November, 2023
Last month, as part of preparation for a tough winter, a fund-raising dinner was held in the Milwaukee area. Two very special gentlemen spoke about the work they did the first year of the war in Ukraine. One was the young Romanian man who helped some 25,000 Ukrainians flee their homeland into Romania. Sergiu met numerous groups at the border, gave them food, water, clothing, and other necessities. He even brought teddy bears for the many frightened children.
“He offered them the only real Help any of us have.”
Sergiu painted a picture of a truly desperate people. The refugees had just left their homes, with no real assurance they’d ever return. They also left behind family members, jobs, and their homeland. Many were angry with God for what had happened. Sadly, many had never learned about all God has done for them. Sergiu helped with that as well. As he drove busloads of people to refugee camps or train stations bound for other countries, he explained how God was not the cause of their problems but their Problem Solver. Using Google Translate, he offered them the only real Help any of us have.
Pastor Oleksiy joined us via Zoom. He has been faithfully caring for his congregations, feeding hundreds of people, and offering comfort from the Word to the many in south central Ukraine. His wife and children are living in central Europe, but he has to stay in Ukraine in case he is needed to serve in the military. His heavy load has not let up, nor has the danger.
Both of these wonderful men made many trips to meet at the border. Pastor Oleksiy would travel with groups of refugees. After they got out of the van, Sergiu would help fill it with food, water, and other basic supplies which Oleksiy would deliver to those in Ukraine.
Sergiu went for weeks getting only a couple hours of sleep. He ate little, and answered as many as 250 calls a day. Helping Hands wired him his pay, but he invariably spent it on food for the refugees. His health suffered, but he kept pushing himself. Pastor Oleksiy too, has had little relief in helping hundreds of people with their physical, mental and spiritual needs.
In John 15:12-13 Jesus tells us: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” That certainly describes these gentlemen as well as the dozens of other pastors, health care providers, and countless others involved in this great rescue.
As I took off for Bulgaria many, many years ago to work there as a medical missionary, the plane was soon climbing through a tall bank of clouds. Hebrews 11 came to mind, that great recall of the heroes of the faith. Since then, I have met so many amazing Eastern Europeans that could easily be listed along with these heroes. But after the fund-raising dinner this fall, Sergiu told me that to him, the Americans who attended the talks and other donors were the real heroes. Our goal was not only met but tripled and then some. This will feed some 300 people for another harsh winter in a land that continues to be attacked, where food is usually in short supply, and power plants are often destroyed. And they will hear the Word as well.
Whether or not anyone of us who are involved are indeed heroes, all of us are the helping hands of Christ in a very dark and cold part of the world. What a sharp contrast to the invaders. To those 300 people and others as well, such aid is love in action, a reflection of our Lord’s compassion and mercy.
Thank you,
Linda