Stephan Posner (International Leader of L’Arche) and Basia Wójcik (International Envoy) visited the two L’Arche communities in Ukraine: Lviv and Ternopil.
On their return, here are some words they would like to share with you:

“From 19 to 21 April we spent a moving three days visiting our Communities in Ukraine. The bus journey (although it wasn’t far to Lviv from the Polish city of Krakow, from where we had set off) took one day each way.

We were very warmly received by our Ukrainian hosts, who always openly welcome and generously feed their guests.

We spent two days in Lviv, visiting five day-activity places run by the community and a house where some refugees from the east of the country and some assistants and friends of the community now live. We also went for a day to visit a community in Ternopil.

It was wonderful to see the people, to listen to how they are in this difficult time, to hear what community means for them, but also to share our stories, to eat together, to walk, so just to experience community life.

It is springtime in Ukraine, nature is greening up, trees are blossoming, new investments and renovations are visible in the cities. Life is vibrant, but at the same time it is marked by suffering, anxiety and fear for the future.

We also visited the graves of fallen soldiers to light a candle – a symbol of eternal life and remembrance. Among the people we met, there were also those who had lost close relatives in the war and those who are suffering separation from their spouses and children.

Ukraine looks to the future with hope, but not without fear. Life mingles with death, joy with sadness. However, all people greet each other with the traditional Easter greeting: “Christ is risen” and believe that Ukraine will rise, because good will always overcome evil.”