Back on the Ukraine road
Last night I slept in my own bed for 9 1/2 hours, and it felt sooooooo good! Immediately after our trip to Rock Hill, SC to take part in Westminster Presbyterian’s mission conference, our team traveled into the mountains for a few days of prayer and planning. What a difference it makes to get away for some dedicated time to look at the big picture, pray, think, and plan.
Less than three hours after our retreat ended, however, it was back to the war. I loaded a cargo van full of humanitarian aid and start driving to Ukraine.
There are a several ways to get into Ukraine, and usually I prefer taking the ferry across the Danube River into Ukraine, but due to some recent bombings near the port, they’ve closed the ferry, making it necessary for me to go through Moldova - a point of entry I tend to avoid because of tighter restrictions and slowness. This time was no different. There was increased traffic (both cars and grain trucks) due to the ferry closure, and it took me 8 hours to cross the border (most border crossings can be made in less than an hour.)
Once across the border it was too late for me to make the drive to Odessa before the military curfew began, so I spent the night in Izmail, a border town where Andrea and I used to live. We’ve got friends there who put me up.
The next morning I continued to Odessa, and spent 5 hours delivering aid and seeing old friends before returning to Izmail. It’s been fairly quiet in Odessa lately, but everyone feels like it’s the calm before the storm. They know that Russia will soon start a massive campaign to destroy Ukraine’s power grid, leaving major cities with no heat or electricity. Last year we were able to bring in plenty of generators, so they’re more ready than they were this time last year, but it’s likely that the attacks will be more severe this year. Time will tell.
I left before sunrise the next morning and made it back into Brasov 10 minutes before I was to lead the church’s afternoon service! In two days I’ll repeat the trip, driving first to Bucharest to pick up fellow traveler Kevin Ellis, and then continuing to Izmail where I’ll work with the Life Care Center (our crisis pregnancy center.). I’d appreciate prayers for safe travel, and prayers for our team, too. Jill Martin has covid now, so the whole family is quarantining. We’ve all been exposed to her and the last thing I want to do is spread sickness to pregnant women! So far our family feels fine, though, and like I mentioned at the beginning, we’re getting plenty of good rest this week.
