Monday was a day that was miserable weather wise. It was drizzling rain, a cold north wind was blowing and the clouds were so thick you could almost feel them hovering above your head. It was one of those days when you get chilled and cannot get warm. I finally got warm after going to bed and wrapping up in a wool blanket. Tuesday morning dawned with the same specter except it had turned even colder and the wind was blowing hard. I was glad I brought my scarf and gloves but discovered I had left my hat!
The day has been spent in a number of activities. Today is officially “Victory Day” in Ukraine. This is to celebrate the end of German occupation during World War 2. The day is not celebrated very much in the west of Ukraine because it was at the end of WW2 that Stalin began his purges and brought terror worst than the Germans. Freedom from Germany’s occupation marks the beginning of Russian oppression. It was not a time of celebration and that is reflected in the modern times. In the eastern sections there is much more fanfare on Victory Day but not out west.
Today I visited a rehab/exercise facility that has received some of the items from shipments. We were given a tour of the facility and also asked if we had any sporting/exercise equipment and supplies that could be sent. They were particularly interested in jump ropes and soccer balls—not American footballs!
I visited the construction site and looked at the work that continues. The foundation is being laid and things are progressing very well. As the footing for the foundation was being dug it was discovered that an old landfill lies underneath half of the property. Consequently portions of the foundation in that area had to be dug about twice as deep in order to get to a solid base. I met the engineer on the project and he explained the situation to me. He says that with the foundation being poured that the structure will be support five levels if necessary. The land in Ukraine often shifts and it is necessary to get a good foundation. The pavement up to the storage building is a good example. A corner of it has sunk because of the shifting land. It will be dug up and repaired so it will not shift again. A building down the road is a good example of not building on a good foundation. Several years ago a group decided to build a building but did not use good engineering on the foundation. As a result the building is slowly falling brick by brick as if an invisible knife is taking it slice by slice.
The storage building is capable of receiving shipments as soon as the access road is started. The section in this building for an assembly room for the Church looks good. They will lay the vinyl flooring and finish the walls and it will be ready. The toilet is framed and is accessible by both the warehouse and the assembly room. There are two upstairs rooms that are yet to be finished but a lack of funds has stopped their completion. These rooms will be accessed via a staircase from outside the assembly room. All has been insulated and supported so that strength is assured.
The construction is progressing step-by-step. I have to confess that I am amazed at the construction’s progress and at the wonderful support so many have given to this project. The very fact that the Lord’s Church is constructing a meetinghouse on the main traffic highway into Ivano-Frankivsk has seized the attention of many. Our brother Gennady from Moscow looked at the construction and said he was amazed and had not heard that such a wonderful project was taking place. Gennady was very complimentary on every aspect of the Lord’s Church in Ivano-Frankivsk and that was encouraging.
We continue loading containers! Today container #11 for 2017 was loaded in Neelyville, MO where brother Jerry Max Morgan has been working with the brethren to collect and ship a container. This container will be filled with clothing, shoes, and personal hygiene items. It will go to Kherson, Ukraine where a large number of displaced people from Russia’s invasion and occupation have fled. Tomorrow Kathy Cadden will load container #12 in Columbus, MS. That container will go to Odessa, Ukraine and is to help supply a number of hospitals. I will be traveling to Odessa during this trip and will be at the location where Kathy’s container is bound. There is the potential for a third container to be loaded out of Judsonia, AR while I am over here but the arrangements are still in flux at this time.
Tomorrow I will be making more visits and then we assemble for mid-week Bible Study at 6:00 p.m. (which is 10:00 a.m. CST). Tomorrow also begins the next session of the Bible Institute and Ivan will begin teaching the Book of Acts. One of the stops tomorrow will be to deliver boxes of seeds that have been sent by the Elizabethtown church of Christ. Members will have gotten first picks and then we will take the seeds to the village where the meeting house is being constructed. We will meet with the mayor and offer the seeds ion the name of the Lord’s Church to those in the village who need to grow gardens to survive. The offering of garden seeds is an invaluable gift to those whose gardens provides food not only in the summer but also throughout the winter.
Thank you to all who have sent encouraging emails on this trip. Thank you to all who have donated to help with the expenses of this trip. And ESPECIALLY….THANK YOU to those who have contributed toward the building’s construction!
Continue praying for our efforts during this trip.
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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