Greetings from Kyiv, Ukraine where I arrived early this morning. I was met by Victor and Lena and taken to the place where I will spend one night and then early Tuesday morning I will get up and be transported to Zhitomyr Oblast where I will visit a number of distribution locations. I will spend several days and nights there before returning to Kyiv to depart Saturday morning for the USA.
I have to admit this trip has worn me out. I do not think I have ever had as many meetings, visits and private studies as I have enjoyed on this visit. It has been a challenge to find time to communicate with home and send back reports. For those reading, I hope you have give me the grace of overlooking the typos! A friend of mine has a signature footer on her iPhone that says, “Please forgive the auto-complete nonsense you receive!” Well, I do not have the auto-complete so it is just ME!
I hope the reports have helped you to know what has been done on this trip.
Today the USA is honoring those who gave their lives in service to defend our nation. These heroes have valiantly personified courage and sacrifice. The wives and children and parents of those being memorialized sacrificed the dearest to their hearts. At times such a sacrifice seems unfair and stirs anger—and I can understand those emotions.
Today we honor a call to duty. I will never forget a Colonel who took some of the first troops into Vietnam. He left his home in the early morning dark. He left his wife and children not because he wanted to leave but because of his personal commitment to a call to duty. I appreciate that and agree that it deserves the greatest possible honor!
There are countless and nameless soldiers of Christ who have also responded to the call of duty from a different authority that transcends all earthly governments. They have sacrificed. Their wives and families have sacrificed. Their reward and honor will be announced to all “Well done thou good and faithful servant!”
There are times when all support is knocked out from under you. Job’s story offers the biblical illustration. But many miss the emphatic lesson of Job because they focus on the man Job instead of the God Jehovah!
When all material possessions fail; when even those closest to you turn in bitterness; when your health is impacted and you are destitute and at the mercy of strangers’ and their kindness…then turn to Job and focus not upon the man but upon the Almighty God.
This narrative cycles over and over on this visit. The situation is poignantly stated by “Valentina.”
Valentina and her husband are dentists. They were trained professionals. Their work was known for its integrity. They were successful and owned their own dental clinic in Lugansk. Valentina says with her voice quivering, “We did everything right. We went to a church. We gave to that church to help it do benevolence works—WE were the ones giving to others. Our business was very good. And then the war started. On the first day when Russia sent shelling a bomb hit a store next to our clinic. Our clinic was not hit but the results of that bomb blew away everything in a wide diameter…nothing was left…one minute we were doing very well and the next everything was gone…we have nothing…in just one minute…” Her voice cracked and she began sobbing. Olya was translating for me and she went over to hold Valentina.
When composure was regained Valentina continued. “Now we are the ones who have to trust on the benevolence of others. We are the ones that USED to give to those in need and now we are the ones in need. We came to Ivano-Frankivsk. We had nothing. We were told to contact Ivan Skoleba and church of Christ. Thanks to church here we have been helped. We want to work. My husband found a dentist job after 3 months looking but it is in village far away and does not pay well. My children are working and I am working and we still need help.”
Very few can appreciate the emotions behind Valentina’s words… “nothing was left…one minute we were doing very well and the next everything was gone…we have nothing…in just one minute…”
Let me confess some honest thoughts here…I would be lying to you if I said that each story does not affect me. I would rather not know about such circumstances because they make me uncomfortable and who wants to be uncomfortable (entire industries market their products so we will not be uncomfortable!). I wish I could think that the reality of 5,000 miles away does not affect me. I wish I could have the numbed sensitivity that some have when they shrug off the situation thinking that somehow the USA is different than the rest of the world and such traumas will never be seen in our nation. I wish I could salve my conscience’s prick and think that I have no accountability when I stand before the Almighty God.
The work is exhausting. The urgency of the needs seem to magnify daily. The lists of requests are inexhaustible. But it is NOT hopeless. This is the context that the Lord addressed in John 4. The answer there was simple—lift up your eyes and look at situations other than where you are and pray that laborers arise. In the meantime, until laborers arrive, do what you can!
And now a more positive note…
In the photos you have seen Marie & Volodya. Volodya became a Christian a number of years ago and graduated from Bear Valley last May. He is working in Starry Lisets and Ivano-Frankivsk. Marie met Volodya and the two became interested in one another. Volodya has been studying with Marie.
This visit was the first time that I have been able to meet Marie and she is delightful. She wrote this note and asked me to send it to you:
“Greetings from Ivano-Frankvisk, Ukraine. My name is Marie. I’m, 21 year old. Even though I haven’t been attending the church of Christ for a long time, I was brought to it by the love my boyfriend and thanks to this love I opened my heart to God. Now I will obey and intend to live in accordance with the Law of God.
“Please accept my sincere thanks for your prayers as well as your help to the needy people here in Ukraine.
“Thank you very much.
“With most sincere wishes to all Christians from churches of Christ!”
Volodya sends this message to you:
“Greetings dear brothers and sisters!
“Thank you for prayers and support which we sense all the time.
“We always keep you in our thanksgiving prayers to the Father. May God bless you with love,,
“Volodya Diduk your brother in Christ”
Please continue praying for us!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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