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Ukraine, Priazovje Trip Blog

Greendale Mennonite Church

Thursday, October 30, 2008

THE LAST DAY

Well, today was our last day in Nikopol, it is bittersweet, we have really enjoyed the people and being here, but we are also ready to see our families.

We started the day with a wonderful breakfast made with love by John's sister. After breakfast we started making the last of our hampers, we were asked to make 110 of them. With many delays due to running out of items we finally got them done, all 110 of them. We left for the banquet which was being held in John and Nadya's church. As we arrived we saw that the widows had already started coming, and there were already many of them waiting for us. Once we they were all seated at the tables, and the food was served we started our service. As we were singing and sharing for the people we found out that we needed another 40 hampers, so a few of us had to leave, go and get the supplies and make more hampers. John had said that most of those who were there were not members of the church. What a wonderful turn out! Out of all of those widows and widowers, we counted only 10 or so men.

Kathy, Shelley and Carrie did a Sunday school activity with 7 young children.

After all of the hampers were distributed and everyone had left we sat and ate with the cooks and servers and had wonderful fellowship with them.

Once we were home we had tea and cake and presented our gifts to Natasha, Olya, and Sveta. We will miss them dearly, they were a huge part of our ministry here, we could not have done it without them very easily. They worked above and beyond being translators, and we will never forget them.

Kathy, Heidi, and Shelley went to the hospital to visit the young lady and bring her water, fruit, a small gift and a bible.

The men had left for the church to continue helping John with pressing renovations for their 100th year celebration that is happening on the 7th.

We feel we have been used by God for many people, but we also feel that God has used those people to touch our lives as well.

We will not be able to write until we get home to BC, we are leaving bright and early tomorrow for Kiev. God bless those who have followed our journey to Ukraine, your comments and prayers were felt and appreciated by all of us on the Greendale team!

Love and Blessings!

HOPE AND FAITH

Our trip to the orphanage in Priazovje was an amazing experience. Faith and Hope are two words that can describe the emotions we felt. As we made the 4 hour journey to the orphanage many of us had uneasy feelings, wondering what the building would be like and how we would manage living in conditions much different than at home. When we arrived, we were greeted by children's faces peering through new windows. We slowly emerged from the van as children slowly trickled out of the building.

Twelve hours later, our hearts had changed. We no longer saw dirt in the corners, let unfamiliar smells overwhelm our senses, or held back from the children. We spent the evening with children by our sides, on our laps and even got to kiss them good night.

Tuesday morning dawned bright and early to the sounds of young boys running down the halls calling for us. The day held many touching moments. We brought out soccer balls, skipping ropes and Frisbees and played outside in the sunshine. We sat beside the boys and girls as we did spool knitting and coloured. The highlight for the children was having their pictures taken. Not only were we able to show them the pictures on our camera screen, but we printed pictures for each of them and brought along supplies for them to create their own picture frames.

Children followed us around the building all day as we put on our gloves and scrubbed walls, floors, windows and toilets. Our translators, Natasha and Sveta, our driver Viktor and our host Nadya cleaned endlessly. We were overwhelmed by the love they demonstrated through their hard work.

Thank you to everybody at home who donated gifts and supported us financially. We were able to leave sports equipment, colouring supplies, pens, fabric for sewing projects and slippers for all the children. In addition each child received several gifts. The boys were given a ball cap, match box car, and small bag of candy. Girls received a knit handbag, beanie baby and candy.

Evidence of the love for the children shone through staff members eyes. The operations of the orphanage are a true example of relying on God to provide every need. This orphanage has been in operation for six years. They continue to do battle with the government, who gives them a hard time because they operate on Christian principles. They have no continuous monthly support although they have many monthly expenses. Yet, each month the finances come and the orphanage continues to provide a loving environment for these children. God is so good!

Wednesday morning we said goodbye and started our next mission; to find the villages where some of our ancestors lived, prayed and worked. Karen was able to have a tour through the building that used to be the church where her great grandfather was a minister. It is now being used as a sunflower mill. Art, Susan, Kathy and Shelley were able to see both Henry and Annie Krahn's villages. Peter and Katie also had the privilege to drive through some of their home villages.

As we drove onto the guest house driveway we all breathed a sigh of relief and commented on how good it felt to be "home". John and Nadya have truly made us feel at home in their house. Before turning in for the night, we spent a few hours relaxing and conversing about our orphanage experiences. But best of all, we were able to shower and check email. Thank you to all of you who send comments. Your words are a daily encouragement and we thank God for you.

Much Love,

The Team

Monday, October 27, 2008

Sunday, Another Amazing Day

Wow, what a day!

Being in church with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine was such a joy and a blessing for all of us! We really enjoed the singing, the testimonies of some of our team memebers and the pastor's sermon. Believe it or not but our group can actually sing!

After the church service we had lunch then packed the vans with food and hygiene hampers and boxes of clothing and on the road we went. We travelled to a village called Pervomaiskoye, it was the first time for any Canadian group to visit this village.

After a bit of driving we arrived to the church yard and were quiet surprised to see people sitting on the benches right outside by the road waiting for us. We weren't really prepared for this setting so we asked the Lord for extra courage to be able to share our testimonies with the people. About 35% of the people in attendance were non-believers.

It was really quiet interesting to watch different people and traffic go by while we were giving our testimonies. Halfway through the fellowhsip of sharing and singing together Diane, Karen and Janna gathered the kids for a "sunday school" program; at the end of which they gave out bags of goodies and toys to the kids.

The highlight of the evening for us was to witness a 14 year old girl coming forward to give her life to Jesus.

Afterwards we all shared the meal together and had a great fellowship together with people we met.

Katie shared about her niece in her testimony. People prayed for her right away which was very encouraging and touching.

After the meal, while we were giving away the hampers, a man who had 4 strokes came up to us and asked for prayer, so we all gather around him and prayed for him. We all need prayers both in Canada and in the Ukraine and God listen to us all and answers prayers.

The ride back home was pretty quiet as we all were pondering the experiences we had today, it was a full day. It was nice to come back to a warm cozy home and a cup of tea and coffee; we all got a little bit cold being outside. Even though we were tired, it did not stop us from fellowshipping with each other. We enjoyed listening to Fisherman's story and had a great laugh together, a love story was shared too and the men found out that they still have feelings and were quiet disturbed by it. :)

Well, it is late now and we have to get ready for a three day trip to the orphanage. Please continue to pray for us. We won't be able to write to you while we are out there but we will send you a blog as soon as possible.

Love to you all,
Katie and Mary on behalf of the team

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Saturday

Hi everyone, thank you very much for your prayers! We feel it, God has been working in each of our lives in a very special way. It is hard to believe that we are already half way through the trip.

Today we had a day off. Some of us decided to help John with the renovations on the church. It was nice to work together. Yes it was a long day off/ working day for us but we still liked each other at the end of it. :)

The rest of the group enjoyed sightseeing Nikopol and shopping for some souvenirs. Shelley Kathy, Natasha and Nadia revisited some patients. It was hard to see a 19yr old laying in bed all by herself with no visitors, no family, no friends. "How good it feels to have someone care for you thank you so much for coming," Yulya said. She has liver cancer and asthma but her biggest fear is how to survive the winter, as she has nowhere to go and is all alone.

The evening was very very busy .We had to go to the store to pick up food and hygiene supplies for 150 hampers to get ready for tomorrow. But tonight was relaxing, with lots of laughter, songs and just fellowshipping with each other. The team is getting really close.

Well, it's getting late, time to get some rest as tomorrow is a new day with new things waiting for us.

Talk to you soon,

Mary on behalf of the team.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

On the Road Again...

Friday, October 24, 2008

Awoke to another beautiful sunrise which I was able to see out my window. The day started with Nadya, Susan and I headed to the store to pick up groceries for the food hampers to be distributed at the banquet later that day. Meanwhile, back at the "ranch", Peter, Art, Tom, John and Mary; headed over to the church to continue renos in preparation for the church's 100 year anniversary celebration. John had been overwhelmed with all the work needed to be done and was so appreciative of input from our guys.

At the house Katie and Janna were specifically selecting clothes for the two ladies they had visited yesterday at the hospital. They also selected a bright quilt for each.

Once groceries arrived back at home Susan and Kathy began putting the hampers together. Diane and I were filling the clothes boxes. Upstairs Karen, Carrie and Shelley were putting together children's packages. After brunch we boarded the two vehicles, which once again were heaped with supplies, and headed out. Today our direction took us north from Nikopol. We enjoyed the passing countryside consisting of HUGE farm fields and small villages. We have noticed how every bit of land is used and it is common to see goats and cattle tethered along the roadside grazing the grass.

Our first stop was a mental institution. While Nadya and Mary went out to negotiate what we would be allowed to see, residents would walk by the bus waving. The institution consisted of a number of buildings in a beautiful setting and houses 110 residents ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old. Not all residents were mentally challenged. A lady I was able to meet was there because there was no other place for her. She was in a bed which consisted of a metal wire frame and a very thin lumpy mattress that was about a foot shorter than the actual bed frame. By the time we were allowed to enter the grounds it was lunch time and the residents had headed to the lunch room. We were not able to interact with them. I was privileged to have a private tour with the charge nurse of this facility and to interact with one of the residents. At the start of the tour the nurse had a very business-like manner but as the tour continued we exchanged common background and interests, she opened up and allowed me to see more. I was very impressed at the cleanliness of the rooms and even though they live in a stark environment, personal touches were evident. (This was not the case at the hospital I was able to visit yesterday.) When asked what they could use, she did have some basic requests such as blood pressure cuffs, glucometer and a digital thermometer. She brought forward that John and Nadya had visited previously and she loved the Lord. At the end of the visit we hugged and she asked me to come back. We left bananas and soap for the residents.

First home visit was to a family (a young mom with 4 children) that Nadya and John have been in contact with for several years. Several of us went into the home and visited with the great grandmother who is bed ridden. We left them with food and hygiene hampers. Our next home visit was to an elderly lady living with her two alcoholic sons and mentally challenged daughter. The one son had second degree burns on his foot from an accident with boiling water from the previous week. He required medical attention but as this was not an option I cleansed the burns using what was available in our first aid kit.

Some of the team stopped at a home of a young family with 5 children and were able to give them food, hygiene hamper, sucker and stuffy. The children were very shy as they are not used to visitors. I and several others of the team continued on to visit Pasha, a young bedridden quadraplyegic living with and being cared for by his two sisters. I examined his bed sores and encouraged the sister to continue her good work. His wish was for an electric wheelchair which would allow him a little more freedom. His sisters are no longer able to lift him out of bed and he has been confined to his room for sometime. We left them with medical supplies and the hampers.

Our last stop was for another church banquet with approximately 60 people and 20 children. It was neat to see some young families including a couple of expecting moms. As in previous banquets we had a program which included singing and testimonies by Tom & I, Karen, Art & Susan and Katie.

At the conclusion of the program an elderly gentleman in the congregation got up and questioned whether there really is a God and if so, why do bad things happen. Immediately another man responded saying that he had been in prison and it was the Christians that came to visit him. As a result he had accepted Christ and wanted this other man to know that yes, there is a God and He lives within our hearts. His testimony had a powerful impact on the rest of us and God's presence was felt so strongly in the room.

Carrie, Shelley and Kathy were able to spend time with the many children telling them a story and doing a craft. The children were very polite and a delight for them to be with.

Once again there was good fellowship during the meal and Mary told me that most of the food had been provided by the church members. Hampers were handed out as people left and we also received gifts of bags of fruit, baking, and a big jar of pickles. One of the church ladies presented each of the team with a homemade card which contained an inspirational verse. A happy but tired group piled back in the vehicles and headed home to be greeted by another wonderful meal back at the guesthouse.

Good night!
Submitted by Heidi on behalf of the team

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Our day of "Rest"

HFL was experiencing some technical difficulties with online communication to and from Ukraine these last two days, we apologize for the inconvenience. We now have the blog update from Tuesday October 21, 2008.

Thank you for your patience,
HFL admin staff.
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Tuesday morning began at various times for us. The three youngest Canadians enjoyed sleep until 11:00am and then woke up to breakfast on the table. Meanwhile the others were working on their third cup of coffee/tea. After breakfast we tackled boxes and suitcases. Rooms were filled with items for the children and the garage was overtaken with the boxes that were sent in June. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were able to do this job outside. Heidi was "The Boss" and Art was "Vice President". Kathy, Diane, Janna, Peter, Mary and Nadya went to the local grocery store to buy and order items for the hampers that will be distributed at our upcoming banquets.

Getting ready to check in

The Wait...

Look at all the great stuff to give out!

And more stuff...

Much love,

The Greendale Team

I've Got Sunshine

October 23, 2008

We are thankful for awaking to another day of clear sunshine.

In the morning Heidi was able to fulfill one of her wishes to visit a hospital along with Janna, Katie, Mary & Nadya. It was there that they visited two women, one an older lady who had been in the hospital for 10 months. Her situation was very sad; her son is in jail and had taken all her money, she has severe asthma, no one visits her and she had medication for only 3 days. The other lady was only 19 years old and had liver cancer. Her story was also very tragic; she was an orphan until age 14 but then her mother took her and taught her a life of drinking and drugs. Now she has nothing but the clothes on her back and sits there with no hope in her eyes. We plan to visit her several times while we are here and give her the love that she so desperately needs through Jesus Christ.

After lunch we headed out to our second banquet at a small village about 20 minutes from here. Before the service another group (Art, Susan, Diane and Shelley) were able to do a home visitation. They met a 72 year old lady who cares for her severally disabled husband, a 86 year old blind lady, and a 82 year old woman who has 5 children who want nothing to do with her. It was an emotional visit, the highlight being when the elderly wanted to share the chocolate bars we gave them. They also received food and hygiene hampers.

At the banquet there was a group of about 25 - 30 people, mostly widows and 5 children. We were able to visit while we ate with them. Powerful testimonies were shared by Janna, Carrie, Peter, Katie, Mary and Kathy. Just by comments made afterwards we could see that God was using us to speak to certain individuals. God is amazing!

Another highlight was 5 year old twin girls who sang to us and recited Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer. As the banquet concluded, and clothing and hampers were being distributed a second group left for another home visit. Here Tom, Heidi, Katie, Karen, Mary and Nadya met an older non- Christian couple. This couple had experienced a better life in the past but were now living in a small room and the man has spent the past 40 years confined to his bed due to severe arthritis. His heart has been hardened and he speaks with bitterness. We told him of God's love for Him and prayed with him. Please continue to pray that he will be open to God's spiritual healing. It was another emotional visit.

The team has been drawn closer together and we are feeling so blessed by John and Nadya's hospitality.

Submitted by Karen and Kathy on behalf of the team.

Back

Click here to go back to the trip overview.

THE LAST DAY
HOPE AND FAITH
Sunday, Another Amazing Day
Saturday
On the Road Again...
Our day of "Rest"
I've Got Sunshine
Hello Nikopol
Ready, Set, Go

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