By the end, it was just the 2 of us and Galya’s family. Everyone else had made their decision and moved on. And now what? We no longer had a ministry or a plan. On March 7th, we moved to an empty house that belonged to a friend of a friend of a friend in the quiet village of Kolomyya, near the western border. We would rest and regroup there. Maybe we could stay for longer.
But upon arriving we realized it wasn’t quite as quiet as we thought. There was more military activity as soldiers trained and prepared before being sent to Kyiv and the east. And there was an airport in the region; Aka a target. Planes flew overhead frequently. Big, noisy trucks rumbled down the road. The sirens still sounded, waking us up in the early morning or late at night. We still could not rest fully. The children were unsettled. Galya was pregnant. She wanted to leave Ukraine altogether, but we didn’t know if Dennis would also be allowed to come. Supposedly, men were able to leave if they had 3 children. Would the baby count? What about his other son? He wasn’t with us, did that matter? We tried to find out this information, but it was not well known or agreed upon.
I was still struggling with my sinus infection. Although I felt better, I kept coughing, and my throat was really dry. I rested as much as possible. But after 2 days, I realized something else still felt off. So, I finally asked Vladimir to go find a test.
I was in total shock when I saw those 2 strong pink lines. We couldn’t believe it. There were so many mixed emotions that I can’t even begin to describe. We were excited but I was also terrified. We definitely had to leave Ukraine now. With all the stress I had been under, I was scared I would miscarry.
We spent the week resting and recovering. I filmed a few other videos, we went on a walk around the village, and we went to eat at a restaurant, which felt surreal. Finally, we came up with a plan. A few friends from the YWAM base in Kyiv had gone to the base in Cluj, Romania. They had space for us and encouraged us to come. Maybe we could continue helping Ukrainians from there. People asked if we would come home.
Why? We wanted to help people. We came to serve the people of Ukraine. It didn’t matter where that was. We just knew God had brought us there for a reason, and He wasn’t done yet.
3.12.2022
Today is Saturday. On Tuesday (7th) we came to Kolomyya to stay in a friend of a friend’s house. It‘s just us and Galina’s family now. We are taking a few days to rest but will try to go to Romania to work with the YWAM base in Cluj. Dennis is trying to figure out if he can cross the border since Galina is pregnant.
I found out I’m pregnant too. 2 days ago. March 10th. I am very excited but still trying to process.
I woke up coughing tonight. There are air raid sirens even in this tiny village. No where in Ukraine is safe. Mitch says there is an airport not too far away that Russia is trying to destroy. The Ukrainians are launching most of their air force from there. We can’t hear any bombing or planes, so most likely they won’t hit the village and the sirens are just an extra precaution. It makes me very nervous. It has been several days since I heard a siren. I am trying to stay calm. But I hate it. For the first time in my life, I am looking forward to leaving Ukraine. I can’t wait. Even though I am heartbroken and did not want to leave this early. After tonight, it is clearly for the best.