In early March of this year I was privileged to be part of a small team that delivered supplies to villages in southern Ukraine in the Kherson region, a very active war zone. This team was led by 2 NGOs, Mercy Projects and Freeway Kyiv. This region has been under constant siege by Russian forces causing mass destruction of homes, schools, medical facilities, markets, etc. There has been significant loss of lives and many families have fled to other locations. Stanislav is one of the villages that we visited. It’s not possible to put into words the level of devastation that we witnessed first-hand in March.

We were enthusiastically welcomed into the home of Pastor Nikolai and his wife. We received amazing hospitality as they gave up their own beds and served us an abundance of delicious foods. We spent a couple of nights and days delivering supplies and visiting people that were still living in their homes. Nikolai and his wife were so full of joy and they were very committed to remaining in this village even while constant shelling was happening. They considered it a privilege to serve and minister to the local people as lives were being devastated by the enemy. They truly counted the cost of serving others.

On the morning of August 13 the home of Nikolai was heavily shelled by the enemy causing irreparable damage. As a result of the shelling, Nikolai entered eternity leaving behind his wife, kids, and grandkids. The truth of the matter is that everyone in this village knew Pastor Nikolai and his wife including the Russian army that previously occupied the village before it was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022. Nikolai and his family were at risk and known for helping others rebuild their physical and spiritual lives. There is no question that they were in the crosshairs of the enemy.

A great verse states “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

God bless you Nikolai for that great love that you gave! I will never forget you and I will be praying for your wife and your family until we see you again!

Marty is traveling in the central and eastern parts of Ukraine right now and he will certainly update this blog when he returns. They are distributing portable wood stoves, firewood, chickens, first aid items, warm socks and other necessities. It is a grueling and difficult trip because they are near bombed out areas and cities that are being presently shelled. These outreaches are with Jeff and Paula Thompson (Mercy Projects) and Ukrainian volunteers on the ground.

To see the 2 videos Marty shot, go to: https://poetryart.blogspot.com