Voice of Ukraine

From: Jonathan Eide (MTW Ukraine Country Director) 🇺🇦 As parents, when our children were young and we heard them playing, yelling, or arguing from another room, we expected this and grew used to the noise. It’s when the kids got quiet that Tracy and I began to worry about what they were up to. Oddly, as I talk with friends in Ukraine, they describe a similar experience in their daily life, only with far more devastating consequences – chaos has become normal, and quietness brings anxiety. For those in Ukraine today, the consequence of silence is anticipation of pending destruction.

This letter has been particularly difficult for me to write because the situation in Ukraine has become harder. Russia’s apparent goal is to make some cities unlivable – many of these being where our churches are located. Attacks on infrastructure are relentless as evidenced by attacks last week on Kharkiv, a city of 700,000 people. Kharkiv’s bridges, main electric station and surrounding stations, and heating plants were targeted with 29 cruise missiles, many of which hit, and the city is now having to obtain electricity from surrounding areas.

A generation of children are being raised having their school classes in bomb shelters. A school teacher told me that instead of playing hide and seek at their school’s recess, this game has been replaced with the ‘seeker’ counting while making an air raid noise while the kids run and hide in a shelter. One of our pastors told me that while the work being done now is largely physical (e.g., getting aid to people, keeping the country going), the work post-war will be psychological, picking up all of the pieces and healing to move forward. His wife shared that if 2023 was a ‘year of hope’ for Ukraine, 2024 has become their ‘year of perseverance’.

It’s hard to watch and hear reports from Ukraine of what is happening there, but even worse for those experiencing the war in Ukraine. I find myself asking what can I do? What can we do?

A Ukrainian pastor/friend of mine gave me the answer to this question. He thanked our organization for the aid and donations given these past two years, and expressed their greatest current need is to not be forgotten. He shared that receiving aid shipments to their church or a donation to their church bank account is important and helps them survive. Getting a call from someone asking how they are doing and offering to pray for them is as important, if not more so, as this encourages and helps them to live knowing that others are coming alongside them in prayer.

This is the message for all of us. We naturally care about our family wherever they are and our special relationship with family moves us to be concerned and pray for them, particularly when they experience tragedy and hard trials. The same should be true for our church family in faith around the world. Ukraine continues to face so much death and destruction after more than two years since Russia’s invasion with possibly the worst yet to come.

Thank you for remembering our brothers and sisters in Ukraine in the following 10 ways as you pray:

For our Pastors and Church Leaders:
To remain faithful to their call continuing to faithfully point all to their hope in Jesus, not to the outcome of this war.

For their physical well-being, stamina and wisdom in caring both for souls and physical needs as many churches have become a refuge that provides humanitarian assistance and relief to citizens and displaced people.

Protection that they will not be conscripted to serve in the military and required to leave their churches.

For Church Members:
A significant concern is that church members are losing hope as they face the relentless assaults from Russian forces, and messaging from the Ukrainian government that is inconsistent with their daily reality.

Rest from the constant air raid sirens which are often at night interrupting their rest. People are exhausted and even strong families are getting worn down.

Children’s ministries are suffering as spiritual growth responsibilities currently fall largely on the parents alone.
Safety for several church members who are serving in Ukrainian military forces.

Safety for many elderly members who are unable to leave/evacuate their cities due to their health, limited mobility, etc.

For Ukrainian People:

For spiritual awakening in Ukraine. Early in the war, peoples’ trust was more in their government than their trust in God. Now, many are disillusioned and are turning to God as they see the destruction, loss, and pain, and look for something other than the government to save them. People who would not have sought assistance from churches before are now humbling themselves and asking for help.

For provision of trauma counseling materials/resources in Ukrainian to churches and access to specialists to help churches effectively utilize these resources.