Report 13 | October 22, 2011
The day has been a good day. It was not spent on the roads driving for several hours but rather inside the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. The rain has stopped but it is cloudy and a chilly wind is blowing. Both Tanya and I are feeling much better and our head colds are less congested and bothersome. The coughing and sneezing has also become better. Ivan let us off and said he was not feeling well. When he got home we received word that Ivan has a fever. His daughter (Anya) has been ill for some time but is better. Ivan said that his wife Sveta is giving him injections to help him get better. Ivan says he feels like his insides are burning up. Several others at church here have been ill as well. It is mainly the children and, consequently, the moms have stayed at home with the children during our first classes here.
Yesterday Ivan took me by Igor’s brother’s dental office (Vasily). Igor is the ophthalmologist that Gary Jerkins has worked with for several years in an eye surgical exchange between Ivano-Frankivsk and Nashville, TN. Ivan is helping Vasily get another dental treatment room prepared so he can move to it for his practice. The room will be in the second floor of the Women’s Hospital. It seems the room where he is now is also used by another dentist and nothing is secure. Vasily did show me the compressor that Ron Swang had sent and showed me where he keeps the other things Ron sent squirreled away so no one takes them. Vasily said that only Ivan and Ron have helped him and without their help he would not be able to offer any help to others. He showed me a metal cart and other items from containers that Ivan had brought to him. After the other room gets finished, Vasily will be able to secure his things there so they will be safe.
I talked with Dmitry today. Dmitry is a member of the Ivano-Frankivsk Church and has cirrhosis of the liver. He has been hospitalized for several weeks and was in a coma for most of that time. He is now at home but is very frail. Dmitry obeyed the gospel on my second trip to Ivano-Frankivsk.
The time today was spent discussing basic mechanics of congregational development with brethren. There were no unique “highlights” to mention. There was no actual Bible study but some practical and personal discussions on what makes the congregation to be what God desires. I was able to use illustrations of what NOT to do or NOT to allow in a congregation if they want to see unity and harmony and growth as God desires. It was a very good and frank discussion.
Tomorrow we are set for a delightful day of worship and fellowship with our brethren!
Thank you for your continued interest and prayers in the gospel’s efforts!
John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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