A warm and sunny day today. The HOG team went across the border to Ukraine and I stayed in Romania. I spent the day buying medications, organizing medications and doing the paperwork. I arranged a shipment from Omar’s to Kharkiv for tomorrow. We are preparing to transition to Team 2. First person to arrive is Lina from Norway on Thursday. We worked with her in Lesvos and are excited to have her with us here.

I want to share some of the beauty I saw today: the kindness, the solidarity and the presence of compassion. I went to the Romanian side of the border to wait for my team to return. I was there for an hour watching as refugees came across. As soon as they crossed from border control they are greeted by volunteers who take their baggage and carry it. They walk 200 feet and someone is there from the Israeli ngo offering food. There are signs and volunteers from several countries offering directions as to where they can stay, where their pets can be fed and vaccinated and where the buses come and where they go. It is so heartwarming to watch. A woman came across with her elderly husband and maybe her grandkids and was greeted by some family members who waited for her, there were tears and hugs. A volunteer appeared with juice boxes and cookies for the kids, water for the elderly man and another appeared with stuffed bears for the kids. Amazing generosity. It gives me faith in humanity. We do care.

Tomorrow I will go to Ukraine again. We have a morning meeting other the Ministry of Health.