War ‘becomes incredibly real’ for Texas Baptist Men aiding Ukrainian refugees
A woman eight months pregnant who urgently needed a C-section, a mom and daughter who made an 11-hour journey partly on foot to the Polish border, and a group of 40 orphaned children who now must adapt to a new language and culture.
These are just some people that volunteers from the Dallasbased nonprofit Texas Baptist Men have encountered as they work to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion that has devastated their country.
The group is aiding a Baptist Church in Chelm, Poland, just 15 miles from the border with Ukraine, where refugees can find shelter, food and assistance in resettling.
“It’s one thing to know about what’s happening in politics. It’s another thing to sit in front of somebody who has lost everything. Like at that point, it becomes incredibly personal. It becomes incredibly real.” said John Hall, director of communications for the organization, who has returned from Poland.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced an additional $800 million in security aid to Ukraine following a speech by the Ukrainian president to members of the U.S. Congress. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a live video from Ukraine, pushed for a no-fly zone, something the Biden administration has steadfastly resisted because such an act would mean a direct confrontation with Russia. In his speech, Zelenskyy also invoked references to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor as he requested lawmakers look for more ways to aid Ukraine.
Countries closer to Ukraine, such as Poland, have continued to have a massive influx of refugees. More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since fighting started Feb. 24, and Poland, where the volunteer group from Texas has been working, has seen more than 1.8 million refugees, according to the latest data from the United Nations.
“The people of Texas need to pray for Ukraine and pray for the Polish people. Because they’ve had an influx of 2 million people and Poland is half the size of Texas,” said Gary Finley, who is currently the in-country coordinator for Texas Baptist Men.
The group is providing food, clothing and financial resources across Poland while sending their volunteers to Chelm Baptist Church, where there are
200 beds for refugees.
With the Polish Baptist Union and the Baptist World Alliance, they are helping fund and sustain five shelters in Poland and Ukraine, Hall said.
“We try to help them connect with their family members and also try to help arrange transportation,” said Rand Jenkins, who is the ministry advancement director for the organization.
Jenkins said there are over 60 Polish Baptist churches that have established themselves as relief centers. Notable to Jenkins was the way the Poles have opened their hearts to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
“They’re opening their homes to families, they’re cooking for them. And there are volunteers that take their car to the border” to offer rides to refugees when they figure out where they want to go, he said.
Texas Baptist Men is sending volunteers in a two-week deployment strategy that overlaps so that those who are already there can train the new volunteers when they arrive.
The organization has mainly responded to natural disasters in the U.S., so the adjustment for the volunteers has been emotional, with the biggest hurdle being the language barrier.
“When a hurricane comes in, it’s a one-time, could be a few days, of an event, but it’s a natural occurrence. This is an ongoing onslaught by an individual who has complete power to stop this but doesn’t,” Jenkins said.
Hall said his encounter with those seeking refuge left him “heartbroken.”
It’s difficult to witness “the pain that they’re struggling with because it’s their home country, their home is under attack,” he said.