God's love in the midst of war

There's Sveta, the building superintendent, who lives in extreme poverty. When we tell her that the package is a gift from our Heavenly Father, she is overjoyed. She can hardly stop thanking us: «I can't understand why I'm getting so many gifts!» she says, deeply moved.

There are Matthew and David. Their mother is raising them alone because their father left them. When we deliver the packages to the boys, their mother isn't home. She's visiting her sister at a military hospital in Odessa. Kristina is a nurse on the front lines. This is the second time she's suffered a concussion and injuries. But she has to keep working because they won't let her return home.

There are Alexandra and her husband, refugees from the Kherson region, whose house burned down. Alexandra had a stroke, uses a walker, and speaks only with great difficulty. She constantly needs hygiene products and is very grateful for the package she received. The couple spent the winter in a small emergency shelter—without electricity or heating.

There is Boris. When his village was evacuated and he had to flee, he left all his belongings behind. He could only take a bag with his documents. «I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your understanding and support,» he says.

There is also a small community of elderly Jewish men and women (photo). We visit them, hold a worship service, sing, pray, and read from the Word of God. Afterward, we eat together. Among them are refugees, mothers who have had to bury their sons, and widows.

Take Chaviva*, for example, a former violinist. She didn't know God before. For the past four years, we've been supporting her financially and spiritually. We pray with her, teach her Bible verses, bring her food and hygiene supplies—and sometimes we even help her bathe. Today, Chaviva loves God.

Or Hannah*. Her son has a mental illness. Two years ago, she came to know Jesus and was baptized. Hannah lives in extreme poverty and is seriously ill. We pay her rent and support her with relief supplies and food.

* Names have been changed