Tune in to hear a true story about a Ukrainian couple’s transformative experience at one of the Joni and Friends Warrior Getaways. Learn more about how to attend, or volunteer at a Warrior Getaway on joniradio.org.
Warrior Getaway | Joni and Friends
My heart goes out to people who become disabled in war.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and there’s a fierce war raging still over
in Ukraine. And it’s been going on for a long time. It’s why Joni and Friends designed a Warrior Getawayfor Ukrainian Veterans. We found a conference center in Germany that was perfect for soldiers struggling with the visible and invisible wounds of war. Wounds also suffered by their families. Take Irena, for example. When she arrived at our Warrior Getaway in Germany, Irena was sobbing. We quickly learned why. Her husband, Oleksiy, had been a tank commander in the Ukrainian army. He fought in a battle that resulted in over 180 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers losing their lives. Only three men survived, and Oleksiy was one of them. Yet he did not come out of it unscathed. Oleksiy suffered a massive head injury, as well as other injuries to his body. He laid on that battlefield, bleeding for four days before he was found.
While Oleksiy lay fighting for his every breath, Irena had no idea if her husband was dead or alive. For two weeks, she had constant panic attacks while crying uncontrollably. When her husband was finally brought to a hospital, he was in a coma. And when he was released from the hospital to go home, Oleksiy was severely disabled. And Irena was overwhelmed. She arrived at the Warrior Getaway filled with anxiety and stress. But there at the Getaway, she worked with our head trauma team, and she learned how to control her anxiety and overcome her stress. And light began to come back into Irena’s eyes. And with a few days of therapy, Oleksiy even improved his ability to communicate. Over the course of the week, he began to engage with other Veterans and found support in their shared stories of war.
Oleksiy and Irena also participated in worship and Bible studies. They were so hungry for the Gospel and for fellowship with other Christians, that they even began attending the morning devotions for our volunteers, just to hear more of God’s Word! At our Ukrainian Warrior Getaway, there were no more air raid sirens. No more bombs falling. No more explosions. And at the close, Irena said with a smile, “For the first time since this war started, I am able to breathe again.”
Before Irena and Oleksiy came to our Getaway, they could have written Psalm 119:28, “My soul melts away for sorrow.” But then after the Getaway? Well, the rest of the verse goes, “[God] strengthen[ed] me according to [his] word!” Friend, would you please pray for this Ukrainian couple? And for all the thousands of Ukrainians who need to be strengthened by the Word of God? And pray for the success of our future Warrior Getaways in that part of the world. And if you’d like to help, you don’t have to travel overseas. Next month, we will be holding a Warrior Getaway in Maryland for American Veterans, and we need volunteers. Specifically, we need volunteers who will help with the children of these American servicemen with disabilities. Because our Warrior Getaways are for the whole family, and kids often suffer along with their parents. These families have made unimaginable sacrifices to secure our freedom. And we can never fully repay them, yet we can provide practical help. So, pray about serving at our next Warrior Getaway in Northeast Maryland coming up in September. For all the details, just go to joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org. That’s your good word today from Joni Eareckson Tada Sharing Hope.
© Joni and Friends