Days before Easter, Liia excitedly hung colorful plastic eggs on tiny tree boughs outside the suburban house here that she now calls home.
Despite her enthusiasm, the 3-year-old was likely a bit confused. Easter eggs and Easter bunnies were all new to Liia—neither are holiday traditions practiced in her Ukrainian homeland.
Confusion and newness have defined much of the past several weeks this year for young Liia and her two sisters, Dasha and Elsza—along with their mother, Natasha, and Natasha’s sister-in-law, Diana.
The two women and the three girls are counted among the nearly 5 million Ukrainians refugees. “Refugee” is a classification they never wished for—and one they hope to soon shed. But until it is safe to return to their country, they are living in Berlin.
Every day that Natasha and Diana reside in a German city located almost 1,000 miles away from their native Kyiv is a tough day. They worry about their husband and brother, John. They pray for the safety of loved ones and fellow Latter-day Saints. They watch the news of the day with both trepidation and pride for their compatriots fighting for their freedom.
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Read more of the tender story about Ukrainian Latter-day Saint families finding refuge across Europe on Church News.