When the nightly news shares a 45-second story about another attack in Ukraine, what does that mean to you?
Faces
Poltava. Kharkiv. Kriviy Rih. Lutsk. Kyiv. Lviv. Zaporizhzhia. Cherkasy.
These names bring to mind faces of pastors, friends, and children who live there. They go about their daytime lives after sleep-deprived nights interrupted by sirens and explosions. Their family members or friends serve in the Ukrainian military or they know someone who was killed or wounded in the last 1243+ days.
I’ve learned not to call Ukrainians heroes. They want to be free.
Their prayer is not for revenge, it is for peace.
They want to rebuild their lives and their nation.
And they want to be free of war, now and in the future.
We See You
Why the continued focus on Ukraine? Perhaps it’s because we feel seen by Ukrainians.
During our latest trip we were told that Jocelyn travelled further east in Ukraine than any other Canadian woman in the last 3 1/2 years. And she did so with no fanfare and very little anxiety. She’s the last one who would say she’s brave. It was the attitude of the leaders we worked with that created her calm.
A pastor in Ukraine sent this message after we returned home: “Thank you for serving us, each church and each one of us personally, despite all the circumstances that Ukraine is facing today. May God bless you again and again and again.”
If ever Canada was to fall prey to war, and the rest of the world were to be at peace, I hope that others would travel to Canada and say to us, “We see you. We believe in you. We stand with you.”
Ukraine did nothing to deserve this war.
Ukraine wants peace. You don’t have to look very hard to see the incredibly high price they have paid in blood and devastation.
One Day Soon
Pray for the peace of Kyiv. And Poltava. And Kharkiv. For every Ukrainian community and every child.
We hope to be a part of the recovery effort in Ukraine one day soon.
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