Friends and those who have been so good to me over the last few days,
Thanks so much for your prayers and your love!
Over the internet, not everything can be, or should be communicated.
Some will know that I’ve been in Ukraine these last few days, and yes Ternopil Oblast, when the attacks came last Wednesday. A week on, my heart is profoundly moved by the way God is using the churches, our partners and projects at such a critical time. I know I am a stuck record, but what we are called to and our new start projects are never about projects, always about people. God is blessing these profoundly.
I had the privilege of being with those grieving and working on the ground. I am not unfamiliar to chaplain ministry amidst such a stark backdrop of tragedy and trauma, but this was utterly unique. My heart grieved in so many dimensions for those without hope.
Before the time of the attack, we had numerous meetings with those we were helping and sharing good news with. I was so encouraged, especially by the immense work amongst young people and those training for ministry. There is great hope in those leaders born out of adversity, and the best of role models leading them. Along with this was the tangible sense of God's presence every time I opened His word to encourage His people and proclaim the only hope for all people in Jesus. Make no mistake, our God understands, knows and experienced our trauma in a greater dimension than we can comprehend. The central event of the bible and all of human history is the cosmic traumatic event of the cross. It attests to our God’s plan of love which accomplished victory over all sin and leadership without God in a broken world. He is able to enable us to face all things with His help. He has beaten the enemies of God, death, and will make all things new when there will be no more mourning, tears or pain. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. No other construct comes close to the truth of our loving God, his relational purposes in Christ and the eternal true hope for us who know him relationally in His sustaining power and company.
After preaching, it was normal to only have deep conversations. We are made to search for eternal security. (Ecc 3:11) This was so refreshing to me. When we are empty of self dependency and pride, God does His greatest work.
Then the night which will remain long in the memory. All 3 phone apps went ballistic first. "Stay safe" was the message, but looking at the alert map, the whole country was red in every region. Was there a safe place ? I had been preaching for the previous week on Christ being our safe place. It is critical when the insecurity and fragility of life is so tangible, that we know such certainty. Simultaneously, the sirens started and didn't stop throughout the night. Messages from friends came through, of cruise missiles being heard, whistling overhead, (470 drones and 48 rockets to be exact). Then the explosions. It is not appropriate here to give details of what destruction that accomplished. As usual the defence forces did an amazing work, the sound of F-16 and mirage aircraft being flown by Ukraine personnel is a peculiar comfort. One close mission partner said, "when I was a young girl, aeroplanes were a fascination to me, I was so excited every time I saw one fly above. Now, if I see a plane it is only ever bad. It always makes me sad, it is now my instant feeling about planes". Those F-16's shot down at least 10 missiles. Had this not been the case I shudder to think of the consequences. These missiles are designed for maximum destruction, but unpredictable in their locking mechanisms. Various vidoes evidence the rockets diverting in final seconds as they locked onto residential premises and not military sites. Hence, whole living communities where taken out, homes desroyed, families ripped apart. At the time of writing I am aware of 34 who lost their lives and some 94 who were brutally injured including 18 children.
On the morning of rescue work, the scale of the task became visible as sun rose. When a 9 story building is hit, the instability of what is left is offset by those on lower floors trapped to be rescued or recovered for grieving relatives. This was only one of the sites. I will never forget standing with the man who watched on in his foil blanket waiting for His wife and child to be found all day, the older lady being held upright by her two daughters waiting for her husband. These stories had stark and devastating conclusions. Various church family were caught up in all this. I think of brother B, (aged 85) whose windows blasted out of his home with the impact so close, and then the thick acrid smoke filling his home, with the awful smell of destruction which pervaded the area for days to come. After treatment for severe smoke inhalation, (and still with an inhabitable blackened home, no windows) he was present Sunday morning a few hundred yards away at the church were I was preaching. It is a precious thing to see God with his people to enable them by faith at such times to say “The LORD GIVES and the LORD TAKES AWAY, Blessed be the name of the LORD”.We remember another church friend (member) who was desperately taking his elderly mother to safety in the shelter, when destruction came upon hem both with a wall collapsing on them to end earthly days.
There was no shortage of wonderful rescuers doing the grim job of recovery, but as the bodies were aligned respectfully on the tarmac, my heart is broken with the many families affected, and for their trauma witnessed. God's people did amazingly. Refreshments for ground crew, a free Pizza van providing food and hot drinks, all coordinated by a pastor cooking non-stop. These things genuinely make a huge difference to keep up the strength, stamina and motivations for ground crews. The red cross, medics, firemen, military and security. Tents and emergency infrastructure erected, spotlights for through the night work. No amount of immediate help, and desire to make things better can however in any way soften such a devastating reality.
What is our hope in such a reality? The following day I was invited into a school, to speak at a commemoration assembly. So many lives and families already impacted, no-one is excluded in such a school. The children shared their stories, (parents on the frontline, parents lost, parents at a distance providing for children from another place, relatives lost.) We shared about Christ and the only lasting hope in Him. The reception was overwhelmingly encouraging. I hope to be back very soon. Pray for those who hold bible classes regularly throughout the week in that school, and follow up camps for youth.
On Sunday three services, each with their own amazing sense of God tangibly present in His ministry of comfort and truth. Prayer is on a different level of earnestness. First time visitors have ears eager to hear and hearts which openly share their vulnerability and need. The physical fatigue is obvious amongst all, yet a supernatural energy persists. There is no shortage of smiles and gratitude in local churches, even joy at being alive in God’s world and another day with church. It is well founded smile, God is with us, and at work in a beautiful way.
I will share more to prayer partners in a prayer letter this week. Please, please, continue to pray for and support the churches at this critical time. Widows are a key area of our ministry, many whose husbands are lost from the battle, but there is no legal proof (and hence no "official" support). The churches are providing this. Those who have lost their homes and families are finding their home in the church family.
A simple cake and tea gathering of such precious older women friends happened after one of the services on Sunday afternoon. I respect so much the dear friend taking care of others who had like her lost everything. I was struck by the age of both her and most of those present, the majority in their 70's and 80's. We can only start to comprehend the trauma they have been through, and what it takes to start again from zero in such a context. Countless friends recounted, how houses and families were lost, but Christ had been found through the local church. Relationship is everything, with Him yes and also the support of those he is working through. There were prompt tears both of pain and joy as story after story told of what had been lost and found.
My fear was that trauma would numb many from a functional and foundational existence, yet in this gathering I saw a reality which is undoubtedly healthy model for such ministry. Reality is processed sensitively at the right time. (2 Cor 1:4 ).
I can say with their experiences and testimony as proof that God is good. He hears the cry of the lonely, broken and destitute. These partners and the ministries we provide are together in your partnership of ongoing faithfulness being so proundly used of God, to build His church and in His eternal purposes. There is so much work to do. Please encourage in whatever way you can to help these partners not grow weary in doing good at this time.
Thank you again for your prayers. It is good to be home for a short time. Please continue to pray as we work on to see the next generation trained and mobilised. orphans and widows cared for, and growing churches able to continue their astounding ministries amongst a hurting harvest. We have much to do in the region, and at present little resources to accomplish this. We know however God is with us, and in faith we stride on knowing that He is with us.
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