Children of the War
When the war started in Ukraine, Danilo and his family were living in Mariupol, a city whose desolation was destined to become iconic. After a rocket hit their apartment building, the family was forced to flee for safety. The evacuation train brought them to a small village in western Ukraine where a local church was […]
The Bus Stop of Hope
You don’t have to spend much time on the roads in rural Ukraine before you notice the bus stops. Many of these ubiquitous Soviet-era structures are quite ugly but others have this enchanting, futuristic quality. Imagine living in the oppressiveness of the Soviet Union, then you come upon a bus stop that looks like it […]
A New Life for Lia
Lia was standing at the window, ready to jump. It wasn’t her first suicide attempt, but this one felt different – she knew she had truly hit rock bottom. Lia was living with a violently abusive, alcoholic husband and could see no way out. Her life was hell. Before she could jump, some power miraculously […]
Suffering in Silence
“Stop hurting my sister!” cried little Arkasha as his drunken father raised his hand to land another cruel blow. Arkasha and his three older siblings were often neglected and mistreated by their alcoholic parents and uncontrolled violence was not unusual. But this time, three-year-old Arkasha instinctively grabbed his father’s hand to intervene. In his rage, […]
Tetyanka and the War
Seven-year-old Tetyanka has lived through more horror than most do in a lifetime. Her hometown of Popasna, Ukraine, just 20 minutes from the Russian border, was hit hard when the enemy invaded. She was caught twice in machine gun fire and saw her home destroyed as she hid in neighbors’ houses. Amid the fire and […]
Nastya’s Dream
There’s no place like home for the holidays. But for millions who’ve been forced to relocate within the country and beyond its borders to escape the horrors of the war in Ukraine, “home” is beyond reach this Christmas. Since Russia’s invasion last February, thousands of internally displaced children have joined Tomorrow Clubs all over Ukraine […]
How then will they call on Him?
The Roma people live on the outskirts of society and few choose to reach out to them. The Roma settlement of Szentjobb in western Romania, like most Roma settlements, is plagued by prejudice and poverty. Alcoholism, domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, crime, and superstition are a part of everyday life. Without someone to help them change, […]
Artem – the Sequel
When Artem arrived at the Azov sea for camp in the summer of 2020, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. He was 17 and had plans to leave his home country of Ukraine to work abroad. But at the camp, God got his attention and turned his life in […]
Filled with Faith
It’s hard to imagine a place much more remote than the village of Sabatlo. Situated at the edge of Europe near the border of Azerbaijan, this little community in the Republic of Georgia is home to hundreds of Armenian refugees. Fifteen-year-old Armik lives with her family in the refugee settlement where poverty and substance abuse […]
A Changed Heart
Five years ago, Nastya found herself at the birthday party of a Tomorrow Club member. “Who are these people, and what am I doing here?”, she thought. The Tomorrow Club was meeting in a local church and Nastya’s family were not believers. The social stigma attached to evangelical churches, especially in rural Ukraine, is strong. […]