God asks you to not only remember the afflicted, but to do something about their plight. Joni and Friends is doing this in Ukraine through an International Family Retreat!
Visit joniradio.org to see a photo of Galyna.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with an update on our ministry in Ukraine.
And, yes, our ministry in that war-torn country is continuing as we keep evacuating more people with disabilities and their caregiving friends and families. In a war like this one, it’s always the weakest who are the most vulnerable, and it’s certainly been that way in Ukraine. It’s why I’m so grateful that Joni and Friends has been able to bring more than 400 Ukrainians to safety. Some of the more recent refugees made the long, dangerous trek from the eastern parts of that country where the fighting has been at its fiercest. Our in-country partner, Galyna, is the true hero in this story. She and her team have worked tirelessly to secure the safety of as many Ukrainians with disabilities as possible. And I have to add a special thanks to our other coordinators in Europe. There’s Anna in Poland who is working hard to help these refugees find housing, and Martina in Germany who’s doing the same. These women and their teams are true champions of the weakest and most vulnerable coming out of Ukraine, and I could not be prouder to call them my friends.
You know, when it comes to the needy and afflicted, the Bible constantly uses words like “defend,” “rescue,” “help,” “uphold the cause of.” God does not want us to merely “remember” the afflicted; we are called to do something about their plight. So, just how are we upholding the cause of these refugees? Well, for one thing, these special needs families who have resettled in Germany, and Poland, and the Netherlands, they’re still in need of help. Many are having a hard time getting acclimated; they’re far from home, far from their culture, from friends who speak the same language; they miss their churches and their neighborhoods back in Ukraine. Europe’s a friendly place and, yes, these refugees have been safely relocated, but that does not mean there aren’t challenges. In a way, these Ukrainians are strangers; they are aliens in a different land. And Psalm 146:9 tells us, “The Lord watches over the stranger[s]; he upholds the orphan and the widow.” And I might add he upholds those with disabilities, too.
So, life for them is not easy. It’s why we are planning International Family Retreats in Europe, specifically designed for these special-needs families who are refugees. It’ll be a chance for these families to come together, and we’re designing Family Retreat to be just as much fun as, well, the kind of Family Retreats we hold here in America. But they will be different in that they will have a Ukrainian twist. They will reflect the culture of Ukraine to make these people with disabilities and their families feel right at home. And, of course, there will be times in the Word of God, worship, and networking. Again, it’ll have the same goals as a Family Retreat here in the States because we want these displaced families to find comfort, help, and hope in Christ and in his Word. Again, Psalm 146 says that the Lord watches over the stranger in the land; he watches over the alien. And so, please, would you pray that God will use our Family Retreat in Europe to bless these refugees; to encourage them and focus their hopes on Christ? Most of all, join me in praying for an end to this terrible war, for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. And for any and all updates on our work among Ukrainians with disabilities, just visit us at joniradio.org, where I’ve posted a wonderful photo of Galyna – it’s such a great photo that shows her hard at work, the perfect picture of a true heroine in the faith – one who stands up for the needs of the stranger and the alien in the land. So, you’ve got to just see her smile, you’ve got to see her at work. Visit joniradio.org. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope.
© Joni and Friends