Voice of Ukraine

From: Lyuda Betina (Day 712)

Last week was full of joy, meetings and interesting news and learning. We, the counselors of our center made a trip to Svitlovodsk, a small town in the center of the country. We attended a seminar on working with trauma and received not only new knowledge, practical work skills, but we also received spiritual help and encouragement. When we constantly work with people and are concentrated on helping others, we don’t always realize how much we need help ourselves.

Selfcare is an important part of the counselor’s work, but we often neglect it. We are very grateful to the team of therapists from the USA for their courage to come to Ukraine, for their care and help. We were especially excited to see our old friend Craig Boden, who had already come to Ukraine to give a seminar before, who constantly supports us in correspondence and on Zoom in group meetings and individually.

We were also very pleased to meet the members of the church that hosted us, to see their ministry and to support them as they supported and encouraged us. Just like us, they help refugees, the military and the wounded soldiers in the hospitals. And their little church in a little town does so much.

The beginning of this year was a little depressing. We heard and read a lot of sad news, the cold and bad weather conditions were complicating the situation at the front and we were worried about our soldiers. But the mood changed when we began to communicate more with our military acquaintances. Their strength of spirit is amazing. Yes, we are not moving forward yet, they say, but this is temporary. We are preparing and will start attacking soon. Their endless humor also cheers everybody up.

The news last week was also encouraging. Our army is actively destroying Russian military facilities, equipment and weapons. One more ship that shelled our territory with rockets sank due to the use of modern marine drones by our army. Airplanes at airfields that were accustomed to bombing our cities at night can not feel safe any more and some of them were destroyed or seriously damages due to the work of our air drones. We are watching videos of the work of our drones, which now also regularly fly over the border. We hope that it will happen more and more and F 16 that are coming will make it impossible for Russian planes to send bombs to our cities.

I regularly get calls from Alex, a guy who was suicidal a year ago. Now he encourages me, talking about his everyday life, about his plans and adventures. He managed to overcome the difficulties that caused him panic and fear and now serving in the army is his ordinary life, he became a real man and a soldier, and even the war became something ordinary for him. It’s interesting that now at the beginning of our conversations he asks me questions that I used to ask him. He asks how I’m doing, how I’m feeling, how my family and church are doing. It seems that he and I have switched roles and Alex as a real defender want to protect me in all aspects. I really hope that we will meet at the end of the war and I will hug this sweet boy who has become like a son to me.

We rarely receive messages from Paul Lukoshkin now, but sometimes he sends funny videos or encouraging posts. Two days ago, he came home for just a few hours to pick up a repaired car that they use there from a local garage. He had a short visit with his parents, slept a little and left.

We also keep constant connection with Denis Dudkin, the former elder of Odessa church, who is standing with his regiment protecting the border with Belarus as the diversion groups from that direction regularly try to sneak on our territory.

One of the most important components of our struggle is the fact that we should not lose our spirit, we should be strong spiritually and encourage others.

Please, pray for us as we fight this spiritual battle.

Thank you for your prayers and thank you for you support.

Please, send your donations to Pathway Ministries
E. Langston Haygood,D.Min.,Ph.D.
Pathway Ministries, Inc.
288 Huntington Parc Circle
Birmingham, AL 35226
(205)835-3325
http://www.pathwayministriesinc.com

In Christ,
Lyuda
P.S. There are photos of our counselors visiting the seminar, the photo of Paul picking his car and the photos of the soldiers who received our parcels that we sent them.