'I Heard Them Laughing Again': Orphan's Promise Center Opens in Poland, Brings Hope to Kids Traumatized by Russia's War Crimes

WARSAW - The first Orphan's Promise Center in Poland has recently been opened. O.P. is working together with other CBN ministries including Operation Blessing and Superbook to help alleviate the suffering and ease the trauma that Ukrainian refugees are going through. 

CBN News was on site to witness the amazing ways that how God has orchestrated everything, laying the groundwork even years before the war in Ukraine broke out.

Ukrainian mother Oksana Horbunova showed CBN News a video of utter destruction she shot while driving to Irpen and Bucha, cities bombed by Russia. On these trips, she brings food and much-needed supplies to residents trapped in the war zone. Then she transports women, children, and the elderly back to Poland.

Horbunova shared accounts of the barbaric war crimes Russian soldiers have inflicted on civilians. "I saw a Mom that cannot live because her 3 daughters were raped in front of her. Two of them have died. Kids, their grandmas and moms are raped before them and they cannot talk because of their distress."

She continued, "Two of my friends, Christians, were helping evacuate in a village near Kyiv and they have been murdered. His wife does not have the courage to look at pictures. His feet were shot, his arms broken. the knives in his belly, and 4 shots to the head from the back to the front. War is when army goes against army. It's hard to call this war a real war. It's mostly like evil against humanity."

Horbunova says there is a tremendous need to help war victims overcome trauma and this is why she, church partners, and other humanitarian organizations are happy that CBN's Orphan's Promise is now in Poland.

Operations Director for Orphan's Promise Nataliya Khomyak says she is happy that the resources that God has given Orphan's Promise and other CBN ministries are now being used to help the Ukrainian refugees in Poland. 

"I think God is using these circumstances to bring people to Him. He's using us during this time to bring all these people who are lost, who lost everything. But they're gonna find the Only thing that they need in life here is that relationship with Jesus," Khomyak said.

BECOME A WORLD CHANGER: Help CBN spread God's love and hope to hurting people around the world!

Orphan's Promise works with the Hand of Help organization at the training center. There is a Divine connection here because Hand of Help Director Misha Babiak and his wife once worked with Orphan's Promise in Berdyansk, Ukraine where Orphan's Promise Founder Terry Meeuwsen adopted three sisters many years ago. Then, five years ago, Babiak and his family moved to Poland at the Lord's direction, not knowing why.

"God impressed in my heart that there will be a united work with CBN and Orphan's Promise but we did not know what it was. But during those 5 years, we established good relations with the local churches here. When the war broke out, we began helping refugees," he explains.

"Through this partnership, God will touch the hearts of the Ukrainian people. In this center, they will learn how to trust God. Now we understand why God has called us here," Babiak said.

Orphan's Promise organizes kids' camps for Ukrainian kids and teenagers. They play games, do crafts, and learn about Jesus through CBN's Superbook. 

As one mother put it, "What did you do with my kids? They were finally happy again this week… I heard them laughing again."

CLICK HERE to help Orphan's Promise help Ukrainian victims of war.