Aid van coming through.....possibly (part 2)

So as usual an early start at 6am in order to get to Kherson for about 10:30. The first part of the aid run was to distribute the bread donated and made by Pastor Victor.

I was also able to drop off some dog food that I bought. 

The second part was going to buy domestic products with donations for the community we support. So.....(and please forgive me Anastasiia...) previous excursions to do this have not been an enjoyable experience for me 🤣😂😂 

Anastasiia in action today.

I decided a while back that, instead of us buying products, it would be better going with Anastasiia to buy things, as she knew best what the people in her community needed. So off we would tootle to the shop. Anastasiia is meticulous in trying to get value out of every penny. After 2 hours, I'd  lost the will to live.

So today we had a new cunning plan. Anastasiia had pre-booked with the shop, the  items required. Heaven. At this point she told me that for this to work, it needed to be ordered 2 days in advance. And it hadn't been done. Words went through my mind that can't possibly be put in this blog. Two hours later..... I've lost the will to live. However....

I was able to meet up with Rid, my favourite psychologist....working hard amongst various groups. But still with the concern that he may be called up to serve in the army in a month's time. He says that he's no soldier. He is doing good work with traumatised people. Take him away, then what? This is an awful dilemma for Ukraine. No easy answer to this.

As I mentioned yesterday, it's the chance things that happen that interest me. Two days ago, in Khemelnytski, I saw a vehicle with aid stickers on. As Fiona will attest to, I see an aid vehicle, up go my antennae. I saw two people in the vehicle, knocked on the window and introduced myself. It so happens that they run a kitchen in Odesa, providing 500 hot meals a day. They gave me more details.....they do only vegetarian meals. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Meat is very much the staple in this country. In most places, vegetarians have very little choice.

The photo above is the norm, which Fiona sent me from Hell's Kitchen in Kharkiv.

I said I'd like to see what they do. They have invited me to their kitchen tomorrow. I often, when teaching in classes, ask children to put their hands up if they're vegetarians. Not once has a child put their hand up!!!

I want to take the opportunity to thank people who have helped me in their own ways. They may seem small but they are not, and make our work easier. For example Ian, our next door neighbour, bringing me from and to the airport, when I'm coming and going to Ukraine. Another example when I had the long journey from Krakow to Lviv. Joanna insisted on making me a couple of sandwiches, even though I'd said I was fine. 6 hours into the journey, I was so happy to have these. Over our time in Ukraine many have helped in their way. Thank you.

Sometimes we question if the help we are providing is the best use of our resources? What benefit do we give to our area of work?  And for me, at least, there's no easy answer. What hierarchy of help is the best? Is feeding 100 people in one area, better than feeding 10 in another area who are just as needful?

This is likely to be the last blog that I will write before Fiona and I make a decision as to how we go forward.  We hope to make this in the next two weeks. One way or another. After some discussion, given Fiona's level of responsibility in Hell's Kitchen, the only realistic option for us to go forward together is for me to move to Kharkiv. Whatever decision we make, our commitment to Ukraine remains as strong as ever.

I would like to say that I'm really glad to have worked with Fiona, in Poland and Ukraine. It's not always been straightforward or easy, but I have utmost respect for what she has done and will continue to do. For me, it's the best thing I've ever done in my life. I feel quite sure I wouldn't even have left Trawden without her. She was my lodestar.