Report 7 | May 7, 2010
I am now in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine! I arrived late Thursday night after a long day in Kyiv. Those who read the reports from last Fall’s trip will remember that the last time I was in Ivano-Frankivsk we were under the flu quarantine and uncertain about getting out of here. It is still uncertain as to what caused the deaths of so many in the western Oblasts of Ukraine, but they eventually eliminated the H1N1 virus as the culprit.
The time in Kyiv was well-spent and the results of those meetings on Thursday were so much better than the results of the meetings in Donetsk on Wednesday! As I had reported, Tanya and I had a meeting scheduled with a Supreme Rada Deputy to discuss our shipments of humanitarian aid into Ukraine and specifically the headaches and problems we faced. I had written a letter describing the situation with the Donetsk Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC). The Deputy’s Assistant met with us and we discussed the problem and the requirement that Donetsk wants the full load inventory prior to approval. We told her that such was not possible and had never been done. The response was very encouraging. She said, “What do you need?” I told her that I needed Kyiv to tell Donetsk that our pre-load inventory was OK. She said, “I’ll have the paperwork completed by this afternoon and ready to be presented to the Kyiv Cabinet of Ministers for approval the next day and then the requested letter will be sent to Donetsk.” Hopefully, this problem will be fixed.
The time in Kyiv was highlighted by a demonstration in front of the Kyiv City government building. There was a large group of protesters clamoring for a stronger pro-Russia stance. They carried flags and banners saying “For the Czar, For the motherland, For faith.” It was a propaganda effort by the Russian Orthodox Church and those seeking to return Ukraine to the Russian Federation. They were being led in songs by a Cossack Officer. There were older women carrying icons in special harnesses that allow the icon to slip into a sling and be displayed.
At the same time the pro-Russia/Orthodox Church demonstration was going on, there was a group of military officers that had been attending a meeting inside the City Hall that walked through the demonstration. The older ladies carrying the icons were torn between singing with the Cossack and going over to thank the military officers for their service to the nation. This Sunday marks the 65th “Victory Day” over Nazi Germany and there is always a great celebration of the end of that war because Ukraine suffered the brutality of the war more than any other nation in the world. At one point I saw an elderly lady going to a group of military officers and bowing to them as a sign of great respect for their service.
We began our Bible classes tonight in Ivano-Frankivsk. There were 16 present! This is the largest number that we have ever begun classes with and there were several “regulars” not present. The day began cloudy and then a hard rain developed. The temps are considerably colder than in Donetsk and Kyiv. Our classes will begin a study of Ephesians. I will conduct two classes each night until John Durham arrives and then he will have a class on 1 Peter and I will continue the classes on Ephesians. These classes are a part of Ivan’s special Bible School program of study. When I asked about the time of classes, Ivan told me they usually meet from 6:00-8:00 but they would lengthen this by an hour and start at 5:00 and conclude by 8:00. Ivan said that we need to have questions and a test ready for the students when we are finished. As the class was taught tonight everyone had a notepad, a Bible open, and pencil poised and ready to write! They took down every point and listened intently.
The Ivano-Frankivsk church of Christ is meeting in a flat that was recently purchased. This is much better than the rented hall in the Carpathian Hotel. Since meeting in the flat they have had several new visitors on a regular basis. The flat is recently remodeled and looks very nice. One of the first things you see when you walk into the flat is a picture board on the wall. Ivan says that shows the life of the congregation. It is a very attractive board and has places to change pictures of various activities. In today’s pictures you will see a picture of this board.
In a conversation today (when we were planning the activities for the upcoming week), Ivan told me two things that are most impressive. These illustrate just how effective our benevolent assistance has been in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.
First, Ivan told me that there is to be an Oblast-wide conference of the Militia and today he received word that I am officially invited to attend (an “official” invitation is evidentially most significant). This conference is to be next Friday (May 14). Ivan is to find out more information tomorrow and he will be told if I will be expected to speak. He said that I would be “introduced” but he was not sure if I would be asked to speak. Ivan asked if it would be ok for me to say a few words if they requested me to speak (he said he knew that it was difficult for preachers to say just a few words but he wanted to ask). I replied that I have been always counseled that if I speak to the Militia it should always be in the fewest possible words! This official invitation came as a result of the flood relief work that we did two years ago.
Ivan also told me that he was contacted by the man who is over transportation in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and was informed that the new Oblast Governor wants to meet with us because he is aware of what we have done in this Region. This is the man that was Oblast Governor when Kuchma was President of Ukraine. This is a further illustration that Ivan’s hard work to highlight the Lord’s Church in this Oblast has been successful.
It was decided tonight that we will go for a fellowship picnic in the Carpathian Mountains tomorrow. A mountain picnic sounds nice UNTIL you consider that right now it is pouring down rain and the temps are very cold. Ivan says that it will be around 32F, so we need to dress warmly. It was decided tonight that if the rain continues we would rethink going on a picnic—if it is 32F in the mountains tomorrow I hope you will join with me hoping it is pouring down rain!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Donetsk, Ukraine
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