From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1281)
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80:7
I used to wonder what it would be like to return to “normal” life, but the truth is that our lives feel normal enough given several nights of uninterrupted sleep without explosions. That is the blessing we, people living away from the frontline, should never take for granted, and that’s exactly why we should stay vigilant and support those who defend us.
In the past two days, I have come across two stories that have stayed on my mind.
(* may be sensitive paragraph) A 33-year-old Ukrainian soldier, Vladyslav, was taken captive while trying to help his friends. He was tortured along with seven other guys he was kept with. The russians disfigured their bodies and brutally killed them. They slit Vladyslav’s throat and threw him into the pit on top of the rest of the bodies. Miraculously, Vladyslav remained conscious long enough to grab a broken bottle to cut the ropes that tied his hands. He then wrapped his t-shirt around his wound and climbed out of the pit. It took him five (5!) days to get to the Ukrainian positions. He’s had several surgeries but is still unable to eat or speak, but the doctors are hopeful.
Last spring, our kids made small care packages for the soldiers – some dried fruits and nuts, wet wipes, instant coffee sticks, etc. The volunteer we worked with was supposed to bring those to an intersection close to the combat zone, where he hands them out to the soldiers passing by. Recently, he gave away his whole stash of these care packages to the soldiers operating drones to deliver supplies to their fellow defenders in hard-to-reach positions when they have no other way to get anything. Just to know that our kids were part of something that possibly saved dozens of lives gives me goosebumps!
I will hold on to these powerful stories of hope as we go to sleep in our hallway, as the drones are coming and there’s a high chance of a missile strike this night.
God’s life and hope overcome death and darkness!
Voice of Ukraine 