Bringing Light and Healing to a Hurting Darkened Land (Ukraine 5 Mar to 6 Apr 2023)

God opened the doors once again for Sojourners United to team up with Plain Compassion Crisis Response and Ukranian Chaplain Leonid Nomerchuk.  

Leveraging experiences learned from the prior trip in the summer of 2022, they left with 11 plastic totes, and returned with one (that contained their medical field trauma gear).  These totes were filled with medicines that would help those living in front line villages where there are no longer any clinics or pharmacies.  

They also were able to bring in 70 solar powered lanterns to bring to those living underground and without power.  God was so good in providing safe passages to these villages that are nested between Ukranian and Russian artillery.  

In addition to having six full days to these villages, making multiple stops where fresh bread, food and hygiene packs, medicines and Biblical teachings were shared with those in great need, God opened doors for Karla to assist with evacuations of injured soldiers and fleeing civilians from the town closest to Bakhmut.  Bakhmut is the area of greatest conflict, with indications that at least 500 and up to 2,000 Russian and Ukranian Soldiers are dying daily.  

Eric and Karla were also able to provide one day of trauma training and triage to a Ukranian unit that is providing 20 to 30 evacuations weekly of critically injured.  And the highlight of this training perhaps was the two hour team building and sharing that the chaplains provided to this group of care givers that are facing death regularly.

This blog is still under development.   A 2-page Newsletter of the trip with pictures is attached.  

For those with Facebook, many stories of the trip are readily available at Sojourners.United facebook.  Click the below link to go to the Sojourners United Facebook page