EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Aaron Pierce spends most of his hours glued to a screen these days, holed up inside his Eden Prairie office, while communicating with teams on the ground in war-torn Ukraine.
Pierce is the international mission director for Steiger International, a worldwide Christian mission organization with a large footprint in Eastern Europe. Many of Steiger's mission workers and partners are responding to the crisis across Eastern Europe, helping to distribute needed supplies or find housing for displaced families.
"These are not just people on a screen, or people in a news story. These are my friends," Pierce said, "people I've worked with for years and who I love. It's been a brutal week."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to an overwhelming humanitarian crisis, forcing at least one million people to flee as refugees and leaving others huddling underground in major Ukrainian cities to avoid the bombings.
Building off their long-standing relationships in Eastern Europe, Steiger International has worked with local networks and churches to house as many refugees as possible in nearby countries like Poland and Germany, while at the same time funneling basic necessities like water, food, blankets, medical supplies and gas to the Ukrainian border. In fact, Pierce said that Steiger International has worked alongside Ukrainian border agents to ensure safe passage of supplies into the country as the war rages.
Mission workers on the ground in Ukraine have described "all sorts of emotions" in recent days, according to Pierce.
"It's a devastating thing," Pierce said. "Families are being separated, and there's just a lot of fear and uncertainty, and anger as well. We've got people in Russia and Belarus as well, and they've been heartbroken over this. It's a tough situation."
Steiger International also has workers and volunteers in the heart of Kiev. In fact, following the invasion, these groups have sent Pierce video messages to thank the Steiger team and keep them informed about the work they're doing.
"We really feel your support, and we appreciate it," a worker said in one such video. "We are safe. We have food. And we have the resources to host people."
Aaron Pierce acknowledged that it's been difficult for him to concentrate on much else besides the war in Ukraine, but he prefers to focus on the work his teams are doing across Eastern Europe -- at great risk to their personal safety.
"It's inspiring. And it just makes me so proud of these guys. They're so selfless," Pierce said. "In the face of hatred, aggression and violence, they're showing love and sacrifice. There's nothing more beautiful than that."
Steiger has created a Ukraine Relief Fund to gather donations for food, bedding, first aid, and other supplies. Click the link here for more information.
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