Serving where it hurts is a calling—and once again it brought our team together. Along with friends, we’ve traveled with before to de-occupied Balakliia, Izium, and the uneasy Donbas, we set out on a new mission trip. This time our route led through the battered villages of the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.

These communities have endured a double trial: first, long months of brutal Russian occupation, and then the catastrophic aftermath of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam. Homes that survived shelling were later swallowed by floodwaters. And yet, even in the middle of devastation, we witnessed the resilience of the people.

Our goal wasn’t just to bring supplies, but to bring the message that God has not abandoned them. We held small gathering events—Christian songs were sung, hot meals were prepared, and hope began to return to people’s eyes. It was a moment of unity, where physical bread was shared alongside spiritual encouragement.

This outreach became possible because of the combined efforts of many caring hearts. We are deeply grateful to:

• the humanitarian foundation “Hope Mercy” (Velyki Luchky village);
• the foundation “New Life” (Uhlya village);
• the missions “SMO,” “Hope for the East,” and “Hoffnungsträger Ost”;
• the churches of Zakarpattia and Khmelnytskyi regions for their faithful prayer support.

We believe that every smile and every prayer in these villages is a seed that will grow by God’s grace in this much-suffering land.

Watch the trip video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9majvib060.