Andrew Moroz, a Ukrainian-born American pastor, is not only providing physical help to volunteers in Ukraine. He also helps them find a place of rest and recover from the “spiritual depletion” they have experienced since the Russian invasion began more than two years ago.
Mr. Moroz, who was born in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union, is a senior elder at Gospel Community Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. He told The Christian Post that his family moved permanently to the United States in 1999. Currently, he is helping his home country through a program called the Renewal Initiative.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, several parts of the country were affected by heavy shelling and millions of Ukrainians fled their homes.
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After the Russian invasion began, a faith leader said, “the dormant Ukrainian identity came back to life.” He knew he had to do his part to help his country.
“It was the intersection of my pastoral vocation and my Ukrainian identity,” Moroz told CP. “What does God want me to do? How does God want me to serve these people?”
Moroz first visited Ukraine in March 2022, weeks after the Russian invasion began. During his second visit to Ukraine, Mr. Moroz came up with the idea of a Renewal Retreat program to support those providing aid to the country. He said he believed his short visit to Ukraine was “just a drop in a huge ocean” and that he could have an even greater long-term impact by helping those serving others.
“In the midst of chaos, people can’t always take care of themselves. They don’t always give enough attention to themselves. ” he explained. “Then their hearts either give up or become spiritually depleted until they hit a wall and their bodies hit.”
The resort is located on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital Kiev, where aid workers can rest and enjoy catered meals. Moroz said the retreat also offers massage therapists and sauna experiences.
Ukraine also has a low focus on mental health care, dating back to when the country was part of the Soviet Union, Moroz said. During this time, the pastor explained that people were essentially taught to see themselves as “machines,” and that the pastor believes that many in the area maintain that mindset.
“We wanted to model the Sabbath for them in the middle of a storm. Jesus was taking a nap in the middle of a storm,” Moroz said. “That’s when I got the idea. Take three days off and we’ll bring you the resources.”
Moroz said several local counseling efforts in Virginia, including Living Word, helped build the Renewal Retreat and provided on-site counseling sessions for workers.
The pastor said the retreat experience costs about $150 per person and that local businesses and churches in the United States are helping support the retreat.
“I have dozens of stories of trauma, pain, death and beauty in the midst of it all,” Moroz said. “This is what it means. Breathe deeply into the oxygen of God’s renewal. Be infected with God’s hope where there is despair. Embrace God’s hope into that space and let this team work for you in the context of a retreat.” Please make it possible.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha Kamman
