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Fleeing war to find salvation in Fern Bay
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. PHILIPPIANS 4:6-10
LIZZIE WATKIN The unprovoked Russian invasion of the Ukraine has horrified us all but for Ukrainian expats like Inna and Yurii Chuchenko, daily reports from the warzone are especially traumatic. On 3 March, as Inna prepared for bed in Phuket, Thailand, she got on her knees and prayed. A few months prior the couple had used their life savings to open a travel business aimed at Russian-speaking tourists in Thailand. COVID-19 travel restrictions had begun easing and they were confident of success. Unfortunately, as the situation in Eastern Europe began to deteriorate people again bunkered down at home and Inna and Yurii’s business collapsed before it could become established. Because the business failed, the Thai government refused to renew Inna and Yurii’s visa which was just weeks away from expiring. Meanwhile, their family was pleading with them not to return home to Kiev as it was too dangerous. Inna, who was five months pregnant at the time, had suffered three heartbreaking miscarriages in the two years prior. That night she spoke to God, and asked God to lead the way. The next day she received a message from a stranger in Australia via Instagram that would change her and Yurii’s life. What happened next, she described to Aurora as a ‘miracle’.
Photo Peter Stoop
