Ukraine ministries update #2
The conflict in Ukraine continues to unfold. We hope the following summary provides some details about what we have learned over the past few days.
Lugansk, Ukraine (Far Eastern) — Oddly, this has been the least impacted of the Luke Society’s three Ukraine ministries as the fighting has moved further West. This group of doctors courageously continues to provide medical help to their area and neighboring towns. This past month they were able to assist people in Crimea. They describe a dark mood in Eastern Ukraine as they continue to receive news of evacuated civilians and the mobilization of troops.
Munkacs, Ukraine (Far Western) — The Luke Society’s eastern Europe regional coordinator continues to run the clinic in Munkacs. The clinic has lost eight staff members who have fled the country. This area of Ukraine (known as Transcarpathia because the Carpathian Mountains which separate it from the rest of Ukraine) has a population of around 1.2 million people. In the last few weeks, the population has swelled to 1.7 million as so many refugees have come to the area from the east. They expect another 100,000 refugees to come this weekend. The extra half-million people can be particularly noticed in the shops and restaurants and puts a strain on the gas and food supplies, yet everyone welcomes them. They continue to hear difficult stories from the refugees who have lost relatives and experienced life with no internet, no heat and little water before they fled. Most of the refugees are women and children and many had to wait in lines for days before limited trains or buses were available to take them to Transcarpathia.
Rivne, Ukraine (Near Kiev) — The city saw a wave of bombing as Russian forces took out the airport. The pair of ministry directors are safe — one is staying in Rivne after sending his family to the Czech Republic. The other has traveled with his family to be near the Luke Society’s regional coordinator in western Ukraine. Somehow, the treatment center in Rivne continues to function and has taken in refugees. I could not describe things better than the e-mail sent by the ministry director:
Life is now very hard.
There are roadblocks everywhere in Rivne, armed people are everywhere. There is a blackout at night. Despite this, it is not as dangerous here as in Kyiv and other cities.
How hard, and incredibly painful it is to realize and understand what happened in your native country, with your people, in your home... especially in the first hours and days. The feeling that you are sleeping and cannot wake up for a long time. It is hard to believe that this is not a nightmare [but that this is happening] here, now, with you, your loved ones and friends all over the country. (Continued on next page)
Such a familiar world around is collapsing: soldiers and civilians are dying. Innocent children are dying.
Bombed cities and villages. Everything that was built for a long time by entire generations of people is now being destroyed in a few minutes. The plans, dreams and projects of millions of people — destroyed in one moment. Everywhere there is fear, tears, hatred, cruelty.
But there is also heroism, the desire to defend one's country. The will to give everything for the sake of victory, for the sake of life, for the sake of one's own and other families.
Trouble has come to our home. However, thanks to this disaster, millions of ordinary Ukrainians have united like never before. Many voluntarily went to fight and defend their homeland with weapons in their hands. Many help as much as possible to provide for the army, help refugees, low-income families and the disabled. Most people try to help each other like never before. This is visible everywhere.
Most importantly, a lot of people are now closer to God. Everywhere, in all social networks, people call to pray, pray and pray again, and call the Lord to protect Ukraine and Ukrainians during this trouble. Even those who have never prayed and had no interest in God are now kneeling down and repenting with tears and crying out to the Almighty. Indeed, during the war there are no atheists. It's true!
Pray for peace in Ukraine! Pray that God will stop war and mad politics, which began this bloody madness.
