Ukraine Prayer # 502

Ira Kapitonova
For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
Psalm 135:14
Andrii 'Apostol' Smolenskyi, commander of the air reconnaissance unit "God's Cause." He is 27 years old. Before the big war, he had a good job, sang in a church choir, and had his jazz band. He is also a man of deep faith, which explains his army nickname – "Apostle."
In May 2023, he was injured when an artillery shell exploded next to him. He lost both eyes and both hands (one limb amputated all the way to the shoulder), and his hearing is at about 30%. However, according to the doctors, it is a miracle that he is alive.
Did this man give up? No, and he is looking for ways to help others. He wants to help the many soldiers with amputations recover. He keeps living a full life, and his wife's faithfulness is a big part of it. She stays by his side, cheers him on in his rehabilitation, and they both keep dreaming of advanced technologies to give Andrii back his eyesight.
What a powerful testimony! Whether this man was aware of it or not, when choosing his army nickname, he has indeed become an Apostle of hope.
 
We so desperately need “Apostles of Hope” today. Please pray for them, That is indeed a need today in Ywam Africa as well. Pray for the many people who are helping the grieving families and friends after the tragedy in Tanzania. Pray for Ukraine, pray for Russia.
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team

Today's picture – Andrii 'Apostol' Smolenskyi with his wife Alina. Photo by Censor.net