On the Frontlines

Vlad, as a volunteer chaplain, spends one week in every four on the front line working as a chaplain in a casualty treatment centre. He routinely helps with medical stabilisation, supporting medics with the treatment of casualties, dignified care of the dead, comfort, prayer and refreshments for the medical staff on duty. His role is to serve.

On one occasion there was a casualty who appeared to have been dead for 20 minutes with all monitors flat-lining. Vlad went over to the casualty, whispered into his ear and said, “If you can hear me and wish to say the prayer of repentance, repeat after me.” Moments later, the monitors burst into life and medics were running around the room. The casualty came back to life and the next day confirmed that he had heard every word Vlad had said, and that he had repeated the prayer of repentance.

One night, a female doctor told him, “I appreciate you being here, but I don’t believe in the God you serve.” However, she did ask for proof of existence in the shape of a quiet night with very few casualties, adding that he should come to see her the following morning to discuss the outcome. That night, there were indeed very few casualties. The following morning the doctor met with Vlad, and she dismissed it as a coincidence and demanded a second night of limited casualties. This time the doctor slept in until 11AM the following morning because there were no casualties at all overnight. When Vlad found her, she had been in tears that morning and had begun praying!

Vasily is the coordinator of over 400 volunteer military chaplains with the Baptist Union.  He and his wife Jane invited us to deliver teaching and ministry to their volunteer military chaplains. This is a ministry that reaches both the traumatised and those who care for the traumatised. The trauma was apparent every time we heard any drone-like noise resulting in an outbreak of fear amongst the delegates.

Oleksii shared a story.  He had travelled to the front line to give a mobile phone and power block to a tank commander and had also picked up some paper angels made by some school girls with additional needs, one of which he gave to the tank commander. Shortly after this the tank was hit and burst into flames. All the crew got out safely, but the tank was abandoned as a burning wreck. The tank commander went back a week later to see if his new phone was salvageable. On a shelf inside the gutted tank was the phone and power pack unharmed, sat on a shelf with the paper angel sat on top.

Igor is a volunteer chaplain, and his wife Tanya was not a committed Christian on arrival at the August Conference. They had been at the June Conference but on 2 July, their house was decimated by Russian Missiles. Igor is an active Compass church member, and also a chaplain in the frontlines and in hospital.

He has lost all his property due to his house, workshop and car being burnt because of the explosion. The Compass church Chaplains’ van is also damaged. Igor’s wife Tanya was injured but is now out of hospital. Their family of three (they have a teenage daughter) have lost all their possessions. They both received prayer and received a measure of healing. Tanya gave her life to Jesus in church on the Sunday after the August Conference.

Tanya (left) is a war widow. Iryna (right) lost her son - her only living relative. These two have become close friends and assistant volunteer chaplains since their losses.  

Tanya said: “Thank you everyone. Every story I heard, I could see in my life. The dramas were very special. I was able to give my pain to the Lord. I had been holding it for a long time. I burst into tears. In the prayer groups there were tears.”

While we were on mission the US owned Flex factory, a few miles down the road, was hit by 2 cruise missiles from Russia. The fires were still burning when we drove past, the devastation was huge. The 600 night-shift staff were evacuated with minimal injuries, but the impact on the community is huge. 2,300 people lost their jobs overnight as a result of this strike – many will have mortgages or loans which they will now be unable to pay. Many other properties had been damaged, and it was noted that most citizens and small businesses in Ukraine do not have insurance.