We had an awesome Sunday, meeting with several groups, old friends, new friends, and people are so kind and interested.
It was a good beginning to our upcoming travels. So, after a two-day high—it hit us both pretty hard this afternoon. Jet lag kicked in big time, and when you feel bad physically the emotional edge from Ukraine hits again too. This evening we’re both feeling a bit better again. So, in due time our bodies will realign. We’re happy to be in the apartment we’ve stayed in a few times before due to the kindness and generosity of a friend. We’re happy that our little old car has been put into shape by friends who are looking out for us. Many kindnesses along the way. We are grateful for each and every one even though we can’t begin to mention them all.
images/26-04-pexels-bich-tran-669996.jpgI’m sharing an excerpt from Shane, a co-worker with Dan and Priscilla. (I think I’ve shared one of his letters before.) I had prepared this a couple days ago.
“ Sometimes it’s hard to believe that two months have gone by since we woke to bombs going off, since the cold sweat realization that Russia had finally made it’s first move on our country. Invasion. Attack. War. These rogues have descended on our land and laid waste to wherever they set foot, and further afield where their bombs have rained down. This was made even more clearer as David returned home yesterday from a working party which had set off from our church group Monday. A team of 9 men [Daniel was leading that group] went to a village just north of Kyiv, where the Russians had been. What he described shocked and saddened me. He told of how they had spent much of their time cleaning faeces, from where the Russians had defecated wherever they liked. Choosing not to find a toilet or corner somewhere, they had just gone wherever they felt the need. Debris and rubbish were literally everywhere. David said there were about 200 people left in the village which usually held about 1600. Most had fled before the Russians arrived, many were killed by them. Of the 200 that were left, mainly elderly and those who couldn’t escape, most were scarred, mentally and physically. David retold a story of an elderly man who came to see what they were doing, as the team was cleaning the town hall, and the man just wept and wept. Others, ladies who brought them food, would begin talking, only to break down in tears after a few words, emotions raw. The ladies told of how the Russians ransacked the houses, stealing what they could, destroying what they couldn’t steal. They told of bringing the Russians tea, a gesture of hospitality, kindness and mercy, only to be beaten or killed.
“ The men were able to clean and clear for three days, before returning home. They were all tired and worn, eyes red and a solemn look on their faces. Talking with David around the dinner table that evening, I realised that his naïve eyes had been opened to the reality of war. “When you see it with your own eyes, it’s so different than on a telephone or the television,” he said.”
The photo to the left is from the men trying to protect the town hall building because the roof was mostly destroyed. Daniel is one of the men on the roof. He is hoping/planning on taking a group of men every week for 2 or 3 days at a time to some of these devastated areas—which are not so far from them. Maybe 60 or 80 miles.
It was Easter. Nevertheless there were bomb threats even in our area and people had to seek shelter a couple times. Today, Easter Monday which is still a holiday, and more sirens and a couple bombs in our province. I assume they did not hit anything vital as there was no report to that effect.
All you can do is just keep turning to the Lord, asking for His mercy. I do so often during the night when I’m awake. And at the same time acknowledge the greatness of the Lord. One of the verses I’m memorizing right now is
Psa 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
It is an interesting Psalm and never ceases to bring me comfort.
Do pray with us as Abe works on making appointments for meetings that we will keep God’s appointments. We only have a limited time. We wish we could see everybody and go to every place we are invited, but that is not likely. We want to be sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance.
Pray too for the materials we are pulling together that the Lord would use our simple efforts.
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