Kateryna’s Reflection
When the full-scale war began in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, my whole family was living in Ukraine.
The morning the war began remains the scariest day of my life.
On the third day of the war, my brother Pavlo went to defend our land. The same day we said goodbye to Pavlo, I decided to drive more than 24-hours southwest, crossing the border of Ukraine to find safety in the country of North Macedonia. There were many people also trying to cross the border at that time.
My mother Svitlana, my sister Maria, and my brother’s wife, Daria, did not want to leave our town of Mykolaiv and did not even want to consider leaving Ukraine. But my father, who served in Ukraine’s Air Force, understood the dangerous situation, and took everyone to Odesa, a southwest town closer to the border of Ukraine.
I didn’t have time or desire to sleep, knowing they were still in danger.
I drove alone through the night back to Odesa to pick up my mother, sister, and sister-in-law, stopping only to get fuel. I didn’t have time or desire to sleep, knowing they were still in danger.
Once in Odesa, I slept for only 3 hours. I will never forget getting a call from my brother, Pavlo, asking me to take care of his wife, Daria.
The border crossing out of Ukraine was long because it was only the second week of chaos.
I left my mother and sister, Maria in Moldova, with people from a church who offered their help, Then, Daria and I continued to North Macedonia, only stopping for gas.
Meanwhile, my friends from Romania helped my other sister, Natalie and her daughter Rosie get to Germany. Later, my mom and Maria also made their way to Germany by bus to meet up with my sister and niece.
We went to Germany with hopes of staying… until the end of the war. But God had another way for us.
I got a job in Skopje, North Macedonia, where Daria and I lived for 6 months. In August of 2022, we went to Germany with hopes of staying with family until the end of the war in Ukraine. But God had another way for us. Our friends from Minnesota offered to sponsor us, so my mother, Maria, and I decided to accept their help and flew to the US.
I want to share my gratitude for Arrive Ministries and for their staff…
Once in Minnesota, we found Arrive Ministries very quickly and it has been a blessing for us. 
Arrive Ministries helped us get all the documents we needed, so we were able to feel much less stress. During those first three months, Arrive Ministries helped us get Employment Authorization Documents, Social Security Numbers, Medical Insurance, and get jobs! This is only a short account of all the blessings we have had this past year, but I want to share my gratitude for Arrive Ministries and for their employment and support staff. I know Arrive Ministries will assist the rest of my family when they are able to come to Minnesota.
