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Operation Blessing Helping Moms and Kids Find Refuge from the Horrors of War: 'I'm so Grateful'

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The horrors of war are forcing millions to leave Ukraine, and many of them are just moms with young children whose husbands and dads had to stay behind. CBN's humanitarian arms Operation Blessing and Orphan's Promise have been on the scene since the beginning, working to meet the needs.

Natasha Boom, regional project director for Orphan's Promise, took us on a quick tour to show how the CBN family of ministries is helping these refugees. 

"We're back at the border, (the Polish village of) Medyka, where we were a couple of weeks ago. Operation Blessing has been doing amazing work here. They're setting up a huge tent that's going to reach out to so many people: children, families," she explains.
  
"We've actually got a compartment of the tent that's going to be a kids' zone where we're going to have Superbook. We're going to share the gospel with Ukrainian children in their own language. We're going to be able to feed them, provide hot drinks, provide blankets and warmth. We're going to be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these people as they step across the border."
 
There are still busloads of refugees coming over the border, including young children, babies, toddlers, and mothers. "It hasn't stopped. It hasn't slowed down.  The refugees are still on the other side of the border needing to come over," she says.

"The amazing thing is that we're set up as Operation Blessing, Orphan's Promise, CBN's family of ministries, across the Polish border. We have Orphan's Promise projects in Jashov, in Warsaw. We have centers that are able to receive refugees, house refugees. The numbers of people that we're able to help is increasing every day," Boom says.

She thanked CBN donors for making this aid effort possible. "Thank you so much for all of your support. It is incredible, and we would not be able to be here if it wasn't for you, so thank you."

***PLEASE Give to OPERATION BLESSING Relief Efforts in Poland and Ukraine***

As millions of Ukrainians flee their homes in search of safety, CBN has spoken with many mothers who have crossed the border into Poland. Yana is the latest to share her story with us about escaping the violence and finding help from CBN's Operation Blessing.

"It was very scary in our village. Soldiers were already in our village, and that meant Russians were there, too. They started shooting. That's when I got really scared. I have two children, so I decided to take them and leave, for their sake. The shooting was so loud," Yana says.

As Yana and her children made the long journey to the Polish border, they saw staggering signs of violence within their country. 

"We passed Russian checkpoints, and in the field, you could see unexploded projectiles. We were driving and my son said, 'Mom, look, something is sticking out of the ground'," she recalls. 

When Yana's family reached the Polish border, they saw the Operation Blessing signs and team members ready to greet them. 

"Everyone was so polite. First they gave the kids and me food. Then they gave us something hot to drink. They gave us winter clothes, and took us to a tent to warm up," Yana says.

Thanks to the generosity of Operation Blessing partners, we're providing critical supplies, food, and shelter to refugees.  

"Thank you very much. From the bottom of my heart, with a pure heart, I'm so grateful. There are a lot of people like me, with kids, who come here without anything, and we don't know where we are going. We only know we have to escape the war. I don't know how to express it, so I just want to say thank you," Yana says.

***PLEASE Give to OPERATION BLESSING Relief Efforts in Poland and Ukraine***

CBN Prayer Event for Ukraine

Prayer is urgently needed for Ukraine, and you can be a part of the effort. Go to cbn.com/prayforukraine to register for an exclusive live prayer event, happening Saturday at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Christian World News anchor Wendy Griffith will be taking part, bringing you the latest on how CBN's humanitarian team is helping victims of the war in Ukraine. Then she will lead participants in prayer.

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

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