From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 730):

(written on February 23, posted late because of Facebook malfunction)

‭‭I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
Psalm 130:5-7

There are so many good things happening around us:

• We celebrated 100 Days of School today (which is impressive by itself) and were blessed not to have air raids.
• Today, the Ukrainian Air Force downed another Russian A-50 military aircraft over the Azov Sea. It’s an improved type of the long-range radar detection aircraft that was shot down on January 14.
• In the past week, Ukraine shot down seven of Russia’s best jets. News of another SU aircraft being downed just now awaits confirmation.
• A fundraiser attempt to collect almost $8 mln (just over €7 mln) for 35 sea drones was successfully completed in less than two days. Dozens of large companies and family businesses, as well as ordinary people, donated to the cause at the rate of about a drone an hour.

It feels like God is sending us extra encouragement, telling us to keep hoping, and my spirit is willing. At the same time, my “flesh” remains tense from the gnawing anxiety. The air raid started about an hour ago (a drone threat in several regions), and I even felt relieved we could spend the night in our apartment hallway. As I was trying to understand what feels so unsettling now if little has changed, I realized it was the fact that we would be starting the third year of the full-scale war (and 11th year of Russian aggression that started in Crimea). This symbolic milestone shows how much of our life we have already lost and makes you wonder how much longer it is going to take.

Tomorrow, on February 24, many cities will have peaceful demonstrations, rallies, or special events to support Ukraine. Please, find a way to participate and show your solidarity.

24Feb2022