How is the trip to the East going?

At least a week before, we start preparing for a trip to the frontline cities of Ukraine.
Usually we go for tre daysA group of volunteers at the church prepares camouflage nets and “kikimori” (a type of protective clothing), sews underwear, and prepares other useful items for our defenders.

We purchase disposable tableware and other necessary items. We prepare transportation for the trip. The day before the trip is a real "madness”for the organizers. It is necessary to prepare the meat, cut it into pieces, freeze it, and vacuum pack it, and that's more than 125 kg of fresh veal. It is also necessary to purchase spices and other ingredients for Transcarpathian bograch. We prepare cauldrons and other utensils and load everything onto vehicles. We also load all the humanitarian aid collected by volunteers. Thus, preparations for the trip often continue late into the evening.

Wake up at 4:30 a.m. Departure at 5:00 a.m.

Usually goes on a trip 10-12 волонтерів, більшість зустрічаються в с. Петропавлівська Борщагівка, на базі. Спільна молитва і в дорогу, деяких волонтерів підбираємо по дорозі в м. Київ. В с. Іванків, що за Борисполем по Харківській трасі, дозаправляємо наші авто, сніданок, кава і в дорогу. Їдемо через Пирятин, Полтаву, Харків, Ізюм, Краматорськ, Дружківка.

A short stop in Poltava at the Epicenter parking lot, sometimes we need to buy something.
Next stop is in Kharkiv at the OKKO gas station,where we meet many military personnel. We continue on, trying to move quickly because at around 3:00 p.m. (no later) we have to set up the cauldrons and start cooking the main dish — Transcarpathian bograch in a cauldron.
Sometimes we manage to arrive earlier, and somewhere near Lyman, we start preparing 150 liters of bograch, setting up tables and chairs, assembling tents and other equipment. Volunteers pray together before the battle. Three hours later, many soldiers gather to taste the freshly cooked delicious food.

Chaplains hold talks and prayers with military personnel.

Usually, such an event lasts until late in the evening. By the way, curfew in frontline cities is until 9 p.m., so we have plenty of time! Then we go to Druzhkivka to spend the night with our old friends. By the way, some of them also actively participate and help in the service, preparing dishes, potatoes, carrots, and onions. We are especially grateful to them for their help, because our volunteers are exhausted from traveling, preparing and distributing bograch, so help from the locals allows them to rest a little, otherwise the volunteers would have to peel potatoes, carrots, onions and prepare other ingredients for the next day.

Morning. Day Two.

The main day when a large cauldron is prepared – 260 liters of bograch. From early morning and throughout the day, volunteers prepare food, distribute aid, and serve military personnel.
In the evening, they travel to Druzhkivka again to spend the night.

Morning. Day three.

We wake up early in the morning and leave immediately because we have to cook 150 liters of bograch and distribute it by (at the latest) 2:00 p.m. We usually manage to cook and distribute the prepared food, because we have to leave for Kyiv no later than 2 p.m. in order to make it back before curfew.

Thank God! Joint prayer. We are going home by the same route. We remember our conversations with the guys, we don't want to leave, we realize that we really want to and can help even more. On the way back, we plan the date of our next trip, eagerly and enthusiastically awaiting the next opportunity to provide our spiritual and material support.