'A Fighting Spirit': CBN News Captures Powerful Ukrainian Moments of Seeking God as Deadly Russian Assault Rages

Billy Hallowell
03-01-2022

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CBN News’ senior international correspondent George Thomas continues to be in the middle of the Ukrainian war zone, sharing videos and images of the troubling, traumatic — and inspiring — events unfolding on the ground.

Amid the chaos of Russia’s invasion, Thomas has shown viewers what is happening in real-time, capturing the Ukrainian people’s spirit, grit, and determination.

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“The general tone is one of determination, of courage, of a fighting spirit,” Thomas told Faithwire, noting that many of those he has spoken with on the street are in awe of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Somebody said to me, ‘He hasn’t even shaved, and look at the way he’s rallying the country, rallying the troops … he’s in the trenches.'”

Thomas said the Ukrainian forces’ success in holding back Russian troops thus far has “motivated the nation” as citizens rally to sustain their country from the ongoing Russian onslaught.

In addition to stories of ordinary citizens rallying to battle, Thomas is telling some of the other heartwarming, overcomer accounts he’s personally observing in churches and on the streets of Ukraine.

On Sunday, the reporter offered a lens into how Ukrainian Christians are handling the deadly uncertainty: with faith, love, and an appeal to the Gospel. He told Faithwire a church he visited over the weekend is not only praying and worshipping but is also actively engaged in being the hands and feet of Jesus.

“The pastor of the church, in essence, set the tone for this past Sunday,” Thomas said. “He got up and said, ‘As we worship and come into a time of praise and worship, that all of the songs we sing today, we sing keeping in mind what is going on today in our nation. And as we storm the gates of heaven with our praise … we are in essence storming the gates of heaven for peace as well.'”

Donate to OPERATION BLESSING Relief Efforts in Poland and Ukraine

Thomas said the church service was “very moving” and that congregants — including some who had fled from other areas of Ukraine — were fully engaged from the front row to the back.

Watch the touching praise and worship scene:

While parishioners’ spiritual needs were being met, Thomas said church staff members were working in other areas of the house of worship to help displaced families.

“Staff members were in another part of the building hauling mattresses up two flights of stairs,” he said.

The church was setting up pillows and sheets and assembling clothing and toiletries they had purchased for individuals and families in need. Thomas said five displaced families were already living inside the church.

In another video published Saturday, Thomas detailed what it’s like for Ukrainian citizens trying to escape the chaos of war. As air raid sirens blared in Lviv, Ukraine, he took viewers inside an underground shelter.

“This is what people have to face now,” he said, showing the look and feel of the underground respite.

Please continue to pray for Thomas and all those in Ukraine as the battle forges on. He encouraged those who want to help Ukrainians to visit Operation Blessing.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

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About The Author

Billy Hallowell writes for CBN's Faithwire.com. He has been working in journalism and media for more than a decade. His writings have appeared in CBN News, Faithwire, Deseret News, TheBlaze, Human Events, Mediaite, PureFlix, and Fox News, among other outlets. He is the author of several books, including Playing with Fire: A Modern Investigation Into Demons, Exorcism, and Ghosts Hallowell has a B.A. in journalism and broadcasting from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York and an M.S. in social research from Hunter College in Manhattan, New York.
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