Showing Ukrainian Military Families the Healing Love of Jesus

By Joni and Friends|Published On: July 18, 2023|Categories: Warrior Getaway|

Group photo of volunteers and attendees at Ukrainian Warrior Getaway smiling at the camera with their blue Joni and Friends shirts on.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
Galatians 5:1

The war in Ukraine rages on. Every day Ukrainian soldiers and their families endure trauma, danger, and fear as they fight for freedom. That’s why Joni and Friends held our first-ever international Warrior Getaway for Ukrainian military families (held in Germany), to bring them the healing love of Jesus. Just listen to what God did at this retreat…

Irena sitting in a chair, holding up her head with her hand, looking down at the ground with a blank expression.

Meet Irena

Irena arrived at Warrior Getaway hopeless and despondent, with tears streaming down her face much of the time. She sobbed as she shared her story with our staff:

Irena’s husband, Oleksiy, was a tank commander in the Ukrainian army. He fought in a battle that ended with over 180 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers losing their lives. Only three men survived, and Oleksiy was one of them. Yet he did not survive unscathed.

Oleksiy received a massive head injury, as well as other injuries to his body.

He laid on the battlefield, bleeding for four days with no help before being found. While Oleksiy lay fighting for his every breath, Irena had no idea if her husband was dead or alive. When he finally arrived at the hospital, Oleksiy was in a coma, and the hospital couldn’t identify him. Irena didn’t learn that her husband had survived for nearly two weeks. During those two weeks, Irena suffered from constant panic attacks—crying uncontrollably.

When Oleksiy was released from the hospital, he returned home to Irena severely disabled. He functions much like a child now and rarely speaks. Irena is the mother of two but feels like she cares for three children now that her husband is home. Anxiety, stress, and worry have threatened to consume her.

God Changed Lives at Warrior Getaway

Before Warrior Getaway, Irena cried throughout the day while she cared for Oleksiy and her children. But as she worked with our Warrior Getaway brain therapist, Irena learned techniques to control her anxiety and overcome her stress. Bit by bit, the light began to return to Irena’s eyes.

Irena and her husband Oleksiy on stage with their blue Joni and Friends shirts on, smiling as they hold microphones in their hands.

At Warrior Getaway Irena and her daughter enjoyed time together at therapeutic art classes, renewing their bond in a peaceful setting. And Oleksiy showed improvement in his ability to communicate after just a few days of therapy at Warrior Getaway. Over the course of the week, he began to engage with other Veterans, finding support in their shared stories of war.

By the end of Warrior Getaway, Irena was a completely different person than the woman who arrived on the first day. Smiling and laughing, she had found ways to connect with her husband.

You Can Make a Difference!

Oleksiy, Irena, and their children have returned to Ukraine, but they have new support: counselors and therapists in their town, renewed faith in God, and the assurance that the Joni and Friends community cares for them and will pray for them. Irena also plans to engage in virtual Bible studies with the other wives and caregivers she met at Warrior Getaway!

Irena and her daughter painting together.

Irena with a Joni and Friends volunteer on one side of her and her husband on the other side.

Today in the U.S., like in Ukraine, military heroes and families suffer unimaginable hardships—post-traumatic stress, physical pain, depression, and anxiety. And you can help them! Joni and Friends commits to honoring and supporting U.S. and Ukrainian soldiers and Veterans. Your gift today will send more families to Warrior Getaways to find healing and hope in Christ!