Delivering Hope To Ukrainian Refugees Living with Disability

By Joni and Friends|Published On: June 26, 2023|Categories: Stories|

A disability consultant from Illinois and a special needs family in Ukraine might not appear to have much in common. But connecting the two has led to tremendous blessings.

Meet Mark…

Mark specializes in accessibility designs for public places. He helped eliminate barriers for wheelchair users at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, and he partners with congregations to make similar architectural changes in churches.

But Mark’s personal life has been challenging. Within less than one year, his daughter, sister, and wife all passed away. His wife had been in good health only days before a brain aneurysm ended her life.

Mark sitting next to a man using a wheelchair with a Bible in his lap in the Ukrainian language. Both smiling at the camera.

Meanwhile in Ukraine…

Thousands of miles away, war in Ukraine has brought unthinkable terror into the lives of civilians. And for Ukrainians living with disability, the vulnerability and fear hit even harder. Mark saw the daunting news reports from Ukrainian battlefields and began to wonder if he could do something about it.

Working with Joni and Friends Illinois and Galyna, our International Regional Manager, Eastern Europe, Mark got to speak to Ukrainian refugees at seven safe houses in Germany and the Netherlands.

“I prayed, ‘God, give me the words to say,’” says Mark.

Mark felt God call him to share his personal testimony about suffering, including Bible verses that brough him comfort as he coped with the deaths of his loved ones—like Revelation 21:4–5:

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”

Each time Mark spoke, nearly every person in the room had lost neighbors or family members in the war. He also got to have personal, confidential conversations.

He says: “I got to see how the Lord sustains people in the most difficult situations. In turn, they looked at me and thought, ‘you should be a wreck.’”

God Can Use Your Story

Mark knows God used him to deliver hope to Ukrainian refugees living with disability—yet he also received hope in his own hardships through his newfound relationships overseas. Displaced by war, grief-stricken by death, and struggling under the strain of disability… “Disabled Ukrainian refugees are an inspiration to me when I think about everything they’ve suffered in the past year.”

Jesus can use your testimony to encourage others too—at a Family Retreat, on a Wheels for the World™ outreach, or at a Joni and Friends respite event. God will use your story and your gifts to serve families living with disability!