Update on Ukraine Crisis Relief Work

As we reflect on the last few weeks of our lives and ministry in Romania it feels like we do not have the time nor the words to fully communicate all that has been and continues to go on.  Despite being just over 100 Kilometres from the Ukraine border and even further from any conflict zone, we are continually reminded of the heartbreaking reality facing those in Ukraine every day.  May it be the stories we are hearing from the refugees staying at Camp Falcon Rock, the daily texts and phone calls we receive from people either in Ukraine or just crossing the border looking for assistance, or the reports from those partnering ministries working at the border, words cannot express the devastation.

Personally, we are doing alright (a little tired), safe and working hard with our local team (Bergman’s, Modi’s & local Camp Falcon Rock staff) to assist any way we all can.

Presently at the camp we are hosting a number of Nigerian international students who were all studying in Odessa.  At the moment we are working with each student individually to assess their needs and sort out the best long-term solution for them.  For some this means relocating to another city or country so they can continue their studies, for others it means staying at camp while they attend online classes and wait on their university in Odessa to communicate next steps.

This past week we also received 2 Ukrainian families who left their city in a moments notice as bombs began to fall.  This meant not only leaving all material possessions behind but more devastatingly leaving family members who were unable to travel or were already surrounded by Russian forces.

Camp Falcon Rock has become a safe haven and a place of rest for so many as the beautiful scenery, bible studies, movie and game nights provide a healthy space for these families and students.

Beyond this, powerful and encouraging to see church denominations, Christian camps and ministries centralize and mobilize together to handle this crises.  Working alongside the Hungarian Baptist Conference in Romania, we have been able to partner with broader ministries and NGO’s to asses needs, resource and provide solutions for so many refugees. Daily we are receiving calls and texts from either refugees or Christian ministries working at the borders and we are able to work together to provide the most suitable solution for each situation.  Sometimes that means finding a place for 1-2 nights (normally at someone’s home) for a family traveling to western Europe, find transportation from the border to the embassy in Bucharest, or long-term lodging at CFR or one of the partnering camps we are working with.  It would be impossible for me to even begin to count the number of families and individuals that we have been working with in this way and yet we know it’s only a  glimpse of the incredible need facing millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine.   

Allow me to say that the support that has been raised through the North American Baptist Conference’s relief fund has been instrumental in resourcing this work and is being stewarded to provide lodging, food, clothing and transportation not only at Camp Falcon Rock but with our broader network of camps and partners, which includes our sister camp, Camp Hargita. At the moment we feel well supported and equipped to handle this crises as best we can.  Thank you

On a side note, we are looking forward to next week as a team of 12 people from Alberta, Canada will be traveling to Romania to serve alongside of us at Camp Falcon Rock as a relief team.  As you can imagine there is a lot to manage these days at camp.  Our “normal” lives carry on as we continue to put the roof on the main lodge, disciple and run youth programs, and this week we just purchased a mission house and property close to the camp where the Bergman family and Elsie Lewandowski will live. Even though the timing of this team (initially) seemed inopportune due to the ongoing realities of COVID and now the crises in Ukraine, we can now see that the support and volunteers that make-up this team will fill a crucial role as we continue to manage our day-to-day ministry and now handle the refugee crises. Please be praying for this team as they arrive in Romania next Thursday.

Forgive me, this is getting long but allow me to share one last story that may provide some light in the midst of the darkness.  Last week after our first group of refugees arrived we led a bible study one evening.  These refugees had shared with us all they had been through with the trauma of escaping Odessa, walking to the border and standing in the cold for hours (as they were foreigners in Ukraine and told they had to wait to allow Ukrainians to get out) and now the uncertainty surrounding their future as their school records, transcripts and years of education are in jeopardy as their universities sit in the middle of the conflict.  There’s no class in seminary that prepares you for that message.  The most incredible moment however, came when we invited anyone to pray out as they felt led to.  In unison the students began to sing and worship.  To say that their worship was powerful would be an understatement.  You could tell in their voices, in their tears, and in their songs that the hope, joy and life in this season came only in their relationship with God.  This worship culminated in the chorus of ‘Because He lives.’ “Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know who holds the future, my life is worth the living all because He lives.” I’ll leave it at that by saying, if this holds true to students from Nigeria, who had recently escaped war in Ukraine with only their clothes on their back, now living with incredible uncertainty of what lies ahead for them — then this certainly is a truth that stands firm in the most difficult situations.

Paul and Tanya 

If you would like to give to the NAB Crisis World Relief fund to support this work you can do so here