"Thank you for your prayer!" I read in a WhatsApp message. "I really need it. Five minutes ago I woke up to the sound of an explosion, the rocket hit my town near where my father works here in western Ukraine. I heard the sound very clearly. Fortunately, he's fine, but he's scared. The war is not just in Kiev, it is all over Ukraine and is far not over yet." 1500 kilometres away, my heart feels the same. I can feel all the fears in the student's heart. It is exhausting to have to live under constant threat. Why all this worries? I send an encouraging reply and then hold a little silence to bear all the heaviness and just be there. Later I read: "It's so unfair. The whole world is celebrating Christmas and here people are dying under the ruins. And what can I do? Just trust in God and ask him for strength, for love and for faith! That's all I can do now. Thank you for being there!" I also let this touch my heart and suddenly realise that we are not alone. Jesus is there and in him we are close to each other. Hope for the next step.
