Faith of the heart
Hope for ‘перемога’ inside a blue and yellow heart
Jim Nedelka, Special to Presbyterian News Service
December 28, 2024
In the sanctuary of avenue church nyc, Olya Balaban is unpacking small sandwich bags containing adjustable blue and yellow wristbands — friendship bracelets in another vernacular — each adorned with a unique metal decoration. They are mementos brought from the Center for Creative Activities and Center for Sports in Izmail, Ukraine, supplementing a presentation by Balaban’s colleague, the Rev. Dr. Robert Gamble. His validated ministry, This Child Here, was initially founded to work with, and care for, many of Ukraine’s children abandoned to “the streets” in the wake of the severe economic turmoil of 2008–09; the Center, as it is more commonly known, is one outgrowth of his efforts.
All went well for most of Gamble’s first dozen years in country. Then, on February 24, 2022, Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine, widening his open hostilities begun following Ukraine’s 2014 revolution and the early stages of war; Gamble would later say during his afternoon presentation, “When war comes, you pivot.”
Seven days a week, This Child Here finds itself challenged to meet the needs of the expanded definition of “children of God.” The Center provides a safe space for families: Read more.
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