A shimmer of light in the darkness
Central Newfoundland man bringing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians
Lorne Goudie wakes up at about 6:30 a.m., joins the rest of the church in prayer, then departs for another day in a war-torn city in Ukraine.
In the parking lot, a vehicle is already stocked full of supplies for the central Newfoundland man and others to bring to another part of Kyiv or a town on its outskirts that’s been bombed and suffering the ravages of war.
Sometimes, they spend up to four hours driving to the destination, where they deliver items like food, medical supplies, construction materials, generators, gasoline, hygiene kits, first aid kits, clothing and diapers to local churches, hospitals or town halls to distribute. Together, they will read the Gospel and hand out Bibles before returning to their base before the 10 p.m. curfew.
Three to four times each week, Goudie will go on one of these missions. By April 28, when he spoke to SaltWire Network, the Newfoundlander had not experienced any close encounters with the Russian military. But he has witnessed the devastation of war.
On the same day he spoke with SaltWire Network, his mission visited a nearby town that had been bombed, burnt and looted by the Russians. They brought much-needed medical supplies and food and made connections to get construction materials and labourers to rebuild homes.
On the way back, they stopped on the side of the road, where Goudie saw the remains of a Russian soldier, killed in action, left behind as carrion.
“War is not pretty. Everyone gets their idea of war from Hollywood. It’s not Hollywood. War is raw — it’s dirty, it’s bad. It’s crazy,” he said.
‘I WAS CRYING INSIDE’
Goudie has been writing Facebook
posts and in his WhatsApp group, sharing videos and photos and discussing his daily experiences in Ukraine.
The posts have become a form of therapy for him. In one post, Goudie talks of how this dead soldier was someone’s son. He could empathize with those parents, having lost his own son, Jonathan, in a 2012 accident.
“I did not let the team know how I was feeling … I was crying inside.”
When it was time to leave, he said a prayer for the soldier and his parents.
In an earlier visit to Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, he saw missiles still stuck in the ground that had failed to explode. Near the home of an acquaintance was a massive crater where a 500-kilogram bomb hit. It’s since filled with water and Goudie says it’s now a pond.
HOW DID HE END UP HERE?
Goudie, an ordained Pentecostal
pastor, was moved by his faith to depart for Ukraine.
“I believe in the call on people’s lives,” he says.
After hearing about the Russian invasion, he prayed. Also a member of the military for the last 10 years, and a schoolteacher for the previous 30, Goudie had a unique skill set.
“I figured I could offer something,” he says.
After discussions with his wife Dawn and receiving her blessing, he left the army and his current home in Petawawa, Ont. and arrived in the Ukrainian capital March 23.
He will remain in Ukraine for the next six to 12 months.
Goudie has been working with the Religious Community of Evangelical Christians “Almaz” in the Podilskyi District of Kyiv. They operate out of a church, which is part of the All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists Church.
He communicates with the others through a professional interpreter.
“From the very first five minutes I got here, I was embraced by the lead person here,” says Goudie. “He gave me a tour around this complex and he asked, ‘what can we do?’”
Goudie has never served in a war, but his skill set came in handy immediately.
“I said, ‘you need a bomb shelter,’” he recalls.
“The first week, I was working on a bomb shelter. The second week, I was working on an evacuation plan. Third week, I was doing first aid lessons and teaching all day with convoy operations: how to evacuate people safely, more efficiently and effectively. I haven’t had one day off since I’ve been here but there’s so much work to be done.”
In a war setting, civilians don’t have a pre-set structure for how to do things.
“The pre-planning is missing,” he explains. “I’m teaching how to plan for the worst and have plans of action.”
Amid the destruction, the resilience, bravery and generosity of the Ukrainian people are a daily inspiration to Goudie.
One day, he says, they delivered a bag of supplies to a man who had already received a bag.
“And this guy goes, 'No, no, no, give it to this person down the road. He can’t get here, give him a bag,’” recalls Goudie.
“Anywhere else in the world, they’d probably take the bags and said it was one. This guy was saying help someone else. Love your neighbour as yourself. In the darkness, there’s always a shimmer of light.”
DID YOU KNOW?
People can support the Almaz church’s humanitarian initiative by monetary donation through the Pembroke Pentecostal Tabernacle at finance_ppt@hotmail.com, labelling the donation “Ukraine” or “Ukraine benevolent fund” (charitable receipt) or through his wife via e-transfer at ldgoudie@hotmail.com (no receipt).
ABOUT LORNE GOUDIE
Lorne Goudie was born in Springdale where he spent his early childhood. When he was four years old, his family moved to British Columbia where his father, a miner, found work.
He returned to Springdale when he was nine.
His father was the sole survivor of an industrial accident, so the family moved again to
St. John’s, where his father underwent multiple operations as part of his recovery.
Goudie lived there through high school before completing three degrees at Memorial University and becoming a teacher. He taught in Grand Falls-Windsor and Bishop’s Falls for 30 years.
Goudie then started on a new path to study theology and graduated from Tyndale University in Toronto with a master of theological studies. He completed his pastoral internship at Windsor Pentecostal Church in Grand Falls-Windsor, where he volunteered his services.
After living in Grand FallsWindsor from 1987 to 2021, he moved to Petawawa, Ont., where he’s a volunteer pastor at the Pembroke Pentecostal Tabernacle with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
For the last 10 years, Goudie has also served in the Second Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment in Newfoundland and Labrador and the 42 Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in Pembroke, Ontario.
He retired as a captain. Goudie left the military in March to assist the humanitarian effort during the ongoing war in Ukraine.