Photo: Helping people in Mykolaiv and the orphanage in Vorokhta
SPECIAL NOTE: IF anyone is traveling from Huntsville, AL to Montgomery, AL this week (Sept 5-8) and you have room for a passenger, please let me know. We have a brother (Łukasz Kondracki) who wants to come and assist us in the operations this week.
Our actions continue breaking previous boundaries as the Lord continues opening amazing opportunities! This week we will load EIGHT containers out of the Montgomery, AL warehouse. We have never scheduled this number of multiple loadings at the same load site during the same week. The greatest number loaded from one location previously was four, but this week we will do EIGHT!
This challenge has affected us in a number of ways—preparation, making room in the warehouse to receive the commodities, scheduling eight different loads, getting personnel to be involved in the sorting, re-stacking, loading, and a myriad of other logistical and financial activities that make our heads dizzy! At the end of the week I’ll send an update documenting this historic action.
Work with Children
The Russian invasion and occupation, beginning in 2014, targeted children. In 2014 we were involved in rescuing the children from various orphanages in Donetsk and Luhansk. We managed to get most before Russian troops transported them to unknown locations in Russia. When the recent invasion started in February there was fervid action, once again to move the children to safe locations in the west. We have helped with a number of locations designated to receive these children. Often these locations are need the most basic living items and repairs in order to offer safe shelter to the children. With the winter coming these facilities are trying to make the shelters as winterized as possible. These children are traumatized by worldly evils and most have ha parents killed. Life for them ended February 24.
Charita received these photos from the Zolochev Children’s Home that is under repair and racing to winterize. Attached are the images from the first results. One of the projects was to help the Zolochev children home receive a new playground.
Report from Ivan Skoleba
Greetings, dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. We have lived through another month by God’s grace and your prayers. The Lord has poured out His mercy on us giving us an opportunity to serve in the Church and to help people who still do not have peace with God.
This month has been different with many trials. Despite all the fears and threats to destroy our city that come from Russians, we still live, work and serve God and people.
Our congregation assembles in the new building now, and people are happier and more assured to have such a good and spacious place to assemble. Thanks to humanitarian aid we have new people come to worship. People are so thankful for buckets, for the things in them and your letters in buckets. I heard a story that one family invited all the relatives to look at the gifts they had in buckets and everybody was excited. Even our doctors who are socially more protected and well-off are also very thankful for family buckets. Thank you so much for the basic things that you collected for us with such love and care. Your sympathy and love are so touching. They encourage and motivate us to hold on to unity in Church and in God’s Word.
We assemble for worship on Sunday, and on Wednesday there is a Bible class. On Friday we have prayer session. We have been able to go to Village Zelena three times this month to teach classes on the Hebrew Epistle. Brethren in Zelena look forward to having guests from America (Beto Santiago and Perry Baker) for classes and fellowship.
We help the needy and displaced in the city talking to them about God and salvation in Christ. War has made some people angry with God. Some have lost their families and all their belongings. Their stories are heartbreaking.
Two people are living in the Church ‘s building at this point. There is a woman on the first floor and a man on the second. They are Christians. They attend and help the Church. We are glad to be able to host these people.
Brethren, please, continue praying for Ukraine asking the Lord to show His mercy and give us peace. A lot of young people are killed. It is horrible and we cannot do anything to stop it. But together we have power in Christ. Thank you! We love you and always thank God for your help and prayers.
Ivan and Svitlana
Ivan’s Burnt Apartment News…UPDATE
In January 2022 the building where Ivan and Sveta Skoleba had an apartment burned. the fault was determined to be old wiring in a part of the building not associated with Ivan’s apartment. Ivan had replaced all wiring in his apartment. However, since his apartment was on the top floor, he was “responsible” for the roof’s damage. His apartment was a total loss. But there were 10 other apartments impacted by the fire. You can look back in the posts and read reports on this tragedy. Generous Christians gave to help repair the building’s roof and to provide Ivan and Sveta with funds to purchase another apartment. Here is his update on this situation.
This month has been special because with your help we have been able to buy an apartment and can now lead a normal life and have a place to live, sleep and get ready for services. We are very, very thankful to you for support at this trying time for us and our family.
We have also been able to repair our burnt roof. People that live in the building are thankful to all American brothers and sisters for help who collected money to protect them from rain and cold weather. After the fire the roof was leaking badly and people couldn’t have electric power. Ten apartments were suffering and the State would do nothing about it. At the time of the fire, Russia invaded and the war and displaced people consumed all the money.
BIG THANKS TO YOU FOR SAVING OUR FAMILIES!! These are the words of thanks that the residents of the apartment building passed onto American brethren for their help to fire victims. We all have learnt about love and great Christian self-sacrifice. You set such a great example of faith and God’s grace through His Church.
Ivan Skoleba
Report from Ruslan Skoleba
Dear brothers and sisters! I am happy to write to you again. This is indeed a great opportunity and a blessing from God given the horrible situation that our country is facing. We thank God that there is no actual shelling in this part of the country although we do have air raid alerts all the time. Our congregation continues helping one another and those needing help. Construction of the church building is in progress as well. Words and pictures would not do justice to what it looks like now. John, Gif and others are coming soon and they will share their impressions with you. All of this is possible with God’s grace and your support.
Big thanks to you for prayers and support of the Church of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk at this trying time. May God bless you for this. Sincerely,
Ruslan Skoleba
Helping people in Mykolaiv and the orphanage in Vorokhta
Mykolaiv is barely recognizable after six months of the war. The Church of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk has been sending supplies into the city on a regular schedule (see past reports). The Russians have pummeled the city with artillery and missiles attempting to batter the population into submission. There is nothing military there it is a civilian target. A 21-year-old IT worker who has spent most of the war in Mykolaiv says, “our city feels very normal during the day, but during the night, it is like evil spirits come out.” Here are some photos of the distributions to the suffering and needy in Mykolaiv and to an orphanage in Vorokhta.
From Marta Małecka, a Polish partner in clearing and distributing shipments
Dear John and Rita, I am very grateful for the fact that I met you few weeks ago in Warsaw. Since that time, you have helped us in the fund “Be a Hero.” Through your supply we have been able to feed and offer hygienic products to hundreds of the needy in these locations: In Kharkov (we loaded in your warehouse in Lviv 1 pallet with food and 1 pallet with buckets). In Nikolayev we were able to give out 100 food portions. We were given a full container of food that we are now delivering to: Kharkov (9 tones), Zaporozhe (4 tones), Dniepro (4 tones) and more food to Mykolaiv (3 tones). We are now awaiting delivery of first container with medical products that we will also let you know what and where is delivered. God bless You,
Marta Małecka
During this week I will try to post more updates on the loading of these EIGHT cargo containers from the Church of Christ at Dalraida in Montgomery, AL! Amazing opportunities! “Exceedingly abundantly MORE than we could ask or think!”
John L. Kachelman, Jr. Montgomery, AL
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