Look no further than coffee shop owners and pastors in Ukraine to see how to fight the daily grind.
Small coffee shops proliferate in Ukraine. Even small villages have more than one.
In the cities there are hundreds of kava places. Many of them are mom-and-pop-kind of shops, whose square footage allows for coffee machines, a counter, and a server. Many have their own brands with accompanying cups. 
All coffee shops serve Americanos which those of us from the True North have turned into Canadianos. Inexpensive. Great taste. Small cups.
On one trip to Ukraine, I had nine coffees in a day.
My last coffee in Ukraine in 2025, at the train station in Kyiv.
War Coffee
Kharkiv is a city of one and a half million close to the Russian border and sustained significant destruction since the invasion started. A Kharkiv coffee shop was half destroyed by a Russian attack at 6am on July 8. Devastating. What do you do next? Round up some plywood, a hammer and nails, brooms, cleaning supplies, a garbage container, restock the counters and shelves and get ready for customers.
The shop opened again, at 2:00pm the same day.
Ukrainians in social media encouraged others to go and buy some coffee there to support them.
Jocelyn and I just spent almost seven weeks connecting with Ukrainian pastors over coffee or Chai.
The Ukraine on CBC or CNN is not the Ukraine we experienced up close. Jocelyn and I saw ia Ukraine that looks a lot like Canada. Mile after mile of fields with ripening crops. Sunflowers, corn, canola, wheat, and more.
In Common
People in Ukraine want what Canadians want: clean water, a good job, a roof over their family’s heads and food on the table, peace and freedom. All that is increasingly in jeopardy.
The Christians we work with lead with a reasoned hope. They know Jesus is building His Church and no matter what governments may do, even the gates of hell with not overcome that work. Every lead pastor is bi-vocational.Their business income supports their family and makes up a good portion of the church income.
They work hard. It’s difficult to rest. Pastoral life in Canada and Ukraine is a world apart. What unites us is honour and understanding.
This summer, volunteers led day camps for 2000+ kids.These kids deserve a reason to smile and imagine a free Ukraine. The kid’s teams deliver. Something as simple to Canadians as roasting marshmallows, is a once in a year treat for some kids.
After marshmallows, kids prayed for Bob, led by Pastor Zhana and Sasha (foreground)
How Are You?
Ukraine is the land of “How are you? Are you OK?” That’s what multiple people messaged us after suicide drones blew up an area close to our apartment. The blasts shook our building. Are you OK, is the message Ukrainians share every day with friends and family when Russian strikes occur.
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