Voice of Ukraine

From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1279)

Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake!
Psalm 79:9

Seeing the solidarity with Ukraine on its Independence Day, hearing stories of church services and special prayers, and receiving pictures with sunflowers and Ukrainian flags made this Independence Day unforgettable. Knowing that you are not alone, that people care, that small steps of faithfulness can move the mountains even when the obstacles feel overwhelming and insurmountable…

The prayer day was completed with the prayer breakfast today. While many may think that prayer breakfasts have turned into formality and it’s more of a social event, I would argue that anyone traveling to a country amid war, spending days on trains (while travels used to take several hours by plane), giving up their comfort and safety comes for the solidarity and prayer first and foremost. I believe that the Lord will be moved by all the prayers and heal our land and restore His justice and peace, yet we are to remain faithful even if He doesn’t do it in our lifetime.

As we finish preparations for the school year and are ready to dive in tomorrow, the highlight and encouragement to me was a visit from Jeff Fountain, who came to Kyiv for the prayer breakfast and found time for a short visit. This meeting is a great inspiration for the new school year, especially since what we try to do here resonates with what the Schuman Center is doing. To put it into my own words, we teach the truth about God’s world to make us aware and compassionate about things around us today, so that we can have the courage to dream and become the change this world needs. Lord, give us strength and wisdom to do this job well for your glory!