Stories of loss and hope: Missionary to Ukraine shares his journey

CODY - Even in the destruction wrought over the last 15 months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hope can be discovered in unexpected places.

During a May 18 presentation in Cody, Derek Thomas – an American missionary who has been working in Ukraine since 2013 -- spoke of tulips sprouting in the shadow of decimated Ukrainian homes.

Like those tulips, hope and faith are growing in the shadow of the war and the incredible suffering it has caused, Thomas said. In the light of loss and imminent death, more Ukrainians are open to the message of the gospel than ever before, he said.

"They really pray with a fervency, and I wondered, 'Why is it this way?'" he said. "It dawned on me: It is because they are living their life with the constant expectancy that at any moment in time, they could be face-to-face with their God and their creator."

Thomas shared stories from his recent visits to the country during a presentation at the Boot and Bottle Club on May 18. He and his wife Julie have traveled to Ukraine six times to distribute aid and preach the gospel since the start of the war, with a seventh visit scheduled for late summer.

In between visits to Ukraine, the Thomases travel the U.S. speaking about their experiences, raising funds for their ongoing missionary work and asking for prayers for a country in tumult.

"Many would want prayers for peace," Thomas said of the people of Ukraine.

Thomas said he was first called to Ukraine in 2013, when he was the pastor of a church in Kansas City, Mo. Thomas was asked to become the president of the Slavic Baptist Institute, a bible college in Khmelinsky, Ukraine.

The school gives students from countries including Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova the skills and knowledge they need to plant their own churches and share the gospel of Christ across the region, Thomas said.

During the first four years of his work with the institute, Thomas traveled back and forth between Ukraine and the United States, he said. By 2017, he and his wife felt called to live in Ukraine full time.

In addition to his work with the institute, Thomas oversaw other outreach projects such as orphanages and children's camps and planted his own church – the Living Hope Baptist Church -- in Kiev.

In the weeks leading up to Feb. 24, 2022, the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine lingered like an unspoken threat, he said. The Thomases first got warning of the potential invasion from one of their congregants.

"At our church, we have two services: a Ukrainian service and an English language service," Thomas said "One of our regular attendees at the English service worked for the state department, and several weeks before the invasion he told us, 'You need to know this is coming.'"

Thanks to that congregant's warnings, the Thomases were able to return safely to the states before the invasion, he said.

But their heart – and God's heart – for the people of Ukraine have not faltered, Thomas said.

In the aftermath of the invasion, the Thomases launched "Compassion for Ukraine," a charity focused on getting aid to Ukrainians who have been displaced from their homes. Over 1,000 tons of basic food and supplies have been distributed since the war began, according to Compassion for Ukraine's website.

During their regular visits to the country, the Thomases travel the nation helping distribute that aid. Over a year after the war began, it's still hard to see the death and devastation wrought throughout the country, he said.

"When you see pictures of this complete destruction, if you were to remove the color of the pictures, you would think you were looking at pictures of World War II from Germany," Thomas said. "Really, the destruction is that great."

Most everyone in the country has lost someone in the war, he said, and many wait months to hear from their loved ones on the front lines.

"We had a lady come up to us on this last trip and ask us to pray," Thomas said. "She said, 'My older son died in the war and my second son is in the war, but I haven't heard from him for six weeks. Can you please pray for him?' Can you imagine having no contact and not being sure where your child is or if he's alive?"

But in the midst of this pain and destruction, many are seeking hope in places they never would have looked before the war, Thomas said. The Living Hope Baptist Church is filled weekly – primarily with individuals who used to belong to the Ukraine Orthodox Church. Thousands of people regularly show up to listen to the gospel message as the Thomases travel the country, he said.

"Really, what's happened during the war is that false façade of religion has been eliminated and melted away, and people are looking to put their feet on something firm," Thomas said. "Of course, we believe that would be Christ."

It is currently estimated by the United Nations that 8,836 civilians have been killed in the Ukrainian conflict with another 14,985 injured. Roughly 16 million have been displaced from their homes, Thomas said.

That suffering seems likely to persist into the foreseeable future with the war expected to continue into 2024, Thomas said. But despite the challenges, the people of Ukraine will keep fighting, and so will the Thomases.

"Most in Ukraine, they desire their freedom," Thomas said. "They remember what Communism was like, what living under the government and thumb of Russia was like, and I think most of them are saying 'I'd rather die fighting for that freedom rather than come under that tyranny again.'"