God takes care of everything

On Boxing Day, a team from AVC travelled to Ljuboml, a Ukrainian town near the Polish border, together with a group of Christian scouts. After about 19 hours, they reached their destination. Their mission: to bring joy to children, share God's love and hand out more than 600 Christmas parcels.

The journey was marked by winter road conditions and an accident on the way back. But everyone was kept safe and no one was injured.

Once there, the team worked closely with their Ukrainian partner church. It is mainly led by men with a difficult past, including former drug addicts and ex-offenders. People who are socially marginalized experience acceptance here and take on responsibility. God uses them to be a blessing to others.

During the mission, the volunteers played with the children, held worship services, and handed out gifts. The joy was evident. God's work was particularly impressive in the encounter with eight-year-old Amina. She made it clear with gestures that the gift in her hands was more suitable for a boy. The team looked for another package and picked up a box labeled “for an eight-year-old girl.” When Amina heard what it said, she smiled and said, “I am eight years old.” In the package, she found glitter stickers and pink cozy socks, among other things—everything fit perfectly. She proudly held up the gifts and gave a thumbs up.

Such small “miracles” characterized the mission. Without knowing it, someone in Germany had packed a package that was perfectly suited to a child in Ukraine. In the midst of a war-torn country, it is these quiet moments that give hope. They show that God cares and keeps track of everything—even the details.