Yesterday, I watched Chaplain Leonid and a police officer try to convince approximately 10-12 people to evacuate from their dangerous homes. They don’t want to leave, they are crippled with fear of what will happen to their home, their animals, their precious memories, and fear of what awaits them when they leave. The situations aren’t great with the housing in shelters, so if they don’t have family to go to, the decision is that much harder. I saw an elderly mother and her daughter leave their home behind. Vira, the daughter, had to leave her husband, kissing him goodbye before she got into the van that leads to safety. He chose to stay and look after the animals. I hope they will reconnect soon. I pray he changes his mind and leaves too.

Our team is assisting Chaplain Leonid with starting an IDP Shelter for the evacuees that don’t have their next step figured out. We will evacuate them and bring them to our shelter where they can stay for a couple weeks and help them set up a more permanent home. Leonid will use this opportunity to share the gospel and to hear their stories, as well as assisting them with their physical and spiritual needs.