Meeting Helen at the Border of Ukraine

We drove to the Ukrainian border last week to deliver supplies. A van piled high with food and toiletries and a small amount of clothing items. The van was packed full, with just enough space for me to sit in the back amongst all the goods, with Zach riding shotgun and our new friend John driving. 

It took about 8 hours to get to our destination, a fairly empty building on the Romanian side of the border. It’s right next to the river, on the other side of which lies Ukraine. 

Upon arrival at the empty building, there was seemingly no one around. After waiting a few minutes a boy about 9 years old came running from around the corner, keys in hand. He unlocked a door and just behind him were his brothers, one about 15 years old and one about 4 years old. The oldest of the crew immediately jumped in and began unpacking the van, handing us the goods to walk into the empty building. Their parents came smiling around the corner. 

Helen, as she calls herself in English chatted with me just shortly after we unloaded the car. While I learned only a small amount about her, I was deeply impacted by her and the way she and her family have stepped into this gap. 

I hope to go on another trip to the border to see her again and to learn a little more about her. Until then, I want to share what I do know. 

Helen is Ukrainian. Her hometown in Ukraine isn’t too far on the other side of the border as is currently a relatively safe town in Ukraine. Her hometown is currently home to lots of refugees. 

She saw a need and she filled it. I don’t know how her family came to possess and run this building, but I do know she thanked us profusely for bringing more supplies. 

As we unloaded into the empty room, she told us that just the day before it had been full, but she and her family and friends had distributed it all to the many many refugees in their community. 

I thanked her profusely in return, for having this place, this opportunity to distribute the needed supplies. Her simple response was that she speaks Romanian. Because she speaks Romanian (as well as English) she is able to easily coordinate between the Romanians and Ukrainians. She saw a very tangible way to serve and stepped right into it. And her family and kids stepped boldly into it right alongside her. 

Helen is gentle and kind and her smile speaks more than her English vocabulary could to me. She is so happy to step in and love her community in this way. She is abundantly thankful to the many people also stepping in to love and serve her community, her country, and her people. 

I hope to see Helen more in my coming weeks here, but if not, I simply thank God for the opportunity to meet her, to experience one of the surely many people who are doing what they can for their people and their country. 

Thank you Helen for your bravery, your willingness, and your heart. Thank you to your boys who share your same wide smile and readiness to serve. It was a pleasure to serve alongside you all, even if it was incredibly brief. 

Thanks for reading, 

Kayla