Hope Is Alive in War-Torn Ukraine

Jun 25, 2019

Crossing the line of safety and security to serve others

Since April 2014, 13,000 people have been killed in the war between the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russian separatists. In eastern Ukraine, where the conflict has been ongoing for the last five years, most people live without hope or any sense of stability. Often times, they are unable to leave the conflict zone to enter the rest of Ukraine and many workers such as medical specialists and technicians refuse to enter eastern Ukraine out of fear for their safety. This creates a feeling of isolation and hopelessness for those living in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. People regularly hear shootings and explosions and live like every day could be the last day of their lives. However, even in the midst of war, sport is a powerful tool that can open doors.

In May, SportQuest team member, Pavlo (Pasha) Rozhkov, and 4 other Ukrainian facilitators entered the conflict zone to lead a 3-day sport ministry training for pastors, leaders, coaches, and others who desperately want to do something to bring hope to their communities. 44 people attended the training to learn DMM (disciple-making movement) strategies and were given practical tools to use rugby, floorball, frisbee, and KidsGames to serve their communities. They learned how to share the Gospel through sport and incorporate the Bible into their practice plan. The training also focused on how to work with families who have suffered the trauma of war and lost loved ones. The participants were so encouraged by the training and thankful for the willingness of the training team to step out in faith and go where it's not safe. After the training, Pasha commented on how inspired he was by these committed believers who have suffered so much but have not given up hope in God to heal their hurting nation. He and the facilitation team plan to be back in around 6 months to follow up with these leaders and provide more training. In the meantime, they will support them from a distance and connect them with other local disciple-making teams.

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