools or orphanages as they are closed. It is amazing how children without parents suddenly find someone to look after them for the short term.

I had to change some money in town. This might seem strange but Vadym phones a man on the street near the market and asks him what the exchange is on the Canadian Dollar. He phones back later and gives us his rate. It will be anywhere from 7.2 today to 7.4 the other day. The bank is paying 7.0 Hrivney for 1 Cdn dollar. We then drive up to him as he stands on the sidewalk and he give me the money through the van window. I don’t even have to count it, he is never wrong and is a friend of Vadym.

We bought a few items and then headed for the Meeting Room to pick up the boxes of clothing and adult pampers for the old people’s home in a little village near Rohatin. We talked with Marika who was busy again sorting the boxes we had brought over, with her mother and a young man who is helping.

We headed away a little later for the 1 hour or so trip through lovely fall countryside. This morning we had the first white frost on everything.

We did not stay long in the home as the Director was off sick with Pneumonia so we carried the boxes into the store room and left again for home.

One of the things they have the biggest problem funding is laundry and personal soap also toilet bowl cleaner. As soon as we got back to Ivano we bought the products and hope to get it to them very soon. We have been to this home several times and they all have bibles, Texts and glasses.

We went for a well earned coffee as we had not had one since breakfast and it was now after 3 pm.

Please note some of the hardships of the missionary in a land void of Tim Horton’s.

Hoping to do some visiting tomorrow but it really is a problem with so much sickness everywhere.

We have a meeting tomorrow at 5 pm and Flo and Ruslan are coming down for the meeting and we will go back with them to Lviv.

All for now.

Malcolm