The trauma continues, getting much worse daily. Compassionate Hope workers are ministering on three fronts. CH is providing food and water for the tables on the Ukrainian/Moldovan border, both sides, as people fleeing the nightmare may be in line for 5 to 20 hours. Then CH is providing supplies for the refugee tent areas where people are staying. The Moldovan’s have opened their doors and are hosting as many as they can, but with an influx of over 80,000 people in a few days, that is impossible. Then at a cost of $1500. Per bus, CH has been able to provide 14 buses and have 2 more lined up to go tomorrow. Our regional coordinator, Marina, is working daily with the pastors and others volunteering to help get the people transported from area to area, making sure documents are in order, then to the buses. For the long trip, we are providing bottles of water and sandwiches, as stops are scarce and most of the people have very little money. Many aren’t even sure what they are to do once they arrive in Romania. Networking with others, CH has been able to get about 200 children from orphanages out, being lodged by the kindness of strangers, or taken to our Village of Hope in Romania.
As Marina is working with so many, mostly young mothers, she asks what they need. A common answer has been, “We left so quickly, my children weren’t able to bring any of their toys or books.” We have bought a few such items so that a few of the children scattered around may have at least something to play with while their mommies are figuring out the next step. Seems so small but children are children, and even in such a situation, need a little something to distract them from the trauma of losing their home, leaving relatives, most often not knowing when they will see daddy again, walking for hours in the cold, staying in tents or with strangers…..
Our young Ukrainian pastor and his family are sheltered in Vinnysta. Sunday morning while the airport was being bombarded with rockets, they were conducting a church service to offer hope and encouragement to the people. Many attended, even though they had to be so near bombs going off, it was very cold to walk, but they did, and cold in the church, with no heat. He and his wife go out daily taking all the supplies they can come up with to help those in need. They are very concerned for one young mother, who just last week delivered twins, her husband is in the fight, and she can’t get out to help herself. Just one story of hundreds more for them as they are serving God by ministering to those in need.
Thank you for praying with us, for all the people in crisis, the good people serving them, and assisting us financially as we provide as much as possible in this endeavor.
