100 Days of War
100 Days of War in Ukraine - Cold Statistics:
15,000 citizens killed - twice that wounded
6 million refugees since Feb. 24th (1.5 million have returned - some to homes, all to losses)
2 million displaced people within the country
7,000 Ukrainian soldiers dead - 30,000 Russian.
670 children killed or injured
Countless new widows...new orphans. Parents left alone, grandparents losing cherished grandchildren. The fallout reaches to the borders and beyond and the backwash will last for generations.
100 days. Does that seem like a lot or a little to you? For Ukrainians, the world shifted on it's physical, mental, and spiritual axis in these 100 days. It's hard to remember what it was like before the war...and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
This photo above was taken in Bucha. It is among the most haunting pictures from the war that I have seen. Though I did not take the shot, the story and stories like this one, I have heard over and over. It is a horrid symbol of these first 100 days and begs the answer to "How can this be in 2022?"
Lest you think that the war is on hold or there is a pause, this scene is being repeated more often now than even a couple of months ago when Bucha was on everyone's mind and this tragedy was new and interesting to the world. The focus has simply shifted to a different part of the country called the Donbas region, and also back to Kharkiv, where so much has happened since February 24th.
One of our goals is to be in those places where the need is greatest. There is need, it seems, all over Ukraine, but especially in those areas where there is constant bombing and everyday fighting. For that reason, we are reaching into Kharkiv and Donbas particularly. The mission into these regions is twofold. First, to get needed supplies in, and then to bring people out. So, the system is to go in with vehicles full of humanitarian aid and go out with vehicles full of people seeking safety and refuge.
With our brothers Pavel and Vitali, this week we were able to take 3 tons of supplies into each of the towns of Chuhuiv and Derhachi in the Kharkiv region, and then into Kremenchuk in Donbas region near the Denipro river. On the return we were able to bring 45 people back to safety in the Kust region of western Ukraine.
What will be 100 days in the future? Only God knows, and we trust His sovereignty. ..So we will keep on doing what we can for 100 more days...or 1000 more. The truth is that 100 days is as a day to Him and He can turn these ashes into His glory in a moment. We believe that He will, and for this we labor and wait. Along with you, this is our motivation and hope. It is vitally important to remember that the most important things that we can give to the Ukrainian people are His love and these promises. Continued thanks to you for every thought and prayer and all you are doing to support the work in Ukraine.