Faith brought Kent and Inga Friesen together in Ukraine, and it will keep them there throughout the Russian invasion.

Kent moved from Abbotsford to Ukraine in 2000, after living here for 20 years. Missions work took him to the west of the country, where he lives now with Inga.

This week, they will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

乌鸦传媒淪ome celebration,乌鸦传媒� she jokes over the phone. Their special day will be just like all others since the invasion began. They will cook and deliver food, they will follow the news, answer phone calls and emails and jump to meet any and all needs.

As missionaries, it乌鸦传媒檚 what they do. But as the invasion intensifies, so does the need for help.

They乌鸦传媒檝e been checking in each day with their home church in Abbotsford, Central Heights, offering reports on military activity and their spiritual wellness. The church has been collecting money online to help them continue their work. (See link at end of story.)

As military vehicles rumble along their street, Inga says it乌鸦传媒檚 like watching a war movie. The reality of the invasion has hit big cities and small towns. The Friesens live in a smaller town where Inga teaches English, and the influx of refugees has overwhelmed the community.

The largest cities in Ukraine 乌鸦传媒� Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk 乌鸦传媒� are all in the east and home to millions of people. They are easily accessible to Russian forces. Residents from those places have fled west, escaping to Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland. Immigrants within Ukraine have also been fleeing, to get home to places like Nigeria and India.

The Friesens have been meeting with all types of people coming through their town.

乌鸦传媒淲e are overwhelmed with refugees,乌鸦传媒� Inga says. 乌鸦传媒淜ids, orphans, (because) parents send their kids with someone, because they are staying behind to fight.乌鸦传媒�

Kent says he has seen the tenacity of the Ukrainian people firsthand through the years. It is little surprise to him that Ukraine is fighting back.

乌鸦传媒淧eople have suffered for a long time here, even after the fall of communism,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭he people here have suffered from one corrupt leader in government after another, so they乌鸦传媒檝e known really nothing except to struggle and fight and survive.乌鸦传媒�

There were preparations in Ukraine well before the west was paying attention.

People in the east secured apartments in the west as safety nests. There were practice air raids for months in Kyiv, sometimes in the middle of the night. Inga says many people never took the threat seriously.

The Russian invasion in 2014 only occupied Crimea, and many thought the new threat would result in something similar.

This week, Inga cleaned out her basement to make room for refugees, encouraging neighbours to do the same. Everyone in the country is doing their part.

乌鸦传媒淥ur daily life is really not daily anymore,乌鸦传媒� Inga says. 乌鸦传媒淭hings change drasticially from hour to hour, whether it乌鸦传媒檚 accomodating refugees, coordination of food, finding food, taking people across the border.乌鸦传媒�

When asked if they are personally taking people across borders, she said: 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e all doing that.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭he whole city is at work, and not just missionairies.乌鸦传媒�

They乌鸦传媒檝e been given no time to rest so far, just enough time to sleep. But through it all they are still making time to pray.

乌鸦传媒淒uring communism we weren乌鸦传媒檛 allowed to touch the Bible or to read the Bible,乌鸦传媒� Inga says. Her closest experience with religion was decorating eggs at Easter.

乌鸦传媒淭hen with the Soviet Union falling apart a lot of missionairies came this way and started talking about God,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 just want to work so hard, so much, that people would start saying 乌鸦传媒榞lory to God乌鸦传媒�,乌鸦传媒� instead of 乌鸦传媒楪lory to Ukraine.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 very important to just do God乌鸦传媒檚 will,乌鸦传媒� she said.

Kent says his faith has also given him a 乌鸦传媒渄egree of calm乌鸦传媒� in the face of war, frustration, anger and fear.

乌鸦传媒淲ithout it I乌鸦传媒檓 not sure how we乌鸦传媒檇 get through,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淚 know that it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 matter what happens to me because I乌鸦传媒檓 in a relationship with God and I乌鸦传媒檓 ready to go when He says it乌鸦传媒檚 time to go.乌鸦传媒�

Those interesting in helping their mission can visit and search for the Ukraine Relief Fund.

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jessica.peters@abbynews.com
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