Reflections on a very long day...

We are staying with the Stepan Bokoch family in a small town called Novomoscosk just outside the major city of Dnepro!   Today we were able to visit the largest hospital in the city where wounded soldiers are taken for immediate trauma care!  They are usually there for three days to two weeks and then transported for more specialized care to Western Ukraine or on to Europe!  Dr. Lev and others had connectons with the administrative head and senior doctor at the hospital. He is an amazing leader and caring physician!  Everything is very secret and controlled there.  There are heavily armed guards all around the building, and no pictures, videos or conversations with patients are permitted. He told us they have 120 in this trauma unit but it is not permitted to tell us how many are in the hospital where they are constantly rotating in and out wounded soldiers and civilians!  We were escorted into a couple four bed rooms where these dear, young men were fighting for their lives!  We couldn't touch them or pray there but we did have a chance to pray when we returned to the senior doctor's office!     

The hospital is almost out of two very basic items but they use them for virtually every patient- gauze and syringes!   I asked how 'he' was doing and he told us he has not had one day off since the War started on February 24th! They have 2500 staff in this hospital and 500 doctors - and he said none of his doctors have had a day off either!  Every day is life and death and there is no one to take their places!  

We have a way, through the churches and humanitarian aid, to secure some more syringes and gauze for them...but the Holy Spirit said, "What are you going to do for the doctors?!" Many times in the past we would have a staff party and provide food and some small personal item, like a little, personal hygiene kit, or clean socks for the weary staff!   But now there is not really  time for these doctors in the midst of continual crisis to all meet together.  So I left some money and a wonderful staff woman at the main Baptist church and a head nurse at the hospital (two Svetlanas) are going to buy a good coffee maker, a water dispenser that can produce both hot and cold water, and a bunch of treats and wonderful Ukrainian chocolates for them to have until the supplies run out! When I mentioned doing something special for the staff, the head doctor said everybody has so many needs, we all give everything we have away...!  He said, "I have never even thought of doing something just for the staff" and it really took him back...then he was just really grateful and promised this would all happen!  

While we were there, our new friend at the hospital told us the civilians who were the victims of the most recent drone attacks, that I wrote about yesterday, were in this hospital!  They care for them right next to the soldiers. One of those victims was a young man in his 20's who was fighting for his life, I don't think that he knew that his pregnant wife had died. They had just stopped to buy gas...  

I asked how many were hurt by those 4 drones that hit Tuesday evening and he said he was not permitted to tell. The news agency had said 4 were killed, but before we left the hospital one of the staff told us more than 50 killed would not be an exaggeration, with dozens seriously wounded!  Both Russia and Ukraine try to hide the true numbers of both casualties and damage- but God knows every one of them!  

We returned home for a late lunch and to prepare for another church service where I had been asked to preach tonight. Just before we left, a Russian fighter jet flew very low over the top of our house!  We haven't heard any reports of the damage yet...   Russian troops have been doing everything they can to destroy the infrastructure- gas, water, electrical, so as to cause as much distress as possible now that the weather is changing to winter!  Many people have already been without some of these things for weeks!  One of my friends wrote today that they don't have any way to prepare for alternatives...  

The preaching tonight went well- I was talking about thankfulness in 'all' situations- I Thess. 5:18, but I know it is a struggle!  Sunday I am speaking at another church in the city on, "Love and Forgiveness!"  I know this too is right and, in Christ,  there is no alternative, but in all truth, it is hard for me to grapple with at times too!