Featured Photo: Zaporozhe was celebrating “City Day” and there were a number of beautiful arrangements and displays, including one with the city’s name decorated with beautiful flowers.
I am now in Zaporozhe, Ukraine. This is a historic city that is renown for the birthplace of the Cossacks. There is much pride in that claim and I’ve written about it in previous reports. We arrived late at night and were greeted by Alexander and Roman. It had been a long day of travel and I was ready for a good night’s sleep. Breakfast was chicken livers and gravy, buckwheat, cold boiled veggie porridge, cheese, butter and bread!
Just as we arrived in the city the authorities decided it needed to be in the “red zone” for infections of C-19. The streets are just as full and people are going about their regular activities, but all non-essential gatherings are cancelled. So, all plans were quickly changed. Meetings that I had looked forward to were cancelled. But the meetings could still be held outside. I met Ludmilla from the special needs orphanage and we had a good conversation. The children cared for in that institution are doing well and I was asked to convey her thankful appreciation to all who have helped.
During the course of events today I was taken to a “sanctuary” site where pagans gathered to worship their worldly deities. This site is thousands of years before Christ and the arrangements of the stones and rocks suggest it was a shrine to the sun god worshipped.
The last container we have stalled by Ukraine government officials is to come to Zaporozhe. Ever since arriving in Kyiv I have been meeting and discussing this. Now that I am in Zaporozhe it is much easier to discuss the situation. If plans go as scheduled I will be meeting with the committee that is to give approvals this Thursday.
I have heard from Gif and Nate and their week is scheduled full.
Everything went great here today! We had a wonderful time with the church here today. We sat down with all of the men after worship and had a good conversation as well as set up our plan for the week. We visit Ugorniky tomorrow, Yaremche on Tuesday, we’ll have the men’s meeting on Wednesday as well as a tour of the building, then we’ve been asked to come to Zelena on Thursday. Should be a busy week! We’re visiting the orphans home either tomorrow or Tuesday.”
– Andrew Gifford
Nate also wrote a short paragraph below about his first day in Ivano-Frankivsk. Also, if you look below, you will see a great picture of him with his new best friend.
My first day meeting the church in Ukraine was a great experience. Everyone here was so welcoming, expressing how grateful they are for me and Gif traveling here, as well as for the support Dalraida provides them. I had never been a part of a multi-lingual worship service like that, so hearing songs I’ve sung my whole life being sung by people living in completely different realities as I live in opened my eyes to a different perspective. It was a blessing being able to worship with them and experience their love and hospitality. Gif preached a lesson on the meaning of holiness, and as people who are holy, we are expected to bear the fruit of the Spirit as a result of that holiness. I feel it is essential that I note how incredible our translator, Christina, was throughout the whole service. At the end of the service they asked for prayer requests, and the requests given displayed their spiritual focus and maturity, as many of their requests required an understanding that the Gospel impacted all aspects of their lives and that they were of one mind in the struggles they faced. The entire experience was eye-opening for me and made me much more excited for the rest of the week.”
– Nate Kidwell
John’s note…In the photos and video below you will see Nate getting beat by a little girl (Yana) as they played tic-tac-toe. I am reminded of Will Tucker’s defeat on the soccer field as the girls won that match. So far the males are not showing much of a challenge…
Thank you for your prayers and financial support that makes this mission trip possible!
John L Kachelman Jr.
Zaporozhe, Ukraine
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