Greetings from Zaporozhye, Ukraine!
I arrived late yesterday after a seven hour “fast train” ride from Kyiv. It is good to be back in Zaporozhye again. Our brother Mike Lawson and his grandson were just here and I have heard good things from their visit. Mike is back in the USA now after completing his trip over here.
Yesterday I checked into the hotel and discovered that they have installed new water heaters in the rooms. Now it is to be hot water on demand.
On previous visits I had to start running the water 30 minutes before I needed hot water, but now with the “on demand” I expected to have almost instant hot water. So I checked in and then was off on some scheduled appointments and returned late in the evening looking forward to a good hot shower.
The sun had set and so I turned on the lamp for light and nothing happened—the bulb was gone. The front desk is always going to try to find an extra bulb (on the last trip it took 2 days for them to replace an overhead light bulb). So I decided that light could wait and I went to take that long yearned for hot shower.
I turned on the water and no hot water. I ran it for a long time and nothing changed in its temperature. So I go to the front desk and ask about the hot water. I was told that the heater has been turned off because when it is turned off they save money and it needs to be turned on and then I have to wait overnight to use it.
So, no light and no hot water and after a 7 hour train ride and a full scheduled afternoon, I decide the best thing was to go to bed. So I did. But I only found the bed’s headboard and footboard are too short and I’m lying like one of those poor sardines turned in the most uncomfortable contortion. But the cramped condition of the bed was soon forgotten as I discovered the covers were too short for the short bed. If I got the upper body covered the lower body was uncovered.
So the night was spent see-sawing covers from upper to lower trying to maintain warmth.
Many years ago on one of my first trips I faced this situation with beds and bedding. I was reminded of what you read in Isaiah 28:20, “The bed is too short on which to stretch out, and the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.” (NASB). How true!
The night ended and the day’s activities began with scheduled actions.
One of my actions today was to find a light bulb and buy it! And I accomplished that mission!
Today we began distribution of the containers that have been received. Two medical groups came in the morning to pick up chairs and desks that we have shipped.
Then we began packing bags for the displaced families. We used the personal hygiene bags that the Rivergate congregation put together and brought to load in the containers on February 22. These are two-gallon zip lock bags that have personal health and hygiene items. The Rivergate congregation has come to Searcy for two years in a row to load two containers on a Saturday. This year they brought hundreds of the personal hygiene bags, toys, and other items that are now in Ukraine.
In addition to the personal hygiene bags that Rivergate sent, we packed bags with personally hygiene items that others have donated for us to ship. Some have bought and sent boxes of bath soap or toothpaste or other such items. These are very appreciated.
Pray for our efforts as we continue this trip!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Zaporozhye, Ukraine
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