From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 652):
Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
Psalm 52:1
With the end of the year approaching, we see lots of end-of-the-year analyses or 2024 prognoses, and it feels overwhelming. My heart sinks every time I think of the scale of restoration Ukraine will need once the war is over, but the truth is that it will get much worse because the end is far from being near.
I read about some ammunition production plans (both in Ukraine and Europe or the USA), and they have goals they plan to reach in 2 or even 5 years. It can only mean they believe it’s unlikely that the war will be over by then.
Ukraine managed to return several kids who had been kidnapped by Russia, but over 19 thousand children have been taken by Russia (and these are the official numbers). They estimated that if Ukraine could bring back one child a day, it would take over 55 years for them to return home.
The long-term consequences of the war on children are still hard to predict, but we already see a drop in student proficiency (according to PISA score compared to 2018). Distance learning, lessons interrupted by air raids, cognitive skills affected by extended stress — this is just the tip of the iceberg as it’s talking about academic skills, but we must understand that the problem is more significant than that.
In all of this, I can only turn to God and beg Him to intervene, to redeem everything affected by this brutal war, and to work everything for the glory of His name.
Voice of Ukraine 
2 responses to “12/8/2023 – In all of this, I can only turn to God and beg Him to intervene, to redeem everything affected by this brutal war, and to work everything for the glory of His name.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
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Lord God, care for the children and orphans as you have promised. Give them a future and a hope. Psalm 10:12-15
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