(Above photo: BJ Harrah and Olya are seen as they are teaching an afternoon Bible class in Starry Lysets. The attendance has been wonderful and the cooperation of the village has been phenomenal!)
The second full day of actions while the Dalraida mission team is in Ivano-Frankivsk went very well. The change in the schedule was accommodated well as we switched the evening Bible classes to the early afternoon leaving our afternoon plans to be shuffled and freeing up our evening. But as we were in a meeting at the Police Hospital Volodya called saying the change was only one day. So we are changing the schedule again to return to the evening schedule Wednesday. Things are always in flux…
The attendance at the Bible classes for the second day was really good. The interest and participation of those in the village has been much more than I had hoped as we began planning. If the Mayor had not had to go to Kyiv on a business trip I am certain the attendance would have been twice what we are having. I am still looking to meet and visit with the priest Marion during the week. He is usually with our groups during the day but not present at the evening classes. Hopefully we can connect in the last days of the effort.
Teens taught by BJ & Nick with Olya translating: 33!
Children’s taught by Mallory & Danyel: 31!
Adult lecture today by Billy: 22
We had a group going to the Law University (John III, Scott, Billy) where they spoke to one large assembly of students and professors. The presentation went well and on Wednesday and Thursday they will go to specific classes (Wednesday they are to go to Criminal Prosecution).
We visited the village Ugorniky and met with Mayor Lubov. This is the village that gifted the plot of land to the Church and upon which construction has begun. Lubov has been struggling with brain cancer and has undergone two surgeries. She is still on sick leave but she wanted to meet our group and came to her office. Lubov has been a great encouragement as we struggled to fight against the evil people opposed to our registration. It was good to see her and introduce the group from Montgomery, AL to her.
After visiting Lubov we went to the construction site. By then the weather had turned much colder and a heavy mist was falling. Several saw snowflakes!
Our evening was to be free because of the change in the village class schedule but it was good that we had it open as the Church needed to meet and discuss a matter. The Dalraida team sat in on the meeting that discussed the evil opposition that the Church has faced from within Ukraine and from “brethren” in America. Since Dalraida is the overseeing congregation the mission folks and elders were aware of the dastardly devilish opposition, but many of those on the mission team had never been aware. So it was explained and commitments were reaffirmed that we will not compromise in our loyalty to God’s Truth. It was a good meeting and was enlightening to some who have never seen the dark-side of some who are described by Inspiration (Titus 1:16), “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.”
Another opportunity…Inna has a friend that teaches in the Department of International Languages in Ivano-Frankivsk. This friend is aware that a group from America is visiting. There was interest in getting some to go to the Institute and make presentations. The schedule for the group is full (at least until it changes again). But John Durham is going to make contact with this Institute on Wednesday and hopefully be able to arrange some presentations before he leaves.
The proposed schedule for Wednesday will see a number of us back in the schools at Starry Lysets visiting classes and teaching conversational English with the southern drawl unique to south AL! Others will be going to the Law University. In the afternoon we will be scheduled to visit a Children’s Shelter and a Kindergarten. Then we will regroup and go for the evening meal and after that the rescheduled evening classes in Stary Lysets!
Pray for our efforts as we continue this trip!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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