When God speaks
A couple of weeks ago I made a trip back into Ukraine to help out in Izmail, a small Ukrainian town on the Romanian border. While there I worked some with our crisis pregnancy center, but also was blessed to be there on a Sunday and worship at the Izmail Presbyterian church. This church has always struggled with growing their congregation, but ever since the war began, it has truly blossomed in size. I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face leading the service. I met Zhenya years ago when I was in Kherson, but a few weeks after the invasion he escaped occupied territory with his wife and children.
Zhenya invited me over for dinner Sunday evening, a delicious borshch prepared by his wife, Olga. After the meal he shared with me how they escaped. At first, when the Russians parachuted into Kherson and took over the city, they thought it would be safer to stay in the city. Zhenya had a good job working in a carpentry business, and stories were spreading of people who tried to leave but were shot on their journey. Maybe it would be better to just stay low and try to fit in.
One night about a month into the occupation, Zhenya had a very vivid dream that Russian soldiers burst into his workplace and began tearing things apart. The next morning he told Olya, “I think God is telling us to go. Pack your things, we’re leaving.” They loaded up the children and a few possessions, and began what should have been a one hour drive to Nikolaev. Instead, it took them 16 hours due to the multiple checkpoints and the many cars clogging the roads, filled with people also trying to escape. As they passed through the checkpoints, they prayed that they could continue without problems, and shockingly they made it through with no issues at all, even though young men were at much higher risk for being detained, beaten, tortured, or worse.
Along the drive Zhenya received news from one of his coworkers - Russian soldiers had entered his workplace that day, looting and destroying things. He doesn’t know if any of his other coworkers were taken or injured.
They eventually arrived in Izmail where the Presbyterian church welcomed them with open arms, and helped them find a place to live, clothing, and food - just as they’ve helped many others. Zhenya and Olya’s story is a testimony to how God provides for His people - sometimes through visions, sometimes through miracles, sometimes through the body.
