SDA physician missing in Kiev this AM

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Dr. Jay Sloop is friends with many of his fellow Pacific NW Adventists...Please keep him in your prayers and hope he's found safe!

Quote:

Dr. Jay Sloop of Yakima disappeared this morning in Kiev, Ukraine, where he was on a medical mission, officials with the Seventh-day Adventist Church said.

The 77-year-old retired obstetrician was last seen about 6:45 a.m. local time after he left a church compound in Kiev for a morning walk, said Jay Wintermeyer, communications director for regional church headquarters in Spokane.

“This is uncharacteristic and unusual,” an emotional-sounding Wintermeyer said 17 hours after Dr. Sloop was last seen.

According to Wintermeyer, Dr. Sloop has been in the Ukrainian capital for three weeks, helping set up a lifestyle center there with a team of fellow health professionals.

Wintermeyer said Dr. Sloop regularly went for morning walks with other members of the team, but left alone this morning after one of his roommates backed out at the last second.

“He was recorded on video security leaving at 6:45,” Wintermeyer said. “I don’t think the security footage showed which way he went.”

Wintermeyer said Dr. Sloop had been in Kiev for about three weeks and was scheduled to return to the United States at the end of the week.

“We just hope he’s found safe and sound,” Wintermeyer said.

Dr. Sloop is a retired OB/GYN who had a private practice in Yakima from 1969 to 2005, when he retired and was named health director for the Seventh-day Adventist Upper Columbia Conference in Spokane.

Wintermeyer said Dr. Sloop continued to live in Yakima, commuting to Spokane as necessary. He is married and has three sons.

Yakima Herald

[phkrause]

Will keep him in our prays

[Gail]

Praying!

[OzarkWoman]

This is my pastor's uncle.

[LynnDel]

Further information about the search and what you can do is here on Greg Sloop's blog: http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/

Please share widely.

LD

[LynnDel]

> > It is with a heavy heart that I cannot report much new news this morning. Dr. Jay Sloop's welfare is still unknown.

> > City street surveillance cameras do show he entered a nearby park on Tuesday morning and did not come back out that entrance. Images from a private camera near the only other entrance were finally obtained yesterday, but after reviewing many hours of data, it was concluded that he did not exit that way. This has helped to narrow down the search. This is not a flat, park with manicured lawns as you might assume. Rather, it is a flat-topped hill with very steep sides covered in some rocky outcroppings, trees, brush and bushes and some patches of long, untrimmed grass. A set of steel stairs leads 200-250 feet up to the top. The top is primitive and unimproved with a dirt path that circles the crown as well as bisects the forested areas in several directions. (Jay and I took the "crown" trail together last Sabbath afternoon.) This crown trail is single, rough track with steep slopes to the outside.

> > Jay's grandson Jeff and the teacher who travelled with him from Nile Adventist Academy, along with Sergii Lutskyi, HM Director of the Ukrainian Union were the only ones who searched all day yesterday, often in pouring rain. They were able to only cover a small portion of what needs to be searched.

> > The local police have refused to become involved, so far. A representative of the U.S. Embassy did come to the Union Office and visit, as well as walk a little bit of the trail in the park.

> > A representative from Adventist Risk Management is now on the ground in Kiev to coordinate efforts. Pastor Krupesky, former Ukraine Union President, and currently ESD Executive Secretary in Moscow arrived last evening. He speaks fluent English, is well acquainted with Kiev, and will be a great help. Dr. Randy Sloop, along with 3 friends from the U.S. will arrive in a few hours as well.

> > While the local team is growing, more hours are passing. Please continue to hold Jay up in your prayers. We don't know, but God does know where he is. Please remember Jay's wife Sharlene and the boys and their families, too. The uncertainties are only increasing, but their faith in God, while being tested, remains strong.

> > In prayer,

> > Fred

> > Fred Hardinge, DrPH, RD

> Associate Health Ministries Director

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

[Gail]

Wow...

Dear Father, You in Your omniscience know where Dr. Sloop is. If he remains alive or not, please help the search party locate him soon. By Your Spirit please let them know where to look.

Thank You, Lord- In Jesus' name- amen

[Arwen]

Source: Adventist News Network

Quote:

Adventist Health Worker Remains Missing in Kiev, Ukraine:

Jay Sloop, 77, not seen in over 72 hours after early morning walk (Updated May 17, 2013)

BY ANGELA BURDICK, Euro-Asia Division Communication, with Adventist Review staff

More than three days after disappearing in Kiev, Ukraine, a Seventh-day Adventist health worker from Yakima, Washington, remains missing, local church officials said Friday, May 17, 2013. Search efforts continue and are intensifying.

Dr. Jay Sloop, M.D., 77, Health Ministries Director for the church’s Upper Columbia Conference, was in the Ukrainian capital with a team of health professionals for three weeks, helping the local Adventist church set up a lifestyle center. He was last seen on Tuesday, May 15, 2013, at around 7:00 a.m. attempting to access funds in an automated teller machine, and then walking into the Zamkova Gora Park. Security cameras recorded his entrance, but there is no footage showing he left the city park.

When Sloop did not return to the local Adventist headquarters for a breakfast appointment, colleagues Sergey Lutsyi and Yuri Bonderanko alerted the police and contacted all of the Kiev hospitals and morgues to report the details of Dr. Sloop’s disappearance and to request any information.

At 2:00 pm, on May 15, the local police arrived at the Church’s headquarters for a statement, and they prepared a missing person’s report. Three Ukrainian TV networks were informed of the situation, and they prepared news stories that were broadcast at prime time and posted on the following websites:

http://podrobnosti.ua/video/accidents/2013/05/15/#comments and

http://ru.tsn.ua/video/video-novini/v-kieve-na-podole-propal-amerikanec.html?type=1700

Jeff Sloop, Dr. Sloop’s grandson, arrived in Kiev and immediately started working with local church leaders who had already begun organizing the search. He has been updating family members via a blog: http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=65 Also, Facebook has been used to spread awareness: https://www.facebook.com/uppercolumbia

Approximately 7,000 posters with Sloop’s picture and a cellphone notification number have been posted across the city. Students from the nearby Ukraine Adventist Center of Higher Education were requested to assist, and around 80 volunteers canvassed Kiev on Thursday, May 16.

Prayer vigils have been organized in Ukraine and at the Euro-Asia Division headquarters in Moscow, as well as at Sloop’s home church in Yakima.

Guillermo Biaggi, Euro-Asia division president, shared his concern, "We are praying for the Lord's guidance and mercy. We are joining our efforts together with local Union leadership, as well as our human resources in the Kiev Conference and nearby school, together with government officials and responders, to search and find Dr. Sloop.”

Vladimir Krupskyi, Division Executive Secretary and former Ukrainian Union President, flew from Moscow to Kiev on May 17 to assist in the search.

Friday’s activities included the continuing search by volunteers as well as more meetings with local and regional officials who committed to provide additional resources, such as trained search and rescue dogs. In addition, the U.S. Embassy is working to support the search efforts. Local church members and volunteers are planning to continue their efforts over the weekend.

Church officials appeal to members and friends around the world to join those who continue to pray for Dr. Sloop’s safe recovery.

Sloop began directing Upper Columbia's Health Ministries department after he retired from his medical career in Yakima, Washington. From 1969 to 2005 he served the Yakima community in private practice, along with inpatient care and teaching at Total Health Lifestyle Center, an inpatient lifestyle change facility.

The Park is very steep and wooded, with lots of different trails.

Can we all pray for Dr. Jay.

[phkrause]

Have said a

[LynnDel]

Quote:

The day is basically spent now, and we still have not found Jay.

Again, my information on what has happened and what the plans are is incomplete – but I’ll still try to give my best review of what we know, what’s happened and what is planned. [This is a longish post.]

First, let me address some topics I’ve seen tossed around, with a lot of bad / wrong / misunderstood information mixed in.

1) We are not aware of any coerced ATM or other bank transactions. Yes, he did make an ATM withdrawal shortly after he left for his walk Tuesday morning. It was for a very moderate amount of money, and the camera footage of him making the withdrawal does not show anyone with him. It doesn’t appear to show him in any distress or being coerced

No bank transactions have been attempted, related to Jay, since he disappeared

2) We are not aware of any possibility that he was kidnapped or otherwise taken by anyone. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, but there certainly isn’t any evidence, I’m aware of, that he was.

3) The US embassy staff and US State Department have been very helpful and are working with us and the people in-country to do the most they can. We’re impressed.

4) The Ukrainian Union and officials, as well as many private individuals HAVE been helping, and doing a lot. However, there is always misunderstandings and the knowledge between parties isn’t perfect. We’re very grateful for the assistance we’ve received and we know that each person and group is doing as much and as well as they can.

Again, misunderstandings do occur. Here’s an example...

---See more here: http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=81

[phkrause]

Thanks for the updated info.

[Gordon1]

Sure hope this ends well.

One can only surmise a bear's cave or a ransom note will turn up.

Didn't know Kiev was 60 miles from Chernobyl.

[Arwen]

Quote:

Saturday

This will be very brief.

I have not talked to anyone in Kiev since the very end of the day yesterday. It’s late afternoon/early evening there as I write this and Jay still has not been found.

I’m not sure what the focus was going to be today. I know that we were expecting to get many church members out and canvass the area around the Union office some more. I also know that there was a plan to talk to people entering the park during the early morning hours to see if we could gather any more information that way. But other than that, I don’t have more details.

As I said yesterday – when you’re thousands of miles away, you always want more information, and wish you knew more. It’s just the way of things, and we’ll just have to get used to feeling that way – because I doubt that the way I feel, or the amount of information I get, is likely to change.

Several answers to questions regularly asked:

1) Have you tried dogs?

Dogs were evidently used, early in the search, several days ago. But since it’s rained several times, they wouldn’t be useful for tracking someone. I know they have been considered again, attempting to find if Jay were in a spot we couldn’t see, but the dog could smell. [Think air-scenting vs tracking dog.] I don’t know what ultimate decision has been reached, but I think that most of these kinds of working dogs are in the hands of the police, or disaster services and I don’t believe the full weight of these government services have been available to us. [And no, I don't think any of us here on this side of the world really know why. I'm not sure any of the people in Kiev know why either. This has seemed to change a bit over the last day or so, so perhaps this will be a more viable option soon.]

2) Did he have a cell-phone or GPS?

No, he didn’t have a cellphone or GPS with him. While he took his phone with him to Ukraine, he didn’t use it in-country that I’m aware of. You know, “old guys” just aren’t as driven to SIM unlock their phones and get a local SIM so they can text all their friends and take calls on the sidewalk and every where else. Plus, since he used Skype to talk to people back home, there just wasn’t as much need. It is too bad that’s the case, because it would have given us a lot of great tracking data – but alas, it’s not to be.

3) Has a reward been offered?

This has been considered, and at least early on, the best expert advice I could get seemed to indicate that this would likely result in more information and leads, but that it would also likely greatly increase the amount of inaccurate information too. Generally it was felt that it would likely do more harm than good. Since there’s an expert on site now, we tend to defer to his advice, and I am not aware if this has been discussed recently.

So that’s all I have for this morning. I’ll see if I can get more detail without hindering the work that’s going on.

Oh, and while I’ve left this to last, as an aside, it’s not a side issue for me.

Many have asked how Mom is doing.

As you might imagine – she’s extremely worried. She wants more detail, and is terribly anxious as each hour, day, and probably minute, passes. But I’m amazed at how well, considering the situation, she has done. She appreciates the thoughts you’ve sent via email and comments here, and knowing how she and Dad have touched peoples lives, and that you care. So thanks. We all appreciate it.

Again, I’ll come back with more information as I have it.

Source: http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=88

[LynnDel]

There is no new news. Please continue in prayer.

Todays's update from http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=100

Quote:

So, I know there’s ahost of youthat really loved dad – you’ve posted loving comments and the numberof people who havereached out is really amazing.Thanks!

So, weknow youloveus – but I’veheard that you[at least *some* of you] have been telling the USEmbassyabout how much youlove Jay too. So many and so often, in fact, that they say they are overwhelmed.Wow!So, it’s a good thing to be loved, but abad thing to overwhelm the embassy switchboard.

If it isn’t clearenough yet – I’ll say it clearer. Please,don’t call the embassy.They are being really wonderful in reaching out to assist.I, personally, know theysent numerous people to assist in thesearch of thepark on Friday. They’ve been great in responding to our inquiries and following up with us.So, know that we’re very happywith the USembassy, and bugging them won’t bring more help, more quickly.It will only causedisruptions. Thanks so much for listening!

So, now lets play alittle more of the game, “Have youthought of. .!?”

“Haveyouchecked the hospitals and morgues?” Yes, wehavetalked to the hospitals.But, in your defense, wedid it by phone.Now that we’ve searched the park and havetimeto turn to a few other items, weplan to actually visit each, in person. It’s not likelyanything was missed in the calls, but apersonal visit may help us feel a bit morecertain.

“Haveyouchecked bodies of water.” Well, sincetherearen’t any bodies of water, moving orotherwise, nearanyof theplaces werewe thought Jaymight have gone missing –the answer would beno. Now that thenumber of places wearelikely to search is changing, I suppose that might change as well.But to date, we’venot had anypotential places in water to search.

“Do youthink there’s too much/too little media coverage?” or“What do youthink of what XYZ media outlet said.” Well, I’mnot sure what to say.Oneside of me says – until my Dad is back and home with my Mom, if it takes having his nameon every single person on planet earth’s lips, that is fine by me. Theother side of medoesn’t want to offend anyone– whispers in my ear, “whyis your Dad so special?” I mean really, thereareareso many that need attention, help and care. Why the special treatment for my Dad?

While that’s a*huge* discussion – I guess I’ll say – I’m glad lots of people care and want to help. I’mterribly touched at the outpouring of support and care. I certainly don’t want to lose touch with thefact that none of us is owed this kind of care and love fromanyoneelse. But it IS really very, very nice to have it. So, we’reglad to havehis name in the news, and we want to get all thehelp we can.

On the otherhand, we know how unreliable the “news” can be.I know some of thereports I’ve seen arewrong in numerous respects.But that’s part of the price for coverage– so we’ll grimacewhen wefind inaccuracies and hope for better.

I know, I’vehad alittleamusement at the questions we’ve gotten – and I really don’t intend to mock anyone.I know you’reall trying to help and trying to think of something, anything that wemight not havethought of –just trying to do *anything* to help. So thanks. We know, just like calling the embassy, that you careand want to help – that’s why youwrite, ask questions, givesuggestions and drown the embassy switchboard. Welove youtoo!

—-I’mworking on summarizing what we think we’ll be doing to find Dad forthe next dayin my next post. Hopefully I’ll have something foryouin the next few hours.

Again, thanks forall the kind words and thoughts.It helps keep ourspirits up during the long wait.

-Greg

[LynnDel]

I don't know why my phone deleted the spaces in the original article. I will let someone else do the reposting from now on, unless I am on my computer when I see an update.

[LynnDel]

The search continues (from http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=117):

Quote:

It’s about 5a in Kiev, and I just got some updates – this time from Randy.

He’s been really thankful and impressed with all the generous help we’ve been getting.

He says words like “tremendous” and “spectacular” and I know he’s right. He contacted the hospitals, in person this time, and it seems they feel a bit overwhelmed, kind of like the Embassy. “The hospital and morgues have been contacted so many times, that they know the story by heart.”

He says they have been following up on every lead possible, every sighting.

Someone had claimed to see Dad in one of the Cathedrals. Randy went there and spoke with the head rector, and everyone on the staff. They even assisted by calling the staff that were not there yesterday and talking to them too.

I’m told that as many as 50,000 flyers are being prepared to be posted around Kiev, along with the 5000+ already out there. Fifty thousand! [His name might just be on every lip, at least in Kiev, before this is over! When they say "Jay Sloop" it sounds really funny to our ears though. ]

Jay’s disappearance has been in the news numerous times there and we’re told that there will be another story tomorrow – a human interest story, I’m told.

While we don’t have any new leads, tomorrow we will continue to investigate all the places Jay was known to visit while out walking etc. One friend of his recalled another place they had walked and we plan to check that location thoroughly – it’s fairly close to the park we have already searched.

So, Monday will be another incredibly busy day. It looks like it will be a warm [but not too hot] day, with little to no rain, at least until tonight. That should be a help for people who are outside.

I’m sure I’m missing some things – but I can always come back and post later.

Keep everyone, the lost and the searchers, in your prayers. We all need it.

Thanks!

-Greg

[LynnDel]

It's been nearly a week. This from http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=122

Quote:

Posted Monday, 1p Pacific time/ 11p Kiev time. [2013/05/20]

I’m sure I’ll be back to follow this post up, but I thought I’d get up a few things, very quickly.

We are now just shy of one week since Dad disappeared. That’s a distressing mark of time…

I just spent nearly an hour talking to Jeff and then Randy. There’s really nothing new to report today. They have continued searching more places that are possibilities for where Jay might have gone. They have done a number of news interviews; TV and papers. They continue to put up flyers/posters. Jeff says they are ubiquitous – just *everywhere*.

But let me take a break from the recitation of facts and details to make a request from each of you.

—

Randy has said that the churches in Kiev have all made a request that their members fast and pray for 24 hours. They started about three hours ago – at 8p Kiev time.

Randy would like me to ask you, those who can and who find it in their hearts, to join us.

We certainly don’t want to ask you to do this, if this isn’t something you believe in. This is between you and God. But we would be honored to have you join us.

Thanks to all for your help.

Thanks for all your friendship.

Thanks for all your care.

-Greg [and all the rest of the family.]

It is too late for us to join in the same 24-hour segment of fasting and prayer as those in Kiev, but it is certainly possible for those of us who would like to add this facet to our prayers to do it on our own schedule.

LD

[Arwen]

Tuesday May 21

Quote:

Tuesday AM

It was just one week ago, today that we got the call that Dad [Jay] was missing.

I’d like to take some time reflecting on what’s happened in the last week, on how that’s changed each of us, and on how many lives Jay has touched, and now, on how many lives have touched his in the outpouring of care, love, time, and resources to find him.

But that reflecting will have to wait some. I simply don’t have the time, right now, to do that. So, I’ll update you on what’s happened and what we anticipate doing today.

It’s nearing the end of the day in Kiev, but I haven’t had any chance to discuss what’s occurring since late yesterday with Randy or Jeff.

One of the people with Dad suggested another scenic park nearby Zamkova – and we thoroughly searched that yesterday, along with some other locations, without any significant results. These searches were done by about 25 seminary students who have given large portions of their day, both yesterday and Sunday to come do some pretty miserable work. While I’m told we treated them with ice-cream, it’s got to be the lousiest deal ever for some ice-cream. We thank them for their care and time from the deepest part of our hearts.

The police evidently brought an air-scenting dog to search the Zamkova park to see if it could find any localized source of Dad scent.

There are quite a number of different techniques for using dogs and scents, and I don’t know about, or understand them all. Thus I’m not entirely sure what the capability of the dog is/was. I would assume that the dog would potentially be able to find something of Dad’s left behind – say a piece of clothing, or if Dad were concealed somewhere in the park. This would be different than a “tracking” dog which would attempt to follow scent left behind to find the intended person.

As I understand it, only very small portions of the park could be covered with this search – if I recall correctly, a dog like this is only effective for something like four to six hours or so. With a single dog, and limited time, you have to try to check the most likely locations – but for a park this size, that’s a tiny portion.

Early in the morning, Monday they went out to identify additional security cameras that *might* offer additional details. Getting the camera feeds has been difficult, but it is something they are working on.

The police seem to have turned the corner into really getting involved – I suspect the media attention had helped. Yesterday there were police involved in searching small areas of the Zamkova park, yet again. They were also involved in asking for the security camera feeds. [up to now, as I understand it, the camera feeds have all been obtained by private individuals simply asking the camera owner, nicely, if they would share it.]

I know there have been multiple efforts to talk to people who visit the park during the morning hours when dad was last seen. There was an attempt yesterday to talk to people we saw in the video who visited the park right near the time Dad visited on last Tuesday.

There were two media interviews yesterday. One was for a paper [Kiev post] that seems like a good solid paper, less interested in sensationalism and more interested in doing a reasonable presentation of the story. The other was for the largest TV channel, and while it’s nice to have coverage, it’s also hard to live with the desires and financial incentives that drive ratings and sensational reporting.

And again, we’ve been observing a day of prayer and fasting. If you joined our invitation, thanks! The very fact that you’re here reading this means you probably care and we appreciate your care and the great efforts that are being put forth to help.

It’s almost 8p in Kiev right as I type this. Hopefully I’ll have more details to give a bit later in the day.

Source Source

[Arwen]

Tuesday May 21

Quote:

Tuesday night . . . /b]

Tuesday was spent reviewing more camera feeds, and talking with those who might have visited the park around the time Dad went missing. They got a chance to talk to some people, and have others they would like to talk to.

They also took time to search some unoccupied buildings that are on the opposite side of the park, away from the entrances. The students that were helping search were fabulous, not having been told what they would be doing and not being dressed for this kind of activity. But they gamely went on and looked through the buildings seeing what they could find.

In the afternoon, The Hope Channel in Ukraine did a press conference today – Randy and several others had a chance to talk about what Dad was there to do, what he was there to help with, and about the search for Dad.

Later, they also spent some time talking to the police and answering more questions they had. The police wanted to get the video feeds that Jeff and the volunteers had gathered for the Union office. But the police have refused to give us the video feeds they have, claiming they need the authorization from a supervisor. But we’ve been asking for this data for days – it’s frustrating how slow and unmotivated the police seem.

While the police have been helping more, it still seems pretty tepid. It is better than it was, but it still seems as much for show as for actually accomplishing things. Much of what is done seems not very thorough, almost haphazard. We wish we knew what to do to really motivate the police to cooperate and step up and work with us closely, instead of doing what appears to be the bare minimum of work and minimal cooperation.

Some time was spent looking at other places that Dad had walked in the past, and though we have absolutely no evidence he was there last Tuesday, we felt it wise to check those places again. None of these are close to the areas that Dad was seen on the security cameras on Tuesday.

They did get a call, late in the day by someone who wanted to share their CCTV feed. But after arriving and getting things setup, they discovered that they didn’t have last Tuesday’s video because it only holds onto a week before overwriting. But Randy says they so wanted to help, and even though the trip was no real help, the warmth and intent of the people to assist and their empathy so clear – he was very touched at the gesture. Even for no real progress, Randy says “…the trip was worth the effort.” [Have I mentioned how frustrating it is, not to have the police assisting in gathering these from many locations in the area, long before now!]

There were a couple of talks they had with people who said they had seen people who had been injured around the date and time Dad disappeared. They had evidently called in to let us know they might be able to help. Yet, after talking to them, it was clear that these incidents were unlikely to have any relationship to Dad’s disappearance. One case the person injured was much younger than Dad, and the other didn’t match in other respects.

Along with many others, Randy & I both fasted and prayed. We appreciate those who joined us. It is a tough choice to make and it is one that you need to make, not as a bargain with God, or because you “should,” but because you believe in your heart that God is asking you to focus on him and his might, not your “awesome” blogging skills or some other “greatness” we bring to the situation.

God’s goodness, his will, and how we can work with God, instead of how he can work around us, should be our focus. What small talents we bring to a task, God can use to much effect, if we put that effort where he wants us to.

But it’s hard letting someone else be in charge, isn’t it? As I’ve said before – when you watch someone else do something, you always feel you know better, have some better angle, and if “they’d just do it this way” all would be better. And I’m sure I do the same with God – probably nearly every day. So, taking time to really talk to God to spend time pondering your congruence with his plan and letting him bend us, if that’s needed, is a good, if less than pleasing, thing.

We continue to follow up on the information we have, and move forward, even when we don’t seem to have a lot of great options.

We are, however, frustrated with the tepid response of the police and wish we know what more we could do to move that area forward. Private individuals and volunteers have done virtually all the hard lifting so far. So it’s hard to feel that, were the police serious, they could bring a lot more resources to bear on this situation.

Continue to pray for us, and for the involvement of the police – we could so use their help, now as much as ever. Pray for wisdom and that we would find God’s way, not our way. Pray for those who have influence over the police and other government resources. And pray for each of the wonderful volunteers who have sacrificed so much of their time and energy. We’d have practically nothing without the kind-hearted people of Ukraine.

Thanks again!

http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=134

[LynnDel]

I never dreamed that we'd still be at a loss as to what has happened a week after we started praying for Jay Sloop.

LD

[Gordon1]

If the park was properly searched what possible explanations remain?

If foul play, where is the motive?

[Arwen]

Wednesday May 22

Quote:

Wednesday – end of day

. . . Ok. well enough stories, eh? Then, back to the salt mines we go.

Today Randy asked for more video feeds. We’ve looked at the map of where they are situated and if we can get most of what we want, I suspect that will be pretty helpful. I’ve seen snippits of it, and it’s “odd” seeing Dad, knowing that just minutes later he disappears. [it's also odd how you don't even need to see a person's face to know who it is. The way we walk and move - even such ordinary things are still unique. When you see it, you just know.]

Randy went to visit the US Embassy, since he hadn’t talked to any of them in-person since arriving here. Jeff had visited, but not Randy. Randy wanted to ask if they could assist in moving the police any faster. I don’t think they were terribly hopeful. I think the general consensus was that the Ukraine police simply move at the pace they move.

The embassy has been extremely helpful and welcoming. They’ve taken our needs seriously and really done as much as they could to help. It seems that they simply don’t have enough leverage to get the police to do more. [i wonder if someone at higher levels of the state department could do more. Does anyone out there know John Kerry, or William Burns etc?! You could just send them a friendly note and ask if they'd see what they could do to motivate the Ukrainians.

We still can’t get the video feeds the police have, so we’re moving forward at getting our own and simply trying to live without the resources that the police should provide. We’re not leaving anything out, that we might be able to do, to find Dad.

We’re trying to ensure that we haven’t somehow missed him leaving Zamkova park – even though we’ve seen the camera feed that is near that entrance.

These are motion sensitive cameras so there isn’t a continuous feed. The camera, in general, turns on and off only when it “sees” movement in the central portion of the frame. So, as movement moves out of the center of the frame and moves away, the camera may stop unless something else has entered the frame and keeps the camera recording. So, it is certainly possible, depending on the view and other factors that you might not see everything “interesting” there was to see. So, more cameras and more views increases our certainty about exactly where we think Dad went.

Tomorrow will bring more effort to get additional video and closely look at the new video we have already obtained but haven’t yet had a chance to look at.

The verse that’s been in my head for days now is:”Not by might, nor by power, but by my will” says God.

And impatient me says, “Ok God, I get it, but could you hurry it up a bit, please.”

Man, is that ever hard.

More tomorrow.

Read more here

[Arwen]

Before he went missing Dr Jay went to the ATM and took out a moderate amount of cash.

Let's hope that it is not foul play.

[Arwen]

It is awful.

Let’s keeping on praying.

[Arwen]

Friday May 24

Quote:

Friday morning . . .

Lots has changed since my last post. I didn’t want you to think we’d gone away – but I need to take a few minutes to organize some things – so rather than completely leave you hanging while I do so, here’s a intsta-update

1) We have not yet found Dad.

2) Lots has changed.

I’ll be back in the next few hours with a more complete update.

Source: http://www.sloop.net/wordpress/?p=161