Wow... what a tumultuous 10 days of getting Drover (the van) imported from Germany into Ukraine, but.... WE DID IT!! I am going to spare you all the gory details of the flips and flops, the uncertainty of the new processes, the fluidity and whimsical changes in the implementation of the new tariff and fee structure, the extra trips I had to take in and out of Ukraine (to the city of Lviv) from Poland without the van in order to take care of administrative necessities before FINALLY being allowed into the country with the van. But yesterday, about 4PM we finally got it done! The first order of business was to pick up Lika and Svitlana Roman in Lviv and return them safely and soundly to the city of their birth and youth, Uzhhorod. After wandering the earth for almost 5 months, the familiar sights, sounds, smells and family/friends of this small city were welcome, indeed. Since they have lived in the far north in Kyiv for a number of years, Uzhhorod is not exactly their home town anymore, but it sure seems that way. What an honor to help them return after such a long, unplanned time away.
During this last week, we have also taken care of a number of humanitarian issues along the way. On my trips in and out of Ukraine in a borrowed vehicle to take care of van importation issues, I also carried humanitarian aid and either delivered it or shipped it via Nova Poshta to its intended destination. Similarly, we brought a van load of medical supplies and other sundry items to Uzzhorod and delivered them as necessary. So, we have not been exactly idle during this past week, but it certainly has not been the frenetic pace we can now employ. So... Tomorrow the real mission begins, and I will be much more active in keeping you updated on the goings-on and geography using a map like this one.
This trip effectively started in the western city of Lviv (at 9 O'clock on this map) where we imported the vehicle and took care of several humanitarian issues. We then proceeded about 5 hours through the Carpathian Mountains to Uzhhorod, where I now am. Tomorrow I will proceed to the city of Chernitsvi where I will meet up with others, and load a couple of vans full of food and supplies to carry the next day to Mykolayiv. This trajectory will have us skirting around the border of Moldova, staying inside Ukraine. Mykolayiv is being hit hard right now as it is one of the two remaining port cities that the aggressors wish to control. We have contact with several churches there, one of which is serving approximately 1,500 people with life-sustaining necessities. This church will be our first stop. Depending on what we find there, we may make several trips in rapid succession to this one location. Stay tuned...
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