44 Days of War in Ukraine
On Wednesday, April 6, it was reported that we had accomplished a fourth delivery of food to the orphans in the Stara Basan orphanage. As mentioned in an earlier update, the children are no longer at the orphanage property but safely relocated to a more secure location. We are currently working out the details to provide some much-needed medications to the children.
Due to recent safety concerns expressed by several of our staff in Ukraine, we will be judicious in the pictures and information we share about people in Ukraine and our refugees spread around Europe. I will share this one picture today.
On Tuesday morning, the Kyiv and Orlando staff met on a Zoom call for devotions. We invited any MMK Board members to join if their schedules allowed. 15 of the 20 employees in Ukraine/Europe joined us. We had a total of 28 people participate in the devotional time.
We discussed Psalm 11 and God’s justice for the oppressed and then heard from all 15 of our Ukrainians, including where they are currently located and how they were doing. The American participants were filled with joy at seeing the faces of our Ukraine friends and hearing their voices. Lena Sagun translated for all of us. After the meeting, Serhiy Basarab and Vika Konchakovska shared with me how our staff in Ukraine/Europe had their spirits lifted by this meeting.
As I listened to their stories, I became acutely aware of what being uprooted looked like in their families. It was sobering to hear how many of them have been uprooted several times or are still facing the need to move once again, regardless if they are in Ukraine or a European country. The mental and emotional strain on them and their families is a reality most of us have not experienced.
The latest news says over 10 million citizens of Ukraine have been uprooted and displaced from their homes. That is one-fourth of the entire population. Yet, despite their personal circumstances, our team members call and check on our widows and then relay the updates and needs to our team in Kyiv.
Our Kyiv staff has begun meeting on Zoom every Wednesday. The reconnecting and encouragement shared between them are really healthy and needed. Serhiy says every one of them benefitted from their shared experiences. During the challenges of COVID, our staff learned how to utilize video-based communication tools, and now it is a normal mode of communication for us.
The capital city of Kyiv has seen a reduction in shelling and attacks in the past several days. Life is returning to a sense of normalcy, but Vika shared it feels weird not hearing the air raid sirens during the day and night. How sad for something signaling danger to become so common to our staff, widows, and orphans that it now seems odd not to hear them.
Serhiy told us the metro subway and train transportation has started to function again as threats have been minimized. Traveling around the city is easier, especially for finding food and medicines. Serhiy, Vika, and Pastor Ruslan have agreed it is time to start our full food voucher distribution again for all of our widows/pensioners who can come to our usual location beginning this coming Monday, April 11.
Pastor Ruslan was on a trip to deliver humanitarian aid to the Chernihiv area this week. Chernihiv is northeast of Kyiv and has been hit very hard by the Russian army for the past 10-12 days. We know specific families staying in basements and bunkers day and night in that area. Pastor Ruslan talks with Serhiy almost daily.
A few of you have shared how you want to contact your congressional leaders to pressure our government to do more and to demonstrate a sense of urgency in the things already promised to Ukraine. Here is an example template of something you can write or call in to your representative.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing you as an American citizen with deep concern about our government's lack of real help to the nation and people of Ukraine. As your constituent, I respectfully demand that you use your position to voice my concerns to the powers above you to this end: that the US use all the resources available to us to help Ukrainians win this battle against Russian aggression and genocide of Ukrainians, as you can easily see on any news station. This is to include troops, military equipment, any and all resources that we would use to defend our own country.
I believe if we do not, we will end up employing them to battle the Russian Federation on our own soil. Our lack of help and our “too little too late” sanctions have given RF the confidence in the weakness of the United States they needed to launch and sustain this attack on the peace-loving Nation of Ukraine. Please ACT NOW. Ukrainian blood is on our hands if we simply stand by “watching with concern and waving flags” yet do nothing. Evil prevails when good people do nothing. Our country was founded on such principles.
Sincerely,
Pray
Pray for the Ukrainian civilians and soldiers in the areas under attack.
For the US and Europe to expedite the delivery of the promised military and humanitarian aid they have committed to send.
For the whole Russian army’s plans to be ruined until Russia leaves.
For God to ease the negative and painful effects of the separation happening to many families of Ukraine.
For prevention against this becoming a prolonged war and to bring an end to it quickly.
For Europe and the United States to have urgency with the sanctions against Russia and its leaders.
Pray against the hurtful long-term effects this war is going to cause globally.
For the unfolding economic ruin this is bringing to Ukraine and how it brings the most harm to the poor and vulnerable people.
For the eastern and southern sides of Ukraine undergoing relentless destruction through the missiles and artillery shelling Russian soldiers are concentrating in those areas.
Give
ONLINE: You can give online to musicmissionkiev.org
CALL: You can still call our U.S. office and donate with your credit card. Our office phone number is 407-699-7172.
CHECK: Send a check payable to Music Mission Kiev, PO Box 161849, Altamonte Springs, FL 32716.
Contact
Please take the time to contact your government officials. Even if you have already called or written them, please do so again. I cannot overstate the importance our influence can have on our government to do more. The example template shared above can help you get started.
Greg
CEO | Music Mission Kiev