Ukraine Prayer # 545

Ira Kapitonova
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
Psalm 47:2
As you may have noticed, I often write about the effect this war has on children. It breaks my heart to know that their careless childhood has to be marred by cruelty and suffering. However, there is another group I feel as passionate about – it is the elderly. Those whose childhood was ruined by WWII now need to relive the terrors of war in their old age.
 
You may have already seen this picture. Lidia is 98 years old. She lived in Ocheretyne, a village in the Donetsk region. A couple of days ago, Lidia and her son and daughter-in-law left their home in the occupied part of the village to get to the territory under Ukraine's control. At some point, they separated, so Lidia walked more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) by herself, using a cane and stick for support, falling from exhaustion, and resting on the grass. She walked the entire day without food and water under Russian shelling. She walked until she saw Ukrainian soldiers who took her to a safe place.
 
Lidia said she had lost everything; almost the whole village had burned down, and even the trees had been uprooted from all the shelling. Having lived through WWII, 98-year-old Lidia hopes to live to see Ukraine's victory. I've been weeping, looking at Lidia's picture and reading her story. Our Lord is a merciful God, but He will avenge the suffering of this dear woman.
 
The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:6-7)
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There are so many Lidias, many are widows with no one to care for them. Our teams are out there this very day bringing them food, medicines and hope. Please pray for them and pray for the teams.
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team
 
Today's picture – the 98-year-old Lidia in a shelter, having walked over 10 km to escape occupation. Photo shared by the National Police of Ukraine.