When I was in Ukraine last month, Bogdon noticed that one of my light were out. He took my car down the road to a friend of his who had a shop, they replaced the light and looked over the car and noticed another problem. They didn’t end up doing a lot of work to the car, but when I asked how much I owed for the work, Bogdon said that his friend did the work for free and we just needed to pay for parts. “All his work is free right now, he just wants to help volunteers.” I protested, especially after this. I have the ability to pay and this guy is exactly the kind of person that I want to be supporting with my money. He politely, but firmly refused.
This is how it is in Ukriane now. Everyone at Safe Haven helps out in lots of little ways. But it’s not just the people we know, it is most of the country.
Bogdon’s friends at the front will come to the house to resupply on some of the many things that we’ve been able to stock them up on (high protein snacks, socks and medical supplies, etc.) and at least once a month, someone will leave their vehicle with Bogdon, and he will spend the month finding the parts and the mechanics to fix the car before he and a friend will get it back to the unit.
This most recent trip into Ukraine, I took a guy in who was out of the country visiting his family who fled to the Czech Republic. He has three young children, so he could have evacuated with them. But instead he quit his job and has been tirelessly helping in Ukriane. I got so many stories from him, that I’ve already written a few pages, and some of that is just notes. One of the things that struck me though, was how many times he was just about to lay down and get some much needed sleep and then he would get a call or a knock on the door, with some one letting know of some people who needed a ride or help with something, each time he would hesitate, but he would still help. He saw that this was a critical moment where the willing have to ready to help where they can. This was how Ukraine was going to stand. This is how people like him could bring hope and motivation to those who were lacking it.
To be sure, there are people trying to go on with their normal lives who can’t be bothered with to help their neighbors and are unmoved by the fact that Russian forces are causing devastation to everyone around them. The people I’ve talked to are baffled by these people, they don’t understand how they aren’t motivated to unite and stand together. But by far, the majority of people want to do their part. I’m super excited to see and hear that the church is doing its part. Yesterday, I was listening to the Ukrainecast from BBC and they interviewed a priest who has been tirelessly helping the people of his city and beyond, and his example keeps inspiring more people to join the work. Those stories always bring tears of joy to my eyes.
Some of the Safe Haven graduates are trying to enlist in the military, but there are others who are terrified that they will be called up if there is a draft. None of these guys wants to shirk responsibility, they just don’t think they have what it takes to be a soldier. They still want to do their part to support Ukraine’s defense efforts. And they are. The awesome thing is that yesterday we heard an announcement that there won’t be a draft because there are still so many volunteers for military service. I believe it: the last two times I have been in the country, I have driven past a recruitment office and there was a line of mostly young men outside waiting to volunteer to serve by their fellow country men.
Ukraine Will Stand because they are choosing to stand together. And I am honored that I get to watch it.
Comments
Post a Comment