1000 Days

“Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.” Colossians 3:15-17 (MSG)

Today marks 1000 days of war, since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

1000 days.

24,000 consecutive hours of missiles, drones, chemical warfare, rapes, murders, kidnappings, and needless loss of life. Hours upon hours hiding, running, sitting in the darkness.

24,000 consecutive hours. How can you even begin to imagine that if you aren’t in the middle of it? In the US, we get angry and upset if we have a short blackout due to a storm or transformer going out. But 24 THOUSAND hours? How can we comprehend and how is this even possible in today’s world?

This is not going to be a newsletter condemning any one side or taking a political stance and I encourage you to read until the end…there is hope! I simply want to remind you of the consequences of narrowing our world to only what affects us personally.

I want you to imagine what life would be like if you were born in Kyiv and not Kansas City or Odessa and not Orlando. What I want is for all of us to remember our shared humanity and recognize that closing our eyes or burying our head doesn’t remove the reality facing tens of thousands of people today…not just in Ukraine, but in too many places around the world.

When I woke up today, I knew the 1000-day mark was soon but had forgotten that it was today. I immediately began to think of how much has been lost in the last 1000 days. Not just lives, but homes, jobs, security, healthy minds, priceless family heirlooms, childhoods, and futures. I have worked in a lot of crises in my ministry, but I have never worked in a place where traumas keep happening day after day…without an end in sight.

Working in a natural disaster is very different. There’s a tragedy one day but then you begin to work towards recovering all that was lost. People pitch in and help, they make sure you are taken care of, and they support efforts to return to you what was lost, if possible. With a long war, there’s just not time to stop and recover. The hits keep coming, day after day, month after month, year after year. And, unfortunately, we as humans, lose our interest and move on to the next tragedy…not because this one is over, but because we often have short attention spans.

I am forever grateful to all the relief that was provided during the first year of the war. It helped so many people and showed Ukrainians that the world saw them…that we loved them and were here to support them. When year two started, at least ½ of the support stopped…fewer volunteers, fewer aid, less interest in knowing what was happening here…in short, compassion fatigue.

So many other things happened in 2023, and most people moved on. By early 2024, it was the two-year mark and most of the funding support for programs to help victims/survivors of the war, just ended. The local and national government was short of funds to continue food programs, housing of internally displaced persons, and stipends that allowed most to survive away from “home.” This didn’t mean that the need was also reduced…it went unchanged…unfortunately, resources became scarce.

And the human toll began to be seen more clearly. Less men between the ages of 24 and 55 were walking around. Those you did see, often were in the military or visiting from another country. Some were students or working in essential infrastructure jobs, but largely, men in this age group were absent. This also meant that construction and manual labor positions were drastically reduced. There just were not the workers to help.

According to the United Nations, the population of Ukraine has decreased by 10 million since the invasion in 2022.

10 million lost to a mass exodus, declining birth rates, and death. No single US city has a population of 10 million people.

New York City has a population of just over 8 million. Los Angeles, almost 4 million. Chicago, 2 and a half million.

Wiping out just one of those cities seems unimaginable but to understand the loss to Ukraine, you would have to wipe out the populations of Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and San Antonio combined, and you STILL wouldn’t reach 10 million.

I keep thinking of the poets and artists, scientists and teachers, athletes and activists who have lost their lives. The loss of potential and future growth has been significantly challenged here in Ukraine.

But challenge isn’t defeat. Challenges require new ways of thinking, innovation, and pushing through because today is not the end.

Today isn’t the end of violence but it’s also not the end of hope.

It’s not the end of pain but it’s also not the end of healing.

Today there is still hope. And hope sustains. Hope re-enlivens. Hope persists. Hope challenges all of those who want this war to break the spirit of Ukrainians.

Where there is hope, there is love, and where there is love, there is God.

God seen through the hands of those who still pull people out of the rubble and get them to safer places.

God seen through the laughter and voices of children participating in psychosocial support groups.

God seen in the box of food brought to homeless encampments or shelters where displaced persons are living.

God seen in the dreams of local leaders, like Csaba and Tony and Tanya, who have a vision for new churches, a community center to meet the needs around them, and places of peace and healing for the traumatized.

There is hope and there is the presence of God in this place, healing the hearts, bodies, and minds of so many people.

And some of you come and see and walk alongside these folks who give everything they have, to serve. You serve with them. You pack food boxes or play with the children in their support groups or join a medical team.

Some others offer hope through a gift to these ministries…gifts that make sure Ukrainians know they are not forgotten and encourage the local leaders to keep moving forward with their dreams. Gifts that purchase medicine or Bibles or generators used during the cold months. Your gifts keep hope alive here!

So, if you’re still reading this, you may be asking, “What can I do if I cannot go and I cannot give?” My answer may seem simple but it’s not…

Pray. Learn. Share.

Pray diligently for resources to be provided. Pray for encouragement to those working in such difficult places. Pray for renewed energy and strength to those who have worked unceasingly for 1000 days. Pray for a miraculous end to this war and no more loss of life. Pray for leaders on any side, to act with compassion.

Learn more about the situation here in Ukraine. Learn about the rich history of this country and the many ways they have contributed to the world. Learn about all the many unique parts of this country…oceans, mountains, farms, and industry. Learn why it matters that Ukraine survives.

And, share these things! Don’t just learn so you are educated. Educate people in your congregation or place of work. Educate them about the suffering and hope here in Ukraine and so many other places in the world. As we all learn, we will see Ukrainians as our neighbor…not just a random place many hours from our home.

Friends…hope is alive, but it does need tending. As I’m learning about keeping a fire going in my apartment to have heat during the winter, I see a similar need in our response to what is happening in Ukraine. We need to watch and be aware when new fuel is required (another log to keep it going). We need to attend the fire and make sure it’s safe…that the sparks don’t leap out and burn something else. And fires need air to give them life.

The work here in Ukraine is not easy but I sense hope and a longing for something better that is coming. You help me feel that same hope when you reach out and when you support this ministry. Thank you for loving me through this and walking with me as volunteers, donors, prayer partners, and friends.

“Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other (with me), in step with each other (with me).”

Choose hope over despair, action over silence, and love over hate. The world needs more light, and it can start with you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this note and pray about the situation here. If you’d like to learn more about what I’m doing or how you can help, please reply to the email and I’ll send you more information. If you’d like to become a monthly donor for my ministry, please click the link below to begin your gift. Please know that all gifts are such an encouragement to me and I appreciate each one. Again, thank you for loving me and caring for me in the many ways you do!