Reflections by Caleb Colquitt:
Early on Wednesday we set out for the mountain town of Yaremche to the same school Will and I visited the day before. This time Ainsley Lockwood accompanied us and she quickly became the star of the show. The children were very surprised to see a girl soccer player. Many of the kids, especially the girls, wanted pictures with us. We also gave out 5 boxes full of books including Bibles, Children’s Bibles, and Christian magazines.
After that, we made a quick pit stop at a waterfall in the mountains on the way back. There was a man there with a golden eagle. Being a big Auburn fan, I had to stop and get a picture in my suit and Auburn tie with the eagle on my arm.
Finally, I got to teach the story of Naaman to a group of mostly teenagers at Ugornike. They were very receptive and most had never heard the story before. Many also didn’t know Jesus’s commands about baptism either. It was truly amazing to see people so thirsty to hear the truth.
Reflections by Alex Lockwood:
Wednesday was our last day at the school of Lysets. It was a heartwarming experience watching the students open up after the weeks classes we had. We were invited to the directors (principle) house that afternoon to witness the resourcefulness of a “typical” Ukrainian couple. An almost archaic lifestyle for us Americans. We said our goodbyes at the gate of the school; overwhelming it was to leave them only in hope we’d make it back. That evening we had our last night with the kids at the cultural palace in Starry Lysets. Our class had tripled through the week with our final number being 24 children. The kids had picked up on English phrases and words and were able to answer all of our lessons questions. Once again it was incredibly sad to leave there sweet faces.
Yesterday evening we had a last goodbye dinner where a few tears were shed. We can only hope we all make it back again and can do even more the next time we are here.
Reflections by Doug Schofield:
The last few days seem like a whirlwind! Today was no exception; after an inspection tour of the construction site of the new Ivano-Frankvisk church building we visited a hospital for special needs children, then visited a medical training facility, both of which received aid supplies from us. Next we toured a children’s clinic that received equipment and supplies from us. In the evening we enjoyed a delicious but emotional farewell dinner with all of our team members, translators and volunteers from the local church.
Tomorrow we will visit an orphanage then travel to a village at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, and then take a ride to the top of the mountain. We are thankful for the beautiful weather we have enjoyed for the duration of this trip; at the same time, we are mindful of the loss and devastation that so many are facing from the hurricane. We remember them in our prayers.
Reflections by Mike Moody:
Today, we changed direction. Our group visited several sites in the city of Ugornyky that have received benevolent aide from Dalraida.
Our first stop was the site of the new church building. We were so impressed with the progress of the construction and Ivan, the minister of the congregation, was a proud tour guide. They still need over $100,000 to finish the project and we are counting on generous Christians to contribute to this most worthy cause.
Next, we went to an emergency childcare facility. When children are in immediate need of short-term care, they are sent here. Because of the facility being quarantined, we were not able to take a tour, but they were so grateful for what we had brought, including fresh peanuts from Alabama!
For a change of pace, we ate at a lovely Italian restaurant. The pizza was “duzhe dobre” (very good).
Then it was on to a medical training facility where training supplies and equipment had been donated. The administrators of the facility were so grateful for what we had donated. We may never know how many Ukrainians will benefit from our small efforts.
Our final stop on the tour was a newly remodeled clinic. The mayor of Ugorniky met us and gave us a personal tour of the building. The donations raised were so very needed to make this clinic a beacon of hope for the community. Across the street, we visited the Uhornyky museum where we learned of the vast history of the ancient city. From a very young America, it was hard to grasp a city that was over 900 years old. That’s right, OVER 900 YEARS OLD!
The pinnacle of the day was a group dinner at Churchill with members of the local congregation, our interpreters and us. We sampled several local dishes (spiced baked potato wedges were my personal favorite) and John K “the younger” handed out gifts to our interpreters and thanked the local congregation for their efforts to make our stay pleasant. Vovan, am interpreter from our team, presented us with a wood-etches map so that we would always know how to get make to Ivano-Frankivsk.
Many hugs followed and a promise that we would continue to work for this admirable group of Christians to grow the Lord’s kingdom in Starry-Lasets, in Ukraine and throughout the world.
With just a little time left in the day, several of us ventured into the city square at night to enjoy our favorite new drink — chocolate tea — at the Lviv Chocolate Factory restaurant.
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