April 11, 2016
Ukraine
The Pentamerous team of Caritas of the Archdiocese of Olomouc has completed its mission in Ukraine. The mission ended with a football match and playing with boys from the children's home in Bortnik, a visit to a farm in Kolomyja, and the opening ceremony of the local Caritas's quarters. Finally, there was a meeting with Archbishop and Ivano-Frankivsk's Metropolitan.
On Wednesday afternoon we stopped at the children's home in Bortnik since we had several fellow-travellers with us. We brought three boys back from Lviv where they study. They were on their way back home to Bortnik for the weekend.
Our two day's meeting began with a football match in the place where 500 buggies of lorries had transported soil. The football field was built with contributions from ACHO. ACHO workers had come to Bortnik for a friendly visit at this time. Rostislav also played with the boys. But there was strong competition. The match ended with thunder and lightnings. As the storm approached the boys shouted ''Quickie''.
Thursday 7th of April – Kolomyja
We travelled from Bortnik to Kolomyja. Our first stop there was on the farm. Ex-servicemen are there for now and can help themselves to the crop. Proceeds from another farm's gifts sale will be used to help the poor in this region.
Friday 8th of April – Kolomyja
Friday is a feast-day in Kolomyja. Local Caritas has moved to a new area where they are planning to have a boarding school for mentally and physically disabled girls.
We took a small gift with us for the occasion – a sewing machine. The girls will have a chance to try it out in a therapeutic workroom.
Saturday 9th of April – Ivano-Frankivsk
Saturday morning began with nice get-together with Archbishop Ivanofrankivsk and Metropolitan Volodymyr Vijtyšyn. We met in Caritas in Ivano-Frankivsk.
The Archbishop and the Metropolitan showed us a Catholic school which was repaired recently. About 600 pupils including the poor attend this school. At this time, the church is currently seeking funds for additional equipment - for the physic's class 
for example.
The school is newly repaired and equipped. The Greek-Catholic Church is planning to show Ukrainians this equipped school as a potential model for the country. Our eleven-day journey ended with a nice meeting. We started our trip to the Czech Republic in the afternoon leaving sunny Ukraine behind for grey Poland. It rained all the way home to Olomouc. The mission ended that same day, before the midnight.
Karolína Opatřilová, ACHO
