Every day I wake up early. Squirrels run outside the window, birds sing. Yesterday, March 1, it snowed. This is so beautiful. But the noise above my head brings me back to reality. War. Horrible! above us, to the north, fighter jets are flying towards Kiev - most likely they are enemies. Every day 2-3 pieces. But I immediately want to know - is Mariupol worth it? Kyiv - is it worth it? How about Kharkov? Thank God! Our cities are standing .. for the 7th day! Kharkov is bombed very heavily. Mariupol is surrounded and there is almost no possibility to leave it. I can’t get through to my friends - it turns out they are organizing the evacuation of people. It is very dangerous. Enemies shoot cars with people who leave the city.
Some cities are being compared to the ground. Such as small towns from the west of Kyiv - Bucha. Gostomel. Somewhere there lives my friend Olya and there is no connection with her. Our cities do not surrender, our soldiers do not surrender. Residents go towards the tanks and cars. This is so touching - to tears!
On the first day of the war, two refugee families with children came to our house from Kyiv. They were scared. Yesterday they left for the Romanian border. They say to me, there is a place in the car. But I can not. And I do not want to - 100 percent. Today the Kyiv pastor brought his pregnant wife with three small children. And he went back to help people. Maybe tomorrow will bring someone else. All men sign up for defense. And they patrol the streets. Build roadblocks. And all the inhabitants feed them, dress them warmly. People on the streets are weaving camouflage nets to cover our checkpoints and tanks. This is a great country! And history is being written right here and now.
Our town is quiet. We called it a city of refuge.
The kids are so excited about the warm bed and clean sheets. On Sunday we went to church - prayed, praised God. we remembered that He is loving, just, faithful. Many cried and the fear went away. I feel prayers, I feel good and cheerful and I even forget to take blood pressure pills ;).
What we experienced in 2014, it turns out, gave me a great experience, I experience much less stress than those who met the war for the first time. And I believe that this will all be over soon., soon there will be our victory! We want to live in a free and independent Ukraine. We all feel tremendous support from around the world. There was no such attitude in 2014. The world has not forgotten about Ukraine! I feel a special privilege to be here at this time, doing something for God. it's so wonderful! Probably, if the war destroys everything in its path and you have to run away - (oh, how much I would not like it ..) I hope for the help of our Lord soon.
Every day, cars with products arrive in the city - bread, milk, meat. There is almost nothing left in the stores. Coca cola, chips and ice cream. ahaha. When I bring grocery bags to children, they are so happy. We talk a lot with their parents about God.
To all of you, dear people, thank you very much. You are incredibly generous people. I already help not only families in crisis, but everyone who meets need along the way.