Between courage and grief, hope flickers…
Near downtown, lakeside in Ternopil, Ukraine.
For Ukrainians, war is not something only found in the history books — it’s the sound of drones at night, the hum of generators during power outages, and a sense of ever-present uncertainty. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has been plunged into a challenging emotional reality where strength and sorrow ultimately walk hand in hand. These are people of incredibly resolve during a time when this war has upended everything.
Resilience is the default.
Despite constant attacks, many Ukrainians have adapted to a kind of wartime routine. People go to work, children attend school (often online or in bomb shelters in those areas closest to the frontlines) and volunteers coordinate food, medical aid, and supplies. Churches, civic organizations, individuals and so many others do all that they can do.
The people live with the sound of sirens – something I can attest to each time I’ve visited Ukraine. My visits to the country have been limited to the Western Oblast of Ternopil, where Caminul Felix hopes to begin building a new village as soon as this year. Even there in the west, the sirens come nightly and often multiple times each night. It’s so unsettling because the truth is that you never know when a drone or a missile will find its target. What this means is that fear is simply absorbed into everyday life. On my most recent visit I heard the sirens blaring in the middle of the day. Could you imagine how that might make you feel?
There’s a quiet, constant grief.
Behind the brave faces, there’s deep loss. Families have been torn apart - - some killed, some missing, others displaced to the west of the country or to other parts of Europe and the world. The everyday life stuff of just getting enough to eat can be a daunting reality for many. I heard from one religious leader in Ternopil that said, “there is probably not a single family that is unaffected by loss in the whole of Ukraine.”
Cities that were once bustling with life now lie in rubble, especially in the east. It’s not just the buildings. It's the memories that are being destroyed in an effort to wipe out Ukrainian identity. Grief is layered on everything and everyone.
National pride has deepened — but so has fatigue.
The war has united the country in unprecedented ways. Many Ukrainians speak of a renewed pride in their identity, language, and culture. It is a remarkable culture to experience! The blue and yellow flag is everywhere. But, after more than three years of air raids, power cuts and economic hardship, most are emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted.
Hope flickers — but it persists.
It has been said that hope, in Ukraine, has become an act of resistance. People plant gardens beside bomb shelters. Couples get married in military fatigues. Artists paint murals on buildings scarred by shelling. In the city of Ternopil, on a warm autumn evening last fall, I strolled the lakefront with thousands of Ukrainians enjoying the weather, the music and each other in an act of maintaining their dignity and the promise of real life. Because even in the darkest hours, there is belief that Ukraine will survive, that freedom will prevail, and that rebuilding will come.
A call for the world not to forget.
Perhaps one of the most common feelings shared by Ukrainians is a plea for continued support — and attention. “We are still here. The war is still happening. Please don’t look away,” a student in Kyiv posted on Instagram.
This war is not just about land. For Ukrainians, it’s about dignity, identity, and the right to live without fear. Caminul Felix wants to be one of the voices helping with that goal. We are committed to the most urgent call of loving, serving and lifting up vulnerable, abandoned or orphaned children by providing them with a real family as they grow into adulthood in a free land. So we ask you to continue to pray, not just for Caminul Felix and our efforts there, but for the nation of Ukraine and its place in the world and the future that God has for it.
I welcome your questions or comments. Feel free to email me at bill@billfunk.life. Thank you for reading and praying and giving!
Bill Funk
Caminul Felix Villages International Director
