‘Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.’ Romans 12:15
Sunday & Monday
On Sunday we joined together with the Team for church. The church had hired a wooden cabin in the forest to host a special church service. The service began with food and fellowship which gave us a chance to chat to the church members. The majority of the church is made up of refugees who now live in Lviv. During the service itself, we were given the chance to share a piece of encouragement with the church. We reminded the church family that God’s people in the Netherlands continue to remember them in prayer and desire to share in their burdens.
In the afternoon we visited an orphanage in the city centre of Lviv. The church supports this orphanage with food donations and members of the church host weekly activities for the kids. On this particular afternoon, we joined in on a painting lesson. Using google translate and lots of animated actions and smiles, we tried our best to communicate and connect with the kids. Mattijs then shared the story of Brother Andrew, the ‘God Smuggler’, who smuggled Bibles into former Soviet countries. After reminding them of the preciousness of God’s word, we handed out Bibles with bookmarks and hearts, created by the kids of Redeemer Maastricht and Delft. The team left the orphanage with a mixture of emotions. We were glad to spend time with them and share God’s word but we left heavy hearted knowing that many of these kids have lost parents because of the war.
On Sunday night we enjoyed our last Ukrainian supper. We spent time chatting with Olga and Sasha, enjoying some delicious syrniki and borsht. At 12am we all packed into the van and made our way to Poland. Thankfully, the queues were minimal at the border and we made it to the airport in good time.
Time at the airport allowed us a moment to decompress and reflect upon our trip. We will continue to think about our time in Ukraine and lift up the church in our prayers. We will continue to be inspired by the church’s sacrificial service and their desire to share the love and hope of Jesus to the people of Ukraine.
Give Thanks
For God’s protection and journeying mercies.
For the church in Ukraine! May they continue to shine bright for Jesus and be upheld by his love and strength!
Prayer
For all the people we have chatted with throughout the trip.
For the children in the orphanage. May they come to know the love that God has for them.