The war in Ukraine - Join the Relief Network
Who will we be and what will we do in a generation defining moment?
There are turning points in history that can mobilize, redeem and cleanse humanity.
I have been through my fair share of local violent humanitarian crises and civil wars. I believe, the war in Ukraine is not just a regional struggle between two countries. It is a spiritual and moral turning point for an entire civilization.
Who we are and what we do collectively in this moment in history will define us for generations.
What will I do beyond obvious good things as prayers, signed petitions, “I stand with Ukraine” social posts, and flags on Facebook profiles?
Will the important everyday duties and worries displace a defining moment in history out of our minds and hearts? I hope not.
On day two of the war, when the shock and paralyzing disbelief subsided, we started to build the Ukraine relief network with Christian churches on the ground finding, connecting, and helping refugees.
On day four, we had the website, the technology, process, and Christians on the ground in Ukraine ready to receive and distribute aid to thousands who escaped bombs and rockets with not much more than the clothes on their backs.
On day six aid started flowing and it needs to continue to flow for the foreseeable future. Will you help us?
What can you do? Three things:
Join the network. Engage, pay attention, don’t just move on.
Fuel the network. Give, tell the story, pray.
Expand the network. Partner with us an organization.
We are posting daily updates on the AMF Facebook page and pictures of new groups and families we are reaching on the Ukraine Relief Fund page.
I’m on the phone with Ukraine all day every day. I will spare you the unfiltered gruesome details from the ground. Instead, I will tell you stories of faith, compassion, and impact the relief network is having every day.
My mother and father in the faith. Tammy and Andy Fleming, their kids Britain, Max, and baby Zak. These a snippets of their escape. Full post here.
“Two days ago was definitely one of the most painful moments and hardest decisions in our family’s history. After much prayer, Britain and Max asked Tammy and myself to evacuate together with Britain and our four-year-old grandson Zak—a decision that left Max behind in Kyiv not simply because the law restricts men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country but also because of a genuine desire to serve his country in some humanitarian capacity…On the afternoon of March 2 (Day Seven), we set off with just a few supplies and belongings, and worked our way through the restricted bridge traffic going from east to west across the Dnieper River which divides the city – 1.5 miles required more than an hour’s travel time…Just five seconds after our train started to move we saw the orange streak of an incoming missile above us that struck a hotel building not more than 150 meters from our position on the south side of the railway station. The force of the explosion severely rocked our train and we all held our breath and prayed that it would simply keep moving forward and stay on track—which it did…the four-person sleeping compartments had at least eight people in them and the hallways had a person against the outside wall for every 2 feet of length…At least six times we passed through small cities whose names I recognized from dozens of air raid alerts over the past week. At least twice, our train paused and we could hear active shelling and detonations.“
As of today, the whole family except Max, who stayed behind safely crossed the border with Hungary.
Matvey Ganapolsky - a close personal friend and prominent journalist was in the outskirts of Kyiv until recently. He stepped out of his house to let me hear the artillery and machine-gun fire less than a mile away. He was the only one with a basement in his subdivision, it was full of kids from the neighborhood.
An hour ago, after a horrific sleepless night, he was still in a car moving slowly towards the western Ukraine city of Lviv. He told me the rocket attack last night was of unimaginable intensity and the caravan of civilian cars trying to escape was caught in a crossfire so intense he didn’t think they were going to make it several. Matvey will be back on air in Lviv as soon as possible.
In Russia, the two remaining large independent media outlets were shut down. I have friends in both. Below is a picture of my last interview on TV Rain with my friend and journalist Misha Kozyrev.
The chief editor of TV Rain left the country after receiving credible threats. Here’s the video.
Meanwhile, the relief network is going forward full steam - providing food, shelter, medicine, warm clothes, and other vital supplies to families, groups, children trying to stay safe in villages, rented rooms, homes of relatives throughout Ukraine.
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. - 2 Corinthians 9:12
Join the network, fuel the network, expand the network!
Is there an unbiased organization that measures the efficiency of the dollars given (i.e. direct help vs. management/advertisement/growth, etc.) that has done the analysis for this network? Thanks.