Resettle our Ukrainian Family

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin, Sasha, reached out to let us know that he was ready to relocate his family to America. Because they have three children, Sasha has been eligible to leave the country since the very beginning of the war. However, as a truck driver, he made the difficult decision to stay and continue to transport food because he knew that people were in desperate need and many co-workers refused to do the job because of the many dangers faced on the road. Unfortunately, things have gotten increasingly more difficult.

With winter closing in and frequent power outages, Sasha has realized that it is time to leave for the safety of his wife, two daughters, and a five-month-old baby. Therefore, in December, our household will more than double. We are thrilled that they have been approved already for the visas they need and the airline tickets have been bought. They plan to arrive on December 7 by way of Poland.

We are asking for your help in getting them resettled here. Of the many needs that will arise, the most urgent are furniture, clothing, toys, baby supplies, and tuition for preschool for the girls (we want to put them in a safe environment where they can be loved and hopefully learn English). We also would love to give them some money to replace his income while he is waiting on his work authorization.

We would appreciate prayers for them as well. Here are a few requests:

1. Pray for their hearts as they do the hard work of saying goodbye for now to their families, home, and beloved country.

2. Pray that they will stay safe in this coming month and arrive here without complication.

3. Pray for healing for their minds and hearts. They have been through so much. One of the girls drops to her knees and starts praying at the sound of the sirens that ring out way too often. Sasha has seen so much destruction and death as he has traveled in his truck. Masha has experienced the stress of fleeing the country for months and then coming back to give birth and be reunited with her husband. I can only imagine the pain they will feel leaving so many they love behind to face the darkness.

4. Pray for the rest of Dema’s family that is not able to leave.

5. Pray for our boys as they adjust to sharing their home with family they have never met and who don’t speak the same language.

We are so grateful to you, our community, for standing with us while we stand with them.

Slava Ukraiini!!