DECEMBER 2024:
Christmas seems so far away from where mother Oksana and her family now live in western Ukraine.
They were forced to flee their home town in eastern Ukraine, and now share residence with several other families that was provided to them free of charge. However, the house is in a state of disrepair, with crumbling plaster, damaged flooring, broken windows; it’s damp and mold-ridden.
Christmas is approaching but the holidays seems to belong to another life, another place – one that’s now lost forever. There are 3.7 million people still displaced within Ukraine – many of them living everyday with trauma, poverty and uncertainty.
The house where the family once lived in Soledar, Donetsk region, has been destroyed. The whole of Soledar, a strategic salt mining town, lies in ruins – along with the peacetime life they once enjoyed.
Oksana, said, “I remember my feelings when I was looking from the window of the evacuation bus … It was an enormously heavy feeling of loss and insecurity.”
“Nobody could believe that this war would actually happen,” she added. “Even after the first couple of days, we all hoped that it would end very soon. But after a while, everyone understood: this is a catastrophe.”
“The bombings became more and more frequent and it was dangerous to go outside. The town became full of Ukrainian soldiers and military equipment … Many Ukrainian soldiers gave their lives to stop the Russians at least temporarily, to give us a chance to escape.”
WE SEE THEM
Families like Oksana’s are extremely vulnerable ... battling poverty, trauma, loss, and all the logistics of integrating into a new community at once. That is why Mission Without Borders is providing regular support to displaced families now living in Sarny, western Ukraine.
At Christmas, and throughout the year, we want to ensure families like this have the opportunity to celebrate.
They may be far from home, fearful of what the future holds, but we know that in Christ, there is always hope, even in the darkest circumstances. That’s why we give out thousands of boxes filled with food and treats to families and elderly people living in Ukraine and throughout Eastern Europe.
“First my children were evacuated,” Oksana continued. “They stayed in a temporary shelter, worrying about me and about our relatives, especially during the periods when there was no mobile phone connection.”
“When the Russians got close to where we lived, I filled a couple of suitcases with clothing and got on the evacuation bus. Together with one group I went to Sarny. Soon my children joined me. When we saw each other again, we were smiling and crying at the same time. The children didn’t want to let go of hugging me for a long time. It was how they felt secure.”
Daughter Anna said, “I spend time with other kids who also left the Donbas area, fleeing from the war.”
She added, “I feel responsible for my brothers. They are such little kids. When we were separated from our mother, I tried to take care of them.”
Sergiy – the MWB staff member who visits the family – said, “The message that we want to convey through our Operation Christmas Love campaign, as well as all our programs throughout the year, while helping displaced families is: ‘We see you; we see the suffering you’re enduring, and we want to be around to bring you relief’.”
For Oksana and her family, and for the many others who we are helping across Eastern Europe, MWB’s Christmas boxes are like a miracle. Simply surviving from day to day is an ongoing, stressful challenge – and knowing they have enough food for Christmas fills them with hope.
