
“What a life,” I kept telling myself, driving yet another day down the same sunny, sunflower-lined Ukrainian highways. “Why do I keep coming back here? Where is that smoke coming from? Why is The Gambler playing on repeat again?” were the following thoughts to enter my mind. “Nice drone, pizdets,” came to interrupt all the other thoughts just as an unknown aircraft passed over us. It was mid-2022, a couple months after Russia invaded Ukraine, and we were tasked with handling special supply missions. My old Toyota wagon was holding up fine except for a near-busted gearbox, and our buses would break down every chance they got. But hey, life was pretty good- except for the war going on around us, of course. Despite all that, I’d say my crew managed to have a pretty good time. All credit goes to Jim Beam for that. We were, we are, volunteers dedicated to living out the teachings of Isaiah 58. This is my personal account of the Russia-Ukraine War, what I call the Volunteers’ War, as I saw it. Take it how you wish, and enjoy. -Ryan ***** It was -11 degrees Celsius as dawn broke. A long icicle hung from the tired canvas of my bell tent which was nestled awkwardly between rows of gazebos, military, and small expedition tents making up the temporary accommodation of the volunteers at the Przemysl refugee camp. Frosty air nipped at my nose and cheeks as I groggily made my way to the repurposed Tesco warehouse housing fleeing Ukrainians. A wave of warmth washed over me as I entered, and so too did the odour and murmur of thousands of displaced women, children, and elderly people. I checked with the various organisations and individuals usually seeking help driving into Lviv, Kyiv, or Kharkiv. Some asked for help in warehouses and others simply needed help collecting data on the number of people needing medication or food for their pets that day and then a hand sourcing the aid. It was still too early for any tasks to be issued, so I
Page Count:
204
Publication Date:
2024-01-01
ISBN-13:
9798883176981
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