Stories from Kyiv: Summer 2024

Our Ukraine team came back at the end of July after facilitating a kids' camp for our partner church in Kyiv, Ukraine.

One of the most powerful times was seeing the kids come to life playing games, learning English, learning about the Bible and worshiping together. There aren’t as many kids at this camp due to the war but it has gave us the chance to connect together. The team had a wonderful experience loving all of the sweet people and really just living in the reality of active war and daily life in Kyiv. There is so much fear surrounding the future, so we know it is powerful to just show up and be there with friends.

Our hospital visits were so powerful. We visited two different hospitals to pray for injured troops. Many repeated the same sentiment: By seeing us, they didn’t feel abandoned. We prayed over many of them and their wives and families. Tears of thankfulness were shed because we came. We also met two soldiers from Uruguay and Colombia. They both were given Spanish Bibles and are in Ukraine fighting for a time. We prayed over both of them and sharing Jesus with them was so powerful. It was an emotional visit as we shared Jesus, saw the realities of war, and realized the small impact of just sitting in suffering with others.

Please keep praying for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

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We started with breakfast and fellowship with Pastor Sergei’s family. Meals around their table are so sweet and full of laughter. One morning, we had the opportunity to visit a hospital to pray for wounded soldiers.

One soldier wasn’t married before the war, and the girl he was dating had a daughter. When the war started, he looked at his girlfriend and her daughter and didn’t want the daughter to go without a dad so he married her and adopted the daughter. What a beautiful picture of the Father’s heart. We got to pray for him and many others and heard many hard stories of the front lines of the war.

We met Elijah and after hearing his story, we asked him the miracle question. He said, “I’m alive, what else?” And then we asked him beyond that, and he said for the war to end. What a way to look at life: We are alive and Jesus gave us life. We prayed over Elijah, and he had tears in his eyes. It was heartbreaking, yet hopeful all at the same time. 

We spent one evening at the church with part of the congregation for the first discipleship teaching. Pastor Sergei greeted the congregation by saying, “As so many people were running away on the trains, you guys were coming to be with us and that shows us that God hasn’t left us.” It’s so worth it to be here! 

Pastors Kirk and Chris both taught, and it was a sweet time of encouraging and loving. This is the church's first time possibly starting Lifegroups, and we have some dedicated leaders from this church in Kyiv committed to starting the movement! 

Kirk introduced the four experiences, and then Chris came up to lead everyone from a time of listening to the Lord and gaining freedom about where they see Jesus in their lives. He read Psalm 23 (with the translator) and had them picture Jesus. Picture him - What is he doing? Is he near or far?

From this, everyone got to ask Jesus what he wanted them to know. To look around the room and see everyone engaged with Jesus in their own time with him is really what it’s all about. In the middle of war, in the weariness and unknown, experiencing Jesus together and seeing His face is a powerful reminder. Kirk and Chris did a great job speaking about experiencing Jesus and listening to his voice. 

Please pray for the country of Ukraine. Please also pray for the men fighting this war; the trauma is indescribable but Jesus sees it all. Pray for the families and kids of those men and that Jesus would be seen over Kyiv!