Only weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, I was asked to welcome and assist Ukrainian refugees—a mother and daughter from Dnipro. I met them on a cold rainy night at Hamburg’s central station. They quickly recognized the cardboard Ukrainian flag I had prepared. Exhausted after three days of travels, they hugged me—tears in their eyes, grateful for their safe arrival. A nurse by profession and also multilingual, Lyubov immediately started teaching newly arrived Ukrainian nursing students the German language. The Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (ELCU), Rev. Serge Maschewski, knew Lyubov and soon asked her to reach out to the LCMS, to explore whether we might provide supplies for ELCU churches: Communion ware, warm clothing and shoes, etc, but also helmets and bulletproof vests for ELCU pastors providing pastoral care on the battlefield. Lyubov and I teamed up with Viktor Bender, a Russian (!) living in Germany, and together we procured the desired items (see my FB posts of 3/30 and 6/21, 2022). Fast forward to the LCMS Convention: As a token of appreciation for our newly resolved church fellowship and also for the much-needed supplies, Bishop Maschewski presented LCMS Pres. Rev. Dr. Matt Harrison with a helmet that, as it so happened, Lyubov, Viktor, and I had procured. The Bishop had worn it while visiting his parishioners fighting on the front lines. On one occasion, a drone struck and he was hit by fragments. Even though the attack blinded him for 20 days, the helmet saved his life. In fact, that same helmet was later worn by another ELCU pastor, who was likewise struck but who also survived. Praise God for Lyubov and the many ladies around the world like her: strong, dignified, and—thanks to her faith in Jesus Christ—full of courage in the face of adversity (Pr 31:25)—and sometimes even saving lives in the process.
The Tiews in Germany 