One of my favorite parts of being in Ukraine is the small interactions I have with the people we meet. How do you form a genuine connection and show you care when you don’t share a common language? I’ve found that it takes intentional effort—but is always worth it.
One day, while out on evacuations, the first babushka we picked up began to cry as she said goodbye to her home and a loved one. I wanted so much to comfort her somehow, but wasn’t sure how. As we drove away, there was no seat available, so I stood in front of her. I reached out to gently pat her shoulder, hoping to let her know she wasn’t alone and make sure she was ok in the crowded space. She immediately reached up, pulled me down to sit on her luggage, and held onto my arm the entire ride—clutching tightly as we bumped and lurched down the road. Her grandmotherly concern touched me, and I like to think that in that shared moment, I was a comfort to her as well. When we arrived and said our goodbyes, she hugged me tightly, tears in her eyes, whispering prayers as she let go.

Other times it’s the stranger sitting nearby, who seeing me struggle to communicate, offers his broken English to translate.
It’s kneeling to help a babushka put on her shoes or sharing snacks with a little boy on the long way home from evacs.
It’s giving an arm to steady a woman on her way to the restroom, and accepting the apple she proudly presses into my hand to say thank you.
Sometimes it’s a simple smile.
Those small moments of connection make everything we do feel worthwhile. These people are not just a strangers from a land far away, but someone’s mother, sister, grandma….and more importantly, a precious human life created in the image of God.

“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18