Restoration Ministries, Rev. Paul Corder
With one suitcase loaded with 70-pound bag of candy and another filled with over- the- counter drugs and financial aid, Bob Artz, associate pastor at First Baptist Church, Scott City, recently traveled to Ivanivtsi, Ukraine. "Our church is linking itself with a church in the Ukraine. I went to establish that link," Artz said.
The trip was an eye-opener for Artz, who said he worshiped in a primitive hut that was heated by wood and coal. "About 60 people attend the church. The service had lots of acappella singing and three different sermons, and lasted about two hours. The congregation was very joyful while they were worshiping," Artz said.
He was accompanied on the trip by Paul Corder, Liberal, who is President of Restoration Ministries. They traveled with an interpreter. "The people in Ivanivtsi are in a bad way," Artz said. The town of about 450,000 is about 50 miles from Kiev. He said this was the area of the former Soviet Union where many of the collective farms were once in operation. Since the fall of communism, the land has been abandoned.
While traveling in the area he also visited a school that left a major impression on him. "The teachers in this school haven't been paid for three years. When they were paid, their salary was $40 a month. There was no heat in the building, and the children wore their coats all day. No lunches were provided because there was no money for food. Most of the people live on a diet of fat and potatoes. It's just a pretty desperate situation. One 10-year old boy told me, through an interpreter, that life in the Ukraine is terrible. "Our church can't do everything. We do want to provide financial assistance to the pastor and his family. We also want to support the teachers in the two schools we visited. I am hoping that individuals in the area might adopt a teacher."
Artz said it's hard to imagine, but $10 a day would feed all of the school kids. He said a pipeline had been established to send money back to the Ukraine. Back in the comfort of his home in Scott City, Artz has time to reflect about his experience. "Hopefully we'll be able to make a small change in the life of these people," he said.
Anyone wishing to help Restoration Ministries may send a donation to Restoration Ministries, Box 2601, Liberal, KS 67901.
