Prayer & Provision for Ukraine
Suddenly, the whole world is watching and praying for Ukraine. It does our breaking hearts good to see Americans and people all over the world posting blue and yellow flags and lifting up prayers for this country that has become so dear to us. If you’ve followed our Journey, you know that our serving in Poland has included many people – Holocaust Survivors from Isreal, Polish churches and teens, and running camps for Ukrainian children and teens. Although things have certainly reached a high level of severity in recent days, but Ukraine has been enduring much of this hardship for a long time. I remember one of our earlier years of involvement in the childrens’ camp when we learned what many of these kids were going through. See our post from 2015 – Faces That Will Melt Your Heart and Life Stories That Will Break It. Second to our purpose of sharing God’s love to these sweet children was simply helping them to feel safe and to forget all that might be going on back home, even if it was just for a week. We remember preparing camp for their arrival, praying for those intentions to be met. So as we learn of Ukrainian refugees making their way to safety at that very camp in Poland and see pictures of the camp setting up as many beds as they can fit into every available space, collecting food, activities, clothing, and everything they need to shelter these dear people… it is SO hard not to hop on a plane to help.
But the reality is that we would just be taking up beds that could be given to them. The cost of our airfare alone could house and feed so many. So what can we do? What they need most from us at this moment is prayer – lifting them up to a God who is still on the throne and who will bring beauty from these ashes. We are often guilty of saying “all I can do is pray”, but we must recognize that praying is, by far, the most powerful thing we can be doing. (We have a LOT to say on this topic but will keep it there for now as I don’t want this to be too long!)
The second greatest thing we can do is give. Taking in 180 refugees is going to be expensive for the camp in Poland, and ten PCM churches are also preparing to take in the flood of those fleeing the war. We will be giving from whatever funds we have in our ministry account as often as we can. If you feel led to give, we realize it is hard to know what organizations you can trust. Here are a couple of options for you:
- Give through Polish Christian Ministries here. Designiated “Ukrainian Refugees” in your card payment form or check memo. (This option is tax deductible.)
- Contribute to our Ministry Fund here. This money will be distributed directly to people we know as we are made aware of needs. (This option is not tax deductible.)
‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ‘ 2 Corinthians 9:7
The Journey Back 