We left Kiev and head to our destination of Berehove. We had an early lunch with the Hansens in Zhitomer.

They are about two hours from Kiev and directly on our route.

So grateful for the work they are doing there.

VODAFON 

On the way to Berehove, before we got to the town of Rivne my phone quit responding. When we got to the town I told Frank to look for a Vodafon along the city street so I could take care of my phone issues. We both looked to no avail.

I pulled over and parallel parked in city center. I stepped out of the car to look around. Directly across the street from where I parked was a Vodafone. God met my need in a spectacular way. I was both surprised and grateful.

BEREGOVE, UKRAINE

We pull into town about 11 pm. It was a long days drive.

SLEEP IN THE CAR

When Frank and I returned to Berehove the landlord had changed the lock on the place where he stays. It was late at night and everything was closed. We would stay the night in the car. Ugh.

PROPHETS CHAMBER

My pastor in Russia is from Ukraine and has a large family. While I was in Berehove, before I left to go to Odesa and Kiev, his sister called me. 

Her name is Olena and she invited me to her house in Mukachevo, Ukraine. She and her husband Andrei live in the Czeck Republic but are building a house in this town.

I have met many in Misha’s immediate family and they all have been so good to me. They prepared a nice meal for me and showed me around their place.

They offered me a “prophets chamber” as long as I am in the area.

It’s a really nice place, two story, very well built. Not quite finished, but very livable.

After a night in the car I could not wait to have a prophets chamber!

STEPAN

Andrei introduced me to Stepan. He takes care of their place in their absence. He told me I would get the keys from him. He also said, “He’s a good brother, a believer. He printed and distributed Bibles during the Soviet Union.”

They returned to the Czech Republic while I was still roaming the countryside.

When I returned to the area Stepan made sure I was familiar with the house and gave me the keys.

I recently met up with him again and asked him about printing Bibles. He answered with a flick of the wrist as if it was no big deal.

“Oh that,” he says. “That was a basement deal. We had to do everything we could to keep it a secret. We would print Bibles and then load our truck to take produce to Moldova. Under the produce were the Bibles we printed. There were five of us. We did it from 86-88, until the KGB killed the main guy in a fabricated auto accident.”

He said he was born in 1964 and was still a young man without a family and without obligations. So he was free to do as he pleased.

I asked him if his parents were believers. He said yes. The Gospel came to them from the states in 1950. They accepted it and lived with the consequences.

I asked him if he still went to church. He said yes, they have the same small church as they did back in the day. He said it seems like it is not so impressive as churches today.

He also said freedom has demanded its price. And that few today would take the risks or pay the price to advance the Gospel under threat of death.

I enjoyed my visit with him and felt like I was granted the opportunity to fellowship with a true hero of the faith.

Thank you, Stepan, for your courage to advance the Gospel in Soviet Russia.

MICHAEL

One afternoon I was sitting alone on a bench along a walking street in Mukachevo. I was enjoying the quietness, reading mostly but also contemplating what I read and at times watching people as they passed.

I saw an elderly man across the street about 50 yards away. It looked like he was headed straight to me. So I watched him. And he came and sat down next to me. I thought this might be a divine appointment so I closed my book. (It turned out that he comes out and sits on this bench every day at this time. I was on his bench.)

I said to him in Russian, “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

He was 90 years old, a teacher of mathematics and physics. His wife passed 6 years ago. He lives with his son across the street. His daughter lives in Crimea and he hasn’t heard from her since the war began.

He also spoke of the difficulties of growing up during WWII in Soviet Russia.

I also spoke to him about religion. He immediately took a defensive stance. He began quoting the Bible, proving the existence of God, saying if you love Jesus you will keep his commands, etc. He really didn’t know I was on his side. I felt sure that in times past he had to defend his faith against staunch atheists.

I said I would like to buy him something to drink, anything he wanted.  He said a cup of coffee would be great. So we went to the coffee shop across the street and continued our conversation. It was a great visit. He said the day was for him a gift. It was for me, too.