My first trip into Ukraine

I packed my bag with enough food for a few days and extra emergency food in case we spent a lot more time than expected. We loaded the vans with food and critical supplies. Then, we gathered and prayed, took a photo and headed off.

   A four van convoy, each with two walkie talkies and paperwork ready to get into Ukraine.   We hit the roads going over the snow capped Romanian mountains on the northern side. 

     Romanian drivers go fast and passing is the thing to do, the roads would read 40 km/h, but our convoy would be going 100+ passing cars and moving quick.  If one got separated, we would quickly work together to get the convoy back again.  We hugged tight on the roads not letting anyone interfere with our line. 

       Fast and effective we made it to the border, had dinner, and got some rest at a hotel.  The next morning we were on the road again at 5am in order to be first in line at the border, and we were!  6 am when the border opened we were first and on the road driving again. 

     Flying down the torn up roads of Ukraine, I did not know what to expect. But 20 or so military checkpoints on the south-west side of the country, most were unoccupied and we just went right through. People who went the week prior were surprised they were unoccupied, but we concluded they got moved to the east side as Russia just started there major offensive the day prior.   We handed cigarettes and candy to military men at the checkpoints, they had huge smiles on their faces…. These crazy Americans have come here, why?   Jesus!

      I was mind blown as we were driving, each neighborhood and town had their own defenses set up, barricades, sandbags, some had trenches dug out.  It looked like a World War 1 movie, deep and intricate trench lines. Parts of forest were cut down in preparation for battles to take place, military men everywhere, and lots of military women as well.  Foxholes were dug out in the farm fields as well.  These villages and towns were 100s of miles away from the current battles, but they are prepared, long in advance for the Russian forces to come and they will rise up and defend their land for as long as possible. But as of now, they seem to keep to the normal as much as possible, the fields were being plowed,  houses were being painted, moms were walking their little children in strollers, and the grandmas were working hard in their gardens.

      I tried to imagine if this happened back home, and how as a man I could not flee but had to stand and fight, trenches being dug in my neighborhood… it’s hard to imagine.  Hard to imagine the toll that would take place as generations of men are called to take up arms. Ukraine is a western world country, much like us Americans, hard to imagine them going through this.  

       We made it to our contact in Kyiv by the afternoon. We got coffee at a local coffee shop, and unloaded the vans, some went into other vans to be shipped off.  I met some amazing people in Ukraine, each had a big smile on their face, but under the facade you could see the worry and pain in their eyes, they have chosen to fight and be free.

       One church leader we met with took me into his laboratory and showed me his huge facilities, he has been taking plastic trash and turning it into biodiesel and fueling vehicles, he made a joke about how the Russians came at a horrible time, as he is about to break a groundbreaking discovery.  This man’s heart is big, he is a missionary who moved there in the 90s as the Soviet Union collapsed, he  has been running a church.  Many became unemployed when the Soviet Union collapsed, so he started farms and many other projects providing jobs for those in church so they could eat food.   I am so encouraged by this man, who is now supplying supplies into the hardest hit areas in the country where some are starving and buildings destroyed.

     I went over to another man’s house for dinner, he was a big man from Ukraine and he drives food into the hard to reach places. He told us about what happened a few weeks prior, as he was driving a van in and rescuing people from the war zone by driving them to safety, his vehicle got shot.  He miraculously escaped, and Russians took over the town.  This week he went back to check on his car he abandoned, ( the Russians have retreated and regrouped as they underestimated the Ukrainians).  The Russians killed many civilians in that town, as well booby trapped refrigerators, microwaves, and land mines everywhere.  Many people have died upon returning home to their liberated towns. Many people were also hiding the entire time. 

      This man found his car, 8 bullet holes in the driver side door where he was, and he made it out alive, unharmed.   He did not open his car or touch it, as he fears they booby trapped it.  The ministry I am with is helping this man with a new vehicle to keep rescuing many people. This is a powerful testimony of God protecting this man.

       I was given a history rundown on Ukraine and Russia, and how the Russian army acts all big, but really isn’t. Russian and Ukrainian people have a long history. 

    That night, as we got back around 8 to the church we sleep at. Some nice Ukrainian women served us, many of their towns were destroyed and they found shelter here at this church.  When it got dark outside we had to turn all the lights out, I looked out the window, as we were by the town square. All the street lights, all the houses, all the buildings pitch black. The Ukrainian national anthem then boomed on the speaker issuing a state wide curfew. Up in the sky, as many stars as the eye can see.   Around 11pm the air raid alarms started ringing, this means the Russian aircraft entered the state and shelling/bombing is about to begin. I laid in bed listening to the alarms thinking about the day and all I had seen. 

    Shadows of lights flashed on my window as the military was moving all over. At 4:15am I woke up and got the van ready to head out.  At 5am the Ukrainian national anthem played again meaning the curfew was over, we were ready and began to take off.    First we prayed, two vans were going eight hours deeper into Ukraines East, and Two were heading back to Romania for repairs and for next week.   We arrived home around 8pm. I was able to get a lot of practice driving stick shift, which was intimidating with the military watching me almost stall.

        One moment that stood out to me, was a moment in a Ukrainian city. Big airplanes were heard above, people all over were coming outside and everyone looking in the sky. A man who spoke English said, it’s the Russians, we don’t have any planes left.   I do not know if this is true, but man that has to be scary for these people each day, not knowing if them, their house, or someone they know may be blown up.

        I am back in Romania, helping here with supplies and refugees, I head out in a few days to go to Egypt.   I need to finish what I started and will only be in Egypt for ten days and then I intend to come back here and help for at least two months. 

    If you would like to support me, here is my new fundraising platform, as I am no longer under Adventures in Missions, but with A Jesus Mission.  

   https://ajesusmission.org/Sam-Osuna 

Both are great organizations and want to bring the kingdom of God wherever.  

    My hope in this is that Christ will be magnified, not me.   Please just see Christ, not me.    This is the reason!!!!!    Let him be glorified and praised. I only do this because of His love for me.  

     May we remember to love, we can do all these great things, but without love it’s worthless. In the midst of this I hope to draw closer to Jesus. Pray for me in this to keep Christ as the center.     

     If you would like to give to the organization to pay for food and supplies for the Ukrainian people, here is a link… 

   https://ajesusmission.org/ukraine-response?fbclid=IwAR16Jjm7mtQKOq3ZSGMQtJssLXQgS6-StNgxuoKllNmk66sv8PiFLAvFcVs