Voice of Ukraine

From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1340)

Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.
Psalm 140:1-2

I was fast asleep after a long week. All of a sudden, I woke up to the sound of explosions. They weren’t too close, but the sudden blasts in the middle of the night distort your perception. The air raid sirens went on less than a minute before the explosions. We quickly moved to our hallway beds, and while everyone went back to sleep, I could feel my body shaking. I haven’t been able to shake off this feeling all day. I felt overwhelmed and angry that someone deliberately sends missiles at peaceful sleeping people! Their new strategy is using ballistic missiles that leave civilians without a warning.

Well, the morning came, and we headed to our annual Harvest Festival at our school. Seeing so many of our families show up with smiles on their faces, wearing costumes, and having fun while knowing that some of them came from less than a block away from the locations hit by missiles, driving past the fire engines lining up in fight against the aftermath of the attack, not having electricity or hot water, it was a powerful statement of defiance.

We are weary and shaken, yet we won’t give up willingly. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, this one speaks volumes. A weekly farmers’ market opened its stands on schedule despite the massive fire in the background. And it was bustling with visitors. You may want to kill us, but you won’t stop us from following through with our Saturday plans.

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot,
or they will be exalted!
Psalm 140:8