Ukraine (MNN) — School in a bomb shelter has become the new normal for Ukrainian students.
Education has been disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine for over four years. The disarray is especially severe for young children. In areas on the frontline of the war, 83 percent of them show signs of emotional distress and slower development.
According to David Durance of education ministry TeachBeyond, not only is the disruption detrimental to preparing students for jobs and higher education, but it has affected their social growth and ability to operate in society.
Photo courtesy of Andrii Motygullin on Unsplash.
Yet the upheaval of traditional education has provided a major opportunity for Christian ministry.
“Despite the fact that more than a dozen schools have closed, there’s a parallel story in that eight Christian schools have opened in the middle of a war, which one would never have imagined,” he says.
Leading the charge are Ukrainian citizens and expatriates responding to what God is doing in their home country.
Durance says, “This has been a real transformation for us to see how God is raising up a whole generation of Christian education leaders who are within Ukraine, leading the movement in Ukraine, and I think in many ways showing the rest of the world what Christian education might look like.”
He says that the government and people at large are interested in the eternal hope that a Christian education provides. TeachBeyond’s team must adjust the traditional learning model through flexible class schedules and longer term breaks to anticipate harsh winters, but the aim remains the same.
“We’re ultimately desiring that people, and these children, understand they have a Creator that loves them, which is the hope that is most desperate to be heard in this particular circumstance,” Durance says.
Hope in Conflict
Photo courtesy of Ahmed Zalabany on Unsplash.
Ministering through education has strengthened the TeachBeyond team’s resolve to endure the war.
Durance says, “Despite the horrific circumstances of this war, even in all that, our team in Ukraine would say, ‘We don’t want this to end and lose our freedom. We desire to still have that freedom to share the good news through Christian education.’”
A key prayer request is for strength and courage for people that are living in the terrifying circumstances of war. While people in distant countries may find it easy to forget about Ukraine after four years of war, Durance says there is so much more to think, learn, and pray about what God is doing there. Pray for a swift end to the war and the rapid growth of Christian schools.
There are also areas to serve with TeachBeyond, whether financially or through short term mission trips. Find out more at TeachBeyond’s website.
Header photo courtesy of Sokha Michael on Unsplash
