Ukraine Partnership

The Ministry of Presence

Teresa Jones is on staff with Baptists on Mission and joined a trip to Western Ukraine in February 2025.

The third anniversary of the Ukraine war was fast approaching and I was scheduled to join a team in Western Ukraine to host a conference on dealing with trauma. I had felt compelled to join this team even though I was not going to lead, but simply observe the conference. However, as the day of departure got closer and closer, the anxiety began to build within me. The trip was coming at an inconvenient time and the political environment was unstable. But I moved forward in faith.

As I traveled to Ukraine, challenges mounted along the way, including rerouted flights due to storms, delayed luggage, and incorrect paperwork at the Ukrainian border. However, we pressed on, looking forward to what God would do. Little did I know that the war-weary, discouraged Ukrainians that we were meeting with were just waiting for people to show that they cared. As the conference began, the Lord’s presence filled the room as praises were being sung in Ukrainian, Hungarian and English. Following the plenary sessions, the women and the men divided into small groups and it was in this setting that we began to hear their stories. It wasn’t that we really understood all that they had endured or experienced, but we were there. The ministry of presence was huge as we talked together, prayed together and tried our best to encourage them.

It was during one of these small group sessions that I met one of the pastors’ wives and heard a story about her daughter. Their faith shone through as I learned of how her daughter had faced significant health challenges, overcame them and was now attending a university in North Carolina, of all places. Little did I know that God would bring me together with her daughter, Evnika. Shortly upon my return, I reached out to her. Within a month, we had plans to meet up in Durham following her appointment at Duke. I learned that she was already connected with Baptists on Mission from volunteering with us following Hurricane Helene and she is a member of Lakewood Church in Black Mountain.

It soon became evident to me that the Lord had placed me on that trip to Ukraine so that I could be a support for Evnika in the coming days. Please pray for her as she makes important decisions regarding her healthcare. Also, pray for peace in Ukraine and the stamina of the Ukrainian people. Pray that as the gospel is shared in Ukraine, many will come to Jesus under their challenging circumstances.