TANYA & EUGENE FROM THE CHILDRENS HOME “HOPE” SAY “GREAT! THANK YOU!”
While the leaders of the western nations, who could stop Russian aggression and further invasion, meet to discuss options, while the ceasefire remains and pro-Russian artillery and snipers continue their evil destruction, and while the media has all but forgotten the millions of lives that Putin’s anarchists have ruined, the strength of Ukraine continues to thwart Russia’s invasion timeline.
There is a genuine mobilization of every citizen. Each in his own way is doing what he can to assist the war effort to keep Ukraine free from Russia. You go into a grocery to buy food and there will be a plastic box at the cashier where people are giving money to help the army and by the door will be a box where they can put food to be taken to the army. In villages there are collection sites where potatoes, cabbages, canned mushrooms are gathered and taken to the refugees (1.7 MILLION at the last count). Everywhere you go people have the national colors of the flag (blue & yellow) on ribbons, cars, in windows. The common greeting is “Glory to Ukraine!” This comment is answered with the reply “Glory to the heroes!”
On Friday I saw another illustration of this grassroots support. Our Consignee in Zaporozhye is the group “Veterans of Chernobyl.” Each served in the cleanup operations of that nuclear catastrophe. One of the members is Alexander and he owns a pharmacy. He showed me a large bag of medicines that customers had bought and donated for the army and the wounded. It was a mixture of various pills, tubing, bandages, etc.
From these donations is packed a first aid kit that is given to those going to the war zones. Not only are supplies coming from other Regions as well. Yuri is the accountant for the fund and he showed me the books and careful accounting of every item received and packed. Often in the war zones this small first aid kit will be the only medical supplies present.
FIRST AID KITS ASSEMBLED FOR THE WAR ZONES
As I was taken into the storeroom and shown the inventory of items that would soon be assembled into the first aid kits I saw the shelving that we had taken out of Children’s Hospital in Little Rock! On those shelves were placed the medical supplies that would be critical to life. Yuri looked at me and said, “Do you see just how much we needed these shelves and they arrived at the perfect time!”
YURI STANDS IN FRONT OF SHELVING SHIPPED FROM SEARCY, ARKANSAS THAT HOLDS MEDICAL SUPPLIES
Our trips on Friday took us to two facilities that help children. The first was a children’s home called “Hope.” It houses about 15 children from 2 years to 18 years. We took some school supplies in bags (pillow cases) for the children, some clothes that had been sent from Kathy Cadden’s loads out of Columbus, MS and some stuffed toys. The home was very nice and the children were well cared and loved. Most of the children were at school but there were four present. Out of the four was one young boy (named Eugene). He had already found himself a favorite among the stuffed animals. As a typical boy he was not too interested in the school supplies except for the florescent colored erasures on the pencils in his bag. Eugene was more concerned about keeping the pasteboard box! I looked at him as we were leaving and he had put his stuffed toy into the box and his bag of school supplies and was carrying it to his bed.
We also visited Children’s Hospital #5. This facility had received a number of items from our containers. They carefully took us to each location and showed us that the items we gave were there and were being used. At the end of the tour we were asked if we would say a few words to the staff. They had already assembled the staff in an auditorium and I had an opportunity to address them and talk about how Christians in the USA were working with Christians in Ukraine and worldwide to help show the Lord’s compassion. After the presentation I had two of the staff come up and ask me questions about the Church.
Friday’s events included a number of other stops. We took Mike to several locations of interest in Zaporozhye associated with the rich Cossack history of this region and points of interest along the historic Dnieper River.
Saturday’s events focused on two actions during the day. The first was a visit to various historical places on the island of Khortytsya. We enjoyed the number of historical exhibits and descriptions. We were treated to a special “horse theatre” in which a number of riders demonstrated the agile Cossack horse riding. After the riding exhibition there were demonstrations of other Cossack battle talents and bullwhip handling. Two years ago I was drafted from the audience to participate in the bullwhip exhibition. This time it was Mike’s turn and he went through the initiation and become a member of the Cossack nation! Mike did very well and now we are told that he and I are the only American Cossacks!
After the history tours we hurriedly left to go back to the hotel. We quickly changed from the street clothes into suits. We ran downstairs to the café and threw down a lunch of salad, soup, chicken fillet, carrots, and fried potatoes. We then ran out to meet the bus and were taken to the meeting hall where we were scheduled to make a public appearance with the Governor. We were joined by Gary Workman who had just arrived in town for the meeting with the Governor.
MIKE LAWSON, JOHN KACHELMAN, GARY WORKMAN
It was good to have Gary and Mike along with me in the meeting.
I think the meeting went well and we were given several letters of appreciation for our efforts to help the city. It was good to hear various groups talk about how our shipments have helped those in need. One especially commented on the standing frames and other disabled devices that we shipped here some years ago He comments that those families had been told their children would never walk but with the shipments sent by the churches of Christ the children were now walking!
During one of the public speeches a man spoke about going to a hospital and seeing the wheelchairs, crutches, beds and other things that we had shipped. He said that he had heard of the things being shipped but what he saw with his own eyes far exceeded what he had heard! Another said that with 25 years of relief shipments for Chernobyl victims what the city had received from the churches of Christ was many times greater and better than what he had seen from Chernobyl relief!
It was wonderful to hear such complimentary remarks about such a powerful impact for the Lord!
Following the public assembly I was personally greeted by several who had received help from our shipments. Each of these expressed great gratitude and asked me to give you thanks for your kindness in collecting and sending these shipments. Over and over different ones would get up during the meal and express their appreciation for our shipments.
Sunday morning we will assemble with the Church in Zaporozhye. There should be several Americans present. In addition to myself, Mike, and Gary I have seen Ronnie Morrison in Zaporozhye this week. I am not sure when Ronnie is leaving this city and he may be already gone. I am excited as this will be the first time I have been here on a Lord’s Day and have located the Church.
After worship tomorrow we have one last appointment—a picnic and then we leave on the overnight train to Kyiv. The temps have turned very cold here and a harsh, bitter wind is blowing the Siberian cold from the north. This will not be a good environment for a picnic!
Be sure to tell others they register for automatic updates or can read posted updates on this mission trip at: www.kachelman.com/ukraine/blog
Thank you for your financial support and prayers for the brethren in Ukraine and for the welfare of the Lord’s Church in Ukraine!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Zaporozhye, Ukraine
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