Soon after the war in Ukraine began, Beginning of Life launched its restorative art therapy programme for refugees. What started as emergency emotional support soon grew into a long-term ministry of healing and transformation.
Each year, around 300 refugees participate in art therapy sessions, psychological counselling, and group meetings that help them rebuild inner strength and rediscover hope.
Through the first year, Ukrainian people were focused on gaining peace and emotional recovery amid the chaos. The second year was devoted to building character, changing the relationships between people and God and learning how to build a new life in the new circumstances. In the third year, people explored and learned from the biblical heroes and grew inner moral courage and hope for meaningful living.
This year, we have united Moldovans with Ukrainian refugees into our church community. Together we read, reflect, and grow in faith and discipleship in Jesus. Every week small groups meet and once a month, the refugee groups attend church. Some attend church every Sunday.
One of them is Oksana, a woman who arrived in Moldova shortly after the war started, leaving her elderly father behind. In Ukraine, she was financially secure, but the war stripped everything away. Oksana’s father died. Living in the refugee shelter, she learned to find joy, not in possessions but in creativity and relationships with new people, and in following Jesus. Through art therapy, Oksana rediscovered her way to God and His strength to overcome pain, anger and hopelessness. She began crafting items for charity fairs and said, “I want to help others now as I was helped by the people of God.”
Even after loss, love continues to live in people’s hearts—love and hope that is stronger than fear, and greater than all uncertainty.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13.
By Serghei Mihailov, Beginning of Life, Moldova
