As the war in Ukraine continues, we regularly meet new families in need mostly displaced from the war zone, and others suffering personal tragedy. I believe God has strategically placed MP in this region of the world, amidst war and suffering, to help people and share the love of Christ.
It is not easy to fully understand the suffering these families endure. Oksana, displaced with her two children, showed little joy. After our visit, I knew we would return to a warm home and regular meals. My heart aches for Oksana and families like hers.
I
nternally Displaced People (IDPs) Start New Lives
The war in Ukraine has ripped apart thousands of families who’ve been forced to flee their homes and leave everything behind. Several million people have been internally displaced, evacuated from conflict zones to other areas of Ukraine. Often, these families find shelter in small villages, in abandoned or unoccupied houses in need of repair. This was Oksana’s situation.
For the last 12 years, I have visited pastor Vadim and his church in the town of Dobropilya, near Pokrovsk in the Donbas. This is a Russian-speaking coal mining region. Oksana is from the same town. However, mass evacuations took place, thousands have been uprooted, and we can no longer go there due to the fighting. Pastor Vadim has relocated as well.
Oksana Starts Over
Oksana Martyniuk is raising four children. Two of her own, and two of her nephews who belong to her brother. He is in
the Ukrainian army, fighting on the front lines in the Donbas. She is rebuilding from scratch, trying to make ends meet and find help with needed repairs. When our sponsors provided a greenhouse through our partner organization in Ukraine, Freeway Kyiv, a nephew and his friend worked hard to build and install it.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Oksana is doing everything she can to create a stable life for the children. The bathroom is full of mold, the plumbing needs repair, and running water is often problematic. Despite these challenges, they are coping the best they can.
This family needs three sponsors at $36/month. If you would like to help, write “Oksana” on your return card or in the comment section of your online gift. Thank you for supporting these children.
Oksana is doing her best to provide for her family but needs our help. Please pray for her and families like this. Our care workers will reach out and assess how we can best help.
They Serve The Lord Raising Kids Not Their Own
The second home we visited was the Trembach family providing foster care for six children. They had a nice home in the town of Kramatorsk, not far from where Oksana lived in Dobropilya. In Ukraine, official foster families have 4-10 children and the government provides housing for them. The Trembachs remained in their home until it became too dangerous to stay.
Thus, in 2023 to escape the constant shelling and explosions, they evacuated like so many others and relocated to a village in the Cherkasy region. Mom and Dad’s main goal was to keep the family together, under one roof, and provide stability. They rented a small house and enrolled the kids in their new school.
Small Family Orphanages
Foster families like this have an official status in Ukraine as a Small Family Orphanage. The State usually provides housing for these types of families. Many Christian parents have chosen foster care as a way they can raise orphans in a loving family. The big difference from the US system is that these families raise the kids until they give them away in
marriage. The kids are not moved around in the short term. This is a ministry that we encourage and support in Ukraine.
This family, unlike Oksana, now has a nice home after three years of displacement. But they are starting over in a new
area, far from their previous life in the Donbas. They escaped with only their clothing, yet they managed to stay
together as a family. That was their main goal.
The generator hummed outside. We prayed together with the lights on. The kids joined us. We all concluded that the Lord was good. We hope to find five sponsors for the Trembachs as well. Thank you.