Ukraine (MNN) — The number of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine has now surpassed 2 million. Roughly half of them are children. Many families have split at Ukraine’s borders as men between the ages of 18 and 60 must stay for military conscription.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian cities and have stopped some refugee convoys from getting out.
Jesus Film Project and their parent ministry Cru still have local staff inside Ukraine. Lucinda Mason, Jesus Film Project’s prayer mobilization team lead, says, “Most of the people that I’ve heard from have not had sleep since the invasion; not a solid night of sleep. The bombing has happened typically between 2 am and 4 am…. That is a typical thing with war from what I understand. But of course, that’s when people are trying to sleep.”
(Photo courtesy of Cru)
Citizens of border nations such as Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia are stepping up to house, feed, and clothe Ukrainian victims of war.
Jesus Film Project and Cru also have staff in Ukraine’s neighboring countries. They are equipping these staff members to provide refugees with physical aid and spiritual hope. Through various technology tools, they can share the Jesus Film and other biblical content in Ukrainians’ heart language.
“People are coming out scared, obviously,” Mason says. “They are emotionally drained, PTSD, I mean everything can be going on with them. The chance that they can hear Jesus in their own language — hear the hope that He gives and the salvation that He offers — I just can’t imagine how impactful that will be.”
Mason shares how she has been touched by stories of local believers and churches serving refugees in Jesus’s name. “I heard from a pastor in Poland just the other day. There [are] 100,000 people fleeing into Poland every single day and he told the story of this church. It’s a church of only 200 people. They have taken in 50 refugees just in this church of 200 people. They have also raised [the equivalent of] $10,000 US dollars in a week. That is one-third of their annual budget.”
(Image courtesy of Jesus Film Project)
While tangible aid and resources are critical at a time like this, our most powerful tool as followers of Christ is prayer.
Cru has a 24-hour online prayer room where anyone can join at any time to pray for Ukraine.
Jesus Film Project also has an interactive Prayer Experience where Ukrainians are submitting their prayer requests, and you can directly respond.
“One thing that the Ukrainian staff are saying is they want to know that people are standing with them,” Mason says. “So by using this interactive Prayer Experience, you can write out your prayer response. There is also a way to say, ‘I just prayed.’ But if you write out your prayer response, they can read that.”
Visit Jesus Film Project’s interactive Prayer Experience for Ukraine here.
You can also join Cru’s 24-hour online prayer room here.
Mason says, “It is truly a battle in the spiritual realm, so we can pray for our brothers and sisters. Pray for people to come to know Him. Pray for even the Russian military to come to know Him. We’re praying for everybody because they all need Christ.”
If you would like to financially support Cru’s national Ukrainian staff, click here to give.
Header photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project.
