'We cannot walk in your shoes, but we can do as Jesus did and wash your feet' 

Joshua T. Searle reports on the February 2024 Dnipro Hope mission trip to Ukraine

 
A small team of volunteers from the UK-based charity Dnipro Hope Mission embarked on a trip to Ukraine to visit ministry partners from war-torn areas of the country. The journey was marked by apprehension as the group travelled long distances by train over two days to reach our destination in Ukraine. Upon arrival, the team was greeted with warm embraces by our friends from Eastern Ukraine. It was a blessing to see these friends safe and well after so many months of anxious praying for their protection and well-being.
 
The members of the DHM team came from various countries. In the group were: Henk Stenvers from the Netherlands, who serves as the President of the Mennonite World Conference; Rodger and Margaret Murchison from the USA, who serve on the Board of DHM; Liliya Melkonian from Ukraine, who volunteers as DHM's Administrative Coordinator in Ukraine; Max Zimmermann from Germany, who serves on the faculty of the Theologische Hochschule Elstal and myself (Joshua) originally from the UK, now serving alongside Max in Germany as Professor of Mission Studies, in addition to my voluntary ministry with DHM.



While in Ukraine we met with 26 ministry partners and their spouses who are working on DHM-supported projects.
 
Our aim was simply to offer prayers and a visible display of solidarity to our Ukrainian ministry partners whom we have been supporting in their tireless efforts to serve war-torn communities suffering as a result of the Russian invasion. Throughout the visit, it became evident that our Ukrainian ministry partners were experiencing profound exhaustion and trauma from the effects of the war. They shared harrowing accounts of ministering to people affected by the conflict, highlighting the grim realities they face daily.
 
For our Ukrainian friends, the last two years have been an enduring nightmare. They are experiencing profound exhaustion of body, mind and spirit as they live through the daily horror of war. For them there has been no respite. They have lived with the constant fear of missiles raining down on them and their families. They have had to attend countless funerals of cherished friends and family members. All our ministry partners had at least one relative or close friend who had been killed by the Russians. Several of our partners had narrowly avoided being killed themselves. I wondered how many mothers’ sons, how many fathers, brothers, daughters, sisters, cherished friends, have been lost to this evil and demonic war?
 
Amid so much pain and grief, the DHM team travelled to Ukraine to assure our Ukrainian ministry partners that we and all our supporting churches are standing with them in full solidarity. And that we will continue to stand with them for as long as it takes.


 
As the DHM team, we came to Ukraine with empty hands, but open hearts. We came as representatives of DHM, not as masters, not as those who exercise authority over our Ukrainian partners, but as their servants and friends. We believe that to be a follower of Jesus means to take up not only a cross, but also a towel and a bowl.
 
We consciously try to avoid creating any impression of being “rich and powerful Western missionaries” who come to offer “aid” to our “needy” Ukrainian ministry partners. Instead, we tried to follow the example of Jesus, who came as the weak servant. Rather than just having something to give, we came to receive powerful, life-giving testimonies of our Ukrainian friends, who had devoted their whole lives to serving God’s Kingdom.
 
We all found their courage and absolute trust in God both inspiring and challenging. We, the DHM team, found ourselves asking critical questions of ourselves: how would we respond if our respective countries were invaded by a ruthless aggressor? How would our lives and ministries be affected by the all-encompassing reality of war? How would we respond if our faith was really put to the test?
 
Our attempts to follow the example of Jesus found powerful expression during the final evening when one member of our team, Henk from the Netherlands, had the idea to imitate the powerful practice of foot-washing, as practised by Jesus and the disciples (John 13). The DHM team picked up their towels and basin and literally washed the feet of our Ukrainian partners. As Henk remarked to our Ukrainian ministry partners, “We cannot walk in your shoes, but we can do as Jesus did and wash your feet.”


 
At DHM we are trying to express, however imperfectly and falteringly, a model of partnership in mission that we believe is faithful to the teaching of Jesus concerning the coming of the Kingdom of God into the world. In order to bring the kingdom of God and proclaim the gospel, Jesus didn’t purchase any property or acquire any political power. Instead, he created a community of friends.
 
That’s precisely what we’re trying to do at DHM. We are aiming to create not an organisation, but a network and, most importantly, a missional movement in Ukraine. Our vision is to see the Kingdom of God become a visible reality in Ukraine through the creation of a missional network within Ukraine, as well as facilitating bilateral partnerships between churches within and outside Ukraine.
 
Although our material assets are necessarily limited by the fact that we are a small volunteer charity, the friendships and the depth of relationship we have with each of our ministry partners in Ukraine are worth more to us than any acquisition of money, property or social status.
 
One of the key lessons that we infer from the New Testament is that the Kingdom of God comes not through money or power, but through relationships and simple friendships. This is how the Kingdom of God becomes visible in our midst. The Kingdom of God comes not through one-sided donor-beneficiary arrangements, but through genuinely missional partnerships in which there are no clear demarcations between those who give and those who receive, between those who serve and those who are served.

During our meetings in Ukraine, even the customary boundaries between “hosts” and “guests” were blurred by the glorious ambiguity of Spirit-led Christian hospitality. In one sense the members of the DHM team were the “hosts” insofar as we had organised and funded the gathering. Yet, at the same time, we were the grateful guests of our Ukrainian friends who hosted us with such warm and gracious hospitality while we were visiting their country.



During the meetings we aimed to create a safe environment in which the Holy Spirit could work freely and in which friendships could be formed both between the DHM team members and the Ukrainian partners, but most crucially, among the Ukrainian partners themselves. One of the most gratifying aspects of my ministry with DHM has been witnessing how friendships have flourished among our Ukrainian partners, who otherwise might not have met each other.
 
For example, just recently our Pentecostal partner from Western Ukraine, Pastor Valeriy, sent us a photograph of himself with two of our Baptist partners from Eastern Ukraine, Pastors Sasha and Vasyl. Together they were serving God in the war-torn Donetsk region, bringing bread and water to hungry and thirsty people stranded in villages near to the frontline, all the time seeing people coming to faith and being baptised by Pastors Valery, Sasha and Vasyl.
 
Moreover, it was very gratifying to see how newcomers were immediately welcomed into the group. Although most of the ministry partners this year were present at last year’s DHM meeting, for around a third of our ministry partners this was their first time attending a DHM meeting. Within a few hours of praying, chatting, worshipping, and sharing stories together, the newcomers had connected with the others as if they had known each other for years.
 
For me the DHM meeting in Ukraine was a powerful example of how a common faith in Jesus Christ helps to form bonds of solidarity and friendship that cross the boundaries of nationality and language. My prayer for DHM is that God would use this network to established friendships across national boundaries around our common commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our desire to serve each other arises out of this commitment.
 
During the time of fellowship, we experienced the full spectrum of emotions, from tears to laughter and everything in between. Particularly poignant was the morning prayer session on the 24 February, the second anniversary of the evil Russian invasion. We joined hands with our Ukrainian friends in prayer and remembrance of those who had paid the ultimate price, giving thanks to God for their lives and praying God’s comfort for those loved ones still grieving their loss.


 
On our long train journey back home, I had plenty of time to pray and reflect on the time we spent with our ministry partners in Ukraine. In my reflections, I gave thanks to God for the depth of friendship that comes only from the Holy Spirit. My gratitude extended to the brilliant DHM team of mature Christian men and women, who were willing to take the risk (often against the well-meaning advice of their respective governments, as well as friends and family members!) to travel to Ukraine to show their support and solidarity for our Ukrainian ministry partners.
 
I am also grateful to the many DHM supporters back home who were praying with us and for us while we were in Ukraine. I’m also incredibly grateful to every individual person and every church and organisation that has donated to Dnipro Hope Mission. Although we emphasise relationships over projects and capital, we do rely on the generosity of our donors back home in order to support the life-saving ministries of our mission partners in Ukraine. We thank God for every donation we receive, big or small.
 
We remain a small yet committed charity, devoted to serving and making a difference wherever we can. Since we who work for DHM do so on an entirely voluntary basis, any donations that we receive are given straight to our ministry partners, who are literally saving countless lives in Eastern Ukraine.
 
It was deeply humbling to hear the testimony of several of our pastors about how the donations they have received from DHM have resulted in several lives being saved – whether through the supply of life-saving medicines for a care home for sick and infirm residents or medical equipment that DHM has purchased in order to save the lives of civilians and soldiers who had sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of this terrible and evil war.
 
As the DHM team assured our ministry partners many times during our meeting: we remain resolute and determined to support their life-saving, life-dignifying ministries. As long as God gives us the strength and as long as people continue to give generously to support our ministry, DHM will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine in their just defence of life, freedom and dignity.
 
Thank you for standing with us and with the people of Ukraine in their just struggle for justice, dignity, freedom and lasting peace.
 
 

Joshua T. Searle is a member of the Board of Trustees of Dnipro Hope Mission