Above Photo: Our first Bible study with the Church of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk. We are studying a topic requested by the brethren, “How to build a great Church.”
The first day has been early, fast and furious—Starting out at 6:00, going to two banks, various meetings, going to Lysets and then Starry Lysets, enjoying a wonderful meal at Volodya’s & Julia’s, meeting with Dr Denys about shipping a container of misc med supplies into Ivano-Frankivsk where it will be divided among 6 hospitals, and closing the day with our first Bible class at the Church of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk.
The Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast has been declared in the “red zone” for COVID. But the only thing different is that cafes and restaurants are closed. There is seldom seen a mask as you walk around. This is not as serious as the 2009 “swine flu” that caused me to be locked down at that time. The various visits are all scheduled and more are waiting in case there is an opening that develops.
The class tonight began our study on “How to build a great Church.” We had 8 present in-person and a number on their telephones listening to the lesson. It was a good lesson and it was more discussion oriented than the usual classes. I’ll continue teaching this topic and next week will add a study of the Colossian Epistle to the schedule.
We had a delightful visit in Lysets where the Clarkson, KY congregation supports the work that Volodya and Julia do. They have been working hard on remodeling a meeting place for the Church. They have enough in number to apply and gain legal registration! The work that they are doing is amazing. After Lysets we went to Starry Lysets and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Volodya and Julia. They told me it was “Varenikis Wednesday” and I would have potato; potato & cottage cheese; and cherry varenikis. Along with that was a salad made with seaweed, carrots, and celery root. There were also canned mushrooms and dill pickles.
Tomorrow starts another early day as Ruslan and Maria have invited me for a borsch breakfast. Then several appointments are scheduled and at 11:00am there is to be an immersion! Gaylena from Zelena has sent word she wants to be immersed. Ivan is working to schedule the sauna. After the immersion we will order meals and meet and share a fellowship dinner before she and Bogdan have to travel back to Zelena. In talking with Ivan today I learned some wonderful news of the progress made in Zelena. I’m scheduled to go there next week and am looking forward to it. I just wish Doug and Caleb were traveling back to this village where they spent memorable days in 2019. Fascinating news on the horizon!!
Tomorrow is planned full. I am invited to lunch at 9:30 then will visit a number of locations including the invalid Volodya that Chip McEwen met with on his last trip. I need to transfer funds from Bill Wharton for the school lunches in Toretsk’s schools and there is an ever-increasing list of things to-do and an ever-diminishing window in which to get them done. I have also been invited to meet with several of the officials in the area.
We are still locked horns on a container that arrived in port weighing 3.5 tons less that the official scale, BUT Port Customs said it was 160 lbs over-weight and we are accused of smuggling contraband! I hope I get a face-to-face with Customs to ask, “How can MY container arrive in YOUR Port weighing 3.5 TONS less than it did when sealed in the USA and YOU say it is 160 POUNDS overweight?” I’m not sure what Port Customs will say but in order to reconcile this in my mind, it must be COVID! I have heard of some infected with the virus who had a dramatic weight loss but then they regained some weight. In my thinking (which is about as reasoned as Odesa Port Customs) the container was infected with COVID and suffered a significant weight loss of 3.5 tons BUT then it recovered and experienced a slight weight increase of 160 lbs. If this doesn’t jibe with your thinking then just write it off to jet-lag!
More tomorrow…
Thanks for your interest, concerns and prayers!
John L. Kachelman, Jr. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
