Ukraine, Here We Are!

It was some trip! One man! His Wife! AND THREE additional women! Yet I was fortunate (I’d say “blessed” except that I do not want to sound super-spiritual) because my seat was never closer than three rows. (That was because I was booked on a separate booking and not by choice so you ladies can stop picking on me.)

We did not have any problem on the flight or getting through customs, etc. Everything was a breeze. It was windy at times from the vicinity of the position of the ladies, but they were having a good time – in between their attempts at sleeping – which did not go good with any of them.

We zipped out of the Borispol airport and on our way to a restaurant, a quick walk to a department store for a quick look, then a cup of speciality coffee for all but me (not Starbucks) and then off to the train station. There we hired a porter to take our bags to the train. To my surprise we had to walk with him and it was the long way around. We made it with the help of a male Italian single who could speak English and was lonely in the presence of the Russian speaking roommates he had. He helped me place the bags on the top bunk and at 50 pounds lifting them up was a problem in the narrow room.

A time for a snack before bed and then off to “Z-Time” in a rocking and rolling noisy hot bedroom on a very narrow bunk and knowing that you better not snore or you will keep Oksana Smertina, our interpreter awake. She was on the bottom bunk across from Marilyn. Colleen, Tammy and Peggy were two doors down with Oksana Raskind the other interpreter who lives in Kiev. The night went fast at times and then very slow at times as we rolled down the rails, “click-ity-clack, click-ity-clack,” “bing-bang,” and then “screech-screech” as we stopped at various stations along the way.

Then the process of getting up and beating the crowd to the bathroom so we could be the first to “dirty” it. Then make our beds and get things ready to depart the train. After which we then ate a snack, bananas, cookies, yogurt and the ladies had their morning “tea”. But the best thing was arriving at the Donetsk station. Well, almost! Because then I had to get the bags down and drag them down the narrow hall to the stairs and then hand them down to Marilyn and Natasha, who had come to pick us up. I am not sure who was happier – me or the “lady sergeant in control of our car” to see me leave.

Did you every go grocery shopping with six (6) ladies – all of whom have their own taste and their own ideas of what would be good to eat the next seven days? The bill – was it high or low? It is your guess! Well, it is probably better for me to tell you – 602+ G’s (that is 602.02 hryvna.) Divide that by 8.22 and you will have the cost of the food. Not bad for everything we had.

Then we really began our journey to Rhema Church. It took about 45 more minutes to go from Donetsk to Makeevka and then to the outer area where the Church is located. Thank God for the men in their second stage of rehabilitation from addiction. They carried the luggage up the long hall, the stairs and to our rooms. I would NEVER EVER had made it by myself.

The pastor’s wife, Luda Gorbachev, had a snack ready so we ate, chatted for a while and then I headed off to get some sleep. Therefore I cannot fill you in on what the ladies did, except then they had all taken a shower, washed their hair by the time I got up some four hours later. But I can tell you that 5:00 came too soon and we headed out to the van for a trip to “Your Victory Rehabilitation Center”.

Tammy and Peggy shared their testimonies and Colleen brought the message. I am happy to say, I sat there with great pride as I listened and wept (inside) with their presentations. Two men came forward to receive Christ. It was a great start to a great trip.

Please pray that Northwest Airlines will grant me a flight change for my return flight. I need to stay and spend time ministering to Inna Uruymagov. Vadim and Inna visited us in December of 07. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and they are struggling. She calls her “Daddy”. She never had a relationship with her father who left early in her childhood. The “physical signs” are not good, but they are not all the “signs” nor is her condition determined by the diagnosis of the doctors, but by THE DOCTOR - Jesus Christ! So please pray for an answer to prayer, first for her and then for me to be able to change my return flight.

It is quiet down the hall. Marilyn has hit the sack. I need to, so I’ll stop and send this to be posted. I have to send it to Nicole to post because it is next to impossible to get on-line through the connection I must use.

Remember us in your prayers and God bless you,

Dr D & Marilyn with Colleen, Peggy and Tammy