Ukrainians in Diaspora #6
Vlada’s story
By Josh Montoya
First Presbyterian Church, San Diego
When I was asked to be a part of this trip, I said “Yes” without question. Meeting war-affected Ukrainians sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime. I remember how excited my mom, Susan, and I were sitting in a hotel room in Washington when we heard the news that the trip was going to happen. I felt like this trip would change my life, but I didn’t know how much weight the trip would carry. Our team met so many amazing people whose stories we are sharing through these blogs. I would like to tell you Vlada’s story.
Vlada is 23 and comes from Zaporoziye, Ukraine, 80 miles north of Melitopol near Crimea. The region has endured a lot of bombing and fighting. My mom and I met Vlada and her mom, Larissa, at City Church’s hotel that The Outreach Foundation has supported. Our visit continued into the night away from the hotel on the nearby Curonian Spit along the Baltic Sea. For them this place is like dream, and anyone would agree walking through the layered pine trees and emerging onto a vast beach and calm sea.
We laughed over trying to pronounce words in each other’s languages. Vlada told me her dreams of having a family one day, living on the beach and having a Doberman as a pet. She has the biggest heart for the Lord, and everyone loves her. Toward the end of the day, while we were waiting for the ferry ride back, I was so happy to have made a connection with someone from another part of the world. This was my first time doing so. But soon I would realize this was not any ordinary encounter.
Two pictures snapped me back to the reality of their situation. Vlada’s mom showed me pictures of her ex-husband and son who currently were back home. For men ages 18-60, they must remain in Ukraine to be part of the war effort. With each of us looking at the photo on her phone, a message came through to Vlada. Her brother was letting them know that the Russian army was now just 5 kilometers away from them, and missiles could be heard and seen. I went silent and immediately my heart sank. Before seeing Vlada’s face, I could not have imagined this type of news. In both her and her mom’s eyes, I saw fear, sadness, and the inability to control their situation. But that is neither all I saw nor all I heard.
While my emotions turned from joy to pain and frustration over how Russia could be so blind to the pureness of the hearts of innocent people, Vlada expressed pure gratitude for life under the worst circumstances a human can endure. She showed me that it is possible to muster strength and courage just to smile. Her smile in these circumstances, her worship through singing, and her prayers of gratitude have changed me. I know why God brought me here. It was to experience God’s presence in Vlada; a tender heart with the strength of a lion. When we said goodbye, I couldn’t help but cry. The impact her story and her kindness have had on me I will never forget.
When I got back to my room that night, everything made sense. Tom Boone has consistently told us to be on the lookout for the stories we will share as this is our gift to them and to the church. Vlada’s is only one story amongst the many experiences of millions of other Ukrainians in the world today and we are only 3 months in; this is only the beginning. No one should have to go through this, and the world needs to not turn their heads away from this war. We must stand with Ukraine and pray for them in these times. Vlada is my age, she is a person just like me with dreams and faith in Jesus. I am so thankful that God placed me in Eastern Europe this summer.