Our first group of evacuees reached their final destination on Saturday. After a long bus ride, and some tears from exhausted little ones, they’re now at a beautiful retreat center in several small houses. Many refugees are only able to stay in place for 14 days, but the director of the retreat center said our group could stay as long as they needed to. “We greet you warmly and consider you our family,” he told them.
Yuliana expressed how much God has been taking care of them, even in the little things. Her little boy is allergic to most bath soap, and before she could buy special expensive soap for him, a volunteer gave her some. Yesterday the kids made some artwork to say thank you to their hosts and to process some of the things they’ve seen.
We’re so thankful for these wonderful hosts in Poland, and for all the volunteers who have so warmly welcomed our moms and kids!
Our group that left Saturday has safely arrived in Latvia, praise God! We don’t have photos yet but they’re also in a beautiful place, with people we know.
In Romania, our moms are in a tent camp (below, left), working on documents so they can receive better services there. Please pray for quick processing so they can move on to more permanent housing.
Below, on the right, is a photo of Stop the Cycle mom Tanya holding her boy, beside one of the organizers in Romania. Tanya shared, “The day after our departure, my husband called and said a bomb had fallen in the area where we live. I understand that we came here for a reason… It’s much better, my child is calm and I’m calm.”
We’re continuing to meet needs in Zhytomyr as well: getting moms and orphaned youth ready for evacuation, passing out much-needed groceries and other supplies to orphaned students and others in our community, and spending time with our youth just so they know they’re not alone. Two girls have had birthdays since the invasion began, but they’ve agreed to celebrate properly when things are peaceful again.
We’re grateful for some good news from evacuees, and we’re glad to be a resource for our community in such a difficult time. In Zhytomyr there are air raids almost daily, and today there was another big explosion. Life is precarious and dangerous, and the situation just gets worse every day. Please pray for safety for our staff and youth still in the city.
Watch for more stories tomorrow: we’ll share about Director Andrey’s experiences getting his mother and other family out of the country, and a story about our youth helping out in the midst of the destruction.
Thank you for your many donations, which are at this very moment keeping vulnerable people safe, warm, and fed. Thank you for continuing to pray for all our people and for Ukraine.