Report #14 – March 16, 2021

Featured Photo: Tanya, John, Galina, and Igor (Mayor of Kherson). The Mayor presents a gift from the city for our involvement in assisting many in the city and Oblast.

We have hit the ground running! The plane landed at 10:00 pm last night and then after a short night’s rest a number of meetings and site assessment visits were scheduled. As I entered the main terminal in Kherson there was no stations to check temps or ask questions about COVID. I did see some masks but basically all was normal.

Among the many actions of the day I highlight four.

We were taken to a Psychiatric Hospital that has a 500 per day patient load. Most are permanent residents of the hospital. The Chief doctor was “Paul.” He explained that the reason many were here was because of their choices in life—they chose to drink themselves crazy or they took drugs and lost all mental ability. “Of course, there are also a good many here whose inherited genetics invited them to lose touch with reality.”  We walked through both the men and women’s wings of the hospital. They have a geriatric psychiatric wing that we also visited. He explained that each day they get patients up and dressed because remaining in bed and bed clothing only doubles one’s depressive tendencies.

Memorable Quote: As we were about to go into the women’s psychiatric wing, Dr. Paul looked at me and, in all seriousness, said, “With the men they get sick and don’t want to do anything. But with crazy women you never know what they are going to do.” And a he was unlocking the door he looked and said “Be careful.”

I was also taken to visit one of the local Schools that has received help in reconstruction. The Headmistress was “Maria/Mary.” This school has a number of good educational programs and I was given a tour of the elementary wing. In an upstairs auditorium an academic contest was in progress and I arrived in time to hear the last few questions and then see the winning team announced.

We were invited to the Kherson Mayor’s office where the Mayor Igor presented me with a sack filled with gifts from the city in appreciation of the great good that we have helped become a reality in the city.

After the meetings we ate lunch and then went back to the Consignee’s office to plan and discuss future operations. I had mentioned the work in progress with the orphanages in the west as they are being trained in marketable skills for when the are “graduated” from the orphanage (this means they have turned 18 and are basically thrown out onto the streets). There is a great interest in this and we had discussed it three years ago before my war with Kyiv’s TASK GROUP prevented us shipping needed items. I’m assured that now there has been a change and “no problems” will occur. I’m anxious to see how this pans out as I’ve been given that assurance before. However, the program of training vocational skills with a program of training in spiritual skills is exciting to the people here. They have reviewed the laws and they say that we can conduct the schools so that a certification of trade skills can be earned and upon completion there will be instant employment in skills such as wielding and other trades.

The internet was out so this is hurriedly being sent on Wednesday before I am once again running to keep the schedule! Tomorrow morning at 6:50 AM my plane leaves  Kherson for Kyiv…it will be a very early morning indeed!

Thank you for your interest, concerns and prayers!

John L. Kachelman, Jr. Kherson, Ukraine