Antioch, Constantinople, Port Arthur, Leningrad are cities that are recorded in history as having been under a long siege, suffering losses among the civilian population, as an example of perseverance and fortitude. In 2022, the Ukrainian Mariupol was included in this list. A city that they are trying to destroy, smash, destroy, break and subjugate. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were trapped. Without the opportunity to escape from the encirclement, under constant heavy artillery fire, women, children, and old people are trying to save their lives by hiding in basements and bomb shelters. The city has no heating, electricity or water supply. People are dying not only from shelling, but also from hunger and dehydration. The most desperate ones gather their relatives and friends into cars and leave the city. There are no humanitarian corridors, so cars travel at their own peril and risk, by any route possible, under fire, on country roads, off-road. People are trying to get to the relatively calm city of Zaporozhye. Someone is traveling a longer, but less dangerous route through occupied Berdyansk. Some people choose the main route to get to safety faster. The cars of those who escaped from the encirclement look terrifying - riddled with bullets, without windows, with broken wheels. Churches of our association from Berdyansk and Zaporozhye accept refugees from Mariupol. They give them accommodation for the night, provide treatment to the wounded, provide psychological assistance, and look for opportunities for further movement to cities more distant from the front or even abroad. In Berdyansk, the hall for worship was converted into a place for overnight accommodation - instead of chairs, mattresses were laid out on the floor, first aid and food were provided. Church ministers also coordinate people and help them get to Zaporozhye.
In Zaporozhye, refugees are resettled with the help of partner churches. So a long-time partner of the New Hope Church, the owner of the building where the church rents its premises, gave three floors of his hostel for resettlement. People who escaped from shelling are disoriented and often have poor spatial orientation. If the car suddenly runs out of fuel, they stop and don’t even know what to do. Christians try to notice such confused people, provide assistance, share fuel (even though sometimes they themselves have a limited supply), provide spiritual support or take them to a place where they can eat, shower and spend the night. In this difficult time for our country, Christians are trying to be support and support, a reflection of Christ’s love for everyone who needs it.
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