U K R A I N E
There are moments in ministry that remind us why presence matters. Not perfect circumstances, nor polished programs, but faithful people showing up with the love and hope of Christ.
That is what we are seeing in Ukraine.
At Girska Zupynka Camp in Transcarpathia, Western Ukraine, 39 children recently arrived with their widowed mothers or another caring adult. Each child carried a story shaped by loss, fear, and war.
Among them were two siblings: Roksolana*, 16, and her little brother Maksym*, 6 (see photo right.) They came from a village near Dnipro, right on the front line, where drones and shells fly overhead day and night. This camp was their first time leaving their village, traveling over 1,000km to get there. Their lives have been marked by deep grief. After losing both their father and mother, Roksolana became numb with sorrow. Yet even in her own pain, she chose to care for her little brother. Their aunt welcomed them into her home and became a shelter for them in the darkness.
When they arrived at camp, the sadness they carried felt heavy.
Maksym spent almost all of his free time on the trampoline. One day, when a leader gently encouraged him to come eat and return afterward, he quietly replied, “I don’t think I will have time for this.”
Maybe those moments on the trampoline felt like the only moments he truly had to play, the only moments when he could simply be a child again.
Roksolana refused every activity at first. Her wounded heart did not want to move, participate, or hope. But she was surrounded with patience, kindness, and love and slowly; something began to change.
She started coming to activities. Then she began to participate. And one day, the first smile appeared on her face; a small but beautiful sign that her heart was beginning to come alive again.
Soon, Roksolana and Maksym will return to the same difficult reality waiting for them at home. And yet, there is a flicker of hope. The light of Jesus’ love has been kindled in their hearts through leaders who reflected His love in every hug, every smile, and every act of care.
One leader shared how, “These experiences are changing me and the way I serve others.”
Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful miracles of all: that in the middle of so much pain, God’s love continues to soften hearts, restore hope, and teach His people how to love more deeply than before.
Please continue to pray for the children and families of Ukraine, for the leaders faithfully serving them, and for God’s peace and strength to surround His Church there.
*Names changed for security reasons
Leave a Reply