February 25, 2023
Our day began in Chelm, Poland. We returned to Baptist Church Chelm, what a difference a year makes. Although the church is still designated as a shelter in the event a refugee needs shelter or food, it, for the most part, has transformed back into a traditional place of worship. I recall spending two days there last year, days after the invasion. Buses of Ukrainians showed up there, some of them with just one bag. Checking in. Picking a bed in one of the rooms. The pews have been neatly stacked at the back of the chapel. Mats and beds took up the floor space, including on the balcony. I remember arriving and volunteers with Texas Baptist Men were vacuuming the floor in the balcony of the chapel. Off the lobby is an event-like space. It had transformed into a classroom and game room for children. Today, a group of Baptist men and women were holding a bible study. A lot of singing. It was nice to watch and listen to. Downstairs was packed with people and beds last year. This was the kitchen and dining hall. Today, I was the only person down there walking around. Looking into the room that was filled with sleeping refugees, was empty today. The kitchen where people were busy preparing meals, was quiet. The dining hall, which hosted dozens, packed up. The chairs were stacked against the wall. I spoke with a deacon today about how his church stepped up to serve refugees. He said it makes him most proud. We also toured their warehouse, a few miles away. Last year, this was packed with volunteers, mostly from Texas. All of them were like ants. Packing food and hygiene products onto pallets to be transported into Ukraine. At the time, we were not allowed to say where in Ukraine the trucks were headed, out of the safety of the transporters; but today we got a look at the map on which supplies were and continue to be shipped to, and it is pretty impressive. If you would like to donate to this effort, you can do so by visiting Texas Baptist Men’s website.
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From Chelm, we went to the nearest Poland-Ukraine border crossing. This was most impressionable. It was last year as well. Today, although there were no obvious refugees coming into Poland, there was a procession of trucks approximately 10 miles long waiting to get into Ukraine. The trucks were loaded with humanitarian aid. Truck drivers apparently have been waiting there for days. This is how long the line is. The reason is unclear, but we’re told it is extremely difficult to get in and out of Ukraine at the moment. The road also has bottlenecks at the crossing, which is highly guarded. It began to sleet while we were there today. When we were there last year, we went in the evening, as the sun was setting. Non-profits had lined one side of the road, there to greet refugees as they crossed, whether that be ride, drive, or walk across country lines. There were makeshift fires, I assume to keep people warm. Outhouses line the road. There were a lot of people and several stray animals. Truly heartbreaking. Today, while the commotion wasn’t present, there were three stray dogs. Matted hair. Timid. I wanted to bawl. Again, the situation with animals in Ukraine is bad and it’s not talked about much. I reported LIVE from the border crossing. It is anticipated, this crossing along with others might get busy this week when the Polish government ends its monthly aid to those who house refugees. They say they will likely return to Ukraine, as they do not have jobs to pay for shelter. This border crossing is something my mind visits often. There’s something about it, I can’t explain.
We then visited a quaint pizzeria in Chelm. I had a delicious four-cheese pizza. As we were eating it began to snow. I have not seen snow since 2018. I am from the Adirondacks, so snow is in my blood. It was nice to see snow again (for 10-15 minutes).
After lunch/dinner, we made the 3-hour trek back to Warsaw. We will stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we plan to attend a church service with Ukrainian refugees. To see how they have blended into Polish life. We will say goodbye to our friends at TBM. I think Wiktor might come with us, if he’s able, which will be nice to have him around as he is Polish and very knowledgeable. If not, we will head to southern Poland (about a 4-hour drive) ourselves. We are meeting a couple with Houston ties (she’s from Houston, he is Polish (former ExxonMobil employee). The two have started a shelter for Ukrainian refugees. So, I am excited to meet them and tell their story.
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