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Invasion of Ukraine: This. Is. Personal.

My heart is breaking for my friends in Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine is much more than the latest hot, trendy, geopolitical news. It’s far beyond the realm of issues the media typically seizes upon to stir up emotions in the hope of generating higher ratings. Photo: Facebook.

To me, it’s personal. 

The wounds of Soviet dictatorship and broken family systems are deep. Over the years, I’ve traveled to Ukraine 3 to 4 times to help train leaders and workers to serve the needs of the hurting, traumatized men and women. We led conferences, taught classes, and ministered personally to the needs of leaders and others in pain. These leaders are passionate followers of Jesus who have continued to share His love, healing, and hope with the hurting.

In each of our trips, we felt the presence of the Lord strongly! Remaining convinced that God plans to pour out his Spirit on that nation and people, we see the enemy working hard to try and quench the promised move of God. The current invasion is just the most recent example!

As conflict loomed on the horizon for the past month, we began to check up on our dear friends in Ukraine. I’m sharing some of their updates with you, hoping you will pray for the nation –especially these cherished friends. (I’ve polished the translation only slightly. I’ve changed their names to maintain their safety and won’t use photos.)

Gabriela: Gabriela is a British citizen. She has been working in Ukraine since I first met her in 2003. I’ve been with her at meetings worldwide – and she traveled with us on a trip to minister in Russia. Gabriela has been working with addictions and very broken people. She also helped found a church near Kyiv. As threats of war increased, Gabriela decided to stay in Ukraine to be with her team and church. She is in a village outside of Kyiv. The Russian army and fighting are very close. I have incredible respect for anyone who has the opportunity to flee – but chooses to stay in harm’s way to care for God's people.

Nadia: Nadia is Ukrainian and has worked with a mission organization for many years. She counsels hurting women and leads conferences to help equip leaders to care for broken people. Here is what Nadia emailed me just before the invasion. I do not know she is now – especially since the artillery and bombing began in Kyiv.

• The last several weeks were pretty hard. For a couple of days, I was even panicky, although normally, I handle stress pretty good.  Mom and I decided to stay in Kyiv.  She is not mobile, and I don’t have a car.  Mom is very weak.  She can travel only 2 hours and then needs long rest. I don’t want to risk losing her somewhere on the road.  There are several places in West Ukraine we could go.  We decided to go only in case of artillery shooting or bombing in Kyiv…Embassies have left Kyiv, and foreigners who work with us left for West Ukraine. A lot of people are going to training to be in Territorial Defense to defend our country. There is a lot of training on how to give first aid.  Ukrainians value freedom, and they will fight hard for it.  

Yesterday, her mission organization posted this update about their base in Kyiv.

• We just received an emergency call from “Erika” (out of Kyiv, Ukraine base). She asked for prayer for Kyiv at this time. They are under heavy attack. Her father is heading to the basement for safety, and our Kyiv staff is going to the container again tonight. There is gunshot noise in the villages nearby the city. Kyiv and the Ukrainian people need another night of miracles. Please mobilize any prayer networks you have contact with – your base, staff around you, church groups here, and around the world. Please join us now in prayer. 

Maria: Maria is a dear friend. She is an excellent translator and helped translate every time I spoke in Ukraine. Maria also accompanied me to Russia as a translator. We’ve been with her worldwide at international conferences because she regularly translates for the Ukrainian and Russian delegations. Maria is a dear sister with a heart for hurting people. She experienced a great deal of trauma over the years – especially during the Soviet era. She has remained in her home city – which is where refugees from Kharkiv are heading. The picture to the right shows a soldier near the entrance to her city and is from the Washington Post.

Michela: I’ve stayed in touch with Michela through social media over the years. She is a sweet person who cares deeply for people in pain. She has worked at several conferences and continues to serve hurting women. I heard from her today – and she's in Kyiv. Here is an update I received a few days ago.

• Yesterday I realized that I have no moral right to hide behind the army—relieving my stress with rest, sound sleep, food, entertainment, and good communication. God did not put us here for this. Instead, I choose not to sleep so I can pray. I ask God to lift me up in prayer when He needs it. Ultimately, I sleep 2-3 hours a night like many others, though. Those under fire will not be able to pray effectively. They need to stay alive. We have to do this. Food does not reach the throat—good opportunity to fast.
• My father would have been 85 today. But I’m glad he went to God in the summer, in time not to see this beating in the country he loved so much. My mother cried in the kitchen yesterday with the words: “My childhood began with the war, and my old age ends with the war.” But I said to her, “We will see the victory of the Lord! For this war is not ours but God’s”.
• Here in Ukraine, each person is re-evaluating their values. For the last 30 years, Christians of Ukraine (I’m one of them) have repented and fasted for the sins of the nation, starting with communism, atheism, and abortion...Therefore, we have this spiritual freedom and thirst, being between liberal Europe and the totalitarian regime of our neighbors. We are paying the price now for choosing this freedom—saying NO to communism and totalitarianism.

We have several other friends in and around Kyiv that need your prayers. I’m not sure where they are now – or if they fled to Poland. I urge you to pray for them as well.

As the Lord fulfills His promise to pour out his Spirit on these people, the enemy is terrified. In a future post, I’ll write about other attempts he has made to crush the moves of the God in that region.

Thanks for your prayers!