This year’s spring mission trip has begun! I am writing from Kyiv, Ukraine where it has been cloudy and cold and a harsh Siberian wind blowing strong. But today (Sunday) has dawned with brilliant sunshine and the promise that spring is about to burst out. I am still fighting through the fog of jet lag and this morning it seemed my eyelids were glued shut!
I arrived at Borispol airport without any difficulty. Previously I had mentioned great difficulties with the USA based airlines. It seems they have made strong and successful attempts to amend their services and I am delighted to say that all bags arrived and the flights were early to arrival at the end of each leg of the trip!
I will leave Kyiv in the morning for Odessa.
The first days in Kyiv have been spent in meetings and discussions on various facets of my trip. The war, that continues as a consequence of Russia’s invasion and occupation, drags on and death and destruction and thousands from the eastern regions are displaced each month. Our efforts continue to ship in critically needed medical commodities as well as commodities to those displaced. Thus far in 2016 we have shipped seven cargo containers into Ukraine and one more will be loaded on 15 April by Kathy Cadden in Columbus, MS while I am over here. During this trip I will be able to inspect the containers that have been delivered and follow up on the distribution points.
I arrived to learn that on Thursday there were two funerals. These were men that had volunteered to drive vans of relief supplies into the eastern regions. Russian snipers and artillery target any vehicles traveling into the east and especially those vehicles they suspect bring relief items to the occupied cities. So they targeted the vans. The vans were traveling together and came under fire. Snipers murdered one driver and the artillery fire murdered the other man. These were bearing no arms. They were simply transporting urgently needed relief commodities (food, clothing, medical supplies).
We still have access to get supplies into the occupied areas but the situation has devolved. Specifics as to how we accomplish this will not be posted. But I do want to emphasize that this illustrates the true nature of Russia—they occupy and oppress and prevent even the most basic needs of life from being made available to the population. And then they have the arrogant audacity to tell the occupied areas how much better they live than those who are not a part of Russia!
Within the occupied areas there continues to be an aggressive persecution by the Russian Orthodox Church upon any religious group not under its control. I continue to hear of preachers who are missing—no one knows where they are but all knows they have been arrested and are being held, starved and beaten in some lock up facility. Most will never again be free.
I have been in touch with brethren in various locations of Ukraine where Russia has not invaded and things are going well. They continue to work in offering assistance to the displaced. They continue teaching the gospel and living the Christian life.
In Ivano-Frankivsk the Lord’s People are doing well and I look forward to visiting and presenting lessons to them. Mike Lawson has just left Ivano-Frankivsk and is in Zaporozhe where he is following up on some actions there. I talked with Mike this morning and his trip is going very well.
Pray for our efforts as we begin this trip!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Kyiv, Ukraine
03 April 2016
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