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4 WWW.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ГРУДЕНЬ 2018 language. An assembly o f all the students was called, as the truck arrived with the washing machines and dryers. A word of thanks was offered by the director of the school, and the students respon ed with a loud “Diakuyu.” The boys scrambled to the truck to unload and unpack the machines. Several had never seen a washing machine or dryer prior to this day. When we returned to Kyiv, Vasyl suggested we go to Verkhovna Rada to get tickets for our trip to Dnipro. Unfortunately, we arrived at closing time and had to proc eed to the train station to get tickets. As we walked past the Verkhovna Rada buil ding, I asked Vasyl about the tents outside. He explained that the tents were for patients and pa - rents who were awaiting to be called for treatment outside the country. I f ound it interesting that Uk - raine would send patients out of the country rathe r than training physicians within in the country itself. Day 6. Maria, Vasyl, and I boarded the train to Dnipro. We were in good humor and chatted and laughed along the way. In Dnipro, we were picked up by Viacheslav and Serhiy, patriots and volun - teers who often brought supplies to the soldiers in the front. Though their first language was Russian, they made a fine effort at communicating with me in Ukrainian. Our first stop wa s at the army hospital, where Maria was a frequent volunteer. We were given a tour of the grounds and had a chance to speak with several soldiers. We then proceeded to Krasnopolske Kladovyshche where unknown soldiers were buried. After laying flowers drape d in blue and yellow ribbons at the Blessed Mother’s monument, we walked aroun d the cemetery, which had been a field of sunflowers prior to 2014. Our last stop was a visit to the 220 - year - old Mechnikov Hospital. There we met a young volunteer soldier whose leg had been amputated two months earlier after a special assignment. He was especially recognized for not uttering a scream when he was injured so as not to jeopardize the safety of nearby fellow soldiers. Day 7. This day was the most meaningful of all, but it happened unexpectedly. I was having breakfast with our driver Viachesla v, our guard Serhiy Scala, Verkhovna Rada deputy Vasyl Pazyniak, and Maria. As we got into the car, we heard whispering between Vyacheslav and Serhiy: “Should we ask or not about the sacks. We really need to get them to the front.’’ Quizzically, Vasyl ask ed, “What’s the sto ry?” Viacheslav and Serhiy explained that soldiers on the front needed 800 sacks to be delivered so they could fill them with sand to reinforce the tren ches they were living in. Our destination of Sie vierodonetsk was not far from the front and it would be doable for us to make that delivery. Without hesitation, Vasyl, Maria, and I agreed “It’s a go.” Our long journey started. Our first block post showed us th at Vyacheslav and Serhiy were respected by t he soldiers at the point and had all the needed documents because we got through with just a cursory look inside our van. We then proceeded to Sievierodonetsk. As we entered the town, we began looking for the add ress of the building that was being converte d into a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. We finally asked two women, Jehovah’s Witnesses in the town square, who gave us directions. Turns out the building was next to their Kingdom Hall. From the outside, the Ukrainian Church was in very poor shape and surrounded by rubble. However, once inside, we found two workers who were converting the front room into a beautiful, clean space. UNWLA funds well spent! The workers called the pastor, Father Yuriy Yurchyk, who was meeting with a German consular represent ative on a project. Fr. Yurchyk was a dynamic figure: positive, charismatic, and full of boundless enthusiasm. We had a chance to hear about his dreams for the building, which was to include church space, a commu nity center, a kitchen, and bathrooms. He sh ared that in a community overwhelmed by separatists, he was already celebrating Mass for about 20 people in the almost completed room and was also hosting Plast members for their activities. Just as an aside, Fr. Yurchyk had served in Dubai where he had ov er 15,000 parishioners. Uplifted by our meeting with the charismatic priest, we continued our trip further into Luhansk. The road deteriorated, and the van wobbled from side to side as the driver avoided obstacl es — the many ruts, mounds, rocks on the road. We heard from Serhiy that we were approaching the war front. He motioned to the tree line and said, “That’s where the enemy is.” It was surreal. I think it’s for that reason that I wasn’t afraid. It couldn’t be real. BUT IT WAS. N ot long after this, we arrive at our soldiers’ trenches. We see the firing spots. We see six men from Poltava, Ternopil, Zaporizzhia, Kyiv, Cherkassy, and Odessa. The youngest soldier is 22; the oldest 52. The 30 - something leader proudl y shows us the diffe rent areas: the kitchen with no battery operated devices, goulash in the pot, tea pots for warmth but no chimneys to filter the smoke. Beds with slats and no mattresses, a latrine out of sight of the range of fire, many hiding spots.
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