One of most amazing things that we are witnessing while working in this ministry is seeing how God has connected people and circumstances in a way that cannot be a coincidence, but proof that God’s hand is at work. Three weeks after the war broke out in Ukraine, one of the first families that arrived in Fresno after fleeing their homeland was Mikhail Susoyev and his family.
The hosts that took in the Susoyevs live further out of town, so the ministry was able to provide their family with a vehicle so they could have transportation. Unfortunately, almost daily, the car would have difficulties starting. Sometimes it would take multiple attempts to start the car, only to have it break down a short time later and leave the family stranded. On one of these occasions, their vehicle broke down again, this time near a home owned by a man named Mike. Mike happened to also be hosting a Ukrainian refugee and was able to assist the Susoyev family with their vehicle. During their interaction, Mike shared that he had a background of building sheds prior to his retirement.
At this time, a major issue arose that affected several host families. The septic systems in their homes were unable to manage the large amounts of water being pushed through. Due to the increase of showers, vast amounts of water were being used, which in time creates an issue with the septic system. Several ideas were proposed and subsequently had to be rejected due to the complexity of having to find a solution that worked for multiple families and homes.
As the team was contemplating how to resolve this issue, Boris received an unexpected call from Mike. Mike proposed an idea to bring out a team that could build separate showers for the refugees. The rising urgency of this basic necessity for refugees made it clear that this seemingly simple solution was sent directly from God. This is just one example of how God has been blessing us daily and providing for all the ministry’s needs.
