Oasis of Peace
Hosting a Week of Retreat for Pastors and Their Families
As the War Rages in Ukraine
We were eager to return and host another retreat for pastors and their families in the summer of 2025 held on a beautiful site overlooking the Black Sea near Odessa. Hope International Ministries sponsors this gathering along with a network of Christian churches that stretches from the front lines of the fighting to the western border across the war-torn country. Because the missiles and drones packed with explosives fly everywhere, there is nowhere to escape the deadly threat of a sudden attack. And yet, our retreat setting was a gift, an oasis of peace, at least for one refreshing and incredibly encouraging week.
Our team of 8 --- Paul (president of HIM, born in Russia), Leonid (partnering with Paul, pastor in Dallas TX, born in Ukraine), Slava (pastor in the Odessa area) and Vasili (bishop in Ukraine), along with Randy, Richard, Doug and Nancy from the States --- were given the privilege of facilitating this experience. 160 pastors and their families joined us, traveling from near and far away in anticipation of a desperately needed respite from the constant conflict and their non-stop commitment to serve their besieged communities. We took on the responsibility of raising the funds necessary to underwrite this family-friendly conference for another year. So worth it.
When the families arrived, we soon learned from them that the war was heating up on the eastern front and also in the skies above as Russia unleashed hundreds of drones most nights (“like swarms of flies”). Even from the western shore of the sea the night lit up with defensive hits in the frantic attempt to deflect the incoming weapons. Late one night families were forced to flee to an underground bunker next to the retreat.
The pastors interpret the battle for the survival of Ukraine and its people as more than a military contest. They believe this is spiritual warfare --- the enemy of the Gospel seeking to extinguish the bright witness of the missionary church in Ukraine that takes the Good News of God’s Love all around Europe.
The schedule of the retreat included shared meals, recreation and free time,
lively worship led by young adults, prayer gatherings for men, art therapy and storytelling for women, seminars on healing, programs for children and teenagers, presentations with translation (thank you, Alona! and Gennady!) on how to face our fears and how to recover from trauma, honest insights into marriage, as well as affirmations and illustrations of the strength God provides as we face the worst.
I spoke one evening on the paradox of Psalm 56: “When I am afraid … I will not be afraid,” calling attention to the raw feelings of anxiety, fear, and even panic, that people of faith can acknowledge while at the same time leaning hard into the hope that comes as we are learning to trust in the presence, promises and astonishing power of God to comfort and deliver. The Psalms give us permission
to pour out our pain, our doubts, our questions, uncensored, and invite us to surrender ourselves into his care, in order to heal and experience an elusive resilience.
“When I am afraid … I will trust in my God … and then I will no longer be afraid.”
We made friends faster this time, across the language and culture barriers, since we were more confident, since they were longing to connect with each other as well as with us, and the desperation of the situation opened up a remarkable receptivity on all sides. Their stories are dramatic, heartbreaking and exhilarating, all at the same time. Some pastors came alone, most with wives, and many with children, including biological and adopted war orphans. One family had 30 kids at different times. Another had 14, though not all could come. The children who came were ecstatic as they played games, were entertained by crafts, swam in the pool, and generally delighted in their week away from the apprehension of relentless assault.
One of the men told us that his family brought everything essential with them packed into their car since they were uncertain they would be able to return home, as the Russian troops were advancing in their region of Zaporizhia. A pastor named Oleg, stoically shared that three of his sons had gone off to war --- one was killed in combat, a second son is a prisoner in Chechnya, and a third was wounded and is recovering at home. The room went quiet as he spoke of his unspeakable losses with only a hint of the pain he must be feeling. We surrounded him with prayer and brotherly affection. When it was my turn, I held has face in my hands for a suspended moment, imagining his grief, and kissed him on the forehead as his head was bowed, an image of brokenness and surrender never to be forgotten.
The stories are hard to hear but necessary to tell. This brief break from impending hostilities and endless distress opens a window of hope, a fresh breath of air infused with faith, rich in reassuring relationships, an invitation to greater transparency, and even the intrusion of joy. We would not understand the awful depth of the struggle and the shock of grace that visits us in such a circumstance if we were not there to listen with hearts engaged, to absorb the shattering effects, and plead to heaven for relief.
Nancy and I stood on the beach and listened to Roman and Artem, a pastor and his younger protégé, as they recounted the special challenges of serving in an area near the front lines. They had become extremely adaptable and resourceful as they responded to all sorts of needs in the villages nearby. They were totally open to any suggestions that I might offer … though they were far ahead of me in many ways as they had to rely on God’s provision and wisdom accumulated because they have been immersed in the turmoil. They have contingency plans for a number of unpleasant scenarios, including the requirement to evacuate, relocate and restart ministry. I’ve never contemplated such a dreadful measure.
I took a plunge into the sea for the first time after our encounter. I had hesitated for a while due to the rumors that not all of the mines planted in the waters by the defenders had been cleared. Others had gone in, among them my wife, so it seemed like I should move past my hesitation and take the risk. It was another baptism.
Another pastor, Andri from Donetsk, talked about serving his community while close to both the Russian and Belarus (Russia’s puppet) borders. There are still significant churches there, and many new believers demonstrating the fruit of their faith, though they are ready to move if and when the threat of an enemy incursion becomes too great. They are convinced that their mission will not end and their ministries will not disappear. In fact, there’s an air of excitement about the prospects for expanded outreach, no matter the disposition of the war. Amazing.
We met so many others, representing the inspiring features of Ukrainian Christians locked in a contest with evil that has enormous consequences. The lines are clearly drawn --- between justice and abuse, truth and propaganda, mercy and meanness, healing and wounding, hope and despair, the Kingdom of God and the avaricious empires of this world. Their witness, along with the faithfulness of a multitude of Christ-followers in a land under siege, shines bright --- the encroaching darkness has not extinguished its flame.
Twice during the week we were summoned for special appointments off-site.
Our team toured the 200 year-old Odessa Regional Hospital, escorted by two surgeons, a father and son, dedicated to treating the sick and the wounded.
We spent time in a number of rooms where injured soldiers were recuperating --- some with recent amputations, some with reconstructed shoulders and knees,
or arms and legs fastened by external appliances. We listened to their tales of trauma on the battlefield and offered to pray for their recovery. Every encounter was sacred.
On another afternoon I was invited to speak to a mid-week church service that was mostly filled with men in recovery from various addictions, a residential outreach of this church. Pastor Sergei has a heart of gold and an entrepreneurial spirit.
On the weekend following the retreat our team was hosted by Nicolay and Alla in their beautiful home with a lovely garden in Odessa by the sea. They are business owners --- who have endured enormous setbacks because of the war. Nicolay’s huge food distribution warehouse, with millions of dollars worth of supplies for southwestern Ukraine, was targeted by Russian drones and destroyed in June. Millions of dollars of vital provisions were lost and --- equally disconcerting ---
200 people who worked there were now without employment. Then, a month later, Alla’s bakery was targeted and levelled. There were tears as we talked …
and spontaneous, intimate fellowship with worship songs to lift our hearts.
This was an intense, exhausting, incredibly encouraging week. God showed up as we opened ourselves to his Word, to his people, to stories of suffering and breakthrough, in his participation with us in our lament and in our impromptu community of joy.
I want to close this report with appreciation to Anastasia, a young, vibrant trauma therapist from Kyiv who joined us for the week. She is a delight, a new Christian with a fresh perspective, and a resource with unusual wisdom in a season of terror and uncertainty. I recently interviewed her for the videocast that I host on our YouTube Channel called Hello Darkness ~ Stories that Transform. This timely episode is entitled “Honest to God”. I hope you’ll watch.
Hope International Ministries is the catalyst for so much ministry throughout Eastern Europe and beyond, all through the year. I wholeheartedly affirm their Christ-centered mission, am very impressed by the fruit of their efforts and creative partnerships, and pleased with their highly relational approach to communicating and demonstrating the Good News.
Please join us in praying for a sustained ceasefire, followed by a just peace, for the recovery of Ukraine --- for 50 million people (including scattered refugees), for the resurgence of a rich culture, for the church and her mission of restoration (in war and peace), for the pastors and their families, for all the believers who have borne the brutal brunt of this invasion and persevered with astonishing resilience.
Doug Stevens
July 2025
