UKRAINE — Vitaliy Smolin, director of Open Door Foundation, is partnering with Samaritan’s Purse in Ukraine to provide shelter for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the fighting.

Vitaliy Smolin – Director, Open Door Foundation:

My heart for Ukraine is to help the orphans, to help the children, because that’s what God’s heart is. As soon as the war broke out in my beautiful country, it broke my heart. I knew I had to do something about it, so I’ve been working with Samaritan’s Purse, establish Emergency Field Hospital. The support and the partnership that I have with Samaritan’s Purse gives me ability to continue what we have started. We have this place for the refugees. Over 1,000 people has been to this place. Now, we’re standing here and waiting for another bus full of orphans that have been pulled out of southeast of Ukraine that need a place to stay.

Man:

I’m just like wondering, who are you people?

This morning like, all the staff was in tears, because you have kids, and you just literally don’t know where to go, and then we got a miracle.

Vitaliy Smolin:

We’re a Christian organization that love God, and we want to love people. So we’ve been doing this from the first day of war. Samaritan’s Purse is a partner that’s helping us to do this. We take care of them spiritually, we take care of them physically. We give them food, we give them housing. This is who we are.

Man:

I mean, looking what God did, it’s just amazing. Look at these kids. They’re playing over there. And this morning, I got a message from my friend. He said, “The whole world is praying for you”, and that’s what God did.

Vitaliy Smolin:

It’s a God story. So thank you so much for sharing.

Some of these kids been through the second war in 2014, so they had to flee, and now it’s happening again. This is like a new normal in a way, which is horrible. So that trauma hasn’t been healed, and the only way to heal something like that is our Heavenly Father. There is no human that could help with this.

I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say because this is so much pain. Talking about it, I get emotional, my heart rate goes up. But I believe in the mighty God, I believe in the sovereign God, and I will glorify Him. I know this is a hard thing for this country and for me, but I know we will overcome, and I know my God will be glorified.

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) program is committed to meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. The DART specializes in providing water, food, shelter, and medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

CONTACT: Kaitlyn Lahm, news@samaritan.org

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