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Ukraine Children Reuters.JPG 1.JPG
Reuters
Ukraine Children Reuters.JPG
Reuters
World News

'Five year olds shouldn't have to understand the difference between bomb and artillery shell' says Christian charity worker

by Alex Collett

A member from Compassion International from the US says he is doing everything he can to help in the Ukrainian crisis.
 
Yaroslav Hetman, a Senior Director of Innovation for Individual Supporters for Compassion International has family and friends who live in Ukraine and comes originally from the country himself.

Now living in Washington DC he says his heart breaks for his friends and loved ones back home.

Speaking to Premier Yaroslaw Hetman described the emotions he is feeling: "For me, it's still a bit of the five stages of grief. I think the shock has cleared a little bit. 

"I don't have time to mourn, I'm doing everything I can to mobilise and to help whether it's in sending aid, whether it's in petitioning on the political side for our Western governments to do more. 

"But at the end of the day, you know, I also turned back to international compassion, we're all about rescuing children from poverty, and doing it in a way that brings in the word of the Lord and light of the Lord on a daily basis. 

"It's a constant stream of prayer that I feel from my co-workers from my compassion family, of course, from my family and friends, over the situation over these civilians over these children, especially who should not have to, at the age of five, understand the difference between a cruise missile, a bomb and an artillery shell. 

"That's just not something that children should ever have, as a part of their vocabulary and I guess the part that gives me peace every night, is sometimes I wake up and recite the Lord's prayer and I also recite Philippians four six to seven. 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, bring your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus and I have to remind myself that there is a lot to be thankful for. 

"I'm thankful that my family and friends are alive and healthy right now. 

"I'm thankful that Ukrainians have banded together all around the world, to send humanitarian aid to help take in refugees, it was heartening to see the reaction from allies like Poland saying, no visa, no problem. You have paths, no problem just come. 

"I saw images of Polish women leaving strollers on train stations because they knew that Ukrainian families that were coming over, were not able to take strollers or luggage or much of anything with them on the difficult journey and so in some of the darkest times, it's heartening to see rays of light coming in from organisations across the globe.

"Also from people across the globe who I never even knew could find Ukraine on a map in some instances and so that's been very heartening."

Yaroslaw said he will be praying for them: "I'll be praying that the hand of the Lord is felt by everyone involved and by that, I mean, all the way from the little children and families cowered in basements and damp cellars, lying on piles of blankets and just trying to survive to parents who don't know how they're going to feed their kids, the very next day, or how to get medical care, those who have been wounded or trapped or desperate to have hope, to have hope that the Lord will intervene."

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