Blessing People Living With Disability in Ukraine
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Proverbs 16:9
Just as Joni and Friends began construction on Joni’s House, a permanent disability center, in Ukraine, the Russian military launched its invasion.
Knowing that all-out war would crush Ukrainians with disabilities, we quickly reallocated our efforts from building Joni’s House to evacuating people with disabilities from danger, proving that Joni’s House is not about a building… it’s about blessing the most vulnerable with Christ-centered support.
And our Joni’s House endeavors continue way beyond building bomb shelters as we work with our ministry partners throughout Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, and beyond to rescue people with disabilities from warzones and deliver them to safety.
As our Ukrainian in-country partners, Sergiy and Nataly, said in response to our evacuation efforts, “Joni’s House Ukraine already exists!”
Since war broke out in Ukraine, we’ve completed multiple evacuations out of Ukraine, bringing hundreds of people impacted by disability to safety. We do this with the help of our regional in-country coordinator, Galyna, and Jan van den Bosch, a member of our International Board of Directors who resides in the Netherlands.
Natalia, who has Down syndrome, had been hiding in a basement with her mother since the war began. She struggled severely, emotionally and mentally, unable to understand the complexities of war.
When Joni and Friends President, John Nugent, welcomed Natalia and her mother as they crossed the border into Poland with the other refugees, she was freed from her anguish and experienced new hope. Her mother said,
“What a great thing you are doing for so many people! You’ve brought peace to our hearts.”
And we have more work to do. As Galyna says: “The war has no holidays or weekends. So everybody keeps working day after day.”
Doctors, nurses, translators, pastors, counselors, and caregivers sacrifice selflessly to comfort and serve distressed refugees. Everyone is going above and beyond, like our evacuation bus drivers who aren’t just driving caravans over the border. “They are feeding the refugees and even changing their diapers.”
Your donation given today puts God’s love into action for people like Vitaly, who became paralyzed from a neck injury, and his sister, Anna, who serves as his full-time caregiver. “I wouldn’t survive long on my own,” says Vitaly.
Through your prayers and faithful giving, Vitaly and Anna were safely evacuated out of Ukraine and given a new lease on life.
Jan van den Bosch is welcoming Ukrainian refugees into the Netherlands. He described the state of mind of arriving Ukrainians:
“When the children arrive they are terrified, but the next morning they are playing together – acting like children. So much has happened to them, yet it is amazing how resilient they are.”
Take Oksana, a Ukrainian girl who has numerous disabilities including hypopituitarism and an alveolar cleft. War reached her doorstep, and Oksana had a nervous breakdown.
“Planes were flying over our house and exploding rockets. Our city was burning. Suddenly we had to run for our lives and hide,” said Svetlana, Oksana’s mother.
Oksana and Svetlana were evacuated to the Netherlands.
“We feel safe here. This is a testimony of God’s strong love for Oksana. God blesses and protects her. I’m glad my daughter is safe, but my heart is in Ukraine with my husband and son who we left behind. I see how God works through Joni and Friends and his people. I feel his love here. Pray for peace in Ukraine. For our children to stop dying; for people to stop starving. We want to live.”
When you support Joni and Friends, you answer a call given by Jesus in Luke 14, to go out into the streets and country lanes—into basement bomb shelters and darkened hiding places—and find people with disabilities. From combat zones and danger, we can usher them into peace and safety in the name of Jesus.
“Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame…. Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.”
Luke 14: 21, 23
With your continued prayers and gifts, Joni and Friends commits to caring for more and more Ukrainians with disabilities. Beyond Ukraine, around the world, Joni and Friends serves people with disabilities. We meet physical, spiritual, social, and economic needs, relieving the troubles of the afflicted. We provide shelter, food, clothing, hygiene kits, medical attention, and Christ-centered support.
You may never visit the borders of a war zone, but you can make a difference in the lives of people impacted by disability around the world.
