Before She Left Ukraine, She Did Something She’d Never Done Before

Before Vita Vashchyshyn left Ukraine for IYouth Camp in Germany this summer, she did something she had never done before.

She deleted her Ukrainian emergency alerts — the constant stream of messages that warns residents of incoming strikes, drone sightings, and casualty reports.

“I did this so that my phone wasn’t blowing up with negative news and death counts at camp,” she said. “I needed that mental distance from the news.”

For Vita, who lives in Kyiv with her husband Tym and their infant son Liam, this wasn’t escapism. It was survival.

“We didn’t talk much about the war,” she said of her time at camp. “It wasn’t the center of our daily conversation. That allowed me to spend quality time in God’s presence.”

Time to Grieve
For Tym, the distance from the war brought something different — and deeper.

“A lot of healing took place,” he said. “When the mission is to ‘keep going,’ there isn’t a lot of time to sit down and process the past. People that were killed. Hundreds wounded in Kyiv. The news gives us statistics but there isn’t time to process, pray, and heal from reality.”

Away from the sirens, the sleepless nights, and the weight of a congregation leaning on him daily, Tym finally had time to grieve. To remember. To hear from God about what comes next.

And then — quietly, remarkably — both Tym and Vita found themselves rested.

Something Is Different
“Even though we were helping with the camp, it felt like I was on vacation,” said Vita. “I was refreshed and energized to keep on going.”

Tym put it simply: “Now we can go and serve Ukraine even more — because of the break we got from the normal war atmosphere.”

They are back in Kyiv now. The sirens have returned. The sleepless nights have returned. The weight of ministry in a war zone has returned.

But something is different.

Because of friends like you, a pastor and his wife had a few weeks to breathe — and came home with more to give than when they left.

Thank you for making that possible.

Tym told us what he’s praying for as winter approaches: “I am praying that our house will be a beacon of hope for those who need a place to rest, warm up, and rejuvenate. People deserve a healthy pastor, and I want to make sure I am healthy for the flock God has given me.”

And because of you, he’s heading into winter healthier, rested, and ready to serve. Thank you for that!