Anya (Kyiv)
Not many people make their way to this village, the road is not too good, crossing the wooden temporary bridge we came to Chervona Girka village. Natasha and Olya are left without home. The rocket took their man, father, husband away from them. Unexpectedly the rocket hit their home in daytime. They were on a different side of their yard, when their father was feeding the chickens. They were “the lucky ones” to stay alive.
Their house burned to the ground, all that they owed was gone. But their greatest loss was the father, provider and a cover of their family. “All that was burned was built by the dad” – they said. As of now they have no place to live. We were able to give some temporary help and hope to give them warm shelter for the winter.
Today together with a team from YWAM Colorado we are fixing small summer kitchen for them!! They will have shelter for the winter!
Marie and Japhine (Kyiv)
On the long way to grandpa Vladimir’s house, we listened to an audiobook about Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Plot to kill Hitler. Somehow, it felt like its a contemporary story. He said every German will come out of the Nazi regime guilty. Guilty of either doing something or not doing anything. I think that is the same for all Russians, Belarusians, and others who are in a position of influence.
Due to the Russian shellings, part of Vladimir’s property caught on fire, but somehow he was able to put the fire out and save his house. He had tape all over the windows to keep the glass from bursting into the house during the impact.
Two things that I love about this project.
- Cutting glass- it’s exciting, unpredictable, and it is not about the power but about precision.
- I love that it is personal; we get to know, minister, and serve one family at a time. At the end of that day, it’s not about the windows; it’s about the people, the relationships, and healing from the nightmare called war.
It was a long day. But we will do it over and over again, for such lovely people
A number of projects are being launched across the bombed out villages of Ukraine to help rebuild damaged houses and to provide temporary shelters to the many primarily elderly who have been affected. Please pray for this next phase of ministry across Ukraine. Funds and volunteers are needed.
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team