Ukraine Field Report
Nothing since World War Two has galvanized the world’s focus as the weeks following February 24, 2022. As missiles rained down and ground troops poured into Ukraine, the world watched with bated breath.
Speculation to cause and possible conclusion has been rampant, but one thing needs no speculation. There is immeasurable suffering and hardship in Ukraine because of this war. No words are adequate to describe its horror.
The day the war started is the day a group of Anabaptist brethren conversed and set in motion the start of Anabaptist Ukrainian Refugee Assistance (AURA). Deed and Truth and AURA have worked alongside each other for the work in Ukraine, each contributing their available resources.
To date, five large vans have been purchased with two more purchases in process. In the earlier months, evacuations were part of these vans’ mission; currently, they are used primarily for aid delivery. Additionally, some of our teams utilize their own private vehicles.
Primary aid effort has been procuring and delivering food, medicine, water, toiletries, and other necessities. As winter approached and especially as blackouts spread across Ukraine, requests poured in for firewood, blankets, flashlights, and generators. To date, the sixth container of blankets is being processed and the first order of 200 generators is expected within the next several weeks.
Other projects include billboards, shining a message of hope in a grieving land. At present, we are finalizing plans to procure and distribute seed packs, including plant starter and fertilizer early in 2023.
When we receive thanks from overjoyed recipients in Ukraine, we are privileged to remind them that it is not us, but God working through many of His children to help in their time of need. We thank each one who has helped in so many different ways.
Josh Eicher, Anabaptist Ukrainian Refugee Assistance (AURA)