Serving refugees in Kharkiv...

#1      All the subway trains have been stopped and the stations now are filled with people who have had their homes and apartments destroyed or are too afraid to go back!  We visited one of the stations earlier in the week to meet people and see what we could do to meet their needs.  We weren't sure we could even get in- it has a fairly large police presence in case they might face some kind of an attack there. But all the police and leaders were terrific and gave us a warm welcome!  Once we learned what the needs were,  we gathered up our friends and surprisingly found everything they needed, even though most of the City is shut down!  Our God is miraculous!   Yesterday we took all of the treasures God had given us for these new friends, including some sweets and headed to the subway!  It was fun to watch the excitement as they received things like- plastic tubs for washing clothes by hand, shampoo, femine hygiene products, toothbrushes/ paste, paper, pens, crayons and coloring books for the kids to have something to do etc. We had a chance to pray with the whole crowd and I think the police who had been helping us were as deeply moved as anyone- all praise to Jesus and thanks to those who have made our giving possible throughout this trip! 

#2, 3   Pastor Gennadii took us to one of their storehouses where the humanitarian aid is collected!  They had room after room filled and separated by areas of need- baby food, diapers, feminine hygiene products, food, medicine etc. Then they load it up to the brim in smaller Vans to take it to various distribution sites around the city of Kharkiv.  It is all volunteer, highly organized and effective!  Really an amazing work!

#4   One of the 'packed to the brim' Vans they use to get the needed supplies to distribution points!  

#5   One of the children in a subway alcove using our paper and pens for an art project...

#6   I am regularly communicating with dear friends in Russia who are also struggling through this terrible War! One of my dearest friends sent these pictures to show how many Russian volunteers are caring for some of the refugees from Ukraine.  

#7    There are storehouses for humanitarian aid in Russia as well. 

#8    Medical supplies for refugees in Russia... 

#9   Temporary housing in Russia for refugees

#10    Vans for mobile distribution of emergency supplies for refugees on the Russian side of the border.  We don't know where all of the captured and refugeed Ukrainians end up.  Some are tagged as combatants or enemies of the State and their condition and whereabouts are unclear- so we must pray...   We can thank God, however, for compassionate workers and saints in Russia who are earnestly caring for some of these dear people who have faced the horrors of War and have been left absolutely destitute! 

#11    The man in the middle of this picture leaning on the car, is a military chaplain, just back from the frontlines for a few hours. He was very weary- there are many deaths and injuries on both sides everyday!  He said many of the wounded cannot be recovered so they have to be left to die... since the first invasion in 2014, Ukraine has been building a very powerful and effective army, well trained by special forces from other Countries! ...But other soldiers have recently signed up out of patriotism and are ill equipped for warfare, having never even held a gun in their hand before...   Many stand firm to death but others panic and leave.  The mental toll is devastating! He said," No one on the front lines has any hope of surviving!"   One of the most challenging problems is getting people in towns and villages to leave their homes. The Russian army fires rockets and bombs from civilian areas but the Ukrainian army can't fire back where their own citizens live!  Often these folks who won't leave their homes say, "It is potato planting time.  We have always planted our potatoes at this time!" It is their way of life but the Ukrainian soldiers are dying trying to protect them when they refuse leave! 

This next story will be the last one for the night - I think!

 Yesterday after we had served in the subway, spent time at the storehouse and met with the Army Chaplain, we went to our hosts' church to attend a Bible study.  The first few minutes they asked us to share a little bit and Laryssa, our host, said she had left her apt. for the first time since the War had started, to go with us to the subway.  They asked me about it and then I asked,  how many of them had been to any subway station to check on these friends and neighbors who had lost everything and were now living underground?  Not one person had ever gone to check on them or offer to help!  The folks in the subway were not foreigners or even refugees from other cities but members of their own city!  I said if I left some funds to help these people in other stations would you go?  All the men said no!  It is dangerous to go out, you would need a car, many stores are closed...   I asked, are any of these things too hard for God to handle? If no one in this church has a car I can leave money for a taxi (it would cost about $3).  Our dear Laryssa who had just gone outside today for the first time herself said, "I'll go!"  Another woman who is an English teacher said, "I'll go too!"  I asked them all- "What do you think Jesus would do?" And they said, "He would go!"...nothing more was said about this during the study but at the end five people all came up ready to serve at the subway, even one man! (Someone whispered, "it is always the women who are willing to step up!" When I heard that I told them it is often true wherever I go- we call them "Princess Warriors!" They loved it!!)   While I was eating breakfast this morning, I received a phone call and it was from the English teacher- they had already gone to the subway that morning, found out what the people needed, bought the supplies and taken pictures!  They were so excited to tell us what they had done and said, "This is just the beginning of our new ministry!"