Missionaries to Europe
C. P. 99
51100 Pistoia, Italy
Phone & Fax: (from the U.S.) 011-39-573-903402
E-Mail: j.young@zen.it
or:
75464.2401@CompuServe.com
DATE: JUNE 12, 1996
The following is a report which originated while we were in Ukraine in May with an update as of this date, June 12, 1996.
May 10, 1996
ODESSA, UKRAINE -
Dear ones in Christ everywhere,
Our activites in Kiev and Odessa to date have been positive. We arrived in Kiev on what (not known to us before departure) we found was a 3-day continuation of the May Day (May 1) National Holiday. Therefore, all official and institutional offices and organizations were closed until the following Monday. We met with our new "visa-sponsor", the Kiev University Mohyla Academy, on Monday morning to arrange for our visas and passports to be registered before proceeding to Odessa. The police there told our sponsor that since we needed to leave Kiev soon, our papers could not be processed in time for our departure, and not to worry about it. This turned out to be a mistake, for when we went to register in Odessa, we were fined and warned not to preach in Odessa!
And then came the most important holiday of the year in the former Soviet Union: May 9 - Memorial Day. This is the day when the millions of dead from the "Great Patriotic War" (our World War II) are remembered, and again this was another "long week-end" of 4 days when nothing was opened and when the trains were full. We were blessed, indeed, to get train tickets for Odessa. The compartment in which we traveled was adjacent to the toilet whose door would not shut properly, and for twelve hours...
When in Odessa we proceeded to "obey the law" in registering our passports and visas only to be fined significantly and be told by the Religious Affairs office not to preach (which we did anyway!). The Religious Affairs Office was alerted by the passport police as to our presence in the city, as it was noted in our passports that we had been in Odessa before on invitation by the church. And only then the passport police told us: "Why did you not register in Kiev? Next time, just register there and your problems are over!!" Had we only known!!
We have found the church doing ok. We started a special series on the Epistle of James on Lord's Day and are continuing it every day here at the Antartika Hotel. The brethren reported to me that attendance has been down all winter. However, this past Lord's Day there were about 80 present! We are meeting everyday with scores of people, and thus far, eight people have requested to be baptized; the Odessa Christians have recently baptized four precious souls into Christ. We are making as many visits as we can and we are meeting with all of the needy families whose children we are helping through the Child Sponsorship Program.
I, Jay, have been down with bronchitis for the past five days coughing so much at night that I keep Piera awake and don't sleep myself. I have what Piera had over a year ago on the occasion of our work in Odessa. She's doing pretty well this time. During the day it's a struggle to "feel alive", but God is using Lilian, Tanya, the Slavutas to keep us going. But, we keep taking our medicine, drinking as much water and tea as we can in order to continue on.
Our Christians here continue their struggle to survive this discouraging period in their history. They are so encouraged by our presence with them. Last evening, we sent Tanya Djouley on a errand and she did not make it back for the study, so Tatiana Kuvarzina translated for me. She is such a good translator! We encouarge them all in their faith and teach them all we can. It wears us out, believe us, but we know that your and our work in the Lord is not in vain.
Thank you for your support and love. God bless!
Jay & Piera Young, the Lord's and your servants
May 12, 1996
TO ALL WORKERS IN THE RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SPEAKING WORLD:
FROM: JAMES "Jay" YOUNG, EVANGELIST for churches of Christ in Italy and Ukraine
Dear fellow-workers in Christ:
Thanks to the generosity of many faithful Christians and churches of Christ in both the United States of America and the Republic of Italy, brother Leroy Brownlow's monumental work, "Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ" will be available from Kiev in Russian by 15 June 1996.
Millions of copies of this book have been sold across the last 50 years. The work has been "revised" (so as to remove some of the "40's language..."), and translated by very well-prepared (biblically and linguistically) translators in Kiev. The book will be printed on excellent paper with an attractive beige cover with dark-blue lettering. The font used is the best for easy reading.
The Slavic Evangelistic Mission will fill the orders. The book will not be sold. We only ask contributions to pay for the printing cost (USD 1.60 per copy), so that the book can go into its second printing a.s.a.p. The same work is also currently available in the Ukrainian Language, at the same cost of printing.
Place your orders with Dr. Jaroslav Rick Pinczuk of Slavic Evangelistic Mission at the following e-mail address:
May 14, 1996
Dear ones in Christ,
In our last communication we forgot to relate to you that LUDA from TULCIN has been with us almost from our arrival in Kiev. She came to stay with us in Kiev for a few days, and has been with us here in Odessa since Monday of this week. She rejoices to be with us. Luda and Tanya have become "banana freeks." The people here just cannot afford them, and so we've provided this little treat for them from time to time. Luda will remain until we leave.
Our room fills up at meal-time. Poor Piera, as Tom Moore of Richardson, TX, used to say about her: "poor Piera is having to feed Mother Russia every day!" It's hard on Piera to prepare meals from a hot-plate situated on a coffee-table, bending over continually; washing dishes in the bath-tub.
Our room seems like the Railway Station Buffet in Rome, but with only Piera doing everything. These precious girls here sit around like knots on a log. But there are two exceptions: LILIAN and LENA SLAVUTA. Lilian is, by far, the most resourceful person in the church! She can get more done than all of the other members put together. Lilian has real organizational skills and she sticks to a job until she gets it done! We have so much respect for her. The people come to us, we know, because they are hungry for both spiritual and material food.
There's hunger about the city now, and we can't turn the people away. For the first time since we began the program to help the children here, what the parents were not saying aloud at the beginning--because of their sense of dignity-they are telling us now: they are hungry! We are conducting a study of James, which has been so helpful for Piera and me as we deal with the suffering here. How can we say: "go, be warm and filled...and not help them?" (James 2). May all of us in Western Europe and the U.S. count our blessings!
Luda from Tulcin is helping us in our effort to move one of our children in the church-whom we assist-to Vinniza. This is our little Andrei, age 14, who lives by himself! He wants to be baptized, but I don't believe he really understands enough yet. Hopefully, Vladimer, director of the Stork Family School there, will find a family to care for Andrei and study in the school. There's a lot going on here, as you can see. We've put Luda to work, and she's thrilled about being able to make a contribution.
The "dog-gangs" have taken over the grounds of the Antartika Hotel where we are lodged this time in Odessa! There must be hundreds of them around, but during the day I guess they all sleep, because about midnight the "concert" begins and the finale doesn't come until about 6! And it sounds like they are all barking through disco-type amps and speakers! Piera remarked during the night that we won't know what to do when we get back home; it will be so quite at night we won't be able to sleep...
NOTICE TO ANYONE COMING TO UKRAINE: (this information does not seem to "make it out of Ukraine" for some strange reason. I am informing the U.S. Embassy about this, so they can verify it, but it's true, because it comes from the Odessa medical community with which we have very frequent contact)
One of our children, little SERGEI YAVORSKY (age 10), badly needs a heart operation which cannot be performed "safely" in Ukraine. American doctors who examined his case by some sort of TV hook-up with Odessa gave him little hope of survival w/o this surgery. We want your help in this. We need to find a surgeon and hosital which would wavier the costs of such an operation, which we understand is not one any longer considered to be one of the major procedures today. Tomorrow we will have the medical referral in English. We will proceed to contact Christian Relief Fund, Helping Hands, and every person we know in the medical community in Italy and the U.S. or who knows someone in that community to help us save little Sergei's life. Please help us! Lena Slavuta would accompany him. Piera and I have begun to pray fervently, and we now have enlisted the constant prayers of the entire church. God will answer, we are certain.
All of you are so precious to our work. Without your help, we would not be here to make a difference in the lives of so many people for Jesus Christ! To Him be all the glory, forever. Please let us know you are praying with us for little Sergei, and all the people here who are suffering. Just a note in closing: suicides have increased in Odessa, as people can't cope with the deteriorating social and economic situation. Only Christ can bring to this and every other country hope and peace!
James "Jay" & Piera Young
June 12, 1996
UPDATE: JUNE 12, 1996 - PISTOIA, ITALY
Since writing the above, we returned safely from Ukraine. Before leaving Odessa, several precious souls were immersed into Christ. I conducted studies from the Book of James which, judging from comments made by our Odessa Christians, seemed to have been very appropriate for the time.
Following our return to Pistoia we worked to answer nearly one hundred pieces of correspondence from our Bible course students. Several of our students throughout Italy have now completed the course which is not just ordinary "Sunday-school material." The course is composed of 16 very challenging lessons on a variety of subjects dealing with the Bible's message as it was in the beginning and how, across the centuries, it has been distorted. Already one of our students has asked to be immersed! He is in Sicily and the brethren in Palermo have gone to visit him. We prepare a nice, personalized, diploma on our computer to send to the church of Christ closest to the student and the local brethren then make "the delivery" of the diploma and copy of the Bible which we promise when offering the course. A medical doctor on the other side of Italy from us has requested we visit her; she has manifested an interest in knowing more about the church of Christ in her area! Brethren from Rome will visit her and a groups of our students in that area for whose enrollment this young, female physican has been responsible! Praise God.
Our daughter, Lisa, and son-in-law, Hal Swetnam visited us for one week here in Pistoia. On the occasion of Lisa's visit the Pistoia church staged a special fellowship luncheon to honor Lisa and Hal on their 5th wedding anniversary! We took two days off while Lisa and Hal were with us to visit the beautiful Umbrian cities of Assisi and Todi where we were joined by brother Mario Piccoli and his wife, Elsa, from Rome. Mario is evangelist for the church in Rome. Mario left the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1956 and has been a faithful gospel preacher ever since.
When Lisa and Hal departed, I traveled to Rome to preach for the church there and to meet with the directors of Rome's world-famous children's hospital, "Bambino Gesú" ("Baby Jesus Hospital"). We are desperately seeking a hospital to perform, free, a heart operation on little Sergey Yavorsky of Odessa to enlarge the aorta going into his heart and lung. If he doesn't get this operation before next winter, physicians in Odessa have told us he will not survive another winter. Brother Piccoli and I met with the the administrators of the "Bambino Gesú" Hospital and they told us they had a waiting list of children from third-world countries for this particular operation, and that the cost was between $16,000 and $26,000!! I almost fainted! They provided a facsimile of a letter which we must now submit to them as soon as possible, but I am hoping our chances will be better in the U.S. for our precious little Sergey. His story will be the focus of our next "They of Italy Salute You" picture report which you should received in July. Piera and I returned home last last night. We're have very hot temps here, and, of course, we've got no air-conditioning, so we're slowing our pace down a little until it cools off.
Please contact the hospital in your area and a heart surgeon and tell them about Sergey Yavorsky! Here are the facts: he cannot be operated on in Ukraine. The operation is not a difficult one in the West anywhere. We have no money; to date, we have only the promise of transportation costs from Ukraine for him and our Dr. Lena Slavuta who will accompany him. He will most likely not survive next winter. He is only ten. Please help us. E-mail or phone or fax us a.s.a.p. God bless! More later!
Yours in Christ's love and service,
James "Jay" and Piera Young,
the Lord's and your servants
June 14, 1996
James & Piera Young
C. P. 99
51100 Pistoia (Italy)
Tel.&FAX;: (0573) 903402
E-Mail: (sull'Internet)
j.young@zen.zen.it
OR:
75464.2401@CompusServe.com
14/06/1996
THE FOLLOWING IS THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL RUSSIAN LANGUAGE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS FOR SERGEI YAVORSKY, (born May 15, 1986), OF ODESSA, UKRAINE, which will be furnished immediately upon request:
"SERGEI YAVORSKY was born prematurely, weighing 1700 gr. with height of 41 cm. in bad condition with "pneumonia atelektica" and with an congenital heart-disease.
During the first two months of life SERGEI received medical assistance in the hospital.
The development of the mental and psychomotor abilities have been normal according to his age, but he weighs much less than normal.
SERGEI often has had frequent respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. During his first year of life he had pneumonia four times, and then again at ages 4, 8 and 9.
SERGEI was last in hospital from October 18, 1995 until November 13, 1995.
The DIAGNOSIS was: "ACUTE NIDUS PNEUMONIA, WITH A STENOSIS (CONTRACTION) OF THE MOUTH OF THE AORTA AND LUNG'S ARTERY WITH THE PREDOMINANCE OF THE MOUTH OF THE AORTA STENOSIS, CHRONIC TONSILLITIS, ENURESIS."
Twice at the age of 15 months and at age 3 years, SERGEI was examined by specialists at the Thorax Surgery Institute in Kiev, Ukraine.
SERGEI YAVORSKY needs a cardio-surgeon's consultation on the question of possible surgical treatment of his congenital heart-condition.
Signed (Dr. I. S. Pedobova of the Odessa Region Health Authority - June 6, 1996)"
June 19, 1996
ANOTHER UPDATE ON LITTLE SERGEI FROM:
James & Piera Young, Missionaries to Europe
C. P. 99
51100 Pistoia (Italy)
Tel.&FAX;: (0573) 903402
E-Mail: (sull'Internet)
j.young@zen.zen.it
OR:
75464.2401@CompuServe.Com
Dearest ones in Christ:
As you might be aware, we are desperately seeking a hospital and doctors to perform urgent heart surgery on our little SERGEY YAVORSKY of Odessa, Ukraine. Many of you are asking yourselves: "But what can I do? I don't know anyone in the medical community, etc..."
We just received this communication from Bob and Marti Wise, formerly of the Arlington Church of Christ in Arlington, Virginia, but now living in Mesquite, Texas, and identified with the Saturn Road Church of Christ in the Dallas, Texas area. Some of you might even know this couple. Bob and Marti are just ordinary people, I guess you could say, but EXTRAORDINARY when it comes to practicing their faith in Jesus Christ! They "don't know anyone in the medical community, etc....", but they are driven by an insatiable desire to serve Christ and their fellow person in the world. Let me share with you an excerpt of their communication regarding little SERGEY YAVORSKY:
"Marti will be writing a letter in the next day or two requesting humanitarian support for Sergei's cardio consult and surgery. We found six heart specialists at the Heart Center of the Medical Center of Mesquite. Some would appear to be native to other countries on the basis of their surnames. We do not know what kind of reception we will get but Marti will take the letter to their offices with the complete verbage from the diagnosis. Please let us know if some other lead develops. We will also keep you posted on our progress. We will bring this to our elders at Saturn Road at the appropriate time. We pray for Sergei and that God will open doors for his healing. Take care!
Bob, Marti, Chris & Ryan Wise
E-Mail: bwise@ix.netcom.com (Robert Stanley Wise)
------------
So, you see, this is something each of us can do. I have already written them to thank them for their constant Christian example across the many years we have know them. Again, here are excerpts of my letter about little Sergei including his diagnosis. Please help us to save him.
The Lord's and your servants,
James "Jay" & Piera Young
----------------------------
From May 19, 1996 - written from Odessa, Ukraine:
"U R G E N T!!
One of our children, little SERGEI YAVORSKY (age 10), badly needs a heart operation which cannot be performed "safely" in Ukraine. American doctors who examined his case by some sort of TV hook-up with Odessa gave him little hope of survival w/o this surgery. We want your help in this. We need to find a surgeon and hosital which would wavier the costs of such an operation, which we understand is not one any longer considered to be one of the major procedures today. Tomorrow we will have the medical referral in English. We will proceed to contact Christian Relief Fund, Helping Hands, and every person we know in the medical community in Italy and the U.S. or who knows someone in that community to help us save little Sergei's life. Please help us! Lena Slavuta would accompany him. Piera and I have begun to pray fervently, and we now have enlisted the constant prayers of the entire church. God will answer, we are certain.
From our report of June 12, 1996:
"I traveled to Rome to preach for the church there and to meet with the directors of Rome's world-famous children's hospital, "Bambino Gesú" ("Baby Jesus Hospital"). We are desperately seeking a hospital to perform, free, a heart operation on little Sergey Yavorsky of Odessa to enlarge the aorta going into his heart and lung. If he doesn't get this operation before next winter, physicians in Odessa have told us he will not survive another winter. Brother Piccoli and I met with the administrators of the "Bambino Gesú" Hospital and they told us they had a waiting list of children from third-world countries for this particular operation, and that the cost was between $16,000 and $26,000!! I almost fainted! They provided a facsimile of a letter which we must now submit to them as soon as possible, but I am hoping our chances will be better in the U.S. for our precious little Sergey. His story will be the focus of our next "They of Italy Salute You" picture report which you should receive in July...... Please contact the hospital in your area and a heart surgeon and tell them about Sergey Yavorsky! Here are the facts: he cannot be operated on in Ukraine. The operation is not a difficult one in the West anywhere. We have no money; to date, we have only the promise of transportation costs from Ukraine for him and our Dr. Lena Slavuta who will accompany him. He will most likely not survive next winter. He is only ten. Please help us. E-mail or phone or fax us a.s.a.p. God bless! More later!
The official diagnosis which arrived last Friday, June 14, 1996: THE FOLLOWING IS THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL RUSSIAN LANGUAGE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS FOR SERGEI YAVORSKY, (born May 15, 1986), OF ODESSA, UKRAINE, which will be furnished immediately upon request:
"SERGEI YAVORSKY was born prematurely, weighing 1700 gr. with height of 41 cm. in bad condition with "pneumonia atelektica" and with an congenital heart-disease.
During the first two months of life SERGEI received medical assistance in the hospital.
The development of the mental and psychomotor abilities have been normal according to his age, but he weighs much less than normal.
SERGEI often has had frequent respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. During his first year of life he had pneumonia four times, and then again at ages 4, 8 and 9.
SERGEI was last in hospital from October 18, 1995 until November 13, 1995.
The DIAGNOSIS was: "ACUTE NIDUS PNEUMONIA, WITH A STENOSIS (CONTRACTION) OF THE MOUTH OF THE AORTA AND LUNG'S ARTERY WITH THE PREDOMINANCE OF THE MOUTH OF THE AORTA STENOSIS, CHRONIC TONSILLITIS, ENURESIS."
Twice at the age of 15 months and at age 3 years, SERGEI was examined by specialists at the Thorax Surgery Institute in Kiev, Ukraine.
SERGEI YAVORSKY needs a cardio-surgeon's consultation on the question of possible surgical treatment of his congenital heart-condition.
Signed (Dr. I. S. Pedobova of the Odessa Region Health Authority - June 6, 1996)"
---------------
Please continue to pray for this need. God bless all of you. Let us
hear from you.
Jay & Piera Young
June 21, 1996
Subject: keep on praying
James & Piera Young
C. P. 99
51100 Pistoia (Italy)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Tel.&FAX;: (0039-573) 903402
E-Mail: (sull'Internet)
j.young@zen.zen.it
OR:
75464.2401@CompuServe.Com
______________________________
JUNE 21, 1996 UPDATE ON LITTLE SERGEI YAVORSKY -
ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS
Dearest Christian friends!
Thank you for wanting to help in the project to secure for little Sergei Yavorsky the medical procedures he so urgently needs. Let us now briefly respond to questions being asked at this time:
We'll certainly keep you updated. How can we thank you enough for your prayers and big hearts?
We love you, always in Christ,
The Lord's and your servants always,
Jay & Piera Young
Jay