SIM office worker Jana never expected to be working with the unseen victims of the long, grinding war which has followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But as she wrapped the weeping woman in a hug, she knew God has called her to this place and to this ministry for a reason.
The woman, nearly 70 years old, was sitting by the bed of her mother, who was in the grip of advanced dementia. They had both been forced to evacuate from their homes in one of the war’s front line villages.
“We just want to go home. My mum wants to die at home,” the daughter said through tears.
Jana could offer little more than presence. She wrapped the woman in a hug as Volodymyr, the man who had helped find and renovate the building they were in, began to sing the hymn, “Our Home Is in Heaven.”
Jana could offer little more than presence. She wrapped the woman in a hug as Volodymyr, the man who had helped find and renovate the building they were in, began to sing the hymn, “Our Home Is in Heaven.”
“Looking back,” said Jane, “I knew that in that moment, I did not say yes only to this one retreat, but to the entire SIM ministry in Ukraine.”
Jana is from the Czech Republic and has worked at SIM’s regional office in the Czech Republic since it opened in 2022.
Originally established as a regional support office for Central Asia, this SIM office has found itself in a uniquely strategic location to serve ministries in Central and Eastern Europe as well.
It was from this strategic position that Jana was first approached about serving with ministries in Ukraine.
With very little direction, no funding, policies, or procedures, and limited language proficiency, Jana found herself saying yes to this unexpected invitation to support and partner with ministers in a war zone.
The partner was Eastern Angel, a Ukrainian ministry operating under an evangelical denomination working with volunteer chaplains. The chaplain, in this case, was Volodymyr.
Jana explained: “He used to work with homeless people, but when the war started, [he] started travelling to the frontline villages.”
What few understand is that the war in Ukraine is really happening in villages, where the way of life has barely changed in decades. The people who live there have often spent their entire lives in a single community; they are often elderly and their families have long moved to larger cities, but they remain deeply rooted in the places and ways of life they have always known.
“They survive in basements,” Jana explained, “they are very close to the frontline and are always under missile and drone attacks.”
It was here that Volodymyr began ministering by bringing humanitarian aid and food to villagers. But, as enemy forces moved closer and began occupying villages, Volodymyr loaded families into his car and drove west in search of a safe place to land.
“Sometimes they don’t even have time to put on their shoes,” said Jana.
This marked the beginning of a new ministry partnership for the SIM Czechia office, serving and supporting internally displaced people (IDPs) within Ukraine.
“I had a group of men who wanted to be involved in Ukraine somehow,” Jana explained about the start of her involvement with this ministry, “They just wanted to work manually.”
Having previously worked with trauma healing and the families of fallen soldiers, this open door looked very different than what Jana and the team were used to. Volodymyr, in his boldness and trust in the Lord, had managed to secure an old, rundown property to convert into a housing facility for displaced elderly Ukrainians.
“So we started reconstruction on this building,” Jana recalled, “I was leading a team of Czech builders, and it was, uh, a funny experience.”
Between rundown roads, pre-existing squatters, and no running water, this faithful team of builders learned to have a sense of humour as they rebuilt the old buildings into a functioning living facility.
“He used to work with homeless people, but when the war started, [he] started travelling to the frontline villages.”
“We were very dirty, but there was no running water, so we just had to swim in the lake,” Jana shared with a laugh, “we had to choose to be clean and cold or dirty and warm.”
Three more building teams have since come from the Czech Republic to undertake the major work on reconstruction, and now about 30 Ukrainians are living in the facility, caring for and supporting each other while the construction continues.
“It’s probably my biggest inspiration in the bible for [this type] of ministry of presence.”
Since she participated in the initial building efforts, Jana has returned to the housing facility to visit with residents, entering what she describes as “the ministry of presence and weeping.”
She shared stories that have remained with her. One resident, a blind woman, would find a single spot to stand each day, asking everyone who passed if they would take her home. In another encounter, Jana met a grandmother who had traveled more than 1,000 kilometers from the frontlines, carrying only what she could—and her pet cat.
When asked about the emotional and spiritual weight of this type of ministry, Jana shared the story of Job and his friends.
“When they came to him, [they] sat with him and cried with him for seven days and didn’t open their mouths.”
Please pray
- That the Lord would provide the short-term teams necessary for existing projects.
- For God’s wisdom and guidance in the establishment of new projects.
- For God’s provision in fundraising needs for existing and new projects.
- That God would provide long-term ministers to serve the community farm project for veterans.
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