Kyiv family describes life during war
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LISBON -- It is like 9/11 every day.
That is how Sasha Tomyev describes living in Kyiv in the midst of the war. He and his wife Yana are raising their three small boys under the threat of missile attacks.
Sometimes the boys are able to attend school. Other times they have to do schooling remotely. This week, they are doing school remotely due to the high risk of missile attacks
Sasha and his seven siblings were raised in the Ukraine and came to the United States later as their parents served as pastors of a United Pentecostal Church International church they started in Sacramento, Calif.
Sasha and his brother Vasya lived in Canton, Ohio for a few years to study under the leadership of the pastor there and attend the UPCI affiliated Purpose Institute, founded by F. Joe Ellis in the early 1990s.
Sasha and Vasya have both visited and ministered in the city of Salem, Ohio, and remain in contact with friends there, while Vasya and their sister Tanya and their families remain living in the Canton and Massillon area.
Meanwhile, Sasha and his older brother Sergey and their parents are stationed in Kyiv, living out the war while continuing to grow their church and teach at the Purpose Institute campus there.
The church has been able to help provide food and supplies to many in the area through donations given from all over the world.
Thankfully, no one in the church or their families has been injured or killed by the war, although they have closely witnessed devastation each day.
"It's exhausting but we are not giving up," Sasha said shortly after the Oct. 10 missile strike on the capital city and surrounding areas.
In fact, one of the missiles landed on the same street where Sasha's mother-in-law attends work.
The Tomyev family has been counting the days since the war started, wondering when it will end, and keeping hope alive through prayers and knowing there are thousands around the world watching and praying as well.
Sasha and his brother have been updating their social media pages to keep people informed as they have been able to, although at one point the social media posts went quiet when the family--like others throughout the Ukraine-- were unable to have access to the Internet earlier this year.
The family has mourned not only the loss of Ukrainian lives but those of the Russian soldiers and civilians as well.
On Sept. 29 Sasha's father, Vasyl, detailed the impact of the war on his Facebook page, describing a Russian attack near Kyiv at that time.
"On the streets were the corpses of dead people, destroyed houses, shot people in cars," he said. "People tried to leave the city but they were simply shot. Millions of people are refugees and they will have nowhere to go back after the war because their homes have been destroyed. Many were left without jobs and livelihoods."
Sasha said the war has been physically and emotionally draining and he worries about the effect it will have on his kids. Nevertheless, he and his family are grateful.
They are grateful for the support that has been shown to their family and the families around them, and the support throughout the world.
His father, Vasyl, said, "We are grateful to each of you who pray for the people of Ukraine and for us and who support us in our ministry so that we can be here and help this people in every way we can."