Voice of Ukraine

From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1396)

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalm 46:9-10

Last week was extremely busy and flew by in a blink of an eye, so it is only now that I realize I haven’t written anything in too long!

As I sat down today, I realized that amidst the contrasts of life during war, there are many things for which we can be grateful, yet they are often too easily overlooked in the whirlwind of days. Here are the things I have been grateful for this week:
– living in anticipation of yet another massive combined drone and missile attack, we haven’t had one in more than a week. It doesn’t mean that our anxiety is any lower, but it does give us a bit of rest;
– grading students’ final exams, I could see many of them doing their best and growing beyond my expectations. It is a miracle and an incredible blessing;
– an unexpected outcome of a dentist appointment had me sit in the chair and (while the doctor was doing his job) thank God that we still have qualified doctors who haven’t fled the country, that our clinics have modern dental equipment and we can afford such visits, and that the clinic didn’t lose power while I was there even though their generator was ready;
– celebrating Christmas with my students and playing Secret Santa with them, I felt grateful for having so many things normal and available (and that’s an incredible achievement of our army and air defense), but I was even more touched by the genuine love and joy my students shared with each other;
– our wonderful Christmas program for our school family was a beautiful testimony of God’s faithfulness and His provision. As I sat there, I thanked God for our kids, their parents, our team, and those who make all of it possible.

Even today, even though we spent the whole day at home recovering from the activities of the week, I felt grateful for having a home, having more electricity than last week (even if it’s more only by an hour or two), and for our cat, who makes our hearts melt from her cuteness.

In the evening, I read about a Christmas Fair being set up in one of the downtown locations for the first time since 2022. Some may argue that it’s unnecessary, but I know that it’s something we desperately need. It is a visual defiance, a reminder of what ‘normal’ should look like. For those struggling to find their resilience after relying on it for so long, perhaps these lights can serve as a reminder to find reasons for gratitude in the present, regardless of the circumstances.