Greetings from Odessa, Ukraine where I arrival after 14 long hours of train travel. Odessa is a port city on the Black Sea where our containers arrive. I am being hosted by the Consignee here who is very eager to work with Christians in distributing the benevolence items. In fact, I have never seen any of our connections so enthusiastic about helping the God’s Church and making sure God gets the glory and not some man or man’s organization. It is so refreshing to be around Yuri and listen to him talk.
The last day in Zaporozhye involved a number of visits but one was touching. A visit to the Disabled Children’s Home that we have helped several times. We have shipped various disabled treatment equipment to them (special walkers, standing frames, mats, special wheelchairs, etc). There are 133 residents here. They will remain here until they are 35 years old and then be transferred to an adult facility (but we were told that most will not live past 20 years). Tanya and I went with Alexander and “George” (George is actually Yuri but he has decided that he wants to be called “George”—he would fit in very well with the Judsonia warehouse crew).
The Director is Sevtlana and she is the best person I have ever seen in this position. You see the residents eyes light up when she walks in and they come up to her and give her hugs. She knows each by name and always says positive things to her. Since my last visit they have completed some remodeling and the facility is in great condition. The children are clean and well behaved. At my last visit the home had received 25 children from another disabled home who were bedfast. Svetlana’s staff has worked with these and now all, but one, are able to walk and do some things (some are even verbalizing a few words).
The group had prepared a presentation for me and at the end presented me with a banner they had made. It had their hand prints and is to give me hugs. Great place and wonderful people who appreciate the Lord’s Church and the demonstration of Christians loving them from thousands of miles away. THANK YOU from these children!
Upon my arrival in Odessa I was told that (after 14 hours on the battering and bruising train ride) I had a few minutes to clean up and then the Governor’s assistants wanted to meet. I was very pleased when I met Sergey and Vasily and they immediately talked about how much they appreciated the high quality of the container’s contents that we had shipped from Judsonia. Yuri told me that as the container was being unloaded that these two were present and their eyes got so big when they saw the items being unloaded. Yuri says they have never been involved in any humanitarian aid shipments like we sent to them. Our container was weighted with hospital and medical commodities and items to assist the displaced people. The container was immediately distributed. Another of our containers has arrived. This one was packed in Columbus, MS by Kathy Cadden and her crew. The folks here cannot wait to unload it and see what it holds.
There are a number of stories from the distribution…
There is a very large IDP “village” that has developed because of the influx of refugees from Donetsk and Lugansk and Crimea. The Odessa Oblast officials are working to provide for these families. One of the things that Yri had requested were toys because the children had to flee and only the most essential things were hurriedly packed. So there are no toys for the children. Kathy and I had sent out a plea for toys and amny responded in a wonderful way. Yuri had taken the toys from the first container to this IDP location and he said the children loved each one.
The first container had a number of family buckets and these were taken to various locations where they could help those in need. Yuri has a group of volunteers who turned out to assist in the packing of trucks and vans and then the unloading and distribution. Most of the distributions occurred in a large gathering with media present. Yuri made sure to tell them that these commodities came from those Christians in the Lord’s Church so far away.
One story was especially touching to hear. Yuri has been involved in an elderly hostel for a number of years. In fact his first contact with me was asking for help in furnishing the elderly home with better furniture. The residents are elderly and alone. They have no assistance from anyone and are totally dependent on the kindness of others. Among the residents is an elderly woman named “Tatyana.” She is blind. Yuri and Kate took Tatyana some clothes from the shipment. Kate said that even though Tatyana could not see the clothes she could feel them and knew they were very nice. Tatyana hugged the clothes and said, “I bow down to those whose hearts a so full of love and they look so far away to help an old woman like me.”
Discussion about the nature of the Lord’s Church…
All during the first day in Odessa I had opportunity to answer questions about the Lord’s Church. First with the Governor’s assistants and then with Yuri and others. As usual there was confusion about how one is not associated with any denominational hierarchy and each church is separate and independent but united in a common faith. “How can there be a common faith with a common creed?” The conversations were good and reflected deep thinking and sincere searching. Thankfully most can read English and I have a number of sermon outlines on the plea for the restoration of New Testament Christianity that I have given them. It will be most interesting to see how this continues to develop!
FINALLY we are getting media reports that present facts that previously were not being reported to the public. Reuters publish a report on how Russian troops were quitting the Russian army because they did not want to fight in Ukraine. It has been known to be an absolute fact that Russia was the instigator of the war and was supplying men and materials to continue the invasion and occupation of Ukraine. Those sympathetic to Russia have chosen to blind themselves and be deluded into thinking Russia was not involved. But just as the horrendous facts of fascist Germany had to be admitted in the 1940s now the horrendous facts about FACIST RUSSIA have to be admitted! Here is the link to a Moscow Times site that ran the Reuters report (in itself an amazing fact).
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-soldiers-quit-army-over-ukraine-conflict/520563.html
NOTE: LET THE KREMLIN READERS OF THESE REPORTS TAKE NOTE THAT YOUR ACTIONS ARE NO LONGER BEING IGNORED!
AND TO THE PEOPLE OF RUSSIA READING THESE REPORTS…
BE AWARE THAT YOUR NATION IS FOLLOWING EVIL AND YOUR SILENT APPROVAL IS ALLOWING PUTIN TO CONTINUE—DO YOU NOT CARE THAT YOU ARE MURDERING 7,000+ CIVILIANS IN UKRAINE AND HAVE DISPLACED OVER TWO MILLION??? HOW LONG WILL YOU EXCUSE AND RATIONALIZE WHAT IS OBVIOUS EVIL AND BECOMING MORE OBVIOUS???
Please continue praying for our efforts!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Odessa, Ukraine
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