{"id":10568,"date":"2024-10-21T23:17:40","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T04:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kachelman.com\/ukraine\/blog\/?p=10568"},"modified":"2025-03-01T11:07:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T17:07:47","slug":"fall-trip-report-13-heartbreaking-casualties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kachelman.com\/ukraine\/blog\/2024\/10\/21\/fall-trip-report-13-heartbreaking-casualties\/","title":{"rendered":"Trip Report #13 | Heartbreaking Casualties"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Featured Photo: Throughout Ukraine you find graveyards filled with flags for those who have been killed in Russia\u2019s evil invasion and occupation. Each flag is for a person killed in the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I received word for a casualty of this horrible war. Those reading these reports will remember a lady named \u201cNadiya.\u201d I reported on a visit with her on 15 April of this year (https:\/\/www.kachelman.com\/ukraine\/blog\/2024\/04\/15\/report-9-2024-spring-trip\/<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remarked that her name means \u201cHope\u201d and she was appropriately named because she and her husband had opened their home to countless children of war. At that time eleven children were being loved by her as they lived in her home. Sadly her husband died in January of this year and when I visited, she had just returned from a hospital stay. Just this week Nadiya\u2019s oldest birth son was reported killed in the war. So, thus far in this year she lost her husband and now her son. When told of her son\u2019s death, Nadiya (“Hope”) collapsed and died of a heart attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reread the link to the spring visit and grasp the heartbreak of this casualty!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicholi called about this tragedy and said some of our schedule had to be revised because now he needed to find homes for those eleven children and take care of funeral arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The national and international scope of this evil war\u2019s heartbreak is summarized by this tragedy. This is only a very small part of the larger tragedy striking Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January here was a husband and wife lovingly caring for eleven children of war. These children had found hope, security and love that evil had violently seized from them as they were displaced war orphans. They could once again smile. They had found security. Then the father died. But they still had their \u201cmomma Nadiya\u201d (Momma Hope). Six months later their brother was killed in combat and their momma collapsed and died upon hearing the news of her son\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the eleven are again traumatized with the lingering pains of their young past. No security. No stability. No future. And with Nadiya\u2019s death, no \u201chope.\u201d Most reading this can never begin to understand the emotional horrors that are now a part of their narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This shocking tragedy is repeated all over Ukraine. Look at the many flags and realize that each one is a life lost. As you look at some of the photos you will see flags from other nations where citizens from that nation had joined Ukraine in defending its sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOTE: I received this brief message from Charita, “I will need to check if we have any LIFE BOXES left unassigned so we can send to Kherson. I just got a call from Mari; she\u00a0has one more load of rice meals and potato flakes.\u00a0 Looking\u00a0for a sponsor<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John L. Kachelman, Jr, Ukraine Missions, Dalraida Church of Christ, Montgomery, AL 36109<\/p>\n\n\n\n