Report #2 – April 5, 2016 – Ukraine Missions

I left Kyiv’s airport early on Monday morning and while checking in experienced the usual things…bags were too heavy and I needed to pay…your carry-on is only to be 7 kilos and any shoulder bag is to be half that amount. My check through was 4 kilos too heavy but Tanya’s was 8 kilos too light. So extra money to pay for overweight bags! (The norm for Americans who get spotted!)

The consignee in Odesa is PHONEMONAL. The group is called “Future of Ukraine” and they have worked with our shipments previously. This is the first time I have met them face to face and gotten to know them. They are doing everything they can to make this first visit be perfect.

I arrived in Odesa, Ukraine from Kyiv and immediately began activities. The plane was late so the scheduled meetings were already due. I barely had time to put on a suit, throw my bags into the room and run to catch the car.

The first visit was at the Cominterm District Hospital in Odesa. This is a major hospital complex with 13 different departments. On a monthly basis they have 450-500 in-patient population and see 3,000 out-patients! We have sent a number of items to this hospital to assist in its trauma, neurological, maternity and surgical departments. We were taken on a tour of the trauma department. When we arrived there was a television crew positioned for filming and throughout the visit we were interviewed and filmed.

I had another meeting scheduled with a contact that had lived in Crimea but fled north when Russia seized the area. He is originally from Gorlovka (Donetsk Region). He still has means to get relief supplies into Gorlovka. We met and discussed future operations and expectations and requirements involved. It was a good meeting and he has contacts that can provide funding for containers. Hopefully this will open avenues for us to assist the brethren who could not flee Gorlovka and who are really struggling.

There followed a number of other visits and then I thought “Finally go to the room and crash.” But not so…I had just finished eating a late supper when one of the guys in our consignee fund walked in and asked me to have coffee. Then another arrived and told us that there was going to be a meeting to discuss future efforts and plans. By that time the “live” entertainer had started his program and no one could hear what the others were saying. So we went to another room to meet and my ears loved the quiet! The meeting was finally over somewhere around 10:30 or 11:30 but anytime after 9:00 is too late. We were told that all would be quiet until 12:30 the next day! So the night ended with vision of “beginning at 12:30” ringing in my ears and that led into a wonderful sleep.

And then the next day began…

Plans for Tuesday were full…we had a visit scheduled for the disabled of Donetsk that have been displaced by the war to Kuylnik (This is the place I reported on last Spring), then we had a special luncheon appointment, then we had a container arriving that needed to be unloaded and finally we were to be at a regional television station to be on a live talk show.

So up early & ready to get breakfast finished and get some postponed work and communication done. But as soon as breakfast was over I was told that Dimity wanted to meet with me. He is a professor (PhD Mathematics & Physics) at the National Maritime University in Odesa. He had several requests and enjoyed talking about a number of topics.
As we were finishing talking I was told that it was time to leave to start the day’s activities and we were leaving early. So off we went!

This first visit was to the area where hundreds of those disabled displaced are being housed. Once again as we drove up I saw television cameras and reporters. Our meeting a discussion with the displaced disabled was touching. One mother told me “We have lost everything. We do not have any place that is permanent. We do not have anything at all. We thank you for your concern but all seems hopeless at this time.”

We told the group that a container was arriving today and there were items in it that they would be receiving in 5-7 days.

Following the general meeting the television crew interviewed me and others associated with the disabled association.

Interview by television regarding our efforts to assist disabled IDPs

As we were leaving Igor (with our consignee) told me that they had given five hospital beds to those who were in the worst condition. Igor said that they had arranged for transformers to be provided for the beds and now at least five had functional hospital beds that would assist them.

After the meeting and visits had concluded it was time for the “special lunch.” Yesterday Igor had told me that they wanted to treat me to some special Odesa cuisine! He said, “We are by the sea and we will give you our specialty.” On our way today Igor said, “We have many surprises for you! We have black caviar from Pike fish! There’s more but I do not want to ruin the surprise.” We arrived at a café right on the seaside and sat to enjoy the meal.

I record this meal for my girls to think on and enjoy…We began with appetizer plates of fish pate, and smoke fish and toast on butter. Then came the black caviar which again you first spread butter and then spoon out the fish eggs. Then came out two plates and one looked like fried onion rings! The other had some brown gravy, onions and peppers and again something that looked like onion rings. As soon as the plates arrived it was announced that now the “calamari” known to the commoner as “squid.” After that comes out the baked mackerel and finally some meat and cabbage dumplings. Then came the sweets!

Fish appitizer--maybe salmon or trout or ??? — Fish appitizer–maybe salmon or trout or ???

Fish appetizer may be salmon or trout or ???

Igor’s purpose was accomplished—he did indeed surprise me with a memorable meal! Too bad my girls could not have been there to enjoy it as I know Monica and Rachel would have loved every morsel.

After the memorable lunch we received word that a container we loaded out of Judsonia, AR on 05 February had arrived and was ready for unloading. At first I thought this was one of the containers that the brethren from the Rivergate congregation had loaded, but I was wrong. This container was loaded just before the Rivergate crew arrived. As we load containers I try to put some of the heaviest items toward the end so if Port Customs decides to unload and take anything they have to work for their theft. On this container we had placed an 840 lbs wall cabinet at the very end. I recall the Judsonia crew asking how those in Ukraine would get it off and I replied that I did not know but they would. Now I was looking at that 840 lbs and asking “How are WE going to get this off.” There was no loading dock. Thankfully there was a forklift!