16 minute read
WITNESSING FOR CHRIST DURING THE WAR IN UKRAINE
David Breidenbach
“David, do not worry. We do not believe in big war.”1
Ten days later, the air raid sirens started blaring and the sound of missiles ripped through the pre-dawn sky, followed by explosions and the resulting concussion of air assaulting eardrums, shaking Pastor Aleksandr Gross and his family violently out of their beds.
They were bewildered, terrified, and for a short while, in denial that the unthinkable had actually happened— a full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun—in the 21st century! And yet even in this calamity, the call remained. “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” – Psalm 82:3-4 (ESV).2
How We Came to Serve in Ukraine
We had been friends with the Gross family for a long time, stretching back to 2007, where we first met in L’viv, Ukraine. My wife Angela and I were part of a team sent on an exploratory mission to see if a meaningful partnership could be formed between DELKU (German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine) and our mission organization, Spiritual Orphans Network (SON), called East European Missions Network at the time.
It would be two more years before my wife, two daughters, and I would have the chance to meet Aleksandr’s family: his wife, Alyona, and their two young daughters, Anna-Mariia and Marta. They are a remarkable ministry family with the gift of hospitality and compassion serving a 4-point parish in the southern, Odesa region of Ukraine, near the Black Sea.
In 2009, our organization began sending short-term mission teams to co-host summer English Bible camps with the Gross family and their many coworkers. The camps served hundreds of village children at local schools and they solidified a long-standing partnership that grew into many years of connecting spiritual orphans with the global family in Christ.
Several years later, we added ministry conferences for pastors and full-time ministry workers serving throughout Ukraine. In fact, then NALC Bishop John Bradosky and the Assistant to the Bishop for Global Missions, Rev. Dr. Gemechis Buba, had the joy of teaching fourteen eager young pastors for two days in the living room of the Ukrainian equivalent of an Airbnb, located on the extreme southwestern peninsula of Ukraine, right on the Black Sea. It was early March and the temperatures were still freezing, so no one was working on a tan at the beach. But the rapt attention of the Ukrainian pastors fueled the excitement in that cramped living room, as the bishop and Reverend Buba taught and shared perspectives for discipling people in the gospel that the pastors had never heard before nor encountered while in seminary. Every pastor, including the (then) new DELKU Bishop, Pavlo Shvarts, was encouraged, excited, and eager to return to serving his multipoint parish.
SON hosted our last ministry conference in Ukraine outside of L’viv in early March 2020. Only two days later, COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill. While many congregations in the Western world entered a new era of live-streaming worship and virtual Bible studies, the reality of inadequate digital infrastructure in Ukraine necessitated a more personal ministry model during the pandemic. Ukrainian pastors became travelling outdoor evangelists and couriers of much needed meals, supplies, groceries, and medicines. They were often the only connection to the outside world for many elderly believers, shut-ins, and others otherwise isolated from the advent of technology.
In 2021, despite limitations imposed by the pandemic, a small team from SON was able to join our fulltime missionaries to Ukraine, Pastor Scott and Lena Yount, and Anna-Mariia Gross, the eldest daughter of Pastor Aleksandr Gross. The Younts primarily serve special needs youth and adults in the region of Bila Tserkva, a medium size city, about forty-five minutes south of Kiev. There, we hosted a modified English Bible Camp for orphaned, special needs boys. Despite all the extra COVID precautions that had to be observed, meaningful connections were made, and an indelible impression was left on each of our hearts.
Following that camp, Pastor Scott and our team were met by Pastor Gross, who drove us six hours south to Novagradovka, just a few kilometers inland from Odesa. There we reunited with the entire Gross family and hosted an English Bible camp for about thirty youth living in and around their village. Anna Mariia and Marta had both matured into remarkable young women and, in fact, planned and took the lead in most of the camp’s large-group sessions. It was a very memorable experience for all, and we especially enjoyed spending time with the Gross family.
Little did we know just how strong the bonds of our families’ relationship would influence and change the trajectory of each of our lives forever. While the rest of the world was still reeling from the inconveniences and interruptions that COVID imposed, the people of Ukraine were just beginning a journey that would thrust them into the most horrific and unfathomable reality—full scale war with Russia.
The Invasion and Evacuation
SON is a member of the U.S. State Department’s OSAC Diplomatic Security Service for non-profits and for several weeks we had been receiving military intelligence that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was not only likely, but imminent.
On February 12th, 2022, the OSAC private signal communications channel was reporting verified intelligence about the day and the hour when the full-scale invasion was expected to begin. It was in response to that report that I reached out, via Messenger, to Pastor Gross:
“Do you have plans to evacuate? Bulgaria is recommended over Moldova because of troops build up there. I have friends in Bulgaria if you would like me to contact them. Please let me know how we can help. Scott and Lena have plans to drive to Slovakia.”
They had none, as no one believed it would happen, which prompted Aleksandr’s response to me:
“David, do not worry. We do not believe in big war.”1
You see, Russia actually began its occupation of Ukraine back in 2014. Confined to the far eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, many families were displaced, and hundreds had been killed, but for most, it was more of a political war and reality of living with their neighbor to the east. In fact, Pastor Scott and Lena Yount met as a result of Lena’s family’s escape from the Luhansk region and relocation to Bila Tserkva, in 2014. For most Ukrainians, the threats of a full-scale invasion from the Kremlin were received only as more “saber rattling.” No one took it seriously and the thought of making an evacuation plan seemed foolish and unnecessary.
On the night of February 23rd (early morning, February 24th in Ukraine) I was glued to the various private messaging feeds and overseas news outlets. Our worst fears came true. Russia began a brutal and indiscriminate assault on 44 million Ukrainian people. They were being invaded!
For my wife, Angela, and me, we were heartbroken and wept openly. I made repeated attempts at contacting Pr. Aleksandr and his family, not knowing if they were okay or what they were facing. Reports kept coming in that the Odesa region was being hit hard; Kiev was under siege, Kharkiv was in flames, and hundreds of utility targets were being hit all over Ukraine.
Our fulltime missionaries, Pastor Scott and Lena Yount, awoke to explosions only blocks away from their home in Bila Tserkva. We had spoken earlier and already arranged for them to evacuate west, to Slovakia, where our long-time ministry partners from SEM (Slovak Lutheran Youth Ministries) were preparing the Icthys Youth Center in Vélký Slavkov, Slovakia to receive the Younts and a massive number of other refugees from Ukraine.
It was not until after a mostly sleepless night in Albuquerque that Aleksandr responded. They were all okay. While the missiles were aimed at targets several kilometers from their village of Novogradovka, the flashes of light and sounds of explosions, followed closely by air concussions hitting their ears, drove them out of bed and down into the basement for cover.
School for Anna-Mariia (Mika) and Marta, of course was cancelled. Marta (their youngest) was particularly upset because she had prepared for a major exam scheduled for that day; still not grasping the unfathomable reality of the situation—that their lives would never be quite the same again.
My wife, Angela, voiced what she and I had both been thinking, “I want those girls here!” The Messenger conversation between me and Aleksandr resumed:
“Please head for Romania. We love you all so very much.”
“thank you brother. We love yo too. For moment all is ok. All information is not official. People write different things.”
“Have live cameras on Kharkiv and Kiev US military corroborates the reports as do citizens in the cities. You are in danger my brother.”
“i know. But their goal is to spread panick”
“Yes, Missile attacks tend to cause panic and death. Scott and Lena are heading to Slovakia, now.”
“ok. it is No attacks go now. Ukrainian army shot down unmanned aerial vehicles”
“Russian tanks now in Kharkiv”
“it is not thruth”
“Have you talked to Pavel? [Bishop Pavel and his family were living in Kharkiv]”
“he decide to bring family to our congregation in next city. russian attacks military airdrome in 5 small cities. all others in Donbass… now we have officially martial law”3
More air raid sirens. They headed for cover and spent the night in the basement. A few hours later, on February 25th, we exchanged this conversation:
“Checking in to see how you are all doing?”
“Hi David, we are okay. Trying to persuade kids to leave to Moldova tomorrow.”
“We support you in this difficult decision, though wonder if Romania might be safer, as Russian troops are also in Moldova? Lord, have mercy. Do you need financial assistance? Do they need to come here?”
“they want to be close us”
“We can well understand. But, as parents, we also understand what we want for our children. We are here to help in ANY way we possibly can. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Lord, have mercy and grant to you strength and his protection. We are praying for Anna-Mariia and Marta for the same. If you want them to come here, I will make it happen.”
“hi David. they will go for two weeks. We will see what happen next. Step by step”
“Understood but I want to be prepared, just in case. I have a copy of Mika’s visa. Do you have copies of Marta and Mika’s passports or IDs that I can have just in case we need to act quickly?”
“i will send you”4
I was also able to connect with many of our other Ukrainian pastors who were preparing to drive their wives and children to the western border crossings and say goodbye to them. In addition to martial law, the Ukrainian government-imposed restrictions on men younger than age sixty prevented them from leaving the country, as all were subject to conscription in defending Ukraine.
On February 26th, just two days after the Russian invasion began, Pr. Aleksandr and Alyona Gross hugged and kissed their daughters, Anna-Mariia and Marta, and watched them walk across the border into Moldova. That would be the last time they would be together as a family for almost five months.
Suddenly, most of the pastors in Ukraine were alone and facing the uncertainty of what lay ahead. But by God’s grace, even to this day, all pastors in Ukraine have been able to continue serving in their calls, though in ways in which not even the COVID pandemic could have prepared them.
Alyona stayed with her husband, Pastor Aleksandr, in Ukraine, as she heads up a kitchen responsible for feeding the elderly and shut-ins in the Odesa region. The reality of war made the kitchen even more important and necessary since, for so many, the possibility of evacuation was not an option.
Anna-Mariia and Marta Gross crossed into Moldova, were picked up by a ministry friend and driven directly into Romania, where they stayed with a family “friend of a friend” for two months. The prospect of returning to their home in Ukraine grew less and less probable; while the problem of where and how they could go to school became a more urgent concern. Something had to change.
Anna-Mariia was open to my suggestion that we bring her and her sister to the US and enroll her in university and Marta in high school here in New Mexico. Anna-Mariia had been here before, as she had already studied at a Bible school in Minnesota. Marta, however, was resistant, intent on returning to school in Odesa. SON is partnering with Menaul School, a 612th grade international boarding school in Albuquerque, where students from over twenty-four different countries come to study alongside New Mexico students and benefit from an intentional, and (often) tuition free, pathway into university studies. I thought it would be a perfect fit for Marta. She begged to differ.
It was now May and school applications had to be submitted. In the meantime, we had to get the girls moved out of Romania and so opted to have them join Pastor Scott and Lena in Slovakia. The Icthys Youth Center in Vélký Slavkov was packed with Ukrainian refugees and there was plenty of work to do. It was also a good transition for Anna-Mariia and Marta, as they had some familiar Slovak and Ukrainian faces at the center (the Slovak and Ukrainian Lutheran churches had worked together for years) and, since they spoke Ukrainian, Russian, and English, they were a great help in communicating on behalf of the refugees.
After only a couple of weeks and several conversations with Lena and Pastor Scott, Marta began to warm up to the idea of going to school in the U.S. I submitted her application and was able to get I-20s issued for both girls so they could each obtain student visas for study in the States. Since the last SON language camp of each summer is hosted in Slovakia, Angela and I were able to spend a couple of weeks with the girls before we all flew home to our new life in the U.S.
Ukraine Relief Fund
Meanwhile, the war rages on in Ukraine and the needs are great. Within twenty-four hours of the Russian invasion, SON was asked to start a Ukraine Relief Fund. The response was both inspiring and humbling, with over $600,000 contributed within the first six weeks, and the fund has grown to over $1,000,000 today. That immediate and generous response from North American congregations and individuals has allowed us to respond quickly to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and abroad.
Some would perhaps say that SON suddenly became a social service, rather than a relational, ministry. Every ministry finds itself in different seasons and, for SON, this is a time where we have been called to respond to the acute needs in Ukraine. It is only through our long-term relationships, with so many gifted people of God, where we find the hands, the feet, and the voices that He prepared beforehand to render aid and lend comfort to those in need.
It seems that we were being prepared, all along, for "such a time as this." Distributions from the SON Ukraine Relief Fund first went directly to Ukraine to purchase gasoline for convoys (many of them arranged and driven by Ukrainian Lutheran pastors) for the transport of women, children, the elderly, the disabled, and international students to safer borders. Also, funds continue to be used to purchase food, medicine, and other necessary supplies, especially for delivery to shut-ins and those otherwise unable to leave the country. By the fourth week of the war, donations received through the SON Ukraine Relief Fund enabled the evacuation of over two thousand people and the feeding of thousands more.
Funds have also gone to Slovakia where, through the efforts of Pastor Scott & Lena Yount and the Icthys Youth Center in Vélký Slavkov, over eight hundred refugees were received, clothed, fed and housed. To help assuage feelings of anxiety and loneliness, regular worship and fellowship opportunities were provided.
In cases where refugees had plans to move further into Europe, help was offered to work out the details of travel; including providing small stipends to help with travel costs. Similar aid is still being extended to Ukrainian refugees, through SON ministry partners in Austria, Czechia, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Moldova and Poland.
The Continuing Mission of the SON Network
Two years later, and with no end in sight to this horrific war, we continue to provide financial aid to the region and connect people with others who can render assistance. Dozens of generators, heaters, and several transport vans were purchased in the first year of the war. Later, a tractor (for planting crops) and several industrial generators (to power refugee centers and an orphanage) were purchased.
At this writing, SON is partnering with Menaul School and two other organizations to bring seven Ukrainian students to the US for study. Five of these students will live and study at Menaul School in Albuquerque, where Anna-Mariia and Marta are already mentoring and preparing them for life and learning in America. I can imagine there will be more than a few Ukrainian dance parties hosted at our house during the next school year!
What does the future hold? Only God knows, but we will continue to work to meet the immediate needs of those displaced and uprooted by the war in Ukraine and are prepared to respond as longer-term solutions reveal themselves.
At the same time, we are training seven different SON teams to serve alongside our overseas ministry partners this summer in Latvia, Albania, and Slovakia, where we’ll host Bible camps for children and retreats for teens. These will almost certainly include relocated Ukrainian students who are adapting to new lives and the new cultures of their global neighbors. No matter the mode or method of ministry, SON is in mission to connect spiritual orphans to the global family of Christ. To God be the glory! Amen.
Pastor David Breidenbach is the Executive Director at Spiritual Orphans Network (SON)
Footnotes:
1 Facebook Messenger conversation between Pastor David Breidenbach and Pastor Aleksandr Gross, February 12, 2022.
2 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2016.
3 Facebook Messenger conversation between Pastor David Breidenbach and Pastor Aleksandr Gross, February 24, 2022.
4 Facebook Messenger conversation between Pastor David Breidenbach and Pastor Aleksandr Gross, February 25, 2022.
