One story that really stayed with us recently was about a young boy, maybe 15 years old. His mom had taken him out of a dangerous area to keep him safe and left him with relatives in a quieter part of the country. But as the war dragged on, the front lines kept shifting, and eventually, the area where his relatives lived became a hot zone too. Bombs and artillery fire were constant.

 

His uncle told us how the boy would just sit there, shaking, terrified of what was happening around them. For about a month, they lived in the basement, trapped by the shelling. Finally, when they couldn’t take it anymore, they decided to escape on foot, though it was incredibly dangerous.

 

The military had to organize a special operation to meet them in a field and get them to a safe zone. We were asked to help transport the boy and his family to a shelter.

 

During the ride, they shared their story with us. You could just feel the weight of everything they’d been through. My prayer is that this boy would someday be reunited with his mom and live a normal life.