KYIV, UKRAINE — In February, KJMC (Kyiv Jewish Messianic Congregation) hosted a course called “Beyond Disaster” which was attended by almost 250 people. For them, it was an opportunity to receive professional help and support, comfort, as well as to find new friends. The course was created to provide practical help for people who experienced the trauma caused by war, such as internally displaced people.

Is it possible to overcome disaster on your own. How to remedy a wounded heart. A lot of Ukrainians face these questions nowadays. For this very reason, Kiev Jewish Messianic Congregation is presenting the course “Beyond Disaster. And it is so relevant. This course is more than just an opportunity to receive professional help, encouragement, and solid moral support.

It’s also a chance to spend time in the close circle of friends where the atmosphere is soaked with trust, compassion, and deep desire to heal the pain and sadness of our neighbors.

The Beyond Disaster course was created to provide practical help to people who are going through tough times, especially to internally displaced people.

Tetyana Chernyakova – Elder with KYIV Jewish Messianic Congregation:

This course has proved to be very effective, and we have it not only in our congregation, but also in our daughter congregations and fellow churches. Our trainers visited Venice, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhia and Berdychev with this course.

Last fall, during the previous Beyond Disaster course, 60 people received professional help. Today, according to organizers, 250 people have already registered for the course.

Tetyana:

We can barely fit in one hall, so we have it in two halls. Plus, we have a third one for the kids where experienced professionals organize activities for them.

Little Ukrainians are also under a lot of stress from the war in Ukraine. Very often. Very often in the same measure as adults. One of the goals of the course is to help children overcome these traumatic times.

Eva – Participant of the Project Children’s Group

I liked it there a lot. Friendship was our topic today.

Five meetings. Five practical topics that will help to not only overcome the impacts of war that no one was prepared for, but also to learn to rebuild our lives in this new reality.

One of the course’s special features is that the trainers are chaplains. The chaplains, together with our elders, went through this course before the invasion started. Chaplains from the USA share their experience in organizing and having this course with their Ukrainian colleagues.

Shura Vyatrzhyk – Chaplain:

Ever since the war started, we’ve seen a lot of people who’ve been through this disaster. We’ve seen the military deal with it. We’ve seen wounded soldiers deal with it. So it’s easier for us to understand those people who share their sorrows with us. Some answers we can receive only from our most high God.

According to data collected by Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice, about 5 million people are registered as internally displaced persons or IDPs. In reality, this number is even more ominous. Almost 7 million people had to leave their homes behind and flee for their lives.

Kostyantyn Gerdov – Elder with KYIV Jewish Messianic Congregation:

So that after the war, the number of broken lives will be reduced so that people would find God early on and would lean upon Him so that they could receive His comfort, His healing power.

Olga – Participant:

After all, we have all been displaced and now are in an unfamiliar city. We don’t really know anyone. And when I receive an invitation to attend something, I always say yes. I love meeting new people very much. Some of them become my friends, kindred spirits. I just love it. The meetings are really interesting. I plan to attend all five times.

Olena – Participant from Berdyansk:

When I’m here, the anxiety goes away. After my first time here, I thought I would never come back. I was here, I was listening. On my return home, somehow my burden felt lighter. I could freely speak about my problems. Today at my table I was sharing that I always hated my birthday. It’s on the 24th of August, a banking holiday. And now I realize that I love it so much because all my relatives would come to greet me. And today I was saying to the ladies, “I want to go back so badly so my relatives can visit me again. I’m ready to spend the most of the day in the kitchen cooking for them.

Organizers of this course take care to consider not only the mental conditions of the participants, but also they provide every participant with the necessary material aid, such as food and clothing.

Tetyana:

More than 300 food kits were already distributed among our guests. During the course, we learn about the needs of our friends and do our best to meet them. As of today, it’s not enough to do what we used to do. It’s important that we join forces to help one another, to show one another support. Only then will we have victory.

About KJMC

Kiev Jewish Messianic Congregation (KJMC) was born shortly after first Festival of Jewish Music and Dance, organized by the mission “Hear, O Israel!” (Jonathan Bernis), which took place in Ukraine in 1994. Boris Grisenko has been the rabbi (pastor) of KJMC from the very beginning. Rabbi Boris was also the Vice Chairman of the Ukrainian Interchurch Council and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Theology from CLST (Christian Life School of Theology). KJMC has grown over the years and today numbers more than 2,000 people. The congregation is comprised of Jews and non-Jews, all of whom have accepted the Lord Yeshua ha’Mashiach (Jesus Christ).

The KJMC vision is focused largely on the revival of the Jewish people, including:

• So that every Jew would know his Messiah
• The unity in the Body of the Messiah to be restored
• To break free of non-Biblical extremes of Judaism and Christianity
• To bring about freedom from anti_semitism, indifference, and other non-Biblical attitudes as well as freedom from Humanism and occult spirituality

Read more news on Faith Based Organizations, Disaster Relief, Ukraine, and Russia.