#BeingHuman. Today is International Volunteer Day, and this year's theme is "If everyone did..." As Russia's invasion grinds on, darkness threatens more and more to overwhelm war-torn Ukraine... Yet, today, we pray and thank the Lord for nearly 400 volunteers in our 14 refugee hubs in Ukraine and Moldova (supported by Overseas Council-United World Mission in collaboration with the ScholarLeaders, Keys Connection, Open Eyes, OC-Europe, THF, and other partners). They bring aid, community, comfort, hope, and the light of the Good News.
Whether they once led congregations, served as seminary faculty, or wanted to help, volunteers use local church buildings and seminary campuses as refugee hubs and islands of hope. Here, the displaced find shelter, food, medical care, and trauma counseling. Volunteers also distribute aid to those unable or unwilling to leave their homes near the front line. Braving bombardment and chaos, these people deliver food, water, blankets, and more.
Volunteers serve Ukraine's defenders as well. They provide non-lethal support to territorial defense units and soldiers alike. It includes medical supplies, clothing, sleeping bags, power banks, food, communication equipment, and more. Such items bolster morale and readiness at the front. The volunteers remind us and the defenders that the Lord not only cares about us through people who share their resources but also protects us through those who give their lives for us... life for life...
One of the most vital work of the volunteers is ministering to the soul-weary. Their listening ears, understanding hearts, and hopeful words are themselves sustenance. As air raid sirens blare and buildings crumble, they share stories of faith and redemption when all seems lost under the touchable darkness that surrounds our lives. They pray and weep alongside those struggling with utter brokenness. They continue to bother the Stranger with their appeals, questions, requests, and gratitude on the way from the city of peace...
One of our volunteers helped evacuate expectant mothers from a hospital days before Russian bombs destroyed it. Braving constant shelling, he shepherded the terrified mothers safely out, whispering prayers and hymns to soothe their anxiety. Thanks to his steadfast courage, new life emerged even as bombs rained down... It's just a story for many of you... but it is the whole Life out of the hell of the full-scale ongoing war for the mothers and their unborn babies... life for life...
There will be even more dark days for Ukraine as there is no understanding of when and how the war may end... there is no understanding of who living and serving in Ukraine under the conscription age will survive the war... But the light and hope embodied in and through our volunteers cannot be extinguished. Today, we pray for their continued strength and protection. Please join our prayers about the volunteers in Ukraine and other countries that have not the conflicts... no... but the wars of all kinds...
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the volunteers who show Your love and compassion to the people suffering from the war.
• We ask You to bless, protect, and empower them by Your Spirit.
• We pray that You would provide for their needs, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, medicine, and equipment.
• We pray that You will give them wisdom, courage, and strength to face the challenges and dangers they encounter daily.
• We pray that You would heal their physical and emotional wounds and comfort their hearts that have seen and experienced the touchable darkness so much for almost two years already.
• We pray that You will fill them with joy, peace, and hope and renew their vision and passion for Your Kingdom, for not anything else "to become great again..."
• We pray that You would use them as Your instruments of grace and truth and make them effective witnesses of the Stranger during the war to the people they serve.
• We pray that You will bring an end to the war and that You will restore peace and justice in Ukraine.
• We pray that You will save and restore many souls... or at least some... and build Your Community of Hope in this land.
• We pray all these in the name of the Stranger, who joined our journey on the way from the city of peace...
Peace be with you, People of the Bridge, and thank you for supporting our volunteers and joining our prayers for them.
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Taras Dyatlik (5 December 2023, Ukraine)
650 days of the ongoing full-scale Russian war against Ukraine
