A Mennonite Central Committee partner in Ukraine requests prayer in a video clip the relief organization posted on YouTube earlier today.
In the video, which was filmed on Monday, Feb. 28, Maxym Oliferovski describes what life was like for him in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, a few days after Russian military forces began invading the country by land, sea and air. Oliferovski and his wife, Anya, lead New Hope Centre, an MCC partner organization that helps families in crisis.
“When you hear all this explosions and shootings, even if you are [in] a safe location, like nothing’s happening next to your door, it’s still hard. So pray for safety, pray for health,” Oliferovski says in the video. “It’s hard to learn how to deal with [these] new circumstances and the stress level. It’s not easy.”
At the time the video was recorded, Oliferovski was less than 100 km from the frontlines of the conflict. He and his wife have chosen to stay where they are so they can help their neighbours with things like food and water.
“Pray that we will be helpful where we can,” Oliferovski says.
The video is taken from a larger interview conducted by Linda Espenshade, an MCC staff person based in Lancaster, Pa. You can listen to the whole interview on the latest episode of the MCC podcast, Relief, Development and Podcast.
MCC is accepting donations for a response in Ukraine at donate.mcccanada.ca/cause/ukraine-emergency-response-1.
Do you have a video we should see? Email it to submit@canadianmennonite.org.
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Maxym and Anya Oliferovski, pictured in 2021, are co-founders of New Hope Centre in Zaporizhzhia and lead church planters of the Mennonite Brethren church plant, God's Family Church. (MCC photo courtesy of Maxym Oliferovski)
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