February 23 Update

Tomorrow marks the one year “anniversary” of the beginning of the war in Ukraine.  One year ago no could have imagined the horror that would be unleashed on Ukraine, nor could anyone have predicted the unbelievable courage and strength of the Ukrainian people who have stood firm in their belief in freedom.  ‘We will cope” is a constant refrain I hear when the next terrible thing is done to Ukraine.  This small country (when compared to the US or Russia) has fought the giant they are surrounded by on about three quarters of their border.

Everyone here is so very thankful and grateful for the kindness and help that Americans, Europeans and many other countries have given.  Without it, Ukraine would have been swallowed up and conquered by Russia and be no more!  All of you around the world have stood steadfast against tyranny and greed.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Putin has threatened to do something horrible to mark the end of one year.  And I must say that in some ways we are all holding our breath until the day is over.  Please cover us with mighty and fervent prayers that our Almighty Father and Lord will foil whatever plans Putin has for Ukraine.  Together our prayers have mighty power to defeat the enemy!

Our Tonya, Vadim, and a volunteer from one of the churches here have been in the East, feeding, encouraging, inspiring, praying for and loving people from many villages there who, aside from us, are receiving little or no help.  Each time they go, they pass through villages they have been in before and they stop to pass out more help and hugs.  Then they go further toward the East to new villages they have not been to before.  This time they took some toys for the kids also.

A message of encouragement:

A time of worship:

Giving out some toys:

 Giving out sandwiches and tea:

Bibles for people:

No one gives hugs like Tonya: 

What’s left in the only store:

The people are so hungry for the Bibles we give them and for a word and message about God’s love for them.  Our Marina has gotten us a grant and free Bibles and other Christian literature for both adults and children.  I’m so proud of her efforts!

When I think of all the help and support that has come to GHT mainly from the US and Norway, I am awed by how extensive our reach has become.  With Vadim and Tonya and 4 other Chaplains going to the danger zones, we have spread, not just the necessities of food and medicines, but the love of Jesus to many hungry hearts across Ukraine thanks to all of you.

Some pictures from the Chaplain’s trip:

 And some help to the military:

Next Tuesday, Vadim will leave early in the morning to drive to Mickolayiv where he will stay in the same “wonderful” bombed out hotel as before.  Then Valentina and I will take the train that night and arrive at the train station at 7 in the morning where Vadim will pick us up.  From there we will drive to 5 villages in that Region to help restore 5 clinics.

Please be praying for us as we venture into harm’s way to do this.  Valentina just talked to Dr. Irene from Kherson where we went to the first 5 clinics.  They are getting bombed pretty hard and one of the doctors there just had her home bombed.  

I continue to pray for God to be our covering and for Him to do battle on our behalf.

Blessings, thanks and love to all of you who hold us up by your prayers and support.

FEBRUARY 12 UPDATE

Vadim left on Monday morning with the van full of wheelchairs, walkers, canes, medical refrigerators and more.  He stayed in a hotel and picked Valentina and I up Tuesday morning at 7.  When he got to Mickolayiv, the hotel he was supposed to stay in had been bombed.  He drove around but couldn’t find another one close to the train station so he called the hotel that had been bombed.  They told him, that yes, the hotel was bombed, but there were a few undamaged rooms and he could still stay there.  I thought that is so typical of the Ukrainian spirit – you can destroy most of our land, but we will still stand!

Vadim stayed on the lower left side:

We had a very hard and wonderful trip to the Kherson Region.  Kherson was being bombed when we got there Tuesday morning and again in the afternoon.  We saw so much devastation and it was heart breaking and emotionally wrenching.  But we met some wonderful, inspiring doctors and nurses who stayed amid all the bombing and the occupation by the Russians because the people needed them.

They told us that we were the first people to ask, “what do you need”?  And then to actually listen and bring what they asked for.   That is always our hearts desire – to give responsibly and to meet the needs of people, just as Jesus does with us.

From the train station we drove about 30 kilometers and met the head doctor, Irina.  Then they took us out to 4 villages where we had helped supplement the supplies we had.  They were especially thrilled about the blood and urine analysis machines we gave them.  They are trying to set up multiple ambulatory centers where people can receive treatment without having to go to a far away hospital.

We saw one village that was completely destroyed and you ask yourself over and over, “For what purpose – only innocent men, women and children lived there – there was no military purpose or advantage in destroying it”.  But I know that asking those kind of why questions seldom gives an answer.  Even our driver, Vadim, who has driven to a lot of places where there was bombing was shocked by what he saw.  Valentina was devastated and said she felt like she had stepped into a horror movie. 

We heard so many sad stories and heard of a lot of courageous acts by the people.  One of the doctors we met told us that during the occupation she took a Ukrainian flag and marched in front of some of the Russians soldiers.  She asked them, “Are you going to shoot me?”  Thank goodness they didn’t!  Ukrainians are so courageous!

All the people had such sadness in their eyes, but they were quick to give smiles and hugs back to us when we reached out.

A few things we gave:

The last village we were in they had set out a wonderful lunch for us and it was a special time of sharing and bonding.  While we were there, the village was bombed.  We (Valentina and I) didn’t hear it, but Vadim, who went outside after eating, and everyone there heard and were watching.  God’s hand protected us!

Also several of our Chaplains were in harm’s way in the East and South of Ukraine.  One of them was in a village where almost everything was destroyed and he found a building that had 60 people in it – all of them had lost their homes.  There was a doctor and his assistant trying to help the.  They gave one of our generators which is not big enough to heat or light the building, but as the doctor said, it will power some stoves so they can cook some hot food for people.

Now I’m praying about going with Vadim and Tonya on their next trip to the East – I know it will be longer and in many ways harder, but my heart and spirit are pulling me toward this.  However, right now my body is saying no.  I have been so very tired since returning from the trip to Kherson.  Please pray for wisdom for me that I might discern and follow His leading.  And lastly, I’m praying that we get to go back down to the South to Mickolayiv and set up the next the 5 clinics there before I leave in March.

Thank you for the many prayers that brought us safely back to Bila Tserkva!  And many thanks to the International Rotary Club for financing the help for these first 5 clinics; and a special thanks to the Bakersfield Rotary Club who put in for the grant!  God bless you all – your prayers and encouragement lift us and our spirits up day by day.

February 3 Update

Yesterday was a very hard day.  We have promised 800 packages of food to Rakitno for the very poorest refugees there – they have over 5,000 altogether.  Yesterday we took 350 packages and distributed to approximately 300 people.  We arrived about 9:30 to a huge crowd of people who had been in line for a long time already.  Needless to say, it was cold and damp outside, and not much warmer inside!  Before everything started, they insisted I speak a few encouraging words to the crowd.

Some of the very first people in line were told that they were giving out the food at a nearby van.  They went running there only to find they had been lied to.  By the time we got there and started, there was a lot of shouting and pushing – the people who had been tricked wanted the first place in line and no one was willing to move – one man who was very angry had pushed his way inside where too many people were already crammed.  Finally a few people yielded their places and let some of them go to the front of the line and things calmed down.

Unfortunately the city officials had only provided 1 person to check everyone’s papers and mark them off the list – you can imagine how slowly the line moved.  After asking multiple times, we finally got them to get a second person to help.

My staff and I began going up to individuals and small groups of people, both inside and outside, and just quietly talked and listened to them – we gave lots of hugs and eventually things quieted down and we began to see some smiles.  Later we took the few business cards and GHT brochures we had with us and started passing them out, encouraging people to call us if they needed more help.

Almost every person I talked to had lost everything and fled to what they hoped would be a safer place.  Relatives were separated – some were taken into Russia – some escaped and eventually went to Europe.  It was like a flood of sadness and grief being poured out.

Following are a few stories Tonya heard:

“One woman told me that they lived in a village near Mariupol and it was captured in the first days of the war. They had a very good basement and so they gathered all the kids from the village and took them there because it was safer.  One Mother was breastfeeding a one year old baby, but because of the stress, she lost her milk. There was only a small supply of formula available.  Later another woman with a child came and by now there was nothing to feed the children.  Most of what they had was “salo” (which is raw pig fat which most Ukrainian love), so that is what they ate (babies included) for 1 month.”

“Another Family from Vugledar lost their home in the first days of the war.  Both her’s and her son’s homes were rammed by Russian tanks.  It took 2 attempts before they were able to escape, but now they have no place to go back to when the war ends because everything was destroyed.”

“One woman and her husband came from Soledar (which the Russians recently captured after bombing the whole city until nothing was left).  They were able to leave the city because some volunteers came and helped.  When the Russians came, they made people come up out of the basements and shot them.”

In March we will go again.  Please pray for us to be the shining lights of hope they so desperately need.

I met Valentina’s Orthodox priest earlier in the week.  We will be loading 2 vans for him with 2 generators, food, water purification pills for the people, and warm clothing and emergency blankets for the soldiers.  He, too, goes to the very dangerous places and even to the edges of the front lines.

When he found out that Valentina, Vadim and I are going to the Kherson Region on Monday to set up the clinics, he told me that it is very dangerous there.  I told him that I never worry if God is sending me someplace because whatever happens it will be ok.  So he invited me to take a trip with him to several areas that are even more dangerous.  I thanked him, but said that God hadn’t told me to go there so no thank you!   I think he was kidding me!

Our Chaplains took several vans to more areas that are currently under fire.  They also took some generators in addition to all the food and other supplies we gave them.  They took one generator to a hospital building where 60 people are now living because their homes were destroyed.  This generator will not be able to power the building, but it can provide electricity for cooking on a few stoves.  The doctor and his assistant are now taking care of them.  We are going to try to make direct contact with him and see if we can reopen the local clinic there; and ask him for a list of what he would want for $5,000.

So goes our days here. We are constantly hearing threats that Russia is planning something really big to mark the end of the first year since they invaded us (Feb. 24th). We hear rumors that he has gathered 500,000 men and will come at us from many different directions. We know that God is mightier than any number of men, and we constantly remind ourselves that He is in control.

Thank you for your on-going prayers and support which are enabling us to give more and more help to people all over Ukraine.  You are making a difference – a big difference!