Lena and her husband, Mykhailo, a Ukrainian pastor, began preparing for war even before the initial attacks in February 2022 and considered their options for their family. They considered heading east to stay with Lena’s mother. They also considered Lena and the children fleeing to a safe location. But as they prayed, God made it clear they should both stay in Odesa. It was important to them that Mykhailo continue to serve the church in Odesa and Lena wanted to support him in that. They considered sending their teenage children away, but the kids wanted to stay with the family. In the end, staying was the right decision for the family, and for the church.

As a child, Lena lived in the east and had been taught by her grandmother that she had a great Russian heritage. As Lena studied to become a culturologist, she researched her family tree and discovered a tragic family history that not only dispelled this myth, but uncovered a deeper Ukrainian heritage than she’d known. Lena highly values her Ukrainian heritage, her culture, and her family. Lena and Mykhailo are thankful to God for allowing them to continue to serve Him in Odesa.