Last Friday we went to do a distribution at a section of the front lines we had not been to before. We knew it to was an area of active combat so we took a smaller vehicle in order to keep a lower profile.
To get to our target area, we went along the Ukrainian front for 10 or 15 minutes. Most of that time the road we were on was exposed to the Russian positions, but the Ukrainian military said we should be okay if we could keep our speed at or above 50 mph. It was a bit challenging to do that while dodging bomb craters and blown up vehicles on the road; however, we made it in safely.
We arrived at our target town to find every house destroyed and all the people gone. We returned to the last town we had driven through and did a distribution there. At this place we were told that the military is giving food to the civilians when they run out.
It was an interesting place with only 80 civilians left in town. It has been on the front of the conflict for months already. Many houses are damaged and destroyed, and it’s a noisy place with many military firing positions in the area. The roads were muddy from the stream of military tanks and armored vehicles moving through.
The people deeply appreciated everything we brought them. One lady started crying as we unloaded food, blankets, hygiene supplies, medicine, and Bibles. She said she has had her house destroyed three times. Each time she simply moves into another empty house.
We didn’t have enough food for everyone, so this week we are planning to go again with fresh bread and food. We will also be doing a church service with the distribution.
It is not an easy life for these people; but leaving looks more challenging than staying.
Pray for the people in these places.
#Ukraine #ukrainewar #humanitarianaid #crisisresponse #internationalcrisisresponse #PCCR
