Southern villages

In the south, our days were long, getting going about 7:45 AM and getting to dinner usually between 7:00 and 7:30 (or later after meetings). We have up to 1.5 hours commute each way with most of it on dirt/badly potholed roads. Clinics were busy with a large portion of emotionally damaged patients with stress and insomnia. Most of the patients were there for routine diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and many wanted joint injections for arthritis. Half of the clinics had no heat (in the sub freezing weather) and the heating was inadequate in the other half.  The team functioned well. The Ukrainian staff was wonderful, hard working and considerate. The US team members were also great. Friendly, talkative but good listeners and very experienced. Simply good people. All are people that I would be proud to say that I served with.

 Our village clinics were closer to the front. They were definitely in artillery range and you could hear the artillery impacts in the distance. We have had the usual air raid alerts but we had no drone or missiles strikes in our immediate area. Sometimes though, the threat can be simply annoying. One day we were kicked out of a restaurant when the sirens went off. Apparently, there is a law that they can’t remain open during air raids. We would go down the street to a gas station to pick up something to tide us over. 

I have been asked why I go to the Ukraine when there is risk. A quote from the fourth century theologian St Gregory of Nazianzus popped into my mind, ‘that which is not assumed is not healed’. While he was speaking of the nature of Christ, it resonated with me in how you care for others. It is hard to truly care for someone else unless you can appreciate their burdens. To truly care for these Ukrainians, we must at least partially assume their burdens. For me, it meant that I had to assume at least some of their burden of insecurity due to the drones and artillery and the Russian army lurking on the other side of the river. Caring means that you don’t run away at the first hint of danger. The people we cared for are good people who don’t deserve this.  It was good seeing these people whose only access to healthcare is through us.