Octavia and Rueben Lupulescu

Eastern Europe Coordinators

They call him the “Jason Bourne” of Romania. With “mad” driving skills (as they say) in his right-hand drive, manual BMW, good looks, and can-do attitude - Baptist Pastor Cornelus Miron was the first volunteer responder at the Siret border crossing after the war broke out in Ukraine.

Since then, he and his church in Calafindesti have helped over 2000 refugees leave Ukraine - giving them food and shelter in their basement, taking them to the train station, even escorting and flying a young man with cancer safely to a hospital in Western Europe - (I believe France). He was so weak they had to purchase 3 seats for him because he was unable to stand up.

I had the pleasure of shadowing him today from 9am-11pm when he dropped me off at the flat.

We started the day helping Roman cross the border into Ukraine to take supplies to Kiev. Next we picked up a grandmother, grandfather, and granddaughter from Kharkiv and took them to the church shelter 15km from the border. We returned again and took 4-5 Turkish men who had delivered a vehicle to Ukraine back to the church along with another group of 2 women and one man from Ukraine.

As we traveled, we picked up a woman hitchhiking - who was a doctor from Kiev wanting a ride to Siret.

I watched as they were registered at the church, given food, and beds to lie down in - and how the others already there would help them settle in for some rest.

I used google translate to visit with refugees and get to know them and their stories and answer and ask questions.

We finished the night by taking the group of Turkish men and the Ukrainian man and two women to the Suceava train station. Every one of them squeezed and hugged me tightly, pounded my back and repeatedly shook my hand and said thank you and blessed us in their language.

As they left, each Turkish man wanted his own Ukrainian/Russian New Testament and selfies with Cornelus and me. They said, “we love Ukraine!”, and had plans to bring more vehicles.

All I can say is that God is POWERFULLY at work, even in the middle of this terrible war - and so is the church of Jesus Christ! To witness all of this truly stirs the soul. All glory to God and our Savior Jesus.

• Jesse Haney