*UkrainianFamilyRefugeesOfWar

   First and for most I want to thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and all the support we have received in last couple of months. Whats happening in Ukraine is tragic and my heart brakes every day from the devastation my home country and what Ukrainian people have gone through and face.

 

    It has been very challenging couple of months for our family. As you know they were able to get out of Ukraine and stay in Poland. They left their home and livelihoods behind to protect their children and themselves.

 

      Our family has stayed at a Refugee Hub at Hotel Pracowniczy in Poznan, Poland. This hotel is closed to business and refugees are staying at a low cost, 125$ per room that sleeps 6 people or just at no cost in the Hotel Breakfast lobby area that sleeps up to 30 people in one room. The owners and volunteers have done amazing job and were able to support refugees with basic needs, clothing and meals three times a day that are delivered. They even allowed people to use their kitchen and kitchen equipment for those that wanted to help cook or just cook for them selves. 

 

    We were able to organize couple of outing for our family, one to the Zoo and one to a local park. Everyone at this Hub received help with local advice, transportation to a church on Sundays and medical assistance. the care was available by putting their names on a list and then local doctors would call them in for dentist and medical emergencies. 

 

    For those that did not know, we attempted to have our family go through the Souther Border  in Tijuana Mexico on 4/29/22. This crossing was open for Ukrainians  to cross and receive Humanitarian Parole for two moths since Russian invasion on Ukraine.  We had their travel visas and plane tickets ready. However, that opportunity fell through after Biden Administration announced "Uniting for Ukraine" and closed Southern border over the weekend of 4/25/22. The hope of making through Souther Border was taken away from many Ukrainian refugees who were seeking Humanitarian Parole. Many got stuck in transit and still to this day trying to get out of Mexico City, Mexico airport, are not safe and have no local support. 

 

    Since 4/25/22 we have been working tirelessly to get "Uniting for Ukraine" paperwork filed, processed and readied our family to be able to enter United States directly. 

 

    Process is complicated and impossible to go through if there was no support from someone understanding immigration rules or who spoke English and could petition on their behalf.  This process puts all the responsibility on the individual citizens and US government has not enabled resettlement agencies to be of any assistance. I have attempted to engage with several agencies, and the message is, they do not have authority to support Ukrainian refugees as of now. 

 

    Great thanks to local community, to each of you, local churches, family and friends who have come together to help us.  It has been a blessing, we would have not done it without your support, prayers, advice and caring hearts. May God bless each of you generously. 

 

    Today, May 16th our family has officially took off from Poznan Poland to Warsaw, Poland. They will be staying at the Airport Hotel for two nights and will be flying out on the May 18th at 6 am from WAW airport. This is exciting. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for smooth and safe travel. We are looking forward to meeting them in Denver on Wednesday 18th late afternoon. 

 

    Please see some pictures attached of a trip to the Zoo and Local Park, their four hour train trip to Warsaw today and a hotel dinner after a day long journey to Warsaw, Poland.