Since the war started in Ukraine before I even make the morning coffee, I pick up my phone looking for Lyuda’s email. Lyuda is a pastor’s wife I met on my 2019 trip to Ukraine. She also directs the Odessa counseling center and helps her husband with a medical clinic in their town.
I shared in a previous post, “The Ukraine I came to Know—and Love,” my sensing that Ukrainian Christians know more of imprisoned Paul’s “for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11) than most Western Christians. For along with their experience of past communist rule came generational poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism and other social ills that affect the people and culture of Ukraine to this day. Even so there was a noticeable joy and contentment among the believers whom I met despite many personal hardships.
Now, with Putin doing everything in his power-hungry mind to wield back control, Ukrainians wake up with no idea what the day will bring, or if they’ll even survive. I can’t imagine from the cold basement of churches, separated from loved ones, with homes destroyed and barely more than bread to eat, what that feels like. In my comfortable chair across the globe, the death and destruction is more than I can take in. But in every one of Lyuda’s emails are reminders of God’s presence and sovereign reign.
With her permission, I share some of her words:
3/6 – “Yesterday Russian jets circled again and again over our town. Thanks God that He protected our town from bombing.”
3/7 – “Our daughter reached Romania… the girlfriend of our son, joined her and now they stay together… Our son finally was able to reach home. It was another blessing that we are so thankful for. We see how God is answering us. Thank you for your mighty prayers.”
3/9 – “It’s a frosty snowy morning. We thank God for this weather and hope it will make our enemy feel miserable.”
3/10 – “Russian army can’t move on the land. They still do it but very slowly because our army successfully resists the enemy and destroy their units. We thank God for every peaceful day in our area.”
3/11 – “We feel God’s hand with us. Yesterday a big air bomb was found in the village nearby. It fell but didn’t explode. Praise the Lord! The weather is really cold here and we see how God directs the weather to stop the enemy. The plan of landing from the sea failed because of severe storm that lasted several days.”
While so deepenly sadden reading these emails, I am also encouraged by Ukrainian believers living day by day with with their hope cast upon the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance that is theirs in Christ (1 Peter 1). Truly not knowing what tomorrow brings, yet clinging to God’s word, “if the Lord is for me I will have no fear” (Psalm 118:6) and enduring by serving others for their good and to the glory of God.
3/3 – “I was exhausted emotionally. Then I went to our local defense center and I felt better because it’s such a joy to work together with people who made a decision to stand for their land. I initiated prayer in the morning and we start every day with a prayer. Our church is open 24 hours and we announced that people of our community can use our basement as a bomb shelter. The elderly ladies from our church stay there. Pray for our churches to be able to preach the gospel and minister to people in this difficult situation.”
3/6 – “The ladies in our church made pies for our soldiers. They did it with joy and prayer and it was a big encouragement for the church and for the soldiers.’
3/8 – “Please, pray with us for the spiritual awakening of our nation. Pray for the churches of Ukraine to serve the people and show the love of Jesus. Pray for the strength of our army and for peaceful sky.”
3/9 – “There are so many people who became homeless. We are ready to receive people and arrange their stay in our church building.”
“Please, pray for us to be wise and do what the Lord wants us to do in the situation. Let’s pray for God to be glorified in every situation we have.”
3/10 – “We will continue our work today to support our army and help people around.”
3/12 – “Yes, we are scared, but our fear is a good motivation to do something. And what comforts us is the Word of God that reminds us about the sovereignty and control of the Lord. It’s very important to share this comfort of the Lord with people around.”
While Lyuda’s church is prepared for refugees, between the Russian troops and snow Ukrainians from the north have struggled getting there. But this story line of churches receiving refugees is happening across countries in the region. As I read The Gospel Coalition article, “Churches as Waystations on the Refugee Road from Ukraine,” I teared up thinking about the opportunity for the gospel to take root in people from many nations. Churches fill with refugees, many who are Muslim. Local church members care for the people, providing for their needs, offering their homes for showers, and praying with them. Packed worship services now have interpreters and gospel tracts have been translated in various languages.
God is at work–in and through his church, and in this world. This war is evil but God is working good.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
For more, listen HERE to Lyuda's husband Sergey in this Serge YouTube interview.
