the numbness of it all
We will always continue to serve children with your supporting our mission and for making it possible for us to change lives, which gives us purpose during this devastating war.
When the first bombs fell, and tanks rolled into our city in 2022, the shock was beyond anything I could have imagined. Sveta and I spent those early days trying to make sense of what we were seeing and hearing. We stayed at our daughter’s flat for a few days (she and her family were already in Slovakia), then fled to Poland for two years. For the past two-plus years, we have been back in our cozy home in Ukraine.
- Bombs fell
- Tanks rolled in
- Shock was beyond imagination
Life now carries a strange kind of normal. We hear explosions, some near and some far. Drones pass overhead, and we never know where they are headed. The sirens wail almost daily, sometimes several times a day. Honestly, I have become numb to it. I no longer follow the news because waiting for good news about anything is exhausting.
- Numbness
That numbness, and the fact that we cannot change the war ourselves, allows us to keep moving forward with the work of MUCH (Mission Ukraine Children’s Hope). We have not stopped, and we will not stop. The children we serve need us now more than ever.
We will always continue to serve children like Sofia and Phillip, whose mental and physical condition would deteriorate without our continued support.
A few months ago, Sveta and I traveled to France to see our granddaughter. We took the train to Poland to catch our flight, and we wondered the whole way: would it be safe? Would we be forced off the train midway? At each border, the contrast was clear. We were leaving a country whose freedom is under challenge and returning to the daily challenge.
- Freedom
- Passenger trains bombed
In September, we took a bus to Chornomorsk on MUCH business. While we were there, we heard that a train on the Kyiv-Mykolaiv line had been bombed. As far as I remember, no one was killed. Then I learned that several trains in other cities had also been hit that month. Sveta and I looked at each other and decided we would not travel by train until the war ends. We can do nearly everything by video chat, so why add more danger to an already dangerous journey?
We still find laughter and comfort in small things. Two stray cats that God sent our way bring Sveta great joy. She plays with them every day, and her joy becomes mine.
Thank you for supporting our mission and for making it possible for us to change lives, which gives us purpose during this devastating war.
