Sisters in Sorrow through War
PHOTO: Alyona, mother of three, collecting groceries at our Odesa office. We have known her for several years. Her life story is a difficult one, and her circumstances have been extremely challenging following the death of her husband.
Story written by TANJA GALITSHENKO, Mission Possible Ukraine Director
Tanya and our team in Odesa encounter the same situation everywhere they go: while the men are fighting on the frontlines, the mothers care for the children alone in dismal poverty. Mission Possible is determined to deliver aid and the gospel to these precious ones!
Alyona’s Story
The first time we met Alyona was at a camp we organized for families in the Odesa region. To stay in touch, we regularly connected through social media.
Social services called me one day to ask if we could provide food for a family in crisis. The person who came to receive the groceries from us was Alyona! Her husband had given up under the hardships of life and committed suicide.
Alyona was left alone to care for their three children. This family had already been impoverished, but now they were completely without income.
In such tragedies, words of comfort are important, but timely practical help is even more vital. Through the aid she received, Alyona felt she was not deserted as she grieved. She saw that there is a God who loves her and shows His care through others.
We are grateful to everyone who prays for our team and supports this work, making it possible for us to come alongside those in need.
Encouragement for Mothers through Women’s Groups
We had organized Bible studies and gatherings for children and youth for years before we realized the need to offer mothers a source of encouragement. So now, each month in four different locations, we hold a get-together for women who are caring for families through poverty and hardship.
PHOTO: A joyful gathering of women from one of our villages
We see these groups as an opportunity from God to offer meaningful help and hope in the midst of war. Prayer and the Bible are central. Peer support, our team members, and a Christian therapist are utilized to counsel, comfort, and biblically disciple these women who are desperate to care for their families. The women have started inviting their friends to join them, including those from other villages, and we are planning a retreat for women who attend our groups in May.
We create an atmosphere where women can speak freely and pour out their hearts, which are full of anxieties and losses from war. We treat them like sisters, and our prayer is to show them love and support, and lead them to know God.
