The Lords favor in Ukraine

One of our goals on every trip is to be prompt. (other goals are to be safe, get the food there, and lots of other things, but this one is more important to the big picture). In Ukraine there is a curfew and it is important that you make it to your end location before then, or you’d be sleeping in a van on the side of the road. Because of this, we wake up pretty early to hit the boarder right when it opens. This particular trip we had about a 15 hour drive ahead of us. 

We woke up and began the day with prayer. As Malyn and I drove we were in a constant state of prayer. I began to pray that the trip would be smooth with no bumps or setbacks, simply because we didn’t have the time built in for them. I also prayed that the Lord would make us interruptible. That if there were any interruptions, that His hand would be so clearly in them. As it began to rain, Malyn and I asked for sunny skies all day. No one enjoys driving in the rain and it is more difficult/dangerous around all the potholes. The rain stopped about two minutes later. Prayer answered. We continued driving throughout the day, making jokes on walkie talkies, worshipping, jamming out, driving, dodging pot holes, drinking energy drinks, more driving, sharing stories of the Lords goodness, and some more driving. We came to a couple detours where we were stuck in second gear for long periods of time (setback 1). Still looking good on time, we continued on. Made some bathroom/hot dog breaks. [the hotdogs in Ukraine are next level]. Then, we turn down a road, and as we are driving, a team member in the front of the convoy swerves left to dodge a pothole. As he swerves, he rams into the side of a car that was trying to pass. (setback 2) There is some damage and I immediately go into prayer. “Lord I pray peace over this situation. I pray against frustration. I pray that he isn’t angry, doesn’t call the cops, and doesn’t want a lot of money”. Then we are pulled over and our driver and the other man step out of their cars. We see some moving hands, a couple pointing and then they shake hands and the man gets back in his car and drives away. Now, we all get out of the vans wondering how that just happened. He said, “humanitarian aid, I am so sorry, don’t worry about the damage” and left. Prayer answered. Praise God! 

As we are stopped here, we fill up my van with fuel that we had brought with us. We also realize that we have the wrong address. We weren’t even supposed to be on this road anyway. Fast forward: The girl I was driving with, Malyn, found out a few days later that a woman [PRAYER WARRIOR] from home had felt led to pray for a wrong turn for us. Prayer answered again. Not much further down the road we stopped to fill up another van with gas (setback 3). We now have the right address, fullish tanks, and we are ready to go. Once we enter the city, all of our maps stop working. They won’t tell us where we are or where to go (setback 4). We pull over again. Malyn’s downloaded map shows us our location, but won’t give directions, and one of the boys maps has the destination. between the six of us, we begin to figure out where to go. 

We pull up to this bridge and it is filled with police and military. A couple of the guys go ask what’s going on. They don’t tell us much, but won’t allow us to cross. So we find a bridge a couple blocks down, cross, and make it to our location. Past our original arrival time, but earlier than curfew. As Garrett and Christian, as well as some locals, unload the vans the rest sat and ate another traditional meal that they had cooked for us. At this time, Garrett gets a call from another contact we have asking if we are okay. Garrett says yes wondering why he’s asking. 

We then find out, that the bridge we were supposed to take across the river had been hit by a missile and that’s why it was closed. If we had missed any of those interruptions and made it just 10 minutes earlier, we could’ve very easily been on that bridge. By the grace of God, we weren’t. 

My challenge to you, thank the Lord for your life. Thank Him for each breath, each moment, each day, each hug of someone you love. See God in each setback, each interruption, each wrong turn. Be one of those prayer warriors. Get on your knees and fight for this war to end. There is SO much power in prayer. We have a loving Father who LOVES to listen to us.  

While my life was spared from that, many weren’t. Pray for the family members of people who lost their lives on that bridge that day. 

Kaylin