A Refugee's Story

Nataliya, our fieldworker in the Ukraine with whom I am in Kiev now, asked me to email the following to you. "We called for prayer for our work and the situation in the Ukraine - we know of the many Christians in many other countries that are praying for the Aliyah work and the Jewish refugees in the Ukraine. We see your prayers being answered and, in some instances, we see true wonders happening.”

An example of what happened to us recently. Men under the age of 60 are prohibited (by law) to leave the military area in which the fighting is taking place. But we are still required to assist the Jewish people.
43 year old Sergey from, Lugansk (950 kilometres from Kiev), begged us to assist him in coming to Kiev and making Aliyah.

We were able to reserve a seat on the bus for him, through our local contacts, to leave the Ukraine via Russia and re-enter the Ukraine – via a lengthy detour - at Kharkov, before traveling to Kiev. But at the Russian border the Separatists snatched Sergey from the bus, and hauled him into a small, blood stained room. Sergey was, he told us, in shock at that moment.

He had with him the original documents to prove that he was Jewish, and he was carrying the documentation of fellow Jewish refugees in Kiev, who required them for the Israeli Embassy. Sergey was told to place all the documents on a table, after which he was informed that all his documents would be confiscated.

Before Sergey left and boarded the bus, we phoned him and prayed for his protection and the protection of the important documents of the other Jewish families, now in Kiev, who escaped from Lugansk.

Sergey was becoming desperate when suddenly, and without reason, all the documents were returned to him – and he could breathe again. Sergey left the gory room and arrived safely in our ‘hiding place’ in Kiev, after an uninterrupted trip of 24 hours. For Nataliya, Sergey’s return was like that of the Prodigal Son! On Tuesday, February 10, after delivering the Olim to Kiev we had an opportunity to talk to Sergey in our hiding place.

Sergey had an interview at the Israeli Embassy earlier that day and the next day his son would attempt to come to Kiev from the East. Sergey, his mother and grandmother Malka, 96 years, decided to stay in Lugansk until further notice.

Thank you, once again, for your compassion and prayers!

Greetings from Koen Carlier and the Aliyah team!

Christians for Israel, Ukraine.

Sergey showing the documents

Koen Carlier

Sergey

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