Voice of Ukraine

From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 479):

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalm 29:1‭, ‬11

An 85-year-old woman has been making knit woolen socks for our defenders since 2014. She has made over 900 pairs of socks. When she is done, she puts some candy or a children’s drawing in the socks to give some warmth not only to the feet but also to the soul.

A lady in charge of a hospital library in Kharkiv brings books to the wounded soldiers. The books are sent from all over Ukraine after she shared that the wounded soldiers often ask for something nice to read. When she brings them the books they request, she also listens to their stories. Many ask for children’s books to bring back happy memories, a lot of soldiers request history books to make sense of this cruel war, and some dream of a peaceful future like the soldier who asked for books about plants because he dreams of planting a large garden after Ukraine’s victory.

Pavlo Dorohoi, a photographer from Kharkiv, visited a destroyed Dovhenke village and lit up the destroyed houses as a symbol of hope. He says, “By lighting the lights in these houses, I wanted to give them hope that one day, life will return to them again. Hope that someday, a song and a child’s laughter will be heard within these walls again. I hope that someday there will be people inside these walls again. By lighting candles, I wanted to remember all those who died during this time. All those who had to leave their homes. All those who still cannot return home. All those who have nowhere to return to. By lighting the candles, I wanted the light to reappear in this place. I wanted it to dispel the darkness.
Because we, Ukrainians, need to be the ones who light the light. We are the ones who dispel the darkness.
We are the light!”

Let us be the light!