My husband and I just returned from Ukraine. We spent a week visiting our CTL ministry partner Future for Children, spending time with the kids and loving on and encouraging the weary staff. The Lord opened the door for us to go and we felt His protection throughout the entire trip. We experienced three air alarms during our time in Lviv, a quite startling and unsettling dose of reality there. Not even two weeks after returning home, Russia attacked Lviv once again. This attack hits us a little harder as we just walked those streets, looked into the eyes of the people there and our hearts now feel for them in a deeper way.
Nine people were killed in Tuesday's attacks across Ukraine, including a drone strike that set ablaze an industrial warehouse in Lviv, destroying 300 tons of humanitarian aid supplies. The explosions in Lviv also hit a rural kindergarten and a residential building. One person in Lviv was killed and some injured.
After nearly 19 months of war in Ukraine I continue to be left asking, "How long, O Lord?" It's hard to understand why this tragedy continues, week after week, month after month. BUT, despite the horrors and tragedy of this awful war, there is GOOD happening. As we spent time with the kids and families at Future for Children, we saw firsthand just how important this ministry is in Lviv. Future for Children still works with some refugee families from the eastern part of the country as well as many other children who often experience some type of abuse or neglect at home. One of the girls who regularly comes to the program had just said goodbye to her dad again (after only spending a few days with him) as he headed back to the front lines of the war. Two of the moms in the program recently gave their lives to Jesus and Irina (FFC Director) shared that she has seen such a change in these women. Praise God! Praise Him for the staff at Future for Children who have endured so much yet remain steadfast in their service to these children and families. It's SO important and I feel like in many ways it's just beginning.
Please continue to pray for the staff, the children and the families. Pray for their continued protection and that more and more children and families would come to know Jesus through it all.
- Julie Regla, CTL Communications Director
