1st Annual Illichevsk Charity Ball

My assistant, Ira, called me to tell me that we were invited to an activity that the City of Illichevsk was putting on for people who helped the children throughout the year. I thought that it would be something similar to the event that they had last year. People from different organizations and businesses who made some type of contribution were recognized and given a very nice commemorative plate.
Ira didn’t have a lot of information, but she said something about a ball. She has learned so much about the English language, but situations that she has not experienced make it difficult to translate. This was one of those times. She knew that it was a formal affair, but the rest was a surprise.
I had to go to the massage clinic to take pictures of a sweet little child, and Ira would meet me there. Our evening adventure was on that side of Illichevsk. As we began to walk, I asked her were we were going. It was someplace that she hadn’t been before, so she couldn’t explain where it was.
After walking for five minutes, we crossed the last street that parallels the sea. We turned to the right and Ira pointed to a building in the distance. We walked some more. I saw the new soccer field as she pointed beyond it to a new group of buildings. It was dark, so nothing looked normal to me.
The group of buildings was behind a tall security fence with guards. We were directed to the second entrance. Passing through the gate, I was overwhelmed. The buildings towered three stories and were attached in an L shape. The courtyard was laid out in stylish stonework. It had a very European look.
We entered the building, not an impressive entrance, and found our way to the coat room. A very nice gentleman was hanging up coat behind an enclose counter. Across from this counter was the entrance to our evening adventure.
As you can see from the pictures above, the ball room was very beautiful. I never expected to see anything like this in Illichevsk. Moreover, I never dreamed that I would be invited to such an occasion.
As people continued to arrive, the wait staff made final table setting preparations. It was all very beautiful. And what was most wonderful was that it was all for charity, for the children and those in need.
We had a very nice evening of performances in dance, music, and song. There was an auction that raised some money for the cause. And finally there was a time for dancing and conversation and fancy food to snack on.
Ira had to run along to take care of her baby, Sofia. I stayed a while longer, chatted with one young woman who spoke good English, and then I, too, headed for home.
This first annual Charity Ball speaks volumes for the potential future of Illichevsk … of Ukraine.
Next Saturday I will write about my adventure with skin cancer, the physical, mental, and spiritual revelations that I experienced.

The Adventure Continues…

When the train was thirty minute west of my departure city of Ternopil, I was sound asleep. The porter woke me to alert me that my stop would be soon. As I looked at my watch, I wondered why he had woken me so soon. It was ninety minutes before my stop. As I sat there, beginning to wake up, I realized that I had not set my watch forward one hour to account for the time zone difference. As my three cabin mates continued to sleep soundly, I quickly took care of my bedding, gathered by backpack, coat and hat, and headed for the exit, just beyond the porter’s cabin.
As I stepped down from the train, memories from my many visits to Ternopil met me. Looking toward the station, the time now being 2:30 in the morning, I saw a tall dark figure walking toward me. As Andrew approached me, we shook hands. He explained that his car was last in the driveway, so he had the privilege to come get me.
Later that day, I caught up on news with Andrew’s parents while he and his wife Nadya went to work. Bogdan and Luda and I shared our activities of the previous year over meals and free time. The following morning, Bogdan put me on the morning train to Truskavyets.
In three hours, I was in Truskavyets, ready for my next adventure. Pastor Volodya met me with a hearty “Hello.” We drove ten kilometers to the city of Borislav, his home town. A nice meal was waiting for us as we arrived at his home. His daughter, Lena, would translate for us. Lena had finished University as and English teacher, and her mother spoke English pretty well.
Because of my change in travel plans, I now had only two days to meet with my contacts in Borislav and Dobromel. It was Friday afternoon, and my ticket to Odessa from L’vov was set for Sunday evening at 7:30. I had to make the most of my time.
Lena set up a meeting with the neurologist at the orphanage for children with cerebral palsy. We had to move quickly, though, because his day had finished and he was ready to go home. He said that he would meet with us. Volodya drove us to the orphanage. We found him still working. Once I had gathered my thoughts, we talked about the different therapies that they use with their children. I explained what we were doing at the massage clinic in Illichevsk, and we talked some more. After an hour or so, we walked to the bus stop. We waited about 20 minutes, and rode to our stop. Because a recent flood had destroyed a central bridge, the ride was a little longer than normal.
Early Saturday, we headed to the Dobromel orphanage, two hours away. We stopped in Sambir to pick up Maria, who also works with the children at Dobromel. The time passed quickly. The scenery is very beautiful, as we were in the Carpathian Mountains.
At the orphanage, Mikola, the director, greeted us and took us to see the school and the additional building, diagonally across the street from the orphanage. The additional building was in need of remodel, but it belonged to the orphanage. They had to figure out how to make it functional. They had almost completed remodeling an apartment in the first floor. It would be used as a transition home for the boys when they graduated and would enter the real world.
At the school, we visited the wood shop were the boys were refinishing door and window frames for the building that we had previously visited. Also, we stopped in the sewing classroom where some girls were sewing costumes for future performances.
We talked as we walked back to the dormitory building. We discussed other needs, and shared plans for future communication. One thought was to connect the Dobromel and the Marganets orphanages for a competition between the children. Being in different parts of the country, it would be geographically interesting for the children.
On the return trip, Volodya made his regular stop in Sambir to buy some sour cream, the best in the region. During Soviet times, milk products were a main industry in Sambir. After a number of other stops, we continued on to Borislav.
Sunday morning, we went to a mountain community church not far from Borislav. When this quaint little church was full on this snowy December morning, there were ten adults and a few children. I was to speak after the second sermon. It was a great opportunity to share with the people. My message was well received in their hearts. It was a warm ending to my week of travel.
At 3 PM, Volodya and Lena saw me to the commuter train in Truskavyets. This transport was interesting. It was filled with businessmen and college students. When I arrive in L’vov two hours later, my final challenge met me.
There are two train stations in L’vov. They are close to each other, but you can’t see one from the other. I had been there before, but, as is typical, things don’t look the same as I have remembered. I had an hour and twenty minutes to find my way, and my train. Everything worked out ok, and I had fifteen minutes to spare. I arrived in Odessa twelve hours later and took the bus to Illichevsk. All was well.
Stop by next week when I write about the first annual Charity Ball held in Illichevsk, that I attended.

Peace and Provision

Hello my friends,
It has been my dream to share more about my life in Ukraine with you. I am writing some books, but I want to share detail with you as they happen. Our MUCH web technician has created this blog to help me share more with you. So, I will begin my first post with my adventure to Warsaw.

The current Ukrainian laws pertaining to visas are different than when I first came to Ukraine. Tourists can now come for up to 90 day without a visa. They can get an extension beyond that, but then they must leave and can not return for 6 months, as I understand it.
Because I live in Ukraine, I need to be in the country without limitation. That requires a visa. Beginning last year, visas are required to be replaced each year. For me, that means that I must go to Warsaw, Poland each year. The Ukrainian Embassy in
Warsaw provides an express process of visas for $165. That means that if I am extremely organized, I can arrive in Warsaw Sunday evening, be at the Ukrainian Embassy Monday morning at 8 AM and have my new visa before they close at noon. Then get tickets and take a train back to Ukraine.
Here is my story, my 4th visit to Warsaw. After buying tickets from Odessa to Warsaw, I boarded the train in Odessa on Sunday at 6 PM or so. Twenty-nine hours later I was in Warsaw. What most people don’t know is that there is 4 hour wait at the border.
The border retains the blockade created to stop the German trains from entering Ukraine during WWII. At the border and in Ukraine, the RR tracks are wider. For a Ukrainian train to enter Poland, or visa versa, the undercarriage of the train is switched. Along with that, two other processes take place. The border patrol of each country checks passports of each passenger and records them. Second, special police and trained dogs come on the train to check for drugs and cigarettes. There is a big smuggling operation for cigarettes. They are manufactured so cheaply in Ukraine, but can bring a high price in Poland and the rest of Europe.
After obtaining my visa, my plan was to travel to L’vov, Ukraine and make my way down to Borislav where I would visit an orphanage. I needed to arrive in L’vov early enough to catch the bus to Borislav. I learned at the train station that was not a possibility. The only train to L’vov would arrive at 11:30 PM, much too late to catch a bus.
This began my next adventure. The clerk at the international ticket office gave me some options. I have friends from missionary school in Ternopil Ukraine, so he showed me what was available for that day. It was 10 AM. I could catch the 11:05 AM inter city (IC) train to Krakow, Poland. After a three hour ride to Krakow, I would have 5 minutes to find my next train to Przemyoel Glowny. Then, I would have 1 hour and 25 minutes to find my train to Ukraine at this border town. I would arrive in Ternopil at 2:20 AM.
I accepted the tickets, and my adventure began. These are the people whom I encounter on this portion of my trip. Waiting for their train at the Warsaw Station, a team from the Netherlands was heading south to give a Holy Spirit revival of sorts. They were very charismatic, if I say so myself.
On the IC train, it was a pleasure to meet Ludmila from Krakow. She is a university student studying public health with a keen interest in NGOs. She was my angel in disguise, as she helped me find my next train in the five minutes that I had between arrival and departure.
The next commuter train provided a cabin mate of 61 years. He had been a boxer for 14 years. We struggled through our conversation in Russian. He knew German very well, Polish was his native language, but he knew more Russian than I did.
On the sleeper train to Ternopil, my cabin mates were a Ukrainian business man who spoke some English, a Polish Catholic priest who didn’t, and his companion, a Ukrainian Catholic priest who spoke very good English. As the Polish priest was very tired, the other two and I had a great conversation about the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the government and its influence on the church. It was a very pleasant way to end my long day of travel. This was a day filled with peace and provision.
Be watching for my next post to read the rest of my adventure.

November 2008 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

Living in Illichevsk these past 5½ years, I have learned a new meaning of being thankful. I have lived in the same apartment for the entire time, most unusual in Ukraine. I have not had more than one encounter with the police. They are not considered public servants but are feared because of past abuse of authority. I have not had to use the Ukraine health care system, another discomfort of the people of Ukraine. I have been able to afford to pay a cook two days a week to improve my diet for the past two plus years. My personal and mission financial needs have been provided. This Thanksgiving, I have many reasons to be thankful. God has blessed our children and me abundantly. May your Thanksgiving be a filled with joy.

I often want to talk about one group of our children, saying that their needs are the greatest, but I can’t. In my heart of hearts, each group of children, each child has great needs in his or her life. Each child tugs at my heart. I see their needs first hand. As God leads me, I walk through the doors that He opens. This Christmas season, we are focusing on six programs within three of our five child groups. Two of these child groups are orphanages. During the six years that we have been working with the Marganets orphanage, we have learned quite a bit about the needs of the children. As we have pursued each need, we have learned the greatest need of the children. It is to be loved. Each of our programs projects our love for the children in a unique manner. One of our programs that we are asking for your support is the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program. It is about much more than drugs and alcohol. Ira will tell you something more.

Enna, my new translator in Marganets, Olga, and I waded through flooding streets to get to the children for this first presentation. You can see the bottoms of Olga’s jeans (photo below) are soaked. We have a powerful opportunity to redirect the lives of our children through this program.

If you haven't already, read about our Christmas Fundraiser - MUCH's Goal is $3,620.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

Ira's Insights (November 2008)

Mark asked me to express my opinion about the Drug and Alcohol prevention program in Marganets. The first thing that came to my mind was that working for MUCH, I always experience something new. Someone may say: this is just your life experience. I would agree with that person, but I would add that it is God who lets me grow and realize that we can change a lot of things with His might and His strength.

It was in autumn 2006 when Mark invited Nadezda from Illichevsk to go to Marganets to give some lessons about drug and alcohol prevention for the children in the orphanage. At that time, the children had a serious problem – many of them sniffed glue. Even now I remember Nadezda’s lesson. The children were listening to her very attentively. Each of them was taking an active part in the conversation. Before my eyes the children were changing. I saw their eyes were brighter. Their little inner worlds were changing. They were becoming bigger. During the lesson, some of the children's personal conflicts were solved. Even after the lesson, many children were following Nadezda to ask her questions that they worried about. Next time that Mark went to Marganets, the assistant director of the orphanage told him that the number of children who sniffed the glue was less. It was a good sign.

Unfortunately Nadezda couldn’t go to Marganets very often because of her ministry at the church in Illichevsk. Mark was concerned about the children. He understood that they needed someone who could help them to understand why they live; for what purpose they have come to this world; how to begin to love themselves and other people.

Soon God answered our need. He introduced us to a person who has a desire to give such kind of lessons to the children. She has a heart full of love and compassion towards children at the orphanage. The name of this woman is Olga. She lives in Marganets and can go to the children not only three or four times a year, but every week. I believe that this program will continue to change the lives and the future of the little children at the Marganets orphanage who need spiritual support day by day.

Until next time,
Ira

October 2008 MUCH Newsletter

Hello family and friends,

During my return trip to the Kiev airport to accompany Milan Anderson, visiting doctor of chiropractic from America, the Bible verse Matthew 10:16 came alive in my mind and my experience. “Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.” Here is the story. Our driver asked us to meet him at a location that required two different lines on the subway. At the subway track, we asked directions. We listened closely to the explanation in Russian, followed the directions and found the second line. As we approached the track, I noticed that my wallet was missing. My wallet had been picked out of my front pocket.

My heart sank. I had just read a report from the American Embassy about identity theft. My train ticket, credit card and other things were in my wallet. At the moment, all I could do was continue my mission to get to the location where we would meet the driver. When Dr. Anderson and I sat down at a table to wait for the driver, I was still in shock over what to do. Then a surprise occurred. As he set his open bag on the floor, he pulled out my wallet and sat it on the table. The thief had dropped my wallet into his bag after he took what he wanted. His first words were, “God is really watching over you.” I looked through my wallet to see what was missing. The money--less than $25--was gone. The phone card, a value of $5 was gone. Everything else was intact. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want….” How big is your God?

In the 7 days that Dr. Anderson was here, he helped about 40 people relieve their pain. He had hoped to help more, but there were a number of factors that got in the way. Even so, the door has been opened. His giving heart, excellent chiropractic knowledge and skill, and his warm bedside manner, won the hearts of the Ukrainian people. They had accepted pain as part of life; now, people he treated have a new outlook.

Blessings of love and healing,
Mark

Ira's Insight (October 2008)

My greetings to everybody. Have you ever felt that you had a grip on how things happen in this life, and then in one moment you meet someone who changes your attitude? It happened with me last week. I have called it a great surprise. It was my work with the manual therapist (chiropractic) who came from America. I had the privilege to translate for Dr. Anderson for a couple of days.
Before his coming I had heard some stories from my friends who had had good experiences with manual therapy. They had a positive attitude because their results were wonderful. It was a time in Ukraine when people who needed the help of a manual therapist began to go to the doctor who lived in Kobiljaky, Ukraine. People told stories of wonderful healing. At that time I could only listen to the stories.
Now I am ready to share my own story with you. For me, it was an unusual treatment that I had never watched or experienced. It was wonderful! After the first session, I didn’t feel any pain in my shoulders and in my lower back. Then for several days I watched how people came to the doctor to be treated. In the beginning, some of them came alone with some guarded curiosity, but after the session, they brought their friends and families to the doctor. Even after his departure, many people called and asked me to pass their greetings and thanks to him. Most of his Ukrainian patients experienced manual therapy for the first time in their lives.

Until next time,
Ira

Christmas Fund Raiser Kick-Off

Through our Christmas Fund Raisers, we are able to support pilot projects annually that go beyond our budgeted three major programs. In the June newsletter, I mentioned that our camp for the disabled has been taken over by the Illichevsk Baptist Church. Camp was a big item on our previous Christmas Fund Raisers, so this year we can direct more attention to other projects that have proven their value. In spite of the global economic crisis, we believe that God will bless His children through you. Their needs are small, and we believe that your hearts are big.

Marganets Orphanage, Eastern Ukraine, with 156 children during the school year, 60 children in the summer time.

• The Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program. It will be taught once a week--$600/yr.
• The Massage program has shown very positive results--$360 for 9 months during the school year.
• The Computer Class helps children enter the world of word processing and graphic arts--$180/sch.yr.
• Music and Dance, a new program. Music and dance have always been a big part of the orphanage. This new opportunity will broaden their program and offer more to the children--$180/sch.yr.

Marganets Transition Home processes as many as 26 children every 90 days.

• Last year we provided clothes and shoes for these children. We would like to do the same every year. The cost is only $500/yr.

Dobromel Orphanage for Special Children, Western Ukraine, with 120 children.

• Clothing, shoes and food. The children receive our help through a local pastor. I have visited with him and am very impressed with his heart for the children. We would like to continue helping them with clothing, shoes, and food. This is our biggest project. $1800/year.

Our Christmas Fund Raiser goal is $3620. Last year, your response was amazing. If God is speaking to your heart this Christmas season, the children of MUCH ask you to include them in your generosity. They want to learn to help themselves through these programs. That is the ultimate goal and the mission statement of MUCH.