Holidays!
Monday and Tuesday were holidays in Ukraine. Actually, Tuesday, Victory Day, was the real holiday. Most places will work on the Saturday prior to the holiday and then take Monday off. The UEC decided not to work on Saturday but work on Tuesday, the actual holiday. The Center was closed because basically no one would come on holidays, but we had a staff day. That involved me talking probably too much and then the staff actually did some work. Since Sergiy is leaving in June, he is trying to equip Lera as much as he can. We did get a lot of technical issues worked out, and hopefully those kinds of meetings will do some good. We also ordered Vesuvios Pizza which is always a treat.
But Wednesday meant that the nation was back to work and so were we. Here's some entertainment for you from Wednesday: Sergiy called the UEC's security company on Wednesday to ask if everything was OK with our account (we have had billing problems in the past). He had just come from the bank where he pays the bill and wanted to make sure it was all OK. The accountant told him that we hadn't paid our bill in 3 months. But Sergiy had paid it. She told him he hadn't and we owed a lot of money. She then told him that 3 months ago they closed one of their bank accounts and opened a new one. Why didn't he know about it? Somehow, his psychic powers failed him. He asked why the security company didn't tell their customers that their account changed. She explained that they have 1,000 customers and how could they tell all of them!! She thought our bills were being delivered and thus it would show on the new bill. But one year, we didn't receive a bill for six months so we just decided to stop that and pay the bill ourselves and the security company gave Sergiy a form to fill out when making the payment. They didn't send a new one with the new account number. Thus, somehow, it was Sergiy's fault.
So, off to the bank to try to get our money back. The bank said they can give back one month today and the previous amount tomorrow, or later maybe. But Sergiy needed me since the account is actually in my name, so I had to go and stand in line for a very long time with my passport to prove that the right person is getting the money back. One lady in front of us who also stood in line for a long time left in anger and shouting in English because the lady behind the counter refused to add up her bill to tell her how much she owes. The bank teller wouldn't add the bills together and write the amount in on the form. She handed the lady a calculator and told her to do it. The lady responded that she was a philologist and didn't know how to use the calculator. She left shouting that she would pay in another bank.
We were next.
Of course, the lady did not want to give the money back. Sergiy complained that for 3 months they allowed him to make a payment to an account that had been closed. The teller just told him to call the help line of the bank. He had earlier been talking with an accountant there who had answered the phone while he was sitting there. She told the person she didn't know and transferred her to someone who would know. After she transferred the caller, she asked her coworkers, "They won't know either, will they?" And they all responded that they wouldn't know. Anyway, Sergiy suggested he call the new mayor of Kyiv who also happens to own this bank and has his picture plastered everywhere. Maybe he could figure this out. Then the teller didn't want to give back the bank commission. She told him that if her register came up short that amount, she would call him and he would feel guilty abut what he had done. Sergiy told her he would think about it for days and days, that it wasn't his problem, and that he just wanted the money. Finally, finally we got the money.
Today (Thursday) we went back to the bank, handwrote a request to get the previous month's payment, and finally got that money. But I don't think they gave us the commission. Anyway, when we got to the bank, 17 people were standing in line with one teller working. Thankfully, we were allowed to get our money back from the exchange point instead of waiting in line.
Why does it seem everything has to be like this? Even the smallest matters taking up too much time.
I have been trying for three days to email our prayerletter but the program we use won't send the emails even though it says it sends them. Help, God!! I feel bad because I haven't written in two months or longer. But I guess all who read the blog stay informed. Not that there is so much to say, but at least you know we are alive. At one point I thought I would not send out a newsletter and just see how long it would take for people to write to find out if we were alive or not. Maybe that's not the best idea, though.
I have been reading a book on the arts and Christianity and hope to post some quotes tomorrow.
But Wednesday meant that the nation was back to work and so were we. Here's some entertainment for you from Wednesday: Sergiy called the UEC's security company on Wednesday to ask if everything was OK with our account (we have had billing problems in the past). He had just come from the bank where he pays the bill and wanted to make sure it was all OK. The accountant told him that we hadn't paid our bill in 3 months. But Sergiy had paid it. She told him he hadn't and we owed a lot of money. She then told him that 3 months ago they closed one of their bank accounts and opened a new one. Why didn't he know about it? Somehow, his psychic powers failed him. He asked why the security company didn't tell their customers that their account changed. She explained that they have 1,000 customers and how could they tell all of them!! She thought our bills were being delivered and thus it would show on the new bill. But one year, we didn't receive a bill for six months so we just decided to stop that and pay the bill ourselves and the security company gave Sergiy a form to fill out when making the payment. They didn't send a new one with the new account number. Thus, somehow, it was Sergiy's fault.
So, off to the bank to try to get our money back. The bank said they can give back one month today and the previous amount tomorrow, or later maybe. But Sergiy needed me since the account is actually in my name, so I had to go and stand in line for a very long time with my passport to prove that the right person is getting the money back. One lady in front of us who also stood in line for a long time left in anger and shouting in English because the lady behind the counter refused to add up her bill to tell her how much she owes. The bank teller wouldn't add the bills together and write the amount in on the form. She handed the lady a calculator and told her to do it. The lady responded that she was a philologist and didn't know how to use the calculator. She left shouting that she would pay in another bank.
We were next.
Of course, the lady did not want to give the money back. Sergiy complained that for 3 months they allowed him to make a payment to an account that had been closed. The teller just told him to call the help line of the bank. He had earlier been talking with an accountant there who had answered the phone while he was sitting there. She told the person she didn't know and transferred her to someone who would know. After she transferred the caller, she asked her coworkers, "They won't know either, will they?" And they all responded that they wouldn't know. Anyway, Sergiy suggested he call the new mayor of Kyiv who also happens to own this bank and has his picture plastered everywhere. Maybe he could figure this out. Then the teller didn't want to give back the bank commission. She told him that if her register came up short that amount, she would call him and he would feel guilty abut what he had done. Sergiy told her he would think about it for days and days, that it wasn't his problem, and that he just wanted the money. Finally, finally we got the money.
Today (Thursday) we went back to the bank, handwrote a request to get the previous month's payment, and finally got that money. But I don't think they gave us the commission. Anyway, when we got to the bank, 17 people were standing in line with one teller working. Thankfully, we were allowed to get our money back from the exchange point instead of waiting in line.
Why does it seem everything has to be like this? Even the smallest matters taking up too much time.
I have been trying for three days to email our prayerletter but the program we use won't send the emails even though it says it sends them. Help, God!! I feel bad because I haven't written in two months or longer. But I guess all who read the blog stay informed. Not that there is so much to say, but at least you know we are alive. At one point I thought I would not send out a newsletter and just see how long it would take for people to write to find out if we were alive or not. Maybe that's not the best idea, though.
I have been reading a book on the arts and Christianity and hope to post some quotes tomorrow.
posted by Kyivmission at 1:15 PM
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