Author: Dr Andrzej Turkanik
Introduction
The war in Ukraine has largely disappeared from our public perception. It can be safely said that there is tiredness with it; five years in, refugees have begun to settle in in respective countries, initial waves of support through volunteers bringing supply and humanitarian aid have waned and given way to general skepticism and worries about corruption and fear of Russian aggression against countries standing with Ukraine.
Against this background, a group of business and non-profit representatives from Europe and the US, gathered in Krakow, Poland, with the intent to go and visit friends and see what God is doing in Ukraine.
The trip was jointly sponsored by Christian Economic Forum, European Great Commission Collaboration, Faith driven Entrepreneur, and Embassy Connections. I represented the Quo Vadis Institute, and the extension project, Churches Helping Churches Help.
For some, it was a regular trip to the war-torn area; for others, a first-off, perhaps since the momentous month of February 2022. Many asked themselves whether it is courageous or crazy to travel at this moment in time. The answer to that one is difficult; one thing is certain: we all left Ukraine changed.
I was able to join the group only for the first part of the trip, which was to the westernmost city of L’viv where several meetings with Ukrainian partners were organized. A number of us went on to Kiev, and further into Romania, to get the first-hand experience of work among the displaced persons and orphans.
My reflections on what I experienced are as follows. I was struck, again, by the resilience of the Ukrainian believers, and by extension, of the Ukrainian society. What we saw, albeit in the Western part of the country, was robust workings of those tired, but not overwhelmed by the situation, but rather going full steam in support of the parts of the country more directly affected by the on-going war.
All comparisons break down at some point, but one helpful to me is that this war is much more like the WW 1, more local trench warfare, and limited front-line (the drones, of course, being the new element), rather than the WW 2, where the front was everywhere. Even so, the swarms of drones and ballistic rockets continue to spread terror in many parts of the country. The majority of the Ukrainian territory, however, is not directly affected by the war daily as perhaps we would imagine it to be so. The ever-present air raid alerts remind one several times a day that an attack could be imminent. Other than leave, one has to find a way to live in those circumstances somehow though, and one does. Many who have left the country at the beginning, are back and contributing to the fabric of society. Home is home, I was repeatedly told, and you take care of what has been entrusted to you.
And so, the business leaders we met told us of how their companies lost almost all work for a short period in 2022, but have since recovered their capacity, and are growing substantially. We heard of hospitals and medical institutions which have doubled or tripled their capacity since the beginning of the full-scale war (they are not directly involved in war casualties, by the way; rather, it is an organic growth because they are able to provide the care society is in need of: reliable, high quality, affordable, and not corrupt).
Others shared similar stories. Not only is the Ukrainian economy not overwhelmed, in fact, it continues to provide a backbone for many Europe-wide industries: the production of electronic components for cars; IT programming and support worldwide; agriculture and food production; those are functioning and well distributed due to sophisticated logics networks. Whereas the postal system is dying in much of Europe, Ukraine has established a New Post, one capable of delivering parcels within and outside of the country within days.
Things are working remarkably well. Indeed, the Ukrainian leaders made it very clear: we don’t need help; we need partners to be able to use what we have and develop it further.
Equally encouraging were the reports from the Church and Christian non-profits: thousands of children and youth will, God willing, take part in summer camps organized across the country. Many of them especially taking care of orphans and children of military personnel, who are growing up without one or both parents.
Evangelistic work of chaplains among the soldiers on the front is a high priority. So, too, is care for widows and mothers of fallen, as well as work among the veterans. We heard many presentations of organizations, large and small, testifying how the Christian message is bringing healing and how they are engaging professional trauma procedures to bring hope.
The disruption of normal activities is clearly felt. From the work of IFES, whose several leaders have been taken into active duty, through Church pastors and theological seminaries, whose students have died, either in air raid attacks or on the front, the stories of active work of proclamation along with the gift of presence, are too many to mention, but a testimony of God’s unceasing work in the war zone. I was particularly struck by a mention of a church-plant named “Frontline”, and that’s exactly where it is located. Several graduates of a Bible Seminary went to a location a few kilometers from the war-zone and have planted a new church; a good balance of young an old, all determined to stay and be the hands and feet of Jesus in a difficult reality.
So, I have left Ukraine with a sense of hope and encouragement; not that things are settling, not at all. I so wish they were! But that God is doing something new there, equipping His people to continue the hard work of faithful presence not after but amidst the wreckage, and that both financial involvement, and physical presence on the ground are needed and much welcomed. The message our group brought was: Ukrainian believers are not forgotten; we are here to testify of our continued prayers and support. The message I took back with me and am sharing with you is this: if we want to have a portion in shaping of a country for the next generation, it is not in ten years, or after the end of the war, it is now.
May we have the resolve to stay faithful in our love of our neighbor as it will bring glory to God and a needed relief for our fellow believers. And it just might sparkle a renewal in our own experience of God and how he chooses to disclose Himself miraculously through experiences of the gift of presence. This is exactly what I am grateful for as a result of my visit.