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From Sarah Elizabeth in Ukraine -
It's hard to explain the mix of joy and sadness I feel each day here in Ukraine... I have met some of the most beautiful-hearted, strong people here. Since the full-scale war (the first invasion happened in 2014), they have become accustomed to the horror of war in everyday life - air raid sirens, anti-tank "hedgehogs", missing fathers, worshiping by the hum of generators because of power outages. An estimated 1/4 of the population has had to leave home to find safety. Despite the destruction of homes, families, and culture centers, they have held onto hope and have persevered through the tragedy. It's an honor to serve where God leads. Here are some of the ways I get to serve here....
Refugee Center: My past training and the Holy Spirit make "playing with kids" a common and special activity, along with informal counseling with adults, and supporting those who run it.
Biblical Counseling: Women and youth are still in my heart! My Russian language skills and the help of a "counselor in training/translator" makes it possible to continue this here. I have been blessed beyond imagination to work with some of the women in the church and refugee center.
Women's Ministry: The pastor's wife and I have restarted women's ministry in the church, with monthly meetings focused on supporting the healing of the whole person - body, soul, and spirit.
Isaiah 6: When Isaiah responded to God and said "Here I am, send me" He didn't know what that was going to look like. I definitely relate to this as I arrived knowing I would do whatever God had in front of me. This has meant so many other things - translating for a visiting team, sorting clothes at the warehouse, informal mentoring a young missionary from the East. Every day I ask for wisdom, and there's always something new!
I am serving in connection with Living Water Mukachevo. Living Water is a small local church in western Ukraine. When the invasion of 2022 sent a flood of people seeking safety in their region, they became the hands and feet of Jesus. Since February 2022 they have also operated a humanitarian organization. The work has included receiving thousands in their refugee centers, coordinating with organizations throughout the world to get aid to those in need, and partnering with ministries in the East to bring both physical aid and spiritual and emotional support. Soon we will be opening a "Church House" where we will conduct trauma care training and retreats for people serving in the East, those displaced by the war, and children from our partner church. We recognize that being in this quiet area of the country, we have an amazing opportunity to help others to refresh and heal and continue their work. I will share some photos below from life and ministry here, and I'm so excited to see what God will bring in the coming year! And of course praying that soon the healing work, will also include rebuilding a post-war society with the Hope of Christ.
It's hard to explain the mix of joy and sadness I feel each day here in Ukraine... I have met some of the most beautiful-hearted, strong people here. Since the full-scale war (the first invasion happened in 2014), they have become accustomed to the horror of war in everyday life - air raid sirens, anti-tank "hedgehogs", missing fathers, worshiping by the hum of generators because of power outages. An estimated 1/4 of the population has had to leave home to find safety. Despite the destruction of homes, families, and culture centers, they have held onto hope and have persevered through the tragedy. It's an honor to serve where God leads. Here are some of the ways I get to serve here....
Refugee Center: My past training and the Holy Spirit make "playing with kids" a common and special activity, along with informal counseling with adults, and supporting those who run it.
Biblical Counseling: Women and youth are still in my heart! My Russian language skills and the help of a "counselor in training/translator" makes it possible to continue this here. I have been blessed beyond imagination to work with some of the women in the church and refugee center.
Women's Ministry: The pastor's wife and I have restarted women's ministry in the church, with monthly meetings focused on supporting the healing of the whole person - body, soul, and spirit.
Isaiah 6: When Isaiah responded to God and said "Here I am, send me" He didn't know what that was going to look like. I definitely relate to this as I arrived knowing I would do whatever God had in front of me. This has meant so many other things - translating for a visiting team, sorting clothes at the warehouse, informal mentoring a young missionary from the East. Every day I ask for wisdom, and there's always something new!
I am serving in connection with Living Water Mukachevo. Living Water is a small local church in western Ukraine. When the invasion of 2022 sent a flood of people seeking safety in their region, they became the hands and feet of Jesus. Since February 2022 they have also operated a humanitarian organization. The work has included receiving thousands in their refugee centers, coordinating with organizations throughout the world to get aid to those in need, and partnering with ministries in the East to bring both physical aid and spiritual and emotional support. Soon we will be opening a "Church House" where we will conduct trauma care training and retreats for people serving in the East, those displaced by the war, and children from our partner church. We recognize that being in this quiet area of the country, we have an amazing opportunity to help others to refresh and heal and continue their work. I will share some photos below from life and ministry here, and I'm so excited to see what God will bring in the coming year! And of course praying that soon the healing work, will also include rebuilding a post-war society with the Hope of Christ.
