When Faith Weakens & Hope Disappears

By: Brother Sasha

​The great war, not provoked by Ukraine, which began in February 2022, brought enormous pain, suffering and hatred to our land.

Here are some of the consequences of this great war:

• The US President speaks of 700 thousand victims in Ukraine
• 10+/- million people were forced to leave the territory of Ukraine, that is, every fourth person of pre-war population
• Destroyed cities and infrastructure

When war comes to your country, to your home, when you are attacked by an enemy who is more powerful than you, there is a small choice of actions for each person:

• Capitulate and go under the rulership of the occupiers
• Flee from the war
• Resist the enemy

Our society has all three categories of people. Some accepted the occupation, some ran away from the war, some resist in any way possible.

There is no rationality in Ukraine's resistance. The enemy is much bigger and stronger than us. A huge number of people and governments are persuading Ukraine to capitulate and accept the so-called realities and think realistically and rationally.

Almost three years after the start of the great war, I notice that new and dangerous patterns are starting to form in our society and especially among young people:

• There is no rule of law - there is only the rule of power. The stronger one determines his own rules over the weaker one.
• There is no justice in this world.
• You can’t rely on anyone and trust anyone.
• There is no point in long-term planning of your life.

This new pattern is penetrating society and people’s consciousness. War makes people cynical, having lost faith in justice, having lost hope in anything or anyone.

In such dark moments, I personally remember the words of the Apostle Paul: And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  (1st Corinthians 13:13)
I think that love is called the greatest, because love is the driving engine for faith and hope. When faith weakens and hope disappears, the surest way to regain faith and hope is through the experience of love. Ukrainian society is in a huge deficit of love.

People in our society are in desperate need of love – first and foremost, an understanding of the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.

People are also in desperate need of practical expressions of love from other people towards them.

What we are trying to do in Ukraine is to try to show to all kinds of people around us that they are loved and not abandoned. We hope that through a little practical expression of love, some of these people will come to know the love of Christ that surpasses all human understanding.
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Here are some stories of people to whom we are trying to show practical love:

Olga

Olga is 55 years old. Her life has never been simple and easy. The death of her son, addiction, a broken hip. The war left her with absolutely nothing. The city in eastern Ukraine where she lived was destroyed and is now occupied by the Russian army. Olga was evacuated to Kiev region.

Olga's greatest practical need is to restore the necessary documents to receive social benefits for disability and as a refugee. This is a rather complicated process that involves trips to various institutions and hospitals. Our assistance allows us to pay for transportation costs, expenses for receiving medical treatment. Olga's accommodation and food are paid for by the local church.

Lyuda & Her Five Children

Lyuda's family fled the war several times. At first, they were forced to move to a place that seemed relatively safe to them, but when the front line began to approach this place, they were forced to evacuate to Kiev region. And it was the right decision, because soon after the evacuation, a Russian drone flew into their house, right into the chimney of the house, and destroyed the entire house.

​Now the village where they lived is under occupation by the Russian army. The conditions in which they live now are far from ideal, but Lyudmila and her husband are happy that they are safe. Children are children and find joy in the simplest things, such as riding on a simple swing in the yard.

The children did not go to school for 4 years, first because of the covid epidemic, then because of the war and moving around Ukraine. Education was only online, but this is not the same as being physically present at school. Our assistance to this family allows them to purchase everything the kids need for going to school. ​

Lydia

Lydia and her two adult sons also fled the war. Their city was also destroyed and occupied by the Russian army. They did not want to stay in the territory occupied by Russia and decided to go into the unknown.
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They were helped with evacuation and found a simple rural house where they can live temporarily. One of Lidiya's sons suffers from cerebral palsy and needs care. Our help helped Lidiya buy firewood to heat her house.

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These are just several stories from dozens of similar personal tragedies experienced by millions of Ukrainians. I look at the photos of these people again and admire them and share their grief.
They are different people - children, young people, old people. Millions of people in Ukraine are emotionally and mentally traumatized by the war and its consequences.

We help:

• Diapers for bedridden elderly people
• Buying medicines
• Buying firewood for heating
• Buying clothes
• Renting housing for displaced persons
• Buying food
• Buying school supplies for children

But in fact, this is a practical manifestation of love and through this faith and hope return to people as many of them have witnessed to us.

We are immensely grateful to you for your practical love, for your prayers! God is working through you!

This war has once again shown the miracle of the church. Someone took these people out of the war zone. Someone found them temporary housing. Someone donated money to help these people. Someone bought and delivered food, firewood and medicine.

Our prayer for the people who are receiving help is in tune with the prayer of the Apostle Paul - Ephesians 3:19, that God would open their eyes, so that they would see the love of God in their lives: Praying for them “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."