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The Water Filters Miracle
Zaporizhzhia | By Katya Baxter
The Water Filters Miracle
Let me tell you about something that happened in the city of Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine) just a few weeks ago. It was one of those God-incidences that only He could orchestrate.
Ever since the war in Ukraine began many people have remained in the city of Zaporizhzhia, located in the eastern part of the country (map). In recent weeks, when the attacks in the east became heavier, citizens simply migrated into basements. To survive they created livable spaces, often sharing them with a dozen or so neighbors.
But there was one vital thing they didn’t have. And its absence put their lives in more danger than the shelling outside.
They didn’t have access to clean water.
You don’t think about clean water until you don’t have any. All of a sudden, shelling, poor living conditions, and annoying neighbors become secondary against the more immediate danger of dehydration.
Oleg, Regional Director in East Ukraine, who happened to live nearby, saw what was happening and decided to act. He got on the phone and started calling.
He needed to get people water filters, and do it fast.
After searching for a few days, he found nothing.
Frustrated, he called Sasha the Regional Director of Ukraine.
Sasha had no answers either. At the moment, he was planning to travel to Lviv to meet a group of Americans who came to Ukraine to deliver humanitarian aid.
He didn’t know what they were bringing and didn't really want to make the trip. There was a lot of work back home in Chernivtsi, and his team needed him to stick around.
"Why do I need to meet them?" - Sasha asked his wife, Ira, who met this same group in Prague earlier. And, she had promised them her husband would connect with them in Ukraine and bring them to Chernivtsi.
"They are bringing a bunch of water filters into the country", she said casually.
Sasha almost fainted.
With tears in his eyes, he told us:
“I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry. I was so overwhelmed. God knew exactly what He was doing. We were mere instruments in His hands”.
After spending a day in Chernivtsi with this group of Americans sent by the Lord, Sasha and five other leaders went on an 850 km drive to Zaporizhzhia to deliver the priceless cargo to Oleg.
"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8
“When we got to Zaporizhzhia and delivered the filters, we had a chance to host a club for local kids. We spent 2.5 hours listening to their stories of war, and when we were done, the guys who came with me knew they needed to return to their homes in the east. For the past three months they stayed safely in Chernivtsi, but now they felt a strong calling to return. They knew there was work to do. Those kids needed help getting through this dark time.”
Last month, these five leaders and some of their wives loaded up trucks with canisters of extra fuel. They obeyed the call and went back to their homes in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. Thankfully their homes have not been damaged.
They will be able to continue their ministry thanks to your generosity. Their immediate needs like food, water, medicine, toiletries, fuel to drive, tools and materials for repairs and anything else they need to support the kids in their respective towns will be covered directly through the Ukraine Relief Fund. The fund to which you have been giving so selflessly.
This miracle is a beautiful reminder to us all that none of us acts alone. We, you, I – are one body, intertwined and connected through the Holy Spirit, and orchestrated by one majestic conductor to create His Kingdom on earth.
May we always be willing to stay tuned to the Holy Spirit and stay united in one body so we may partake in the breathtaking symphony of His never ending wonders.
There is a treasure trove of powerful, transformational stories that take place almost daily in our ministry!
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