By Natalia, a Ukrainian refugee
One of my friends asked me how Ukrainians could be so strong, having lived through so much in their lives. I opened the Bible and read the following verse: “… do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) The Lord Himself speaks to us and assures that He will never abandon us. He will never leave us. He will never turn away from us. What a comfort it is to know this! This very truth keeps us alive.
When the war in Ukraine started, many members of the Ukrainian Independent Lutheran Church moved to Wittenberg, Germany. I still remember our first Sunday worship service there. A group of us met in the chapel of the Old Latin School. Soon after that, more Ukrainians left the country and relocated to Germany. In a couple of months, our congregation included more than a hundred people!
The old Latin School, the place where we stayed and worshipped, attracted more and more Ukrainians who felt desperate, stressed and devastated. Many of them lost their families, friends, relatives, and homes. They could find the comfort and support at our worship services, Bible classes, and other Christian meetings. We were amazed to see how these people got their smiles back. The Lord worked in their hearts. Many of them got baptized by our pastor, finished Confirmation classed and became communicants. What a blessing it was to see them happy! Praise be to the Lord! Praise be to the Triune God! Praise be to our Savior!
The Ukrainian Lutheran Church in Wittenberg is still active. It keeps attracting a lot of Ukrainian refugees in Germany. We thank the Lord for this amazing opportunity to worship Him even being far away from our dear homeland Ukraine.
Natalia and her teenaged children first fled Ukraine and lived in Germany. They then moved to St. Louis, Missouri. She is a professional translator and has translated many devotions and other materials for Helping Hands.