In the above photo you see one of the therapy tools used in a special needs school for helping the children learn basic life skills as opening doors, plugging in electrical cords, etc.
Greetings from Zaporozhye, Ukraine! I arrived late on Tuesday night after a long bus trip from Kramatorsk. What is normally a 5-6 hours bus trip stretched into an 8+ hour trip. We were stopped at six different checkpoints along the way and the military ran passports and interviewed all the men who fit into some profile as possible infiltrators for Russian terroristic activities. Thankfully Vald got us to the bus station early and we had a bus large enough that some luggage could be stored in the back. So, all four of the big suitcases were stowed in the rear of the bus. That was the best news of the day!
In arriving in Zaporozhye we were met by Alexander and taken to the lodging place. After a good meal it was time to collapse into bed.
Alexander had planned a number of visits to places where the commodities from our shipments have been distributed. The first was a special needs orphanage and school located in Guliapoli, Ukraine. This is about 100 kilometers from Zaporozhye and with the road conditions it was hours on the road going and returning. The bus had to zig-zag and at times come to a screeching stop just about the entire trip as it attempted to miss the largest pot holes. Travel was a constant zig-zagging, jarring, and sunlight pouring in from the windows!
The location of Guliaipole, Ukraine is famous in Ukrainian history. The town (around 12,000 population) claims to be the birthplace of revolutionary leader Nestor Ivanovich Makhno. This historic struggle is really interesting to study in the context of historical anarchy and its leaders (although often classified as an “anarchist” by Russia, historians question just how he should be understood as an anarchist leader). For centuries Makhno was dubbed by Russia as criminal because he fought against the Kremlin and at times commanded an army of 60,000+. I will leave the intrigues of history for you to search out and read on this interesting character.
One interesting tid-bit of trivia…Makhno had a disgust for the haughty wealthy class. One of the lasting ways to show this disgust was in the headcover he wore. He thought that women’s hand warmer muffs of the elite aristocracy were disgusting. So, in his early career he took one and put it on his head and wore it as a hat! That act has long survived Makhno as today such a head covering has made its way into the Russian military!
The special school in Guliaipole houses 215 children. The youngest is 5 years old but the school usually does not accept children that young. They made an exception with this 5-year-old because he has four brothers who are in school there. I met those brothers and missed an opportunity to get a photo with them because I am always hesitant to take photos in these schools and with the children.
We brought a van load of items for this orphanage. These were items that Kathy Cadden had shipped to Zaporozhye from Columbus, MS. There were shoes, dry food mixes, clothing, rain coats (which the Director said were very wonderful) and clothing. The Director was especially happy to see the shoes. He said the children go through shoes faster than they go through clothes and with Summer coming there will be a great need for shoes.
This school was very clean and well-kept. The Director (Sergey) is obviously loved by the children and respected by the staff. His daughter works in Kyiv and is involved in assisting with adoptions. We sat in a class where the children were being taught to associate and verbalize the sounds they hear with the object making the sound (birds, chicks, dogs, bells, etc). This class had a laptop and a projector which made the instruction go well. After a child would identify the sound then he would be called to go to the front and move the cursor to the location where the object should be (ducks in water; birds in trees; etc). It was a very good class and incorporated a number of learning skills.
After the tour we unloaded the van and the staff was overjoyed with the few things brought for the to use for the children. Sergey presented me with a certificate of gratitude that read: “Certificate of Appreciation, Municipal Institution of Guliaipole Specialized Secondary Education Boarding School, Zaporozhye Regional State Administration, would like to express deep appreciation to churches of Christ for kindness, mercy and humanitarian assistance to orphaned children and children whose parents were denied parental rights. The glorious historical town of Guliaipole motherland of Makhno, may your kindness and generosity pay you back one-hundred fold. May your work be prosperous and we hope for our future partnership and mutual understanding. With Respect Teachers and Children”
We were fed a wonderful meal and then went to the Makhno museum in the town. After those activities it was back on the road weaving, zig-zagging, bumping, and sudden stops for two hours as we returned to Zaporozhye.
After a full day I was ready to write a report and fall into bed. But on the way back to Zaporozhye we received a telephone call saying that we needed to be at a meeting at 8:00 p.m. This was a meeting of influential individuals interested in our efforts and possibly willing to help pay the transportation costs in shipping. I thought it would be a 20-minute meeting but it was over 3 hours! I finally crawled back to where I am staying after 11:00 p.m!
Continue praying for our efforts and the opening of doors by which the gospel can be preached!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Zaporozhye, Ukraine
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