Update: A Year on Mission

Friends,

Greetings from Kharkiv, Ukraine. I’ve included an account of my whereabouts over this past year.

January. Soon after I returned from Ukraine to Costa Rica following my 5th medical mission trip, I learned that the children’s refugee center where I had served in Kharkiv had been severely damaged by ordnance fire. I shuddered at the thought that only a few weeks earlier we had hosted a Christmas party for over 400 children and their parents. Had the attack taken place during the event, the casualties would have been enormous, and I was the only medical responder on site.

February. On my way back to Costa Rica, I stopped to visit my daughter in the Netherlands and my son Jonathan in Canada. My daughter Andrea has many extraordinary qualities, very much like her mother. I am very pleased to see how she has grown into a successful career.

March. I returned to Venezuela, where I have long been involved in prison ministry. While at the Colombia and Venezuela border, I was asked to lead a rather complex humanitarian operation. After consulting with my team and a few donors, I agreed. Despite the size and difficulty of the operation, it achieved most of its goals and saved many lives. Sadly, during the mission, two men lost their lives, and my logistics partner sustained injuries that required two life-saving surgeries. I will share more details when appropriate.

April. I was invited to attend a conference in the United States, where I spoke about my Christian humanitarian work in Ukraine. While there, I learned that my son Jonathan was working on his first recording, possibly with sponsorship from Sony Music. One evening, my roommate asked whether I would attend the live recording session. I said no, since the airfare was too high on such short notice. Without ceremony, he reached for his wallet, handed me his credit card, and said, “Do whatever you have to do so you can support your son.” I was able to attend Jonathan’s first live recording with a five-time Grammy Award winner.

May. Returning to Costa Rica, I reconnected with the prison ministry team, which now operates in several Latin American countries. I also traveled to Venezuela to deliver much-needed agricultural supplies, then to Peru to meet Jonathan for a short vacation. We enjoyed hiking parts of the Inca Trail, including the Amazon Trail to Machu Picchu. After Jonathan returned to Canada, I travelled to Bolivia to visit an elderly couple struggling with health issues.

June and July. Back home in Costa Rica, I spent two months resting. Unfortunately, I discovered that the young pastor I trusted to watch over my house had stolen several belongings, including one of my cars. Even so, I was able to support three local missionary families by helping them become more self-sustaining. One family received a portable sawmill, another an industrial solar food dehydrator, and the third a worm-farming basin. Most importantly, I rested and continued working on my long-overdue book project. I also saw my doctor, who gave me a clean bill of health.

August. I spent four weeks in Florianópolis, Brazil, supporting two mission-minded families. One family had lived in my home for two years and remains very proactive in missions. Since both families were expecting babies, my task was to help with homeschooling and caring for their seven other children. Becoming a surrogate grandpa was deeply fulfilling. I also enjoyed connecting with a small but vibrant local church.

September. I embarked on a worldwide trip spanning three continents and 21 time zones. This included visiting my brother in Guatemala, camping with a close friend in northern New York, and supporting Jonathan in Toronto as he built his recording studio. While there, I learned that the ministry Jonathan helped start four years ago had grown from 30 to nearly 3,000 attendees, most of them young people. Over 17,000 young people have come to faith, and Sony Music has agreed to partner with Jonathan’s worship band. His first recording with the Sony label is scheduled for release this coming spring and will feature three Grammy Award winning contemporary gospel singers.

Later that month, I was scheduled to travel to Thailand to speak at a mission conference on Emergency Management, but flight issues forced changes to my plans. I instead spent time in South Korea. Interestingly, within a single month I interacted with Christian leaders from Brazil, South Korea, and Guatemala, three countries that are leading globally in evangelical growth. Leaders from all three shared similar concerns about trends affecting the Church’s long-term sustainability.

My route to Europe included a two-day stopover in China, my first time there. I found it a fascinating and pleasant culture. The immigration officer asked for a list of the countries I had visited in the last two years. He was surprised when I handed him a list of at least 25, covering nearly every country in the Americas. The only drawback was having no access to the Western internet, which is restricted.

October. On my way back to Ukraine, I spent time with my daughter and her husband, Josh, in the Netherlands. They always make sure I have a pleasant stay. I then traveled to Spain, hoping to complete the Northern St. James pilgrimage, a tradition I have kept for the past four years. I use this journey to reflect on my own pilgrimage. I planned to take the trip on my electric bike, but it was cut short because of mechanical issues. During a stopover in Paris, I arrived one day after the Louvre Museum robbery. Since my hostel was nearby, the neighborhood was filled with a heavy army and police presence, a stark reminder of the environment awaiting me in Ukraine.

October and November. I am now close to my fifth week in Ukraine. It has been eventful. Drone and missile attacks on every city I have visited have been relentless. This is my sixth medical humanitarian mission to Ukraine and by far the most challenging. Last night, I woke in the middle of the night to explosions in Kharkiv, some very close to my compound. I reported my availability to my emergency contacts, and two soldiers helped me put on my heavy bulletproof gear and equipment. I waited in the bitter cold for pickup, but eventually learned I was no longer needed. Drones had struck homes and apartment buildings, killing six civilians and injuring twelve.

On my health: Before arriving in Ukraine, I broke a tooth and developed an infection. My dentist in Kyiv told me he needed a week to treat it, and thankfully, the infection was resolved. I used my time in Kyiv to purchase winter camping supplies for two of my former teams and to document a memorial I helped start at the beginning of the war. After Russian forces were driven out of Bucha and Irpin, I joined cleanup efforts and delivered emergency supplies. One evening, while returning to Kyiv at Independence Plaza, I came across people planting flags in memory of those who had died defending the city. I joined them, and together we planted nearly 400 flags. Nearly four years into the war, the memorial now holds close to 100,000 flags.

While in Kherson, I developed an allergic reaction to a pair of underpants I had recently bought. The uncomfortable condition was treated by a village curandera (a traditional healer). Kherson itself was extremely challenging, with daily drone attacks, the discovery that my former apartment complex had been destroyed by a missile, and finding my home church abandoned and damaged. Religious gatherings of more than ten people are not currently allowed. I also began experiencing lower back pain from carrying my heavy bulletproof and medical gear, although it is now more manageable. Regarding my memory issues, my daughter told me, “Dad, you have been absent-minded for as long as I can remember.” Even so, I intend to return to Ontario next year to renew my health coverage, just in case.

On the United States proposed peace plan for Ukraine. News of the proposed peace plan and the prompt deadline to accept it was met in Ukraine with indignation but not surprise. Ukrainian capitulation has always been Russia’s requirement in exchange for peace.

On my immediate plans. I have now spent five weeks in Ukraine, and everything I intended to accomplish is on schedule. I have been purchasing and delivering winter camping supplies for colleagues on the front lines and visiting immediate relatives of several friends who lost their lives. I also traveled to the eastern front to assist a United States humanitarian volunteer friend who was injured by a drone explosion. To reach him, I had to travel near Pokrovsk, where intense fighting is currently underway. Hearing and watching the battle at such close range is indescribable.

I will spend the next six weeks in Kharkiv. The city is vibrant now, far removed from the days when I was the only civilian on the streets, walking along the main avenue with only a handful of businesses open and the sound of crossfire in the distance while Russian forces reached the outskirts. I am staying in a hostel shelter near the main hospital. Most guests are soldiers receiving outpatient care from the overwhelmed facility. At times, I help with wound dressings, some physiotherapy, and encouragement. Others come to me so I can interpret their medical reports in plain language. Living near the trauma hospital, I constantly hear emergency vehicles. One day, I counted eleven arriving all at once, a continual reminder of the dire situation at the front.

In addition to supporting the rehabilitation of the children’s home damaged by mortar fire, I hope to assist with a children’s Christmas program and support several refugee families. My goal is to raise 3,000 dollars, and if more is raised, I will help purchase a used car for my former team leader, who lost his vehicle in a drone attack on the front line. If you feel led, please consider supporting this mission trip to Ukraine and my upcoming return to Venezuela in January. Donation and tax-deductible information is listed below. You can contact me directly.

Nery

MoneyGram or Western Union: Nery Duarte Alonzo, UKRAINE

Interact: nerypamduarte@gmail.com

PayPal: nduarte@gmail.com

Below is a link to a photo gallery of my journey around the world. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6vBkKpgF7mYCkDhF6