Poland
According to one organization that published a video for Polish leaders getting ready to host Ukrainian refugees, the typical Ukrainian refugee is a mother with 1 or 2 kids, 30-40 years old. She may have her own mother with her, too.
She will be feeling "so scared and so alone in this whole world."
Ksenia, the girl featured on the video, is from Ukraine. She shares more about the perspective of the refugees that are coming from Ukraine in this video.
ITMI's Andrew Gorski is using his gift of leadership and the network of churches he has been cultivating for the past few years, called Evangelical Poland, to help Ukrainian refugees feel the protection Jesus offers, the safety of His family, and the healing He has for them.
These events and services are set up thoughtfully, with kingdom building in mind.
They promote opportunities for Jesus' people to interact with refugees, show them His care and love and give them hope through the sharing of the Good News.
Worship Concert for Refugees
The event was held in an Evangelical church in Poznan, Poland. ITMI's Gospel Joy Choir led the worship and 3 Ukrainian pastors shared the Good News with the refugees who attended!
Refugee Center Outreach
A group of believers from Poland, Ukraine, and the US visited a refugee center where 140 women and 150 children from various places in Ukraine are staying. The group offered several workshops for refugees: English, crafts, sports, and experiments.
The adults were blessed with the opportunity to get their hair cut or done by two professional hairdressers. One of the women who lives at the center was also a professional hairdresser and she joined the other two, enabling them to serve 40 women!
Enjoy this video of clips from the outreach.
Supplying Churches in Ukraine for Ministry
Andrew is part of helping Polish churches get connected and organized with a network of Ukrainian churches so that they can respond quickly to the needs of their brothers and sisters in Ukraine.
Whether they need prayer, food clothing, medical supplies or help with children's activities, Polish churches are able to respond with help quickly, enabling the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus when people in Ukraine are in need.
Whether they need prayer, food clothing, medical supplies or help with children's activities, Polish churches are able to respond with help quickly.
Distributing Prayer Books and More than a Carpenter in Ukrainian
Prayer books, More Than a Carpenter and Ukrainian New Testaments are being distributed for refugees at libraries, through Social Media and relocation points at the border, putting the Gospel in their hands in a time when they need hope, and possibly have downtime to consider Jesus if they haven't before.
Equipping Polish Christians to Promote Gospel Healing
As we are repeatedly seeing, many of the refugees have been traumatized by what has just happened to them. Andrew is helping organize a network of professional therapists to deliver workshops on dealing with trauma.
Andrew writes, "All willing Christians will have an opportunity to learn how to support refugees regarding trauma they are facing."
The network is also working on children's Christian camps, kindergartens and relief-cafes!
Evangelical Poland is also putting on a one-day conference to equip leaders from Poland and Ukraine for better reaching and serving refugees.
Andrew says,
"The goal is to produce a long-term strategy and optimize connections between Christian organizations in four key areas."
Those areas are:
- Hosting Ukrainians in churches
- Relocation issues
- Charity work and evangelism
- Psychological support
Another Group of Refugees Transported to Churches in Europe
Andrew also reports that he was able to transport another group of refugees to Germany, where they will be met by one or more churches eager to host and care for them.
By helping with transportation, Andrew is effectively helping more believers engage with more refugees than would be possible if they remained in Poland, where the volume of refugees is still much higher than anywhere else.
Andrew predicts a possible rise in demand for the transportation of refugees in need of places to stay to churches in Europe that are willing to host and care for them after the end of May.
This is when most hotels, which may now be housing refugees, will need their rooms available for the summer holidays. He and his team are preparing for this possibility.
The Christian Call Center for Refugees is Open
When refugees first began to pour into Poland, there was concern about human traffickers preying on the vulnerable women and children who would be looking for help as they crossed the border. The government even distributed pamphlets to all who entered.
To provide a resource that people could turn to if they needed help, Andrew set up a Christian call center and employed Ukrainians to take the calls and direct people to resources available through legitimate sources, primarily churches.
Andrew writes,
The call center is up and running, serving people all over Poland, and assisting in every aspect of the new reality that the refugees have to face. Connected with the transportation services offered by our network of churches, they try to find answers to every fear and need.
A new trend is emerging, as Russian troops left the Kyiv area – people are trying to go back to Ukraine, even though it is very dangerous. But some of them want to go back and start rebuilding their life.
Please pray that those who are helping will have the wisdom to be good advisors in these turbulent times.
Andrew's Honest and Heartfelt Plea for Prayer
Andrew says,
"The dynamics of relief are changing each day. Some people decide to go back to Ukraine, some want to stay long term.
Some – and probably that is the majority – have no clue of what to decide about their future. The need for trauma assistance is huge and the challenges of not being able to communicate in Polish or English are enormous.
On the local level, the churches are recognizing the needs of their refugees and try to set up systems of support in areas of work, language and children care.
They share the Good News and help to see God as a loving Father and a dear Comforter.
They share the Good News and help to see God as a loving Father and a dear Comforter.
Please pray for wisdom, so we recognize the directions of the long-term support. It has to be implemented so the people not only survive but be able to gradually adapt and start living despite the atrocities of war.
Pray also for the Polish Christians serving the refugees - for strength and God’s guidance.
The challenges are huge but the Holy Spirit is strengthening and supporting people in the process and we can clearly see what the Lord meant saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)
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