On May 10, 2022, ten Ukrainian women followed the invitation to the Hope Center at the Adventist Church in Tuebingen, Germany, for a Samovar night. We always try to provide a translator, but as some of the women arrived early, our communication was not really satisfactory. I tried to ask them how they were doing, and they tried to answer. Finally, they stood up and sang a hymn in Ukrainian (it may have been Russian for all I know), in which I recognized a couple of words. One word, radosti means something like "joy". That is what impresses me so much when I come together with these people who have fled the horrors of war. They are still joyful and thankful!
The program is very simple: A cup of tea from the samovar, something to nibble at, a devotional topic in Russian or Ukrainian from a DVD, a short group discussion and some creative crafts while they can talk and share. The short video on our Facebook page shows the pleasant atmosphere: https://www.facebook.com/eudwomensministries/videos/952477908720110
We want our Hope Center and church to be an open house for all who come.
As reported by H.Ottschofski
Samovar Night for Ukrainian Women
Open House for Refugees