Then at the end of February, the sun finally came out and joy was felt all over the city. It felt that the worst was behind us, and we could all look forward to being in the sunshine and together again…then the war started.

We couldn’t believe it was really happening at first. It seemed so implausible for this time in history that something like this could happen in Europe. Then reality kicked in as the refugees started arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central train station), which is only a 5-minute train trip from our local station. There was a sense of urgency as every day families went to meet the refugees with homemade signs, inviting them into their homes. And then they came, and came, and came. Thousands and thousands every day. Suddenly Covid was forgotten, and the focus was entirely on Ukraine. 

Having dealt with the Syrian refugee influx only 7 years ago, Berliners seemed to know what to do. A grassroots welcome hall in Hauptbahnhof was quickly established, with a flood of volunteers. Often, volunteers without Ukrainian or Russian language were turned away because there were so many people wanting to help. We heard stories of families with small children walking for two days in minus temperatures. Carloads of supplies left from our local school after a last minute scramble for canned goods, baby products and blankets. Others are continuing to make the 9-hour trip to the border with supplies to drop off and refugees to pick up. Then they turn around and do it all again. There is an unfolding realisation that this latest refugee influx is only the tip of the iceberg. 

Suddenly our Sunday church service needed to adapt for Ukrainian visitors. There was nowhere to order Ukrainian bibles, which had all sold out. We hosted a dinner at our house to which an elderly lady came with her granddaughter. She had never in her life left her home. Here she was in an apartment in Berlin with Australians! She wanted to read everyone a poem and she was happy to read the bible passage. Everyone had the same thought: ‘What was this woman doing here?’ Her granddaughter showed us videos of the aftermath of the bombing which took place on the other side of their fence. The other family who visited told us about a split-second decision to leave their home on the south coast of Ukraine because there was only one bridge left that was still able to be crossed. They decided to leave, and the bridge was bombed only a short time later. They had to leave their cats behind. 

Churches are activated into being involved, making connections with churches in Ukraine, and helping to get people out. Berlin pastors have been connecting and working out how to coordinate help. ECM has been organising a bus to be driven to the border to hand over to a church which is hosting refugees and using their basement as a bomb shelter. The bus will be filled up with supplies and will return filled with people.

We often feel at times panicked about what we should be doing and then helpless that we really aren’t doing enough. That’s the point when we realise that this is not our fight. The battle is the Lord’s. ECM has been running online prayer meetings twice a week which has been an incredibly rich time of coming to God with all our prayers, requests, needs and longings to do with this war. We are praying for fellow ECM workers, for their practical needs, praying for believers in Ukraine to keep trusting the Lord. Gosh, I’ve never known a situation where there are just endless things to pray for. We are reminded to come first to him. He holds all things in his hands. He leads and directs our steps. It was a wonderful blessing to be reminded by a dear friend that the comfort that comes from the gospel is beyond the ‘comfort of a mattress’. 

We have heard stories of revivals happening in Ukraine over the last few years. Even recently we have heard of baptisms happening in basements and many coming to faith. Pray for the believers who must leave Ukraine to find encouragement and comfort through churches across Europe. There are believers in Berlin who want to come together and pray publicly at the Hauptbahnhof, drawing believers from across the city to be a Christian presence, praying for Ukraine and hopefully being a connection point for refugees, seeking encouragement and hope.

Even though the authorities are now establishing large, well organised complexes for the influx of people, we can see that, as the weeks and months go on, there will be ongoing needs and a role for churches to play. Even if the war ended tomorrow, it will be months before infrastructure in the affected areas will be restored.

Pray for people across the world to open their homes to Ukrainian families. Many of these are women with children, as men older than 18 and under 60 are not permitted to leave the country. Pray for the Lord to direct our steps as his people in Berlin ‘for such a time as this’.