April 24, 2026
Day 1521
News from Ukraine
April is a season of beauty. It brings such joy to see everything around us coming into bloom, alive with color. For me, the most beautiful sight is the peach trees, covered in their delicate pink blossoms—I could watch them for hours. There are many peach orchards around our town, and they make this time of year especially precious.
Yet there is a painful dissonance. In the midst of this beauty, we still find ourselves looking cautiously at the sky, aware that an attack could come at any moment. Our city is among the first to encounter drones approaching from the sea; they circle there almost constantly. For now, they pass over our small town and continue further inland. We follow their paths online, praying for the cities where they may land.
Odesa endures attacks night after night—there is no true rest, no sense of peace. About a week ago, at night during an attack on Odesa, a drone struck the window of a conservatory dormitory. A young man from our church, Zhenya Shamota, who is studying there, currently lives in that building. By God’s mercy, the students who had been living in the room that was hit had moved out just the day before. Miraculously, no one was killed—some received cuts from shattered glass, but their lives were spared. We are deeply grateful that God protected these young people.
Our counseling center continues helping people. We have individual sessions in the office, we work with many people online, do group therapy. Our target audience is displaced people, refugees, people who have moved abroad, these are people who suffer from the loss of their home, the loss of their environment, and the loss of their relatives. Another special category of people are people who lived for some time under occupation and experienced all the horrors of the domination of Russian rule.
Last week, we welcomed a family who had fled from occupation and offered them shelter in the guest room of our church. They are three women—a grandmother, a mother, and 13-year-old Masha. They endured four years of occupation in the Kherson region, where Masha’s father and grandfather were killed by the occupiers. Masha has withdrawn deeply. She does not want to communicate and spends most of her time alone in her room, showing little interest in anything around her. Please pray for Masha, and for our work with her—that we would gently and patiently find a way to reach her heart, to build trust, and, step by step, help her begin a journey toward healing and growth.
Our military psychologist, George, continues to serve with remarkable dedication. He leads groups for veterans, helping them adjust to life after military service, rebuild family relationships, and rediscover purpose and direction. George is always ready to share his faith and speak about what God has done in his life. He brings warmth, humor, and energy into every space he enters.
We are also continuing the renovation of the building that will become our veterans’ center. We hope it will be fully operational later this year, allowing us to offer support and care to many soldiers whose souls have been deeply wounded by war. Please pray for our efforts—that God would guide our work, give us wisdom, and lead us in the right way.
In a time when we can only live day by day—because the future feels uncertain and unclear—our faith in God remains our only firm foundation and source of hope. We continue to hold small, active Bible study groups where we explore God’s Word, reflect on His promises, and seek answers to life’s questions together. Many of the refugees, most of whom come from an Orthodox background, are discovering the Scriptures with genuine interest and beginning to follow God’s guidance in their daily lives. Please pray that more people would join these groups, and that all who come would grow in faith, wisdom, and a deeper relationship with God.
As we share these stories, we are deeply grateful for your continued care, prayers, and support. We cannot carry this work alone. Please pray for protection over the people we serve, for healing for those who are traumatized, and for wisdom and strength for our team in every situation we face. Thank you for walking with us in this difficult season, and for being part of this work of hope and restoration.
Please, send your donations to Pathway Ministries:
http://www.pathwayministriesinc.org
In Christ,
Lyuda
P.S The photos include scenes from today’s night attack on Odesa, pictures of George and the veterans’ group he leads, images from one of our Bible study groups, and a photo of Daniel—a young man in our church. On Sunday, it was his first time reading God’s Word aloud before the congregation.
