New Meeting of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Every Saturday
by Irina Donchenko
A new project at Music Mission Kiev (MMK) is always greeted with great anticipation and excitement to assist the struggling people of Ukraine. The Saturday, April 15, 2023, gathering was no exception. MMK’s latest mission target was to provide spiritual enlightenment, including dispensing humanitarian assistance (Fora market food vouchers and oatmeal packets) to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) from regions in Ukraine. We also gave each family a loaf of the special Easter bread (paska)—totaling 570 loaves. This was a great way to start off our Easter weekend celebrations!
The atmosphere was filled with expectation as Aleksandr “Sasha” A., and Igor Z. bustled about preparing the hall, connecting equipment, and arranging chairs for the 9:30 morning meeting. People started arriving at 9. The hall quickly filled with over 100 attendees strong. Many guests brought their children, or the whole family came. To MMK’s incredible amazement, the turnout totally exceeded expectations!
Pastor Ruslan Marchenko, lead pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Kyiv, welcomed everyone and spoke about MMK’s ministry and St. Paul’s Church. Irina Donchenko was very honored to teach a Bible class. As she looked out at the congregation, she saw many in tears, with strange expressions on their faces. They smiled, but their eyes appeared to carry a weary heaviness: sadness, desperation, or perhaps gratitude and/or hope?
When Sasha and Irina visited the city of Druzhkivka recently, they encountered displaced people from several places. But here, the displaced were much more numerous, with considerably greater numbers from various townships and villages.
After the event was over, many attendees sent thoughtful messages of thanks for the warm welcome and support during such difficult times. Still more wrote that they were sincerely grateful for the food, both for the soul and the body, and were looking forward to more meetings.
Special thanks to the incredible two Tetyanas from Kherson (two like-named sisters-in-law), who were highly instrumental in organizing and inviting displaced individuals via the Telegram channel, a popular social media platform in Ukraine. The resourceful volunteer ladies also created an invaluable database of names and contact information shared with Pastor Ruslan and Irina Donchenko.
The gathering shed a new portrayal of a destitute populace. It is unimaginable that so many people are losing their homes to this cruel war and are left without support. MMK thanks God for the privilege to serve, help and carry each other's burdens. We fulfill the Word of God. "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2.
Many families stayed around for our Easter church service at St. Paul’s Church, which helped fill the room to celebrate our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Our new children and youth worship choir helped lead everyone in uplifting songs of joy and celebration. They are another example of our growing ministry development and incorporating all ages into our worship gatherings. Despite war clouds, St. Paul’s people lifted their voices together to claim, “He is Risen, Indeed.”
Easter Sunday Worship at St. Paul’s Church
New youth gathering
Drawings for our Ivan and the men of ZSU, drawn by our youth and autistic group