From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1233)
The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love
Psalm 33:16-18
Kyiv survived yet another brutal attack. Being away from home and seeing your city in pain and on fire sometimes feels too much. At the same time, I know that even though every night feels like an unbearable nightmare, every morning brings back life and hope. I know that this morning, while firefighters and rescuers were working on attack sites, the electricians and city infrastructure workers were fixing lines and rerouting city transportation to make sure people get to where they need to be on time. I know that cafeterias, stores, and banks opened their doors as if nothing had happened and as if their windows were still intact. I know that garbage collectors calmly followed their routes, reminding people that their responsibilities cannot be neglected. Children would be playing outside. People would celebrate special events in restaurants. You would be able to hear laughter and joy around you. Only in the evening will the memories of the night past come haunting along with the siren sounds. Some will go to sleep in their corridors, relying on the safety of inner walls. Some will spend the night in their underground parking spot or on a metro platform. Some will go to sleep in their beds and will shake from the sounds outside. All of them will hope to live until the morning because morning will bring new hope and life.
I don’t know how to share about these nightly attacks. They are not shocking anymore, but they aren’t normal either. Will a certain number from an official report make it any more acceptable? That’s why I won’t post a picture of today’s devastation. I don’t want us to fall into a “Ukraine is a victim” mentality.
That’s why I want to do my best and focus on life, dignity, and something the enemy can’t take away.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Psalm 33:20, 22
Voice of Ukraine 