Spring 2013 - Report No 4

Wednesday April 3rd.
Still raining and the holes in the roads get deeper. Some are so deep that you can’t miss them and the van bottoms out when you go into them. You are constantly swerving from side to side trying to find a track through the mass of holes. It is unbelievable unless experienced. They say this problem is all over Ukraine.
Well we tried to keep busy in town, hoping the rain would let up before we went out of town, so we went to visit Natalia, the lady with MS. She was sitting propped up this visit and looked much better than the last visit, when she could not sit up. The MS is beginning to affect her vocal cords and she is having difficulty speaking. She says she sings in the morning to stretch her vocal cords. Her mother was at home owing to there being no heat in the school she teaches in; a common occurrence here.
We then went to the “Half Way House” for children who are waiting to be placed in either new homes or institutions; a rather sad place that often has some very troubled and angry children in it. The youngest children, from 2-6 were sleeping so we got to speak to the dozen or so teen agers. One lovely girl of 15 was very bright and really knew the bible. We both spoke and she was the first to answer the questions. After the meeting we met with the vice principal, who happens to be the son of the Administrator. His mother was sick with a stress related sickness; there is so much stress in these institutions. We left a number of things they continually run out of and have no funds to buy more of. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap shampoo and laundry and dish soap. We have a box of clothes to deliver later. 

Thursday April 4th
Still raining and dreary. We loaded 4 boxes of clothes and headed out to Petriliv. The teacher told us the road was not too bad out there??? It was not the worst, except for a long steel bridge across a river that had the worst of the worst breakup of the surface. You had to literally creep across, swaying from side to side. The bridge is also very narrow. On our return trip, we were held up for 25 minutes, as something happened on the bridge and nothing was moving. Anyway, as usual we were well received in both the mayor’s office and the later the school. We leave the boxes with the mayor and she organizes the distribution to the poorest families. We got to the school and found that the Principal and another teacher were stranded at the main road and there was no bus to Petriliv. I went to get them while Howard and Svetlana got to know the kids. I brought the ladies back but the Principal was not well and the school nurse sent her home. She has high blood pressure, again, stress related.
We spoke to the senior class and had good attention. We were then taken for a hot (warm) lunch. The dining room had no heat. We were then showed the main corridor that the “authorities” say must have a wall across to separate the kindergarten from the school? They have been told to build it but not given any funds to do the work. We gave them some help to buy material. Wherever we go, the “inspectors” continually add to the stress of administrators with often useless unnecessary projects. 

Friday April 5th
Believe it or not, it’s not raining, but may be snow tonight!
Luba came today to help sort boxes. We did several and then loaded them up and headed for the village of Stari Licets, not far from home. This is where Luba’s mother in law lives and the school we have been made so welcome in. We had called the Christian Ethics teacher and she asked us to come once again. You will remember that this is where we had to meet with the priest last year, because some parents had said they didn’t know what we were teaching, and wanted him to find out. We met with him and told him but he didn’t tell us not to come but didn’t think the children needed us to teach them as he was teaching them all they need to hear!! Well a funny thing happened. His wife “won” a green card to America and moved with her children. He went for a visit and has not come back, yet that is.
We had a good time with about 60 teens and had good attention. We left 4 boxes of clothes for the poor families in the village.
We went to pick up Luba at her 77 year old mother in law’s and had a lovely time with this dear lady. There was not much doubt in our minds that she is saved, although this word never came up. The big thing was that she knows that Jesus died for her sins and that is why she will be in Heaven. She prays every morning and every evening. She lives alone and has a cow and a garden to tend. How simply many of God’s own live.
We headed home with 2 sacks of potatoes for Luba and delivered her and her son Vasil to their apartment. Luba is a dear Sister in the Assembly in Lviv whose husband died of cancer many years ago. She has a daughter Maria who is very bright. Vasil has had a mental problem from birth.
We finished the day with supper with Oleg and Olah in a lovely, fairly new hotel in town. Oleg receives our boxes for us, when no one is here.

I would like to add a note to those of you sending boxes. Since our sister Flora passed away, the work in Lviv is being done by Edmund and Agnes Johnston and Ruslan. Please continue to send boxes to Lviv as they are doing a lot of distribution and the stock of clothes has run out.
Also, please check every item before packing it, we are unwilling to give out stained or torn items. Also, footwear must be in almost, if not entirely new, with laces and clean. No gravel in the soles of runners.
Thank you for reading this epistle, I trust you find it informative.
Your brothers in Christ.
Malcolm and Howard.