A Houston church’s thriving outreach to families fleeing the war inspires a heartfelt holiday gesture.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
HOUSTON —A year ago, Memorial Church of Christ volunteers served Ukrainian refugee families a traditional Thanksgiving meal from Pappas Bar-B-Q, a popular Houston restaurant chain.
But this November, the newcomers to Texas — still adapting and learning a new language after fleeing Russia’s 1,000-day war on their homeland — rejected the offer of turkey, dressing and all the fixings.
“No, we’re not going to be doing that,” Oleksandr Voievoda, a 34-year-old father of two, declared in his native language during the Ukrainian Bible class that meets at the Memorial church.
Instead, Voievoda insisted, the refugees would prepare a special feast — featuring Ukrainian favorites such as stuffed dumplings known as varenyky — to show their extreme gratitude to their English-speaking brothers and sisters.
Related: Faith and friendship: Behind the scenes of a Ukrainian Thanksgiving in America
“It was so inspiring,” Yulia Merchant, the 36-year-old Russian immigrant who started Memorial’s thriving outreach to Ukrainians in early 2023, said of Voievoda’s pronouncement.
“I was so amazed how they took the initiative, how they wanted to give things,” Merchant, a nurse practitioner and mother of three young boys, said of the refugees. “Maybe they don’t have much resources. Some of them are still struggling to find jobs and try to fit in. But they all came together.”
This story appears in the online edition of The Christian Chronicle.
Photo by Jack Prather
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 