Many years before the war began in Ukraine, ReachGlobal staff were involved in disability ministry there helping to host Christian camps for people with disabilities and their families. Now several ReachGlobal staff in Europe maintain these relationships even as the families have scattered across the continent. In the fall we shared about how Crisis Response was supporting this ministry by offering our trauma care training for group leaders who are caring for groups of refugee families with disabilities. We saw then what a powerful ministry these group leaders were operating through their compassionate care.

An assisted living facility in Rotterdam has been home to one of those groups of about 100 refugees for more than 8 months now, all of them are families with special needs. Many of these families are Christians, but some of them are not. There is an optional prayer meeting in the common area every evening at 7pm (noon in CST if you would like to join). In October a ministry team went to Rotterdam to support and encourage these families.

Luba had started coming to the prayer meeting occasionally during the summer. She fled from Chernigov Oblast because it was unsafe, and she is living in Rotterdam with her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, while her son had to remain in Ukraine. She continued coming to the prayer meeting for several months, and by October her interest in the gospel had grown. One Saturday afternoon, just two days before the missions team left, she asked, "What does it mean to repent?" This started a long conversation with many more questions, and that same day she asked Jesus to be her Savior. The next day Luba stood up at Sunday morning worship and shared that she had repented and was trusting in Jesus. Another woman also expressed interest in salvation, but wasn't ready to make a profession of faith.

Luba is just one of many Ukrainians who have found faith in Jesus Christ in the new mission field created by this war. God is bringing eternal hope even in the midst of what seems like a hopeless situation. You can be a part of what God is doing in a couple ways.

1. Set a reminder on your phone at 12 p.m. CST to pray for this ministry, for Luba, for the woman who isn't ready to accept Christ, for all the refugees living in foreign countries. Let us join our brothers and sisters in praying for peace, but also praying that they will come to know the Prince of Peace.
2. Give to support the Ukrainian Refugee Response. Initial giving was overwhelmingly generous, but this is a prolonged crisis that will create years of opportunities to share the love of Christ.
3. Consider sending a short-term team to serve in Europe to support and encourage the missionaries, ministries and churches who are sharing the love of Christ with Ukrainian refugees. Email us for more information.