Only 15 miles from the front lines of a relentless war, the people in the village of Selydove, Ukraine, face a hard life. The economy is bad, food and water can be hard to find, and healthcare is almost nonexistent. Missile and drone strikes are all too common.
Pastor Vova is well known in Selydove for having a “hospital” of six or seven beds where he cares for sick and injured people. Resources from CAM enable him to feed and clothe people in desperate situations.
In February, Vova and his wife were enjoying the company of their daughter and grandchildren. As the evening wore on, Vova grew tired and started preparing for bed, letting his wife entertain his daughter and grandchildren who were about to leave.
His grandchildren excitedly came to Vova with an idea. Grandpa and Grandma should come to their house tonight!
Vova didn’t think this was a good time to change plans. He was ready for bed and didn’t want to go anywhere. He told his wife, “If you want to go with them that is fine, but I am staying right here.”
But his 4-year-old grandson refused to go without his grandpa. He went to the bedroom and said, “Grandpa, I’m not going to go until you come with me!”
Eventually, Vova gave in. He stood up, got dressed, and went with his grandchildren to their house for the night.
A few hours later at 2 a.m., Vova woke to his phone ringing. He answered and heard the voice of his neighbor. “Pastor Vova, are you okay?”
Vova replied, “Yes, I am fine. Why?”
“Your house just got hit by a missile!” the neighbor answered.
When Vova arrived at his home, he saw a pile of rubble where his house had stood. The church building near his house was also damaged by the blast. Pieces of missile found in the rubble explained the method of destruction. His grandson’s insistence had saved his life.
The community was touched by God’s protecting hand over Pastor Vova. People rallied and fixed the church windows as best as they could, in time for their regular prayer meeting the next day. God has unusual ways of working amidst the horrors of war—this was evident the following Sunday as three people from the village surrendered their hearts to Jesus!
This story is an actual happening, although some specific details of conversations are written in story form.
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