Faith brought Kent and Inga Friesen together in Ukraine, and it will keep them there throughout the Russian invasion.

Kent moved from Abbotsford to Ukraine in 2000, after living here for 20 years. Missions work took him to the west of the country, where he lives now with Inga.

This week, they will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

鈥淪ome celebration,鈥� she jokes over the phone. Their special day will be just like all others since the invasion began. They will cook and deliver food, they will follow the news, answer phone calls and emails and jump to meet any and all needs.

As missionaries, it鈥檚 what they do. But as the invasion intensifies, so does the need for help.

They鈥檝e been checking in each day with their home church in Abbotsford, Central Heights, offering reports on military activity and their spiritual wellness. The church has been collecting money online to help them continue their work. (See link at end of story.)

As military vehicles rumble along their street, Inga says it鈥檚 like watching a war movie. The reality of the invasion has hit big cities and small towns. The Friesens live in a smaller town where Inga teaches English, and the influx of refugees has overwhelmed the community.

The largest cities in Ukraine 鈥� Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk 鈥� are all in the east and home to millions of people. They are easily accessible to Russian forces. Residents from those places have fled west, escaping to Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland. Immigrants within Ukraine have also been fleeing, to get home to places like Nigeria and India.

The Friesens have been meeting with all types of people coming through their town.

鈥淲e are overwhelmed with refugees,鈥� Inga says. 鈥淜ids, orphans, (because) parents send their kids with someone, because they are staying behind to fight.鈥�

Kent says he has seen the tenacity of the Ukrainian people firsthand through the years. It is little surprise to him that Ukraine is fighting back.

鈥淧eople have suffered for a long time here, even after the fall of communism,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he people here have suffered from one corrupt leader in government after another, so they鈥檝e known really nothing except to struggle and fight and survive.鈥�

There were preparations in Ukraine well before the west was paying attention.

People in the east secured apartments in the west as safety nests. There were practice air raids for months in Kyiv, sometimes in the middle of the night. Inga says many people never took the threat seriously.

The Russian invasion in 2014 only occupied Crimea, and many thought the new threat would result in something similar.

This week, Inga cleaned out her basement to make room for refugees, encouraging neighbours to do the same. Everyone in the country is doing their part.

鈥淥ur daily life is really not daily anymore,鈥� Inga says. 鈥淭hings change drasticially from hour to hour, whether it鈥檚 accomodating refugees, coordination of food, finding food, taking people across the border.鈥�

When asked if they are personally taking people across borders, she said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e all doing that.鈥�

鈥淭he whole city is at work, and not just missionairies.鈥�

They鈥檝e been given no time to rest so far, just enough time to sleep. But through it all they are still making time to pray.

鈥淒uring communism we weren鈥檛 allowed to touch the Bible or to read the Bible,鈥� Inga says. Her closest experience with religion was decorating eggs at Easter.

鈥淭hen with the Soviet Union falling apart a lot of missionairies came this way and started talking about God,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just want to work so hard, so much, that people would start saying 鈥榞lory to God鈥�,鈥� instead of 鈥楪lory to Ukraine.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to just do God鈥檚 will,鈥� she said.

Kent says his faith has also given him a 鈥渄egree of calm鈥� in the face of war, frustration, anger and fear.

鈥淲ithout it I鈥檓 not sure how we鈥檇 get through,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 know that it doesn鈥檛 matter what happens to me because I鈥檓 in a relationship with God and I鈥檓 ready to go when He says it鈥檚 time to go.鈥�

Those interesting in helping their mission can visit and search for the Ukraine Relief Fund.

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jessica.peters@abbynews.com
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