I remember February 24, 2022, very well. It was noon when my phone began to ring, and my colleague told me the first refugees had arrived in Romania. I had been watching with keen interest Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, and honestly I never imagined the role Remember the Children would play in assisting the Ukrainian people. Thousands upon thousands were fed, clothed, given shelter, given resources to keep moving west, and still today we have people in our care in Romania.
I met with Adi Ban and Dan Suciu this past Wednesday. They had just returned from Ukraine where they had gone to deliver aid and encourage the workers that are still serving in the refugee centers inside of Ukrainian boundaries. The overwhelming message is this, Ukraine still needs as much help today as they did when the war began. The good news is that winter is about six weeks from being over and the people have endured without many of the needed resources like electricity and heat. Spring is coming and there is hope that in certain areas planting of crops can resume to help the people with needed food.
The message that was clear to me is that we still need to pray for peace, and we need to continue to help as we are able. The number one problem that the people are facing is fatigue, both physical and mental. Adi and Dan shared with me a plan to bring key leaders from the refugee centers out of Ukraine for a week to rest and to have needed counseling for the unbelievable stress they remain under. The Washington Post had an article this past week about the mental stress that is wearing the people down psychologically. I cannot fathom what it takes to live under the fear of daily bombings.
Thank you for all you have done to help the Ukrainian people. They are grateful and many prayers of thanks have been offered for your sacrificial giving. You have saved and served the lives of thousands of people you will never meet. But I know that God is smiling as we bring care to those who are literally living in the worst imaginable conditions.
Blessings,
