Home again

Sveta and I returned to Lutsk last Friday!! Thankfully, the drive back was uneventful and without delays. We only paused a couple of times at checkpoints, but encountered no long, slow lines this time. There were many more checkpoints than on our trip to Uzhhorod, but they mostly just waved us along. 

Before leaving Uzhhorod we were able to make another trip to Budapest to receive cash from America for Agape. One positive aspect of this war and the resulting displacement and travels for us has been making some new friends. Davide and Orsi welcomed us into the home for the night and we enjoyed our time of fellowship with them. This godly couple is generously and selflessly giving of their time, finances, and home to help Ukrainian refugees. And there are thousands more people just like them all across Europe who are assisting Ukrainian refugees in some way. It is a blessing to now call this couple our friends! 

Thank you once again to all who have generously donated!! We brought most of the money back with us to Lutsk, but we were able to use some to purchase medications requested by Agape that were not available in Lutsk. We probably stopped at 10 pharmacies across Uzhhorod, but were thankful to be able to send back most of what was requested!

Doesn't look like very much, but about $800 worth of needed meds

I am grateful to be back in Lutsk and helping at Agape. It has been such a joy to be reunited with friends who are still here and try to connect more with friends who are in Europe. 

We are all praying for an end this war so that everyone can come home and rehabilitation at Agape can resume. But until then, Agape continues the work of receiving refugees and evacuating people with disabilities and their families to Europe. Another group of about 60 people was evacuated on Sunday and the next group is scheduled to depart this Friday. 

Loading the buses on Sunday

With the rapid and large turnover of people at Agape, laundry is a big task for which Sveta and I are now responsible. Fimiam Church and another local church also bring us their bedding when refugees depart from their facilities. So we stay pretty busy with that task, as well as helping clean Agape and prepare the rooms and rehab gym for the next arrivals. 

Hanging bedding literally wherever we can

Rehab gym ready for next round of people

For now, that is the update from here. I want to thank everyone once again for your outpouring of support!!! For those still interested in making a financial donation, you may do so via: 

1. agapeukraine.com: select the English version of the website and click on the "Donate" button

2. Christian Health Service Corps: Text CHSCUkraine to 41444 or at bit.ly/CHSCUkraine. 

The funds will reach Agape via either method. 

Please continue to pray with us for:

- An end to the war.

- Safe evacuations of people with disabilities and their families. Currently the majority of people we are evacuating are coming from the "hot spots" in Ukraine. Pray for transportation to be found and for them to safely get out of those cities where the fighting is strong.

- Physical strength and perseverance for those serving refugees, both at Agape and many churches, organizations and facilities across western Ukraine. 

- Wisdom to discern when/if Agape should resume rehabilitation. That is not even a topic of consideration at this time, but as more and more soldiers are wounded the need for rehabilitation grows rapidly. Please pray we will understand when we should be ready to resume rehabilitation and on what level. There will many questions and few easy answers when this topic does come up for discussion.

- The light of the gospel to go forth in the darkness of war. 

Thank you for standing with us in prayer!!