From: Ira Kapitonova (Day 806):
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;
I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4
One may often feel tempted to hide from this war, pretend like it doesn’t exist, but sooner or later it will stare you in your face. It can catch up with you in different ways – a post from a friend who lost a loved one on the frontlines, a fundraiser for someone you know whose home was destroyed by a Russian missile, or a guy in the neighborhood with prosthetic limbs. As the war progresses, we’ll see its ugly consequences, yet it’s up to us how we deal with them.
I love that the students of our school are not shielded from the war. They are taught to think of themselves not as helpless victims but changemakers. Our community service lessons are a big part of it. Over the past few weeks, several groups of our students got to visit an organization that helps with prosthetics for those affected by the war. They got to meet a young man who lost his leg in battle and is now a patient there, see how prosthetic arms and legs are made, and even test how they work! It’s a wonderful way for our children to get introduced to the reality around us.
The organization is Protez Foundation. It was originally started by a Ukrainian in the US, and they now have one location in Minnesota (yay to my “home away from home” state!) and two in Ukraine. According to estimations, over 59,000 Ukrainians need prosthetics. The foundation’s goal is to help Ukrainians receive high-quality prosthetics in the US free of charge and provide mental health and emotional support for victims of war during their recovery. However, their funds are limited. If you would like to support them, look up Protez Foundation or see the link in the comments.
It’s a great example of how we can bring hope one step at a time.
Voice of Ukraine 