Heroic Days - Ukraine Crisis Story
February 26, 2022 With crisis raging now in Kyiv, our hearts are heavy. Our prayers go out for our sisters and brothers in Ukraine. One of our partners in Ukraine has been sharing updates with us. Here is an excerpt from one of the emails:
Last two days are very heroic for Ukraine. Many simple people become to protect capital of Ukraine Kyiv and small towns in regions. We do not know what will be next few days (because Russia army is one of the powerful army in the world) but we have not surrendered.According to declared martial law all man 18-60 cannot leave Ukraine. So, we cannot go to Poland or other foreign countries.Prices for renting any place for living is doubled, In Kyiv no bread or food, unstable communication lines (internet, phones), and Russian cyber-attacks on information.I cannot believe that it is my reality in the 21st century. In the center of Europe, in Kyiv.Friends, stay with Ukraine in spiritual breach. This war has deep spiritual roots.
Additional Posts
When God First Widened My World: Remembering Urbana 1996 I still remember the winter air. It was December 1996, and I was a junior at Oakland University in Rochester Michigan, serving as a small group leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship—the ministry that had profoundly shaped my faith since my freshman year. I was growing spiritually, serving faithfully in my local church, and stepping into leadership on campus. Attending Urbana felt like the natural next step. Urbana only happened every three years, and I knew that once I graduated, I might miss the chance altogether. My church believed in that moment enough to cover the cost. They entrusted me—and my campus minister—with a van full of college students, driving from Detroit to Champaign-Urbana during the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s. I had heard the stories: thousands of students, passionate worship, a clear call to live fully for Jesus. What I encountered exceeded every expectation. A Campus Taken Over by the Kingdom Buses poured in from every direction, unloading students onto a snow- covered campus. Dorm rooms filled. Cafeterias buzzed. The entire university seemed overtaken—not by noise or spectacle, but by a quiet, collective hunger for God. For the first time in my life, I met students from places far beyond Michigan— Harvard, Loyola, Wheaton. My world was expanding in real time. I don’t remember every speaker or session. What I do remember is the unmistakable clarity of the invitation. God was bigger than I had ever imagined. Not just personal. Not just local. He was King of the nations. And there were people—millions of them—who had never heard His name. The question was simple, but it felt weighty: Would I commit my life, in whatever way God asked, to the Great Commission? Explore God’s leading toward the nations with a SEND missions coach.
Opening Your Homes This Thanksgiving
Creating Safe Spaces for Conversations
