Today was my final day in Odessa on this trip. The schedule called for visits to several locations where commodities we have distributed could be inspected.
Our first visit was to a children’s hospital for the disabled. There are four floors and the top three floors are all patients who are considered “invalid” and unable to get out of bed. This is also the hospital for newborn babies that have been abandoned. To this hospital we have distributed a number of furniture pieces, scrubs, baby items, diapers, etc.
We spent time with the Chief Doctor Tatyana. Tatyana thanked us for our assistance and for the great compassion that is evident in our shipments. She described how the received commodities have helped her staff take care of the disabled children and abandoned babies.
She said that the abandoned babies will remain there for a long time and there are no funds to cover their costs of food, clothing, diapers, and medicines. She said these babies really need receiving blankets, diaper rash ointments, gowns, pacifiers, bottles and nipples, bassinets, and basically anything that a newborn baby needs.
The remainder of the day was spent in various meetings and planning sessions for future efforts in Odessa as well as various other locations in Ukraine. We visited a group of soldiers who have been disabled in the war. They are operating a store with the help of the consignee here. There are four of them and they are 23 years old.
While at the store I met another soldier who was still on active duty but is back from the front lines with his unit here. He has an interesting story. He was on patrol when a Russian sniper shot him. He was wearing the body armor that is made with ceramic scales. The bullet hit his chest shattering the ceramic scales and putting him into cardiac arrest. He was revived and went back to the line. Soon afterwards there was a Russian woman sniper captured. When she looked at this young man she calmly said “I know you. The other night I shot you. Your face was so kind that I did not want to shoot you in the face so I shot you in the chest.”
That cold, unconscionable remark typifies the perspective of the Russian troops that have invaded and now occupy portions of the east. And this is basically the philosophy of the secular world in which we live.
I asked what happened to her and was told that she was taken away with all of the other Russian troops that are captured. After relating this story I was told, “These are the stories that you do not hear about in the news.”
In the morning I am to be picked up at 5:30 and taken to the airport. I’ll fly to Kyiv where a car is waiting to take me to some meetings and then I’ll be returned to Kyiv’s airport and take the night flight to Ivano-Frankivsk! As I join the Ivano-Frankivsk brethren we will begin study on two Bible topics.
Pray for our efforts as we continue this trip!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Odesa, Ukraine
