SPRING & SPRING CLEANING

Spring is here and there are signs of new life everywhere. The first evidence appeared at the market where we noticed huge sacks of radishes - such a welcome addition to the rather sad and forlorn-looking cabbages, carrots and potatoes that have been hibernating in someone's root cellar all winter. It's amazing how the sight and taste of these little red globes can bring so much pleasure. We realize again how spoiled we've become back home with all the choices and abundance. Here we're rediscovering the joy of doing "more with less." This is exactly what our people do - serving delicious meals using whatever is availalbe, decorating with a minimum of materials, creating interesting and imaginative programs with few resources.

Easter Sunday was an example. 130 people crowded our worship space, not a chair to spare. The children and youth were all involved in recreating the resurrection story, moving from a contemporary scene of questioning to the historical narrative itself. The joyful Easter greeting Христос воскрес! воистено воскрес! - repeated three times, rang out again and again, Christ is risen, Christ is risen ideed.

Earlier in the week Ira, our cook, Oksana and I baked paska for our Mom's group. When they came to the Centre on Wednesday we made the cottage cheese spread together and then had tea. We kept hearing murmurs of "вкусно", phonetically pronounced fcoosna, the "oo-o" long drawn out. This is Russian for "delicious".

Of all religious holidays in Ukraine Easter is the most important. We shared family traditions. Our Moms all come from Russian Orthodox backgrounds and over time they have let go of some of the strict traditional observances. The season of Lent was 40 days of deprivation, giving up eating meat, eggs, butter and leavened bread. It was meant to be a time of soul cleansing and penitence. Paska had great symbolic significance. The one who baked the bread must keep her thoughts pure and remain quiet while the bread is being baked. It is not eaten until Easter Sunday after it has been taken to the cathedral at midnight and blessed by the priest. They talked of how their mothers had cleaned their house, washed the curtains and white-washed the tree trunks all in preparation for this great event.

The yard at the Centre was also given a spring make-over. Our tree trunks were given a fresh coat of white-wash. We joined the staff in clearing the lawn of rocks and debris in preparation for the first mowing. Then the highlight of the day - we introduced the staff to a wiener roast. The debri was lit in our fire-pit, sausages were bought, Rudy created wiener sticks and we had a feast.

GATES AND GATE-KEEPERS

Common to every household in the towns and villages of southeastern
Ukraine are fences and gates. These gates are necessary and functional. First of all they provide a degree of security. Then they also protect the pedestrian from the fierce-sounding, ever-present yappers on the other side of the gate.


Gates also make a statement. Some appear welcoming, others seem to say "keep out". As each little house has it's unique character, so rarely are two gates alike. Many are colorful and creatively designed, some are whimsical - Ukrainian folk art. And there are those that appear to be status symbols and can only be described as "grand entrances".












We are reminded of elaborate gates leading to manor homes of some
of our ancestors. We identify a few as we travel along the country-side. Some are white-washed and kept in good repair. Others, such as the example above, situated close to where we live, are falling into ruin.

And we can't forget the gate-keepers. These intrepid babushkas can be seen sitting on their benches outside their gates. A Ukrainian describes them this way:

Proper Ukrainian traditions are carefully watched by our “Vice Squad”. Our babushkas spend the better part of their day sitting out on their benches. They are active, pushy, know everybody and everything. Don’t argue with them if they say you aren’t behaving properly – it would be best just to disappear.


I can't take credit for this picture. So far I haven't had the courage to stop and take a photo for fear of being slighted, because sadly I don't have the language to ask for permission.



















At the Mennonite Centre our gate is open seven days a week. All are welcome to come in. Some come just to sit on our benches and soak up the sun. Some come as tourists, having heard about the Centre and wanting to see for themselves. Some come with medical needs and visit our doctors, others come with more critical medical issues and we try to help if we can. Some days the Centre rings with song as groups rehearse for Sunday services. Some days we hear the laughter of children as the Mom's group gathers. Again we express our gratitude to all those who are helping to make this happen.

Today we heard of another gate. It is Palm Sunday in Ukraine. In our church service this morning we were encouraged to open the gate of our heart to Him who welcomes all without discrimination. We want to do the same.

DOMESTIC & SOCIAL ISSUES

There's a stark beauty to the landscape in early spring. Last Sunday afternoon was warm and sunny. We took a long walk west of town following the river. Fish are plentiful due to the spring runoff and fishermen were pulling in their catches. Right now fresh fish can also be bought very reasonably - we're told, 3-5 grievna per kilo. Not bad - and a great way to supplement the usual diet. Dema, our manager is salting and drying them on his closed-in balcony much to the dismay of his wife who now has to hang her laundry everywhere throughout the house -and never mind the smell.

Nights are still frosty but that doesn't deter people from tilling the soil and planting their gardens. As we walk along we think again of our forefathers and mothers coming to this land, working the soil and reaping the harvests, and over time developing a thriving culture. The land is still very productive and we ponder - what has changed, why so much poverty? We know there are many reasons, mostly beyong the control of people we meet day to day.

We had visitors this week - Florence Driedger from Regina, former Social Work professor with a specialty in Restorative Justice, and Lucy Alexievna, Social Work professor in Zaporozhye plus one of her students. Over a number of years Florence has been a Social Development Consultant in Zaporozhye. She and her husband Otto have gained highly-respected reputations in Ukraine, in fact an organization has been named after her. The Florence Centre is involved in many projects - with elderly, families and students as well as working with the poor and disabled. It also provides practicum opportunities for students at the University which had been an unknown concept here. Our organization has provided scholarships for several social work students who have had part of their training at the Florence Centre. They mentioned that Lida and Oksana were among their best students. These are now employed in our region. We updated each other on various projects. It was an interesting morning.

Delegation from Zaporozhye

There are many social issues that make life more complicated here. Domestic abuse is a big problem, primarily verbal abuse, wives against husbands, possibly a consequence of huge unemployment numbers. Another form of abuse is that of taking advantage of vulnerable people. An example - told to us by the pastor of our church. Last year when credit became available people owning a passport needed only to show this document and they were able to take a loan from the bank. Most of them had no idea what a trap this could be, and they weren’t given any information or warnings. Several months ago a woman from Molochansk came to the this pastor and said, “either you help me or I will commit suicide." This is what had happened. In fall this woman had bought a fridge on credit valued at 1000 grievna with the agreement that she would make monthly payments of 100 grievna. This carried on until she became ill and missed two payments. When she was able, she resumed paying again and then was notified that she now owed 3000 grievna and was threatened that her house could be seized. In her utter desperation she approached the pastor who began to advocate for her but got nowhere. As further time elapsed the sum became 4000 grievna. The pastor and another missionary were able to put up the money and the woman is now repaying them the 4000 grievna, 100 grievna per month, interest free. She is one of the lucky ones.

So our days continue, we hear many sad stories. However, looking out of kitchen window we see the earth renewing itself. We look out on a soccer field. Each day we see many young people exercising and having a thorougly good time. We hope and pray that life is going to be easier for them. And in the meantime we try to alleviate some of the sorrow.

PERCEPTIONS AND PRIORITIES

Walking the local streets and traveling through the villages in this land of our ancestors we have our impressions and draw our conclusions. Then something happens and we’re reminded that things are different and more complex than they appear at first glance. Our perceptions are so tinged with Western thinking and we draw our conclusions so quickly.
A recent example. We are walking down the main street past the former Mennonite Zentral-schule. Trees are budding and the promise of spring is in the air. Suddenly we see a row of trees cut down to just above the trunk. We look down another street and hear saws at work, more tree-tops are coming down. We think “OH NO” – what is springtime going to be like without blossoming trees lining the streets and we get quite upset. Maybe we have to set up a blockade. We ask some questions and hear, “… not to worry, this is good for the trees, they’ll grow new branches and it hasn’t been done for 15 years – its time.” We think “they haven’t come down our street yet and maybe they’ll be selective”, but they do come down our street. Sunday morning we are attending a church service and it’s time for sharing joys and concerns. A lady gets up and praises the Lord. Zhena had lost her job and was so worried she wouldn’t be able to make ends meet. Then the town hired her to cut trees – what a joy and what a relief. Reality hits us in the face. The trees aren’t dead, they’ll grow back. Some people will now have enough to eat.

In our efforts to model civil society we have been trying to purchase legitimate software for our computers at the Centre – not as simple as one may think. In the large city of Zaporozhye we search in vain. We come back to our neighboring city of Tokmak which has two computer shops. Same story at the first shop. Then surprise – the last place we look has what we want and we discover that recently new computers have been coming with legitimate software, but purchasers have asked to have it removed and replaced with pirated copies because it’s cheaper that way. When we pay for the legal software we realize the irony that it’s ours only due to corruption in the system. It did however allow us to answer the question….”and why would you want to do this?” by saying we need to follow the dictates of our conscience and be an example by doing what's honest.

We’ve had a lot of rain in this in-between season linking winter and spring. Roads gape with potholes. On various major roads in Molochansk we now encounter enormous twin speed bumps requiring traffic to come to a virtual halt -causing us to ponder priorities in road maintenance. But, there is maintenance on a lesser scale. Saturday morning we were on our way to the market to buy our vegetables. It had rained heavily and the street/path leading to our apartment was one long string of brimming potholes. There was Dema, our manager with shovel and metal pipe in hand, digging a deep hole beside the road, pushing the pipe through to the potholes and draining them. A minor engineering feat and our path was navigable again.
Left to dry this would’ve taken many days. And he was having a great time – said it took him back to his childhood. Here is a man of many talents and skills, not minding getting his hands dirty. We’re having a good time working together. Dema’s father was visiting from Kiev. He spent a good part of the week breaking up bricks, filling the potholes and then covering all with sand. What a transformation!

We continue to perceive many needs. We are hoping to initiate a new project which will restore vision to many in our community. For instance among the many seniors coming to our Centre for tea we have seen only one wearing glasses. Here an average pair of glasses costs the equivalent of five US dollars. With gratitude to our donors we are able to respond and bring hope to people who have so little.

RETURN TO MOLOCHANSK III

After two years - we've come back again. On cursory glance not much has changed. The programs at the Centre continue as before - senior's teas, medical clinics, mom's group, church music group rehearsals and Bible studies, children's gatherings. However, as we hear people talk, and listen to their stories we're catching glimpses beneath the surface. When we first came to Molochansk 3 1/2 years ago there was industry here. Natural gas came to town and there was promise of business and investment. It hasn't happened. Making matters worse, last year the Willm's mill (condensed milk factory) shut down for good, throwing 200 people out of work. This year the furniture factory is working at 1/3 capacity, only 2-3 days a week. A half year ago the Prischib Internat dismissed 21 workers among them Ludmilla whom we had gotten to know. A year ago when things were looking better and credit became more readily available, many people took out loans to renovate their homes and buy appliances. Now jobs are gone, banks are calling loans and people are becoming desperate. So far pensioners have a guaranteed income and from their small pensions are helping children and grandchildren. We are told that in many places youth is out of control, crime is increasing. Recently a grandmother was murdered for 20 grievna (between two and three dollars). A local doctor has had to take a 600 grievna reduction in her 1500 grievna/monthly salary because the Molochansk hospital closed a department to enable the Tokmak hospital to remain viable. Last week 1 US dollar bought us 8.4 grievna. How do people survive and how do we respond? We listen as people come to us in personal crises and give discretionary aid as we are able. These difficult times bring a reevaluation of needs and wants. Many people return to subsistance living, depending on their kitchen gardens, root cellars, raising rabbits, chickens and geese. Some go to Russia to work, but even there jobs aren't readily available.


A strong focus of our work at the Centre has been enabling children and youth to engage in constructive activities. Thus, we continue to support Music and Sports Schools which provide opportunities during the afternoons - the school day runs from 8:30-12:30. This new pair of cymbals for the Molochansk band was provided by a couple in the Fraser Valley. We've been assisting Kindergartens in various ways because the government pays only salaries. Kindergarten children visit the Centre regularly delighting Seniors with their performances.


We continue to provide scholar-ships to promising young students so that they can further their education. Education was also at the heart of the Mennonite experience here a century ago. The Mennonite Centre building was the former Maedchenschule in the Molotchna colony. There is more and more interest locally in the history of this area. Julia Romanovna, a enterprising senior high school student recently wrote a research paper on "Education in Halbstadt 100 Years Ago". She entered a state competition and won 3rd prize.


We've sensed an absence of hope in some of the adults we've spoken to, but not the young people. Eighteen bouyant teens crowded our apartment the evening that Larissa left, bidding farewell to a person who had left a strong, positive impression on their lives. We're convinced that investing in young people will bear strong dividends for the future of Ukraine.

"THE LAST BELL"

The last day of May - we've just come back from the Ukrainian School. Today is "Last Bell". We arrived at 8 a.m. The student body and teachers had gathered around the school ground, dressed in their finery for this exciting event - the"final bell" for the graduating class and the "last bell" of the school year. There was pomp and circum-
stance, music and dance, laughter and tears. A first grade student on the shoulders of a graduate circled the school ground ringing a brass bell.



Graduating girls dressed in similar fashion to what they had worn at FIRST BELL eleven years ago when they entered first grade. This is Ukraine tradition.

The Mennonite Centre awarded prizes to 19 students who had distinguished themselves in various fields of study - some even receiving state recognition.

Tomorrow, June 1 - our LAST BELL! In the morning of our final day in Ukraine we will go to the Palace of Culture, the former Mennonite Zentralschule, and attend the closing concert of the Molochansk Music School. The band will play, children will dance and sing. The day will end with at trip to the former Mennonite villages of Ruecknau and Ohrloff. Farmer Grigory has received his tractor at last and Farmer Ury his baler and sprayer and as a gesture of gratitude we have been invited for "Shashlik" which we will enjoy in the field by the river. We can't think of a more fitting way to say "Good-bye". We predict more laughter and tears; bringing an end to a fascinating, enriching and many times heartbreaking chapter of our lives.

P.S. Al & Peggy Hiebert are continuing the work at the Mennonite Centre. You can follow their experiences in their blog at hiebertsinukraine.blogspot.com

Bearing Loads

Over the past three months it has been our privilege to enter into the life of small-town eastern Ukraine. In diverse ways we've shared journeys of those around us. We've experienced joys and sorrows and have been amazed at the resilience of many who are carrying heavy burdens. Thanks to the generosity of our donors we've been able to engage in many projects, giving aid to those in need - to individuals as well as institutions.

The Orange Revolutions which had promised hope to many has been a huge disappointment as leaders continue their power struggle. Youth movements are meeting to foster closer ties with the West. The elderly, however look back to communist times as the good old days, when they didn't have much, but it was enough. What will happen at the Sept.30 election is anyone's guess.

One can notice increasing prosperity in the cities and even Molochansk is now boasting billboards as we enter town, one of them advertizing our former Zentralschule. There are more cars on the roads and many scooters. We are told that about 10% of the people in our town live comfortably. For the remainder, life is a hard struggle and it is this group we are trying to help.

The healthcare system is woefully inadequate, so we pay doctors to hold clinics at the Centre where people come for free consultations and medication. We're continuing with medical emergency funds in seven outlying areas. The respite room at the local hospital, which we have renovated and staffed, allows people to recuperate in comfort. We are introducing a pilot project in which an eye doctor will come to the Centre periodically so that our seniors can have their eyes tested. Glasses are inexpensive and would give many a new lease on life. We help to support a small nursing home where seniors are lovingly cared for. Hospitals don't want to admit elderly. Death is considered a blot on their record.

Other than salaries, hospitals and schools receive very little state support. Most capital acquisitions and any repairs come from the pockets of staff and parents. We have funded numerous projects, including restoring the steps to the entrance of the Molochansk Russian School. These were crumbling, in dangerous disrepair, rebar sticking out in many directions. The new steps include a ramp allowing access to disabled children.

We continue to provide scholarships to a number of promising students - two in medical school, a journalism student, several prospective teachers and social workers. Where we can, we support the arts.

For the first time we are offering low interest loans to two farmers in the Molotchna district. They are farming the rich, black loam that brought prosperity to many of our Mennonite ancestors. Farmer Grigory is buying a second-hand tractor, replacing the one he built from scrap metal many years ago. Farmer Ury is buying a baler and sprayer. Both men will engage others in their farming operations and both have a history of helping babushkas with their small plots . Their smiles of gratitude stretched from ear to ear.

By God's grace it has been our joy to bring help and hope through our work at the Mennonite Centre; not only responding to requests for aid, but also finding ways to encourage and enable people to help themselves thus lightening their loads.