They just want their lives back…
Written by Martin Stan
I had the privilege of joining a team which included members from Mercy Projects and Freeway Kyiv in February for outreaches in Eastern and Southern Ukraine. The team objectives included meeting with pastors, families, and soldiers near the front lines of the war. This was both a rewarding and sorrowful venture as we again witnessed first-hand the devastation that has happened in the lives of these brave Ukrainians.
The airspace in Ukraine has been closed since the beginning of the war, hence we traveled to Budapest and drove to Kyiv which served as the working base for the excursions.
The first trip involved traveling to the Kharkiv Region. We visited multiple villages and delivered supplies including first aid, pre-packaged vegetables, seeds for planting vegetables, and other assorted items. The villages were previously Russian occupied but are now liberated, however they are still under constant bombardment and remain very volatile. The families are very determined to rebuild their severely damaged homes in spite of the constant attacks. Our objective was to provide them with some items to help them grow vegetables and sustain daily living. Offering mental, emotional, and spiritual support was key as these families continue to live daily not knowing whether there will even be a tomorrow.
The second trip involved traveling south to Mykolaiv in the region of Kherson. This is another heavily engaged area that the Russian army is pursuing with constant bombardment. This region is a primary target due to the fact that it's near Odessa which is a major port city. We visited several villages that have been occupied previously. We delivered goods to families the same as we did in the Kharkiv region. In some of these villages we also saw rather extensive fields that have been mined by the enemy which created very dangerous grounds for families and farm animals to navigate. The families in these villages rely heavily on farms and small gardens so that they can grow food throughout the year. It's a horrible existence to have to first have the Ukrainian army scour the fields for mines where crops are being grown.
For the final leg of the trip we traveled to Ivankiv, north of Kyiv. This region was also occupied by the enemy in the early days of the war. The Russian army attempted to attack Kyiv from the north but were pushed out of the region. The Russian army sustained very heavy casualties in this offensive and the Ukrainian army subsequently took back the territory. We delivered goods to families that were displaced due to their homes being destroyed.
