Fresh troops in our village seemed to become more and more numerous through January 2023 until practically every vacant house was filled with them. I commented to my neighbors that our village had disappeared, and in its place now stood a military base. I also made the point to them that these Ukrainian troops were running a big risk. They were running the risk of being struck by Russian artillery.
In the end of January when Russian troops attempted to storm Ugledar, my apprehensions proved justified. For about four or five days the village was regularly hit with GRAD missiles. Until about mid-March Bogoyavlenka was hit fairly regularly with artillery. By the end of February almost all of the 68th brigade that had moved in, in January, had moved back out or had been killed or wounded. A portion of my neighbors also left, some for other cities in the Ukraine, others traveled the long journey through Poland to Russia.
Some of the 68th brigade's casualties happened in Bogoyavlenka. A few rounds landed around my house too, but I always happened to be away from home when it was dangerous. I was quite active helping neighbors around the village.
One day, probably in February, I went to a friend's house to help them run an errand and it probably saved my life. I had just left my friend's house to go fetch them milk, when a soldier they knew drove up and jumped out acting rather agitated. He jumped out of his car with his rifle demanding to know, "Where is Dan?!" He had been trying to find me for five days with no success, even though he knew where I lived. My friends calmed him down and convinced him to put his rifle back in his car. A couple minutes later I ride up with the milk, and this guy starts questioning me. His first words were that "We've been getting hit a lot, we have dead and wounded". He didn't like my answers, and bolted for his car. I thought he had finished questioning me, but my friend stood between the soldier and his car, holding the door shut. I didn't have any idea what was going on. My friend succeeded in keeping the car door shut, saving my life.
In the end of January when Russian troops attempted to storm Ugledar, my apprehensions proved justified. For about four or five days the village was regularly hit with GRAD missiles. Until about mid-March Bogoyavlenka was hit fairly regularly with artillery. By the end of February almost all of the 68th brigade that had moved in, in January, had moved back out or had been killed or wounded. A portion of my neighbors also left, some for other cities in the Ukraine, others traveled the long journey through Poland to Russia.
Some of the 68th brigade's casualties happened in Bogoyavlenka. A few rounds landed around my house too, but I always happened to be away from home when it was dangerous. I was quite active helping neighbors around the village.
One day, probably in February, I went to a friend's house to help them run an errand and it probably saved my life. I had just left my friend's house to go fetch them milk, when a soldier they knew drove up and jumped out acting rather agitated. He jumped out of his car with his rifle demanding to know, "Where is Dan?!" He had been trying to find me for five days with no success, even though he knew where I lived. My friends calmed him down and convinced him to put his rifle back in his car. A couple minutes later I ride up with the milk, and this guy starts questioning me. His first words were that "We've been getting hit a lot, we have dead and wounded". He didn't like my answers, and bolted for his car. I thought he had finished questioning me, but my friend stood between the soldier and his car, holding the door shut. I didn't have any idea what was going on. My friend succeeded in keeping the car door shut, saving my life.
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Antonov Family part 1
During the springtime of 2023, I became friends with another family, the Antonov family(surname changed). They invited me over for holidays, for tea and conversation, supplied me with bread that they baked themselves. On my first visit to their place they showed me where tanks had parked and stored their ammunition near their home. When May came, we began to make preparations to celebrate Victory day.
The 9th of May came and went, but we didn't get to gather to celebrate because of heavy weather. We got together on the 13th instead. Bad idea. The table was set, we were all enjoying our hostess's cooking, the first two or three toasts had already been made. I suggested that we remember our relatives that lived during World War 2; that we re-tell their stories. We didn't get to reminisce very long before a deafening crash shook everything.
I could see that we hadn't been wounded, so I began picking debris out of my food that had fallen from the tree above us. Everybody else seemed to think that we needed to hide in the cellar, and I followed them downstairs. There weren't anymore hits near us, but we heard a few explosions a few kilometers away over the next 20 minutes or so.
After a half hour we ventured out to find that a Hurricane rocket had hit just across the street from us. It was the first in a series of rockets. The first rocket almost always misses its target. This time it had missed its target by a very big distance. The rest of the rockets hit a group of Ukrainian tanks.
The neighbor who was hit lost his house and barns. I can't go into detail, but from what I heard about this man, God's justice would have required an even harsher punishment for him. He lost everything, but was only slightly injured. If he had stepped out of his house just a few seconds later, he would have been killed.
The first goat and cat that I adopted were from his farm. Eventually I would adopt a total of eleven goats, three cows, four dogs and many many cats from around the village.
To be continued...
Antonov Family part 1
During the springtime of 2023, I became friends with another family, the Antonov family(surname changed). They invited me over for holidays, for tea and conversation, supplied me with bread that they baked themselves. On my first visit to their place they showed me where tanks had parked and stored their ammunition near their home. When May came, we began to make preparations to celebrate Victory day.
The 9th of May came and went, but we didn't get to gather to celebrate because of heavy weather. We got together on the 13th instead. Bad idea. The table was set, we were all enjoying our hostess's cooking, the first two or three toasts had already been made. I suggested that we remember our relatives that lived during World War 2; that we re-tell their stories. We didn't get to reminisce very long before a deafening crash shook everything.
I could see that we hadn't been wounded, so I began picking debris out of my food that had fallen from the tree above us. Everybody else seemed to think that we needed to hide in the cellar, and I followed them downstairs. There weren't anymore hits near us, but we heard a few explosions a few kilometers away over the next 20 minutes or so.
After a half hour we ventured out to find that a Hurricane rocket had hit just across the street from us. It was the first in a series of rockets. The first rocket almost always misses its target. This time it had missed its target by a very big distance. The rest of the rockets hit a group of Ukrainian tanks.
The neighbor who was hit lost his house and barns. I can't go into detail, but from what I heard about this man, God's justice would have required an even harsher punishment for him. He lost everything, but was only slightly injured. If he had stepped out of his house just a few seconds later, he would have been killed.
The first goat and cat that I adopted were from his farm. Eventually I would adopt a total of eleven goats, three cows, four dogs and many many cats from around the village.
To be continued...
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Antonov Family part 1
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Antonov Family part 2
Our rather exciting Victory day celebration turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Antonov family had been very generous to me, supplying me with bread and other savory food, but wouldn't take anything in return, not even money. Now I had a chance to help them fix their roofs, and garage door.
The Ukrainian army continued to put this family in danger up until the very end of their occupation. It was common to see a SAM battery, tank or APC parked within a stone's throw of their property.
Slowly but surely both the Antonovs and I began to trust each other. We never did reveal everything to each other, but before long we all were convinced that we shared a common support for Russia. I went so far as to tell them that I want to live in Russia, and that I believe that the Lord promised me that I will get my wish. I could see that they were encouraged to hear this.
To be continued...
☕️📖🕯
Antonov Family part 2
Our rather exciting Victory day celebration turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Antonov family had been very generous to me, supplying me with bread and other savory food, but wouldn't take anything in return, not even money. Now I had a chance to help them fix their roofs, and garage door.
The Ukrainian army continued to put this family in danger up until the very end of their occupation. It was common to see a SAM battery, tank or APC parked within a stone's throw of their property.
Slowly but surely both the Antonovs and I began to trust each other. We never did reveal everything to each other, but before long we all were convinced that we shared a common support for Russia. I went so far as to tell them that I want to live in Russia, and that I believe that the Lord promised me that I will get my wish. I could see that they were encouraged to hear this.
To be continued...
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Antonov Family part 1
During the springtime of 2023, I became friends with another family, the Antonov family(surname changed). They invited me over for holidays, for tea and conversation, supplied me with bread that they baked themselves. On my first…
Antonov Family part 1
During the springtime of 2023, I became friends with another family, the Antonov family(surname changed). They invited me over for holidays, for tea and conversation, supplied me with bread that they baked themselves. On my first…
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Shepherd At War 👨🌾🪖
Hi, Everyone! My apologies for my contact being blank! 😬 In this information war, the fight is a two-way street! We are doing our best to find out who the hacker was and secure our feedback method. Hang tight🫡.
Hello everyone! My feedback bot is online! Lord willing this won't get hacked so quickly! Write me @fbreversbot
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Antonov Family part 2
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Antonov Family part 3
Not long before the end of Ukrainian occupation, everyone's nerves seemed to be on edge. The danger from airstrikes and drones became prohibitive. This combination of stress and danger made the Antonovs decide to split up. Part of the family left to live with relatives in the Ukraine.
Their level of stress was visible in conversation as well. As we sat in the cellar one day an argument started about why Ukrainian artillery was still able to function. If their nerves hadn't been so strained, they would have remembered all of the strikes that had recently been made on Ukrainian artillery positions, but no every blast made us want to curse those guns.
I tried to convince everyone in the village to leave, including the Antonovs. About a week before liberation, the remaining Antonovs thought seriously about leaving, but at last they told me, "if we do leave, we might regret it for the rest of our lives". They also asked me if I had any further word from the Lord?
I answered with a question, "What if I say that you won't survive if you stay here?"
"We wouldn't believe you", they replied somewhat uncertainly.
"And if I say that everything will be fine? Would it really change anything?"
"At least it would be some kind of encouragement", they seemed to plead.
I wished them the best and continued praying for them every day.
I had been visiting the Antonovs with messages from their relatives for some time, but a couple days later I wrote to their relatives that I wouldn't be able to carry their messages for a few days because it was too dangerous. I promised to get in touch after the "heavy weather" passed over. I didn't risk telling them that I was expecting liberation within a few days.
To be continued...
☕️📖🕯
Antonov Family part 3
Not long before the end of Ukrainian occupation, everyone's nerves seemed to be on edge. The danger from airstrikes and drones became prohibitive. This combination of stress and danger made the Antonovs decide to split up. Part of the family left to live with relatives in the Ukraine.
Their level of stress was visible in conversation as well. As we sat in the cellar one day an argument started about why Ukrainian artillery was still able to function. If their nerves hadn't been so strained, they would have remembered all of the strikes that had recently been made on Ukrainian artillery positions, but no every blast made us want to curse those guns.
I tried to convince everyone in the village to leave, including the Antonovs. About a week before liberation, the remaining Antonovs thought seriously about leaving, but at last they told me, "if we do leave, we might regret it for the rest of our lives". They also asked me if I had any further word from the Lord?
I answered with a question, "What if I say that you won't survive if you stay here?"
"We wouldn't believe you", they replied somewhat uncertainly.
"And if I say that everything will be fine? Would it really change anything?"
"At least it would be some kind of encouragement", they seemed to plead.
I wished them the best and continued praying for them every day.
I had been visiting the Antonovs with messages from their relatives for some time, but a couple days later I wrote to their relatives that I wouldn't be able to carry their messages for a few days because it was too dangerous. I promised to get in touch after the "heavy weather" passed over. I didn't risk telling them that I was expecting liberation within a few days.
To be continued...
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Shepherd At War 👨🌾🪖
Antonov Family part 1
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Antonov Family part 2
Our rather exciting Victory day celebration turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Antonov family had been very generous to me, supplying me with bread and other savory food, but wouldn't take anything…
☕️📖🕯
Antonov Family part 2
Our rather exciting Victory day celebration turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Antonov family had been very generous to me, supplying me with bread and other savory food, but wouldn't take anything…
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Howitzer Nuggets part 1
My time farming in the Donetsk region could be characterized as a practical course in homesteading across the fence from a busy football stadium. You might be hoeing your patch of corn, or milking the goat, but your emotions are all tied up in the football game. You cheer when your team makes a good pass or tackle. You get angry when the other team scores. Only for me, the football game was more like cops and robbers, good versus evil, a matter of life and death for the players. And instead of throwing a football several yards, they were throwing high explosive fragmentation shells several miles.
What didn't seem fair was that the enemy team would get to do a lot of throwing before my team got possession. When my team got to throw, sometimes they seemed to think that I might want to catch too! But that was okay, I was still in a good mood because at least they were doing the throwing. When the other team had the ball I could get mad enough to bust.
To be continued...
Howitzer Nuggets part 1
My time farming in the Donetsk region could be characterized as a practical course in homesteading across the fence from a busy football stadium. You might be hoeing your patch of corn, or milking the goat, but your emotions are all tied up in the football game. You cheer when your team makes a good pass or tackle. You get angry when the other team scores. Only for me, the football game was more like cops and robbers, good versus evil, a matter of life and death for the players. And instead of throwing a football several yards, they were throwing high explosive fragmentation shells several miles.
What didn't seem fair was that the enemy team would get to do a lot of throwing before my team got possession. When my team got to throw, sometimes they seemed to think that I might want to catch too! But that was okay, I was still in a good mood because at least they were doing the throwing. When the other team had the ball I could get mad enough to bust.
To be continued...
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Howitzer Nuggets part 1
☕️📖🕯
Howitzer Nuggets part 2
One time the enemy team got a bit careless and dropped the ball where I could go and fetch it. I really wanted to throw it back at them and hit their quarterback, but it didn't work out so well. Those of you who are familiar with war probably know what I'm taking about, but for those of you who have been blessed not to see war up close, let me explain. The quarterback I refer to is a self-propelled howitzer. It looks mostly like a tank but instead of so much armor, it has a bigger gun that shoots farther more accurately. For most of this war, it has been the most deadly weapon in Ukraine's arsenal in terms of casualties inflicted on Russian troops.
A large portion of Ukraine's self-propelled howitzers are M109's, made in the USA(frown). For many months, one of these M109 guns drove back and forth through our village, and fired from positions just outside the village limits. For a time they even made a habit of parking it for a half-hour or so in the village center.
One evening while walking my dog, I noticed some kind of dark blue nuggets strewn on the sidewalk where the howitzer had been parked. I had a feeling I knew what it was, and grabbed a couple pieces to take home and test burn. They burned like weak gunpowder! This was the explosive that they use to shoot their deadly payload at my friends! What could be more perfect but for that howitzer to get blown up by its own TNT?
I went back that night and gathered up enough to make a small bomb, at least enough to knock the howitzer out of service temporarily.
To be continued...
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Howitzer Nuggets part 2
One time the enemy team got a bit careless and dropped the ball where I could go and fetch it. I really wanted to throw it back at them and hit their quarterback, but it didn't work out so well. Those of you who are familiar with war probably know what I'm taking about, but for those of you who have been blessed not to see war up close, let me explain. The quarterback I refer to is a self-propelled howitzer. It looks mostly like a tank but instead of so much armor, it has a bigger gun that shoots farther more accurately. For most of this war, it has been the most deadly weapon in Ukraine's arsenal in terms of casualties inflicted on Russian troops.
A large portion of Ukraine's self-propelled howitzers are M109's, made in the USA(frown). For many months, one of these M109 guns drove back and forth through our village, and fired from positions just outside the village limits. For a time they even made a habit of parking it for a half-hour or so in the village center.
One evening while walking my dog, I noticed some kind of dark blue nuggets strewn on the sidewalk where the howitzer had been parked. I had a feeling I knew what it was, and grabbed a couple pieces to take home and test burn. They burned like weak gunpowder! This was the explosive that they use to shoot their deadly payload at my friends! What could be more perfect but for that howitzer to get blown up by its own TNT?
I went back that night and gathered up enough to make a small bomb, at least enough to knock the howitzer out of service temporarily.
To be continued...
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Howitzer Nuggets part 2
☕️📖🕯
Howitzer Nuggets part 3
After doing some more testing with the TNT, I decided that it must be wet. That night I set a small portion of it in my oven and set it to minimum heat with the door open.
About an hour later, already in bed, I heard a noise that had just begun to become familiar. You guessed it, somehow the powder had gotten too hot and began to burn slowly. Slowly for only about two seconds, then all hell let loose. I had just enough time to open the nearest window and jump out before the room was filled with smoke. Scorching hot air singed my hair on my way out.
Fortunately the fire was not only hot, but also shortlived. I was able to close up the house tight, and the firetruck came on time to save half of the house from irrepairable damage. The other half, closed off by a door, was untouched by the fire and didn't even smell like smoke.
To be continued...
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Howitzer Nuggets part 3
After doing some more testing with the TNT, I decided that it must be wet. That night I set a small portion of it in my oven and set it to minimum heat with the door open.
About an hour later, already in bed, I heard a noise that had just begun to become familiar. You guessed it, somehow the powder had gotten too hot and began to burn slowly. Slowly for only about two seconds, then all hell let loose. I had just enough time to open the nearest window and jump out before the room was filled with smoke. Scorching hot air singed my hair on my way out.
Fortunately the fire was not only hot, but also shortlived. I was able to close up the house tight, and the firetruck came on time to save half of the house from irrepairable damage. The other half, closed off by a door, was untouched by the fire and didn't even smell like smoke.
To be continued...
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Shepherd At War 👨🌾🪖
Howitzer Nuggets part 1
☕️📖🕯
Howitzer Nuggets part 2
One time the enemy team got a bit careless and dropped the ball where I could go and fetch it. I really wanted to throw it back at them and hit their quarterback, but it didn't work out so well. Those…
☕️📖🕯
Howitzer Nuggets part 2
One time the enemy team got a bit careless and dropped the ball where I could go and fetch it. I really wanted to throw it back at them and hit their quarterback, but it didn't work out so well. Those…
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Howitzer Nuggets part 3
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Howitzer Nuggets part 4
Call me crazy, but I went ahead and finished the mechanical part of the bomb. I didn't use it though because my Russian contacts convinced me that it was an unnecessary risk.
The M109 continued to visit us, shake our houses when it shot, and kill our Russian friends.
I went back to praying that the howitzer would miss every time I heard it shoot, or at least told myself that it probably missed. Mostly I just learned to ignore it. Or at least I thought I had learned to ignore it.
After liberation, I realized that I hadn't really succeeded in ignoring the howitzer's bark. No, I had just stifled my reaction to it. All the same it made me more and more and more angry all of those two years. Day in and day out, night and day. That anger and frustration got so bad that for the last few months, my behavior changed radically for the worse.
After liberation I was still angry, but without all of the distractions and activities to help be forget about it. I couldn't even sleep. At first I didn't even know what was eating me. I was carrying a very heavy load of desire to get revenge, but as soon as I took it to the Lord in prayer, He lifted that burden. Now I'm happy again, even happier than before this war!
☕️📖🕯
Howitzer Nuggets part 4
Call me crazy, but I went ahead and finished the mechanical part of the bomb. I didn't use it though because my Russian contacts convinced me that it was an unnecessary risk.
The M109 continued to visit us, shake our houses when it shot, and kill our Russian friends.
I went back to praying that the howitzer would miss every time I heard it shoot, or at least told myself that it probably missed. Mostly I just learned to ignore it. Or at least I thought I had learned to ignore it.
After liberation, I realized that I hadn't really succeeded in ignoring the howitzer's bark. No, I had just stifled my reaction to it. All the same it made me more and more and more angry all of those two years. Day in and day out, night and day. That anger and frustration got so bad that for the last few months, my behavior changed radically for the worse.
After liberation I was still angry, but without all of the distractions and activities to help be forget about it. I couldn't even sleep. At first I didn't even know what was eating me. I was carrying a very heavy load of desire to get revenge, but as soon as I took it to the Lord in prayer, He lifted that burden. Now I'm happy again, even happier than before this war!
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Shepherd At War 👨🌾🪖
Howitzer Nuggets part 2
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Howitzer Nuggets part 3
After doing some more testing with the TNT, I decided that it must be wet. That night I set a small portion of it in my oven and set it to minimum heat with the door open.
About an hour later, already…
☕️📖🕯
Howitzer Nuggets part 3
After doing some more testing with the TNT, I decided that it must be wet. That night I set a small portion of it in my oven and set it to minimum heat with the door open.
About an hour later, already…
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Recently the news broke that legal proceedings against Trump have been concluded. Director of communications for Trump's transition team called it a significant victory for the rule of law.
Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but this has nothing to do with law and justice. It's just the end of yet another show in the D.C. circus.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/11/26/why-is-us-prosecutor-jack-smith-dropping-charges-against-trump
Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but this has nothing to do with law and justice. It's just the end of yet another show in the D.C. circus.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/11/26/why-is-us-prosecutor-jack-smith-dropping-charges-against-trump
Al Jazeera
Why is US prosecutor Jack Smith dropping charges against Trump?
The federal criminal case against Trump relating to 2020 election interference will no longer go ahead.
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Leaving aside who is right/ wrong in a given conflict, all assertions that the bad guys are doing this or that because it's in their blood or genetic – this is nazi ideology! The truth is our genetics and blood are all the same – we are all equally human, disposed to sin! Hatred or even distrust for a certain ethnic group as a whole, puts you very close ideologically to being in the same camp as Hitler and Goebbels. This is not what the world needs.
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Unwelcome Savior part 1
Today let me introduce to you one of the volunteers that I met along my journey who probably was not purely civilian. He had his mission, I had mine, but we just so happened to meet.
At first he seemed a bit suspicious of me, asking to see my passport, and wanting to know if I had informed the US consulate about my residence near Ugledar.
He even insisted on seeing where I lived. He walked behind me as I led him back to my house giving me the feeling that I was being hunted. Maybe I was actually sensing HIS fear. Perhaps he thought I had set an ambush for him.
Before he left, I seemed to have gained his trust. He even hinted that if I was to come close to being captured by Russians, that American special forces would come to save me. I could tell it was going to take a miracle for me to be liberated given this guy's apparent determination to "save" me from my friends.
To be continued...
Unwelcome Savior part 1
Today let me introduce to you one of the volunteers that I met along my journey who probably was not purely civilian. He had his mission, I had mine, but we just so happened to meet.
At first he seemed a bit suspicious of me, asking to see my passport, and wanting to know if I had informed the US consulate about my residence near Ugledar.
He even insisted on seeing where I lived. He walked behind me as I led him back to my house giving me the feeling that I was being hunted. Maybe I was actually sensing HIS fear. Perhaps he thought I had set an ambush for him.
Before he left, I seemed to have gained his trust. He even hinted that if I was to come close to being captured by Russians, that American special forces would come to save me. I could tell it was going to take a miracle for me to be liberated given this guy's apparent determination to "save" me from my friends.
To be continued...
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