From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv — (Day 1005 – 3931 days since the occupation of Crimea)
Yesterday was the Holodomor Remembrance Day. We remember the genocide against Ukrainians through artificial famine attempted by the Soviet Union in 1932-1933. Even though it was a horrifically cruel act, we can thank God today, for He preserved our grandparents and great-grandparents in those days so that we can remember His goodness today.
As we sat down as a family to remember our relatives and my husband read the notes passed on by his grandfather, I was reminded of a story shared by a Ukrainian soldier released from Russian captivity. He said hunger was a faithful companion of POWs. Every day, they were given a slice of bread, and on his birthday, his cellmate gave him his slice of bread because he didn’t have anything else yet wanted to make his day special. He said it was the most precious birthday gift. Can we see the same value in things we have?
As we had worship night with our staff team, these words stood out to me as a new reassurance:
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
Voice of Ukraine 