Photo: Here is Caleb left and Doug (right)
Here is one of Doug’s posts that he just sent to me. I thought you would enjoy reading it. Doug has been a valuable member of our mission team!
Today Caleb and I spent most of the day in Lysets, along with Vova, (the preacher of the new congregation there), and Nastya to translate. Vova’s English is good enough to translate too, so we decided to split up at the school in order to double the number of classes we could visit. The Principal welcomed us with open arms and the teachers welcomed us into their classes so that their students could hear actual Americans speak. Of course, the students were excited to have a diversion from their usual class work. After the classes, we were served lunch in the school lunchroom – another opportunity to enjoy some of the local cuisine.
After lunch we inspected a house that the congregation in Lysets is to purchase for a meeting place (the Clarkson, KY congregation oversees this work). It is a good location, situated in the center of the Lysets and within walking distance of Starry Lysets. It has much potential to be a very serviceable facility, (with some work). Then we went to the rented space where the church is now meeting and joined Vova’s wife Julia for one of her after school reading classes. She is of course using Bible stories as the textual basis for her lessons and doing an outstanding job! We also had an opportunity to meet some of the parents who seemed very appreciative of the opportunity to have her children attend those classes.
We made it back to the Ivano-Frankivsk church just in time for the evening study session. Gif delivered some very meaningful points in the group presentation and Nick Revels did an outstanding job of leading the men’s discussion group. It is inspiring to watch this young congregation, now five years old, begin the process of maturing into an autonomous congregation of the Lord’s church.
It seems as if just when the ball starts rolling it’s time to jump off! We start the journey homeward tomorrow, feeling greatly blessed to have had the opportunity to touch the lives of the people of Ukraine with the love of God.
Pray for our on-going efforts!
John L. Kachelman, Jr. Kyiv, Ukraine
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