I’m spending this weekend in Khmelnytskyi, waiting to go to the Ukraine consulate in Lublin Poland early next week to get a volunteer service visa that will allow to continue working in Ukraine.

Today, the August Mission team was planning to make a delivery to the Catholic church in Starocostantyanyiv.  I didn’t have any important errands to do, so after breakfast I walked over to the August Mission warehouse and helped Matt finish loading the truck.  Most of what we delivered today came from a NuDay container – lots of used clothing and shoes, used suitcases, and many boxes packed with various kinds of non-perishable food.  We finished loading and tidying up in the warehouse by about 11:30 a.m. and then hit the road.  

We arrived at the church in Starocostantyanyiv about 12:30 and were met by nearly a dozen volunteers from their congregation. 

In addition to the NuDay aid goods,  Matt also had a U.S. flag for them, which he had brought back from his recent short trip home to Utah.  The flag had belonged to a friend of his, and was getting a bit worn and was ready to be “retired” because it wasn’t strong enough to fly any longer.  In its new life, it’s perfect to give as a souvenir gift to foreign friends – a genuine U.S. flag that had flown for many years over American soil.  

The church volunteers also had some macrame wrist bands for Matt and I, and some other souvenirs, all handmade by local school kids, for us to send back to the families in the U.S. who had donated so many things through NuDay.  I don’t know yet how those souvenirs will be delivered back to the NuDay people, but I’m sure the August Mission team will figure something out.