For 23 weeks in a row, the employees of our mission have been bringing 100 loaves of fresh bread to the displaced people from Severodonetsk, who live in Rivne region the dormitory of Klevansk special school # 1. Our employee, Ruslana Kovalchuk, teaches the subject Fundamentals of Christian Ethics at this educational institution and conducts various extracurricular activities, including a small group of Bible study. After the beginning of the war, the refugees were accommodated in the school’s dormitory. Now Ruslana makes every effort to share with them the Good News about God’s love and at the same time she coordinates trips related to the delivery of food and humanitarian aid.
The director of the school, Yevgenia Vasylivna Falko, is very grateful for hundreds of kilograms of vegetables, cereals, dairy, meat products, eggs, sweets, as well as Bibles, books, doctor’s appointments and necessary medicines, sports equipment, dozens of pairs of shoes, hundreds of kilograms of clothes, interesting excursions, conversations, sports games and an unforgettable Christian camp, which were held by volunteers in the village of Klevan during this period.
Ruslana Kovalchuk and Arkadiy Slyoza, together with helpers from Rivne churches, conduct Bible classes with the children of refugees. Reflecting on such topics as Creation of the World, Your Life Choice, What Is the Difference Between a Dream and a Fantasy, and Let’s Learn to Be Grateful, children get acquainted with the Christian view of important worldview and life issues. As they hold classes, they also have adults, especially mothers and grandmothers of children who come to listen to them.
After the Bible lesson, the children are engaged in cooking with great pleasure and joy: they prepare meat salad, and waffle cake, decorate sandwiches, and bake pizza. Then they treat themselves and treat their parents, friends, and neighbors in the dormitory. Such social work brings children together, helps establish warm relationships with mentors, teaches children generosity and care, and helps them feel home comfort and warmth.
Each meeting ends with a prayer of gratitude for a peaceful and blessed time together.
The time that is allotted for the trip goes by very quickly. After all, adults also need communication. They once again share with our employees their stories and show photos of the destroyed houses. You can say that they miss their homes very much, they recall again and again everything they have gone through and what they lost.
During such conversations, we learned that many older people have health issues, and some need urgent treatment. By God’s grace, funds were raised and one elderly man has already undergone a successful operation on his eyes. His daughter, Yulia, was present at the Sunday service in Rivne and sincerely thanked the church for their help.
A man named Peter is preparing for an operation as well. He already has part of the money he needs for the surgery.
A woman named Olga, who has cancer and Parkinson’s disease, must constantly take expensive drugs. We also try to help her if we can, and she is very grateful.
On September 25, in the church Community of the Good Shepherd in Rivne was Thanksgiving Day. And 20 people from among the refugees expressed a desire to come to the celebratory worship service. So they were brought to church by a mission minivan. In the church, they heard the Word of God, fellowshipped with believers, and were treated to sweets. Everyone was given a small gift at the end.
These people are able to see God’s hand in their lives: when they were hiding in the cellars and believers brought them food, when they were taken to a safe place by evacuation buses, and even now as they see how Christians are worried about them. They are grateful to people and God, but they are not yet ready to fully give their hearts to Christ. Please pray with us that God will draw them to Himself with His love and grace!
