Letters from Kyiv, Week One
“Before we go to bed, we check to see where it is safe to sleep.”
— Tim Vashchyshyn, Pastor, Kyiv, Ukraine
Thirty-two-year-old Pastor Tim Vashchyshyn lives with a reality most of us can hardly imagine.
Every morning, he wakes up to see what damage Russia has inflicted on his city. And every night, he checks his phone to see where it is safe to sleep.
“Our lives are always under threat,” he said. “It’s normal to hear drones flying over our heads — and then to hear explosions in our neighborhood.”
And this is the world in which the teenagers he serves are growing up.
Because the war started just as the pandemic was ending, today’s Ukrainian children and teenagers don’t know what normal life looks like.
These teenagers:
- Are terrified of fireworks, sirens and loud noises — sounds that once symbolized celebrations are now signals of danger and fear.
- Spend three hours of every school day sheltering in basements and bunkers.
- Are constantly attached to their phones — not out of disrespect, but as an escape from the trauma.
This July, 70 of these teenagers will travel by bus to iYouth Camp in Germany—a place where, for a brief time, they can sleep without fear and simply be kids again.
“There’s a profound emotional shift that happens the moment these young people cross the border,” says Tim. “You can see it instantly in their eyes.”
What are his hopes for these 70 teenagers?
“We are fighting for anything that helps reshape their mindset. It is vital for them to know that better days lie ahead. They need time away from the sirens — if only to experience the simple, forgotten gift of a full night’s sleep.”
In July, I’m traveling to Germany to serve alongside Pastor Tim and the iYouth team where I’ll teach morning classes, help lead afternoon worship workshops, and minister in evening services — all while loving on kids who desperately need a respite.
And thanks to friends like you, I will be there to meet them.
Comments (0)