Hope for Generations

by Maria Yermachenkova

"I should start with the fact that I've never covered 4,000 km (2,486 miles) in two weeks, that was a new record for me."

— Maria Yermachenkova, Twelve3One Ministries, Aalen, Germany

Recently, our teammate, Maria Yermachenkova, in Aalen, Germany made the arduous journey to Ukraine. She has been sending parcels of adult-sized diapers, hygiene and healthcare items, canned and dry goods, clothing, toys, and many other needed items. She wanted first to meet the recipients of those parcels most of which were caregivers for the elderly, the elderly themselves, and many others. Secondly, she wanted to see Ukraine for herself, first-hand to understand the plight of the Ukrainian people in the midst of war. Masha began her journey to Ukraine on June 7 from Aalen by two connecting trains to Nuremberg. She then caught a flight to Krakow, Poland. From Krakow, it took 16 hours by bus to Rivne including a 3-4 hour wait to cross the border from Poland into Ukraine.

This is her story

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When I reached Rivne, my friend Lilya met me, we used to be classmates in Feodosia, Crimea. In Rivne, I was able to see how people live, work, and try to live a normal life, at the same time you hear kids praying - "Lord, please, stop this war. Please, let there be no rockets. no tanks."

The next morning, Lilya's husband, Taras asked, "Did you hear the air alarm system at night? The air defense rocket flew right over our apartment house!!". But I was so tired after my road trip, that I didn't hear anything. I slept right through it. I spent one night with this family and went further to Berdichev, in Ukraine's central Zhytomyr oblast (or region.)

Berdichiv is the home of Dobryi Obid, one of our ministry partners. Masha went to spend some time there resting and getting to know some of our ministry's dearest friends.

There is a small church that helps internally displaced people (IDPs) and others who need any kind of help. They cook for people, give huge bags with food, and they have a place where people can come and take the clothes they need. We were able to talk and these people from the church shared what they needed the most, now we have an understanding of what items to look for here in Germany.

After staying in Berdichev, I went to Oleksandria, in the Kirovograd oblast - a little further southeast). This is the place where we have been sending parcels with diapers for adults and food since February 2023.

While in Oleksandria, Masha received a text from a woman named Sveta who lives in eastern Ukraine very near to the warzone asking Masha if she could send diapers for her elderly grandma. Sveta had seen a post on social media about Masha's work

It was a special trip and very challenging. I met Anton and his wife Anya, who help to distribute all the bags with food and diapers. There are families with 5-7 children who had to flee from the front-line cities. Visiting some of these families, it was noticeable that there is a strong spiritual warfare going on, as people spoke about being cursed and therefore their children have to suffer now.

Personally, I believe that God continues to work in these families and there will be a message of freedom for them in Jesus Christ.

Another remarkable moment was that people have become so accustomed to the sirens that they don't always react to them, saying they are tired of constantly running to the shelters and just sitting there. On one hand, it can be understood because rockets just fly by without anything happening or are intercepted on their way to targets near the front or in larger population centers. However, on the other hand, there is danger in this mentality as people become desensitized and stop responding to alarms and warning signs.

After Olexandria, I went to Kyiv...

On the first day of arrival, I had to go to an air raid shelter because the city was under attack by drones and rockets. You could hear the anti-aircraft guns firing at targets in the sky.

Throughout the entire trip, I had a question - "God, is there still hope for simple human relationships to be restored between the people of Ukraine and Russia? Are reconciliation and repentance possible in people's hearts despite the hostility between governments?"

That was exactly the answer I received when I was in a church in Kyiv. At worship, the pastor warned, "Don't see people as enemies but rather see the invisible enemy standing behind these people. We fight in the spiritual realm against this enemy, not against people. Don't constantly dwell on the news and fill your heart with fear and hatred."

Thank you, God, there is still hope!

Also, it was there that I heard about the power of prayer in action because this church gathered for all-night prayer from midnight to 5 am. A friend in Kyiv said to me, "Maria, we needed to sing and pray louder so that the children wouldn't hear the rockets."

People here understand how important it is to stand together in prayer. They understand the power of prayer and see God's protection in action EVERY DAY!

Once again, thank you all for this trip. Thank you for the opportunity to meet all these incredible people and have the chance to see with my own eyes what life is like in different places in Ukraine.

I returned to Germany on June 21, we have already shipped one parcel weighing 96 kilograms (212 lbs) and now we are working on continuing our search for more resources such as diapers for adults, clothing, and food.

PLEASE PRAY!!

Please pray to God to give us wisdom and strength to continue this work. Give to Twelve3One Ministries so we can continue to serve people in Ukraine.

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