27th July
Had a good nights sleep with only one air raid siren and despite being on the floor, having no
running water and after seeing the horrors of the day before. But these are all things these villagers are dealing with long term.

All these kids have been through war and/ or had their houses destroyed by Bombs

As Andrew drove the car out from under the tree cover to go to Brekky at the cottage ( we slept in the
school) he said “It’s better to get a few scratches on the car than for a Russian drone to see it.” I
wasn’t sure if he was joking. I worked out later he probably wasn’t as the guys who had slept in tents
outside said they heard drones and saw rockets going over during the night. Good news is that
rockets here are most likely Ukrainians launching to Russian positions in the distance at the moment.
I also hoped he was joking when he said some of the military had turned up and were probably going to stay in the school as well- second floor. Does that make us a legitimate target?
I then saw that wasn’t a joke either as about forty soldiers moved in. They seemed to be doing some
kind of training in identifying landlines and other ammunition. Of course I couldn’t take any pictures
of any this as that is highly illegal- for obvious reasons taking any images of army positions or actions is very sensitive. Whilst they were there and saw all the kids gathered they figured it was a good
opportunity to give them some education . So I watched as all these gorgeous little kids were shown around the displays of 17 different types of weapons, grenades and landmines they might find, like it was a routine lesson on bicycle safety or something. Absolutely heartbreaking. Disturbingly many of the items could easily look like toys or normal household items to pick up. For the rest of the day I had to be super careful about what direction I filmed in so as not to capture any soldiers.
At least sixty kids turned up of all ages from surrounding villages. They looked so excited and happy to be there. The translator asked a few of them when they had left and many of them had fled a month or two after the war started with their families and had only come back in the last month or two to houses and schools damaged by bombs and no running water. They weren’t sure that they
wanted to be ‘home’ but this camp was a ray of sunshine for them. Sadly they still have to listen to
the sounds of rockets and drones. During the program we heard a few explosions but hardly anyone batted an eye. I guess no one wants to be the one that panics others- people just look at each with a raised eyebrow and then keep on doing whatever they are doing. Apparently these sounds are fairly common still.
The energy that these volunteers were putting in to making a great experience for these kids was
amazing. But more importantly I could see the body language and the interactions between the
volunteers and the kids and even the parents who lingered and it was clear that the most valuable
thing they brought with them was their care and love and time.
Sadly I had to leave earlier as I was going back to town to catch a bus the next day.
Everyone got in a circle and prayed for me and then all hugged me like there was no tomorrow. It
was very emotional. I felt so embarrassed and humbled as through the translator they all thanked
Australia for helping and thanked me for everything I’d done and for coming here and for caring about Ukraine. It all seemed so little I was embarrassed to be thanked so profusely yet again, especially by those who were giving so much themselves.

I was driven home by pastor Dima who is an army chaplain who has been at Bakhmut ( a site of
intense and brutal battles) and Chasy Yar and Donetsk etc. I interviewed him on the drive back. I
couldn’t understand a lot and some of his stories will have to wait until I can translate the videos but
I got the gist of some of it and could see the intense passion in his words and we had a little chat with the help of google translate. He has seen
horrors that can’t be described. He showed me a video of soldiers at the front screaming in pain as
they lose limbs. It is something i can never unsee and never forget. He is begging for more Christian’s
in the world to understand that their army needs support. It is not about negotiation. There is
nothing to negotiate- Russia invaded a sovereign country for no reason other than to steal what is
not theirs. And they commit war crimes every day. You don’t negotiate with war criminals. Ukraine is
not trying to take anyone or anything – they are just fighting for their lives and their freedom. They
know what Russian occupation is and it cannot be borne. Too often or comes with torture and sexual violence and repression . And for all those who want just ‘humanitarian’ aid given or non-military aid- who do you think is protecting the children, the people?
What do you think will stop the need for humanitarian aid ? If the Russians left Ukraine or lose this war then the need for humanitarian aid and support dives. Having seen and heard so much with my own eyes, now I see it is clear that it is the duty of every citizen of this world that wants to stand up against evil, to do everything they can to ensure their governments support the Ukrainian military in any way they can, they can also donate to the military and organisations helping the military who are sacrificing their lives and their limbs to stand between us and tyranny. Dictators of the world are watching how we respond when they take something that is not theirs by force….
Все буде Україна