Malcolm's Report #3.

Malcolm’s Report # 3 from Ukraine. April 19 and 20

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Today was cold and wet to start but warmed up later. As this is Easter Saturday, people by the thousands, go to the churches with their little baskets of bread and vegetables, and wait in line outside for the priest to sprinkle their basket with holy water and bless the produce hoping for a good summer harvest. Rain or shine or distance to church does not deter them. Mother Father and children, often walk for miles. The traditions of the church hold these dear people very tightly.

As the schools, institutions and many stores and eating places are closed today, we decided to visit in the village of  Postometi / Nisnevachi in the home of Stefka, the first home we had meetings in when Ross Vanstone and a group of “seed Sowers” came to Ukraine in either 2002 or 3, not quite sure. Stefka is the Grandmother and her son Orst and wife Olga live with her. Her granddaughter, Oxana and husband and 2 boys live in an upstairs suite. Stefka is a living miracle after numerous abdominal surgeries. For years Orst was an almost hopeless alcoholic but a few years ago took a serious stroke that did two things, it gave him a limp but best of all, cured his drinking! For the first time since knowing him, we talked for almost an hour about his need of forgiveness of sins and faith in Christ. He listened without comment for quite a while but then became defensive. We can only hope that the word got into his heart. The rest of the family were also listening.

We then visited across the road from Stefka’s with Volodia’s Grandmother and cousins; again we opened the subject of what Pasca meant and why Christ had to die. Good attention around the table once more.

We came home and had our first meal of pilmeni, meat in little pastry pockets. Now to get ready for Sunday.

Sunday. Volodia  arrived at the apartment to load our bags, ready to go to Ivano after morning meeting.

We drove to meeting and Broke Bread with about 12 others. At this time of the year the Easter season is very much a time for family dinners etc, so there were no visitors. One of the brothers in the meeting, Andre, had felt he should go to Kiev and join in the “Maidan” demonstrations. He spent 3 weeks there during the shooting of over 100 people. He was fairly stressed about it all, but felt he needed to support it. We along with others think it was not, as a Christian, right that he was part of it.

I gave a word after meeting and Howard will speak if we go next week.

We drove back to Ivano without seeing much improvement to the road, and got ready for the meeting in the hotel. We have planned to have meetings for the week. There were about 12 out and it was good to see some old and some new faces. We are hoping to see more once everything is back to normal after Pasca.

 We went to our favorite Pizza place, just around the corner from the meeting place and then home to bed.

Thank you for praying. No signs of the problems in East Ukraine, but a very volatile situation.

Malcolm and Howard.