Ukraine | Provision for God’s Big Vision

Leaving Russia to follow God’s call in Scotland and taking root in one of Europe’s hardest soils

After the start of the war in 2022, the Novo Ukraine team could see that everyone coming through their doors for help was experiencing stress, fear, and trauma—from the threat of drones and missiles to the trauma of seeing homes destroyed and lives of loved ones lost. With the help of Novo’s care team, SentWell, the team learned to offer care and counseling for traumatized people. God gave them a vision to help one million Ukrainians heal from the effects of the war. They named this new psychological care program Refectio, a Latin word meaning “refreshment and restoration.”

…testimonies from Refectio team members saying they found God, the only source of hope, at Refectio.

The team knew their existing ministry building, would not be big enough to fulfill this God-sized dream. A two-year journey of faith and perseverance led them to a building 11 times larger —much larger than anything they had imagined at the start—that fit the original budget. Through the provision of many gifts from ministry partners, they were able to purchase the building in March. They called it “Lumen Tower.” Lumen, the unit of measurement for light, represents their desire to spread light and hope across their city and beyond. The word tower was inspired by these two scriptures: “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe” (Ps. 61:3), and “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Pr. 18:10). 

Watch as David, team leader of Novo Ukraine, introduces the new building and the importance of the ministry that will take place here.

The team has already moved Refectio into Lumen Tower. The new space has also allowed them to expand their Christian school and rent out offices to provide steady funding for the ministry of Refectio going forward. The team is excited about all the new ministry opportunities this building is opening up for them.

Refectio just spent an entire day in celebration of two years of ministry, filling Lumen Tower with a buzz of happy activity. To add to the excitement, the team was surprised to learn that Refectio has been added to a list of top providers of psychological help in Ukraine. But most precious of all was to hear testimonies from Refectio team members saying they found God, the only source of hope, at Refectio. They said, “The fact that we are where we are is a miracle from God and proof that he cares!”