On the Sunday before the three-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, churches across Poland lifted prayers through tears — prayers of lament, yet also of unwavering hope.
It was a Thursday in February 2022. Just a week before, Nadia, an art professor, had been caught up in the busyness of life — finalising her exhibition at the Kharkiv Art Museum and celebrating her son’s 17th birthday. They had kept the Christmas tree up for the party, enjoying the warm glow of its lights long after the New Year had begun.
Then, in the early hours of that freezing morning, the unthinkable happened. Ukraine, home to 40 million people, was invaded. Kharkiv came under bombardment, and soon, tanks rolled into the streets. At first, it felt surreal. But when the windows in her building shattered from the blasts, the reality was undeniable — nowhere was safe.
Nadia hastily packed essentials for what she thought would be just one night and made her way to a shelter, reassured that her son was safe at his grandmother’s house. That "one night" turned into two weeks spent underground in a metro station. When she finally reunited with her son, they fled westward, seeking asylum in Poland. She never returned home.
Three long years have passed since that day — years marked by loss, grief, and relentless uncertainty. Yet, amid the darkness, Nadia encountered something unexpected: hope. Through the kindness of Jesus-followers she met along the way, she discovered a hope no war could take away. “My world was shaken,” she shares, “but God became my everything.”
For Nadia, as for many others, the natural response to pain was to serve. She began volunteering to assist refugees arriving in Warsaw and soon joined the OM team. At the OM Community Centre, Dom Kultur, she now leads watercolour art classes. Through these classes, she encourages fellow refugees to move beyond mere survival into creativity — a journey she, too, is embracing.
Last week, the class explored the theme of 'Doors and Windows.' To many, windows symbolise opportunity, and doors, hospitality. Yet, for those scarred by trauma, these symbols evoke different emotions — memories of shattered glass, forced entries, and the ever-present shadow of danger. In the safe and loving atmosphere of the class, these stories are heard, and new memories are made. The classes offer more than artistic expression; they provide a sanctuary, a place of belonging. For the refugee women who gather there, this Jesus-centred community has become a lifeline.
But this is just one facet of OM’s work in Poland. In response to the greatest humanitarian crisis in Europe’s modern history — a crisis that has displaced 10 million people and claimed nearly 15,000 civilian lives — OM has been relentlessly present. On that fateful Thursday in 2022, a small team of workers felt God’s clear call: to make themselves available, to step into the chaos, and to bring His presence into the darkness. They began with tea and sandwiches at bus stations. Soon, they were providing aid at border crossings. Since then, hundreds of thousands of refugees have received practical support, emotional care and spiritual encouragement.
Today, OM’s community centre in Warsaw runs 28 different programmes, reaching hundreds of people each week. With the help of volunteers from every continent, OM continues to serve in hostels, offer support for trauma-affected children and run initiatives for refugee orphans, youth and the elderly. Each week, between 100 and 120 vulnerable families receive practical aid. The poverty among displaced populations is striking, but the emotional toll — loneliness, uncertainty and deep psychological scars — is even more devastating. In response to this growing mental health crisis, OM opened a counselling centre in 2024, offering free, professional therapy in refugees' native languages.
Each of these efforts has helped save lives, restore dignity and rekindle hope. “Thank you for showing love to us in our sorrow,” one Ukrainian widow shared. “And thank you for not keeping from us the source of that love. If you hadn’t shared your Jesus with us, we wouldn’t have the strength to go on.” Many refugees have discovered that the message of the gospel is the most precious gift they could receive. As a result, new and vibrant communities of faith have begun to take root.
As we, as OM in Poland, reflect on three years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we see cities and communities reduced to ruins. We see fear and uncertainty on a scale that is difficult to comprehend. And yet, even as we long for peace, the destruction continues. On 24 February, the eve of the anniversary of the invasion, Ukrainian cities endured another wave of attacks — 267 drones launched in a single night. Mothers still fear for their children, rushing them into school basements during air raids. Fathers and sons still march to the battlefields. That Christmas tree from 2022 still stands in Nadia’s home, untouched, in a house she cannot return to.
We need many more people like Nehemiah, the ancient leader in the Bible, whose heart broke for his people and who refused to rest until restoration came. The work is exhausting, and at times, we feel weary, yet we know we have been called to this mission of compassion and redemption — for God’s glory alone.
This past Sunday, in churches across Poland, prayers were lifted through tears — prayers of lament, yet also of unwavering hope. One Ukrainian teenager, Sasha, stood before his congregation in Warsaw. His voice trembled as he whispered through his tears, “Father, forgive the evildoers, forgive us all, and restore my nation.” He was still a child when his world changed forever.
Please join Sasha, our OM team in Poland, and thousands of Ukrainian brothers and sisters in this prayer.