The rapeseed fields were blooming in the glorious sunshine and the colors made us think of Ukraine, to whose border we were on our way in mid-May 2023 to deliver a load of relief supplies.
The day before we left, our new van was only half full, but thanks to donations from our Viennese friends, we were finally able to start the journey with a bus full to the brim with food, hygiene items, sleeping bags, clothes and shoes.
We got a first taste of the war across the border in Dej (Romania), where we saw a long column of tanks driving towards Ukraine. At the Siret border crossing, where our Ukrainian contact Tanya and her driver had arrived, our shipment of aid was transferred to the recipient’s car. We met at the border post to refuel Tanya’s car and invited Tanya and her driver to lunch. We were able to talk and learned about the refugee situation in Chernivtsi: Tanya and her team look after hundreds of refugees, many of whom are working at the limit of their resilience. The long war eats away at people. For a long time, Chernivtsi was the only area that was spared from rocket attacks. However, daily, or rather nightly, air raids are now the order of the day. Tanya is grateful for the help we bring them.
Another organization that we support in Chernivtsi is the Jewish Community. We were able to present Tanya with a donation, which Tanya passed on to the Jewish Community on the same day. As we previously reported, the Jewish Community is caring for hundreds of refugees from eastern Ukraine, including by providing meals in the community canteen.
On the way back from Siret we met some friends. The trip was unforgettable in many ways. There were many happy reunions, but we also received sad news about illnesses and accidents of some friends. The trip left us with a feeling of gratitude.
One of our friends prayed before the trip and mentioned that the Almighty would guide us step by step with his shepherd’s staff. That’s exactly what we experienced on our trip.
Anne and Hannu Ylitalo