Major Insights During Trip to Kyiv (Part 1)
On June 20th, a group of five Americans and myself boarded a train in Warsaw, Poland, to begin an eighteen-and-a-half-hour train ride to Kyiv. We spent eight days in and around Kyiv before heading to Rivne, five hours northwest of Kyiv, for the final two days of our trip. We participated in almost every ministry offered by Music Mission Kiev, and visited a new orphanage/boarding school in Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv. We met with many new or developing ministry partners. We packed too much into our schedules, but maximized our visits and interactions.
After three weeks of reflection and processing, I am finally able to share some updates from our amazing mission. We were delighted to attend two concerts by the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (KSOC). The first concert in Kyiv featured the full chorus, including our remarkable male members. Four days later, we enjoyed a performance by the female members of KSOC in Rivne, which supported spiritual trauma care healing training taking place there. That training session had 58 participants from 11 churches.
However, our visit also revealed some unsettling effects of the war and the stark, foreboding realities facing Ukraine. It will take several updates in the next couple of weeks to fully convey what we experienced and learned. On Tuesday, June 25th, a government official reported that ninety percent of Ukraine’s infrastructure had been destroyed or heavily damaged. You read that right - ninety percent. To manage the strain on their power grids, Ukraine was already implementing six-hour roving blackouts, with the expectation that by the end of July, most Ukrainians would be limited to a meager four hours of electricity per day. Per day!
It was really hot and humid during the last week of June. Like many Americans, my first thought went to air conditioning. How could people face July and August with no air conditioning, and limited to just four hours of electricity per day? This was a naive, American-centric reaction, focused on my own comfort. I had to repent and adjust my thinking and recognize the broader implications. Winter is but a few months away should have been my first thought! With such limited electricity, how will people cope with the cold? Most of our widows and pensioners live in high-rise apartments, as do our staff members. Without power, they will face challenges such as no heating, limited cooking options unless they have wood-burning stoves, and difficulties with water delivery due to non-functioning pumps. The absence of heat, water, and elevators will pose significant challenges for emergency and support services.
While I’m still uncertain how we will tackle these formidable challenges, I am confident that God is not caught off guard by these developments. His love, care, and grace transcend these difficulties. Scripture often encourages us to remain humble and prayerful:
II Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
So, I will not fret and worry about the uncertainty and not having the answers yet, but trust in God’s provisions. I ask you to join me in continuous prayer for these pressing issues. Please pray for wisdom and favor as we navigate the coming months.
In part two of this update, I will share more insights about our recent trip, focusing on how our staff and team are being adversely affected and dealing with these challenges.
Greg Kannon
CEO | Music Mission Kiev