Kansas to Kharkiv: Gamer to Humanitarian, join the journey!
This isn’t just a story of digital connections or AI magic—there’s a real heart behind it. Mark wasn’t just another seasoned veteran when he arrived in Poland from Kansas to volunteer with Actions Beyond Words (ABW) for six weeks in September and October of 2024. Yes, he brought a wealth of hands-on expertise from countless missions, but Mark was more than that—he was a friend, a comrade, and a fellow gamer from another world.
Mark’s bond with Simon, ABW’s Co-Founder, wasn’t formed in the chaos of war but in the digital worlds of zombie apocalypses, dungeon raids, tank battles, and space odysseys. For six years, under the gamer tag “FailureMachine,” Mark had become a legend. Together, he and Simon had lived and died together in World of Tanks and explored the galaxies in Elite Dangerous. Yet, despite their countless hours of shared digital adventures, they had never met face to face—until now.
When Mark set foot on Polish soil, transitioning from their online friendship to real life came with its own quirks. Their first mission? Figuring out what to call each other in person. After years of using their gamer tags, using real names felt a little strange—but amusing nonetheless. Of course, there was no time to dwell on it—the real-world work was waiting.
The ABW base in Poland was set to up to support a 12 to 16 week project, so the headquarters needed some TLC and Maintenance & Repair (M&R). A shower had recently failed, a door stood propped against a wall, and the to-do list had been growing across the year up, waiting for someone with both the skills and the time to tackle them. Mark was that person, bringing his practical know-how and methodical approach to the space. He also brought fresh eyes, offering some suggestions on a few simple improvements that could help HQ run more effectively.
Wasting no time, Mark installed a new shower Simon had brought from the UK, fixed the doors, and took on other essential repairs. But this was just the beginning. The first week was filled with planning, checking systems, and preparing for their mission to Ukraine. With Mark’s vast knowledge, jumping into some auto-electrics and M&R, his skills were invaluable. Linda from Paracrew also joined the team as they awaited a 40-foot truck from Nada Nord, Finland carrying crucial supplies—including adult incontinence products for those in need—needless to say, this chip in the jigsaw was “further delays”, seeing plans upended on multiple occasions
As with any humanitarian mission, things didn’t always go as planned. Just as they began loading up the van for the next leg of the journey, the ignition collar broke. Frustration crept in as delays piled up. The incoming truck from Norway, destined for Kharkiv, was delayed by an extra day, forcing them to completely rethink/reverse their route. Even with the best planning, the reality of working in such a dynamic, high-stakes environment can be challenging.
Eventually, they were back on the road, heading toward Podilsk with a hastily repaired ignition and renewed determination. The alternative route made way less sense, but options were more limited than time, and the time was very limited. The journey took its toll—literally. As the van hit rough, almost non-existent roads, the rear axle was damaged. Thankfully, Mark had earlier installed new convoy lights, which were now invaluable. The axel managed to complete the first trip, but the van would need major repairs back home, impacting the last 10 days of planned activity to close out this trip, and some new tyres to boot!
After a long day of driving, a brief rest, and a meeting with the Kyuliack Territorial Community, they checked on heaters that had been delivered from Norway earlier in the week. Another short night followed, and then a long journey to Kharkiv, where the team found themselves staying in a former dental in-patient facility, no longer functioning due to the war. We also took the chance to visit Kystina at “A Place under the Sun’ dog shelter we have been supporting you can read about this in our blog here
The next morning, they started early, heading into Kharkiv’s centre to offload supplies at the Sitenko Institute Spinal and Neurological Clinic. They also dropped supplies off with their colleagues at IT4Life, sent from our friends in Norway, with transportation paid for am facilitated by ABW . For the full story, you can read more here.
After completing the mission in Kharkiv, Mark was dropped off in Kyiv to catch a solo train to Vinnytsia. It was his first visit to Ukraine, carrying not only his personal belongings but also tools he had brought or collected along the way—a daunting prospect for anyone. The rest of the team headed for base another 10 hours away, to complete what would be a 1,700-mile trip over four days!
The journey from Kyiv to Vinnytsia wasn’t without its challenges—ticketing issues, payment problems, and seating availability all caused headaches, and getting home again could be a blog in its own right. But the upside of learning the realities of Ukraine came when Mark was able to wire and repair two generators at an animal shelter for “Breaking the Chains.” These generators had been out of commission for some time, and Mark’s expertise brought much-needed warmth and power to the shelter. Like much of the journey, it came with frustrations and vertical learning curves—in this case, three-phase European power and distribution—all while making it switchable from mains to generator power during the blackouts. Thankfully, resources, knowledge, some local forums, websites, and a little YouTube plugged the gap.
Vehicle maintenance problems halted plans for a longer trip into Ukraine, and with international flights looming and two vans out of commission, they shifted their focus to more local work. Mark and the team jumped in helping out Jay at Hope Shelter in Przemyśl to provide transportation and food for refugees, while also wrapping up outstanding projects at their base and moving equipment across the border to Kharkiv—making do with the limited vehicle options and utilizing Nova Poshta to do the heavy lifting for us.
In one Facebook post, Mark shared the logistical challenges of navigating Ukraine:
“Train stations are like diesel pumps, not all diesel comes from black handles. Kyiv wanted me to use the app, but I bought a ticket with CapOne. Vinnytsia… app or cash. Lviv… app only. One assistant escorted me out of the station to a coffee shop so she could deposit my fare on her account to buy me a ticket using her app. Is that not enough to make ya start drinking? Oh, and before you say, just add a card to Google Pay… Can’t. Blocked. In Ukraine.”
It wasn’t an easy trip, but as Travis —Co-Founder of ABW—himself put it, “Planning is the easy part, everything going according to plan is the hard bit.!”
In closing, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Mark—for his time, effort, skills, and the financial contributions he brought to both 84 and Ukraine. We still can’t believe he walked from Przemyśl to Medyka, 8 miles (13km)with all his gear after that trip! We hope he leaves with memories, pictures, friendships, and shares his deeper understanding of the realities and frustrations of working in this region with friends and family back home. Know your input will be felt long after you’ve left by those who follow in your footsteps.
Please spread the word, and if you’d like to support us click here to donate If you’re interested in following in Mark’s footsteps and volunteering, please get in touch!
No Comments