“I hope these activities provided by the church here, like The Greatest Journey, will help our children grow and mature in their faith,” Elena said. “I hope the children will value not only these gifts but the [Gospel] message behind them.”
“The war started suddenly,” Elena, a fine arts teacher in Ukraine, said. “I prayed every day, ‘Lord, I trust in You. Give me strength, patience, and humility for this day.’” Soon, she and her daughter fled to Poland to escape the increasing violence. They arrived close to Easter and moved into a hotel that was housing refugees. There, an Operation Christmas Child festive outreach event was held by a Samaritan’s Purse local church partner. Elena’s daughter received a shoebox gift and enrolled in The Greatest Journey.
SCRIPT
Story title: Elena’s Story: Offering Praise in Poland
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Submitted by: Peter Wooding
Organization/website: www.samaritanspurse.org
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“The war started suddenly,” Elena, a fine arts teacher in Ukraine, said. “I prayed every day, ‘Lord, I trust in You. Give me strength, patience, and humility for this day.’” Soon, she and her daughter fled to Poland to escape the increasing violence. They arrived close to Easter and moved into a hotel that was housing refugees. There, an Operation Christmas Child festive outreach event was held by a Samaritan’s Purse local church partner. Elena’s daughter received a shoebox gift and enrolled in The Greatest Journey. “I hope these activities provided by the church here, like The Greatest Journey, will help our children grow and mature in their faith,” Elena said. “I hope the children will value not only these gifts but the [Gospel] message behind them.”
Script or Transcript (English/Spanish):
Elena – Ukrainian Refugee
Before the war we lived in Kramatorsk of the Donetsk region. I worked as a fine arts painting teacher. The war started suddenly. Within two days they offered us volunteer work at the train station to help evacuate children. Every day from 7am until curfew we managed to load five to six trains. That was about 500 to 800 people a day.
And we did this for a month and a half until tragically a missile hit near the train station. But God didn’t abandon us. I prayed every day ‘Lord I trust in you. Give me strength, patience and humility for this day.’
My daughter and I came to Poland around Easter. And we got to this hotel on May 17th.
Aleksander Blazowski – Operation Christmas Child
This was hotel that before official start there were rooms to welcome refugees. Today they receive the boxes. They also learn the Greatest Journey lessons. God has done something very special for them.
Elena
I hope these activities provided by the church here like the Greatest Journey will help our children grow and mature in their faith. My main dream is my daughter’s life will be happier. I hope the children will value not only these gifts but the message behind them.
Aleksander
We see the hand of God in these boxes. We hope that the message will bring healing.
Location (city, country): Poland
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Elena – Ukrainian Refugee
Aleksander Blazowski – Operation Christmas Child
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