Tanks and foreign troops stretched across the horizon—war had come

Right now, we are living through the worst refugee crisis the world has ever seen. Worldwide more than 103 million people have been forced from their homes by violence, poverty, persecution, or natural disasters. More than 40% of them are children.

We praise God for compassionate people who’re ready and willing to act. Without them, there will be no help, no refuge for mothers like Olga and her children.

Olga’s flight from Ukraine

Olga shook her head in disbelief and shock, and tears gathered in her eyes as she thought back on her journey: I will never be able to forget what has happened.

For weeks she waited for the inevitable. The sounds of sirens and church bell warnings grew louder and more frequent. It was coming …

Then one day, she looked out the window of her eight-story apartment and saw it. Tanks and foreign troops stretched across the horizon.

Her heart thudded and her stomach sank. War had come to Odessa.

She’d gathered cash, IDs, and suitcases for herself and her three kids (ages 2, 5, and 9). Now the hard part came.

Trembling, but trying not to show it, she held her husband in a long goodbye, put her kids in the car, and left her home behind.

When they arrived in Moldova, they stayed in tents. The temperatures were cold and the camp was crowded. This was no place for her kids. She left Ukraine and headed for Romania. Olga and her children drove, alone, with no known destination. They needed help.

Across the border, they arrived in Iași. There she found Bethany’s community center for refugees where workers helped them find safety, housing, and psychological support to recover from the trauma of fleeing war.

“I tell my kids every day that nothing will be the same when we go back. I’m telling myself too. I want to fully understand this.”

Olga doesn’t know when, if ever, they’ll be able to return home. They continue waiting at the border for news of a ceasefire, praying those they’ve left behind stay safe.

Elevate the voices crying for help around the world

Olga’s family is just one of thousands that has reached out to Bethany and our family of supporters for help in the last year. On almost every continent there are people who didn’t want to leave their homes, but who’ve been forced to do just that. People just like us. People like Olga, Amir, Julia, and Lorena.

The only cry for help is if you believe there’s help to cry to. Please continue to open the door to my fellow refugees and immigrants. Thank you for your kindness, for feeding me and clothing me, and may God bless you.— Amir, Afghanistan

My husband stayed to protect the sky above Ukraine. He is waiting for the day when our daughter can return home safely. — Julia, Ukraine

I pray all day. I ask God for people to open their hearts to us, to give us a ride, to give us some food or money for a bus ride. He’s with us on this journey. — Lorena, Venezuela

Let's do something

As Christians, how can we sit by and do nothing to help those who’ve lost everything? Here are three ways you can show the light of Jesus to those who need to see it most.

Together, let’s make a statement of support for families who’re crowded into refugee camps in places like Romania, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Learn how you can help welcome refugees who are resettling.

Together, we can stand for those who’ve left everything to escape persecution like those fleeing the crisis in Afghanistan. Make a donation to wrap them in much needed support.

Together, we can help children who’ve escaped desperate situations but who’re waiting alone for families they may never see again. Offer them a safe and loving place to land.

Pray with us

The crisis in Afghanistan, war in Ukraine, instability in Haiti, and earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have been vicious winds, propelling the refugee crisis our world is experiencing. Please pray for the millions of children, adults, and families who no longer have a place to call home, who’re waiting, and may continue to wait for years to come. Pray for peace in their countries so they can return home. And for those who can't, pray they will be welcomed by other nations where they will find a safe haven.

Around the world people are suffering. Let’s choose to act. Let’s choose to do something.