Ukrainians, arriving under a new federal program called ‘Uniting for Ukraine,’ find fellowship at a Ballwin church

Victor and Kateryna Bolsunov, members of Rock Church in Ballwin, welcome on average 20 people to the weekly Friday-night Bible study at Rock Church. Many of the attendees, like Victor and Kateryna, are native Ukrainians, who immigrated to the United States, earned U.S. citizenships, and now live and work in metro St. Louis. Also in attendance for the evening of prayer, pizza, and scripture-based discussion are native Russians who live, work, and worship here. 

Victor leads the Bible study, and Kateryna helps with food. Russian is spoken throughout the evening. “We are old enough that when we grew up in Ukraine, we were required to learn Russian,” Kateryna explains. “People growing up in Russia were not required to learn the Ukrainian language.” 

While the group focuses on biblical scriptures, talk invariably turns to the latest in the war between Russia and Ukraine. “We try to stay away from politics,” Kateryna says. “But we are a family, and like other families, we may have disagreements. We try to remain respectful. But it is painful to hear someone repeat the propaganda they’ve heard, such as Russia is justified in continuing to attack Ukraine, because Nazis are in Ukraine, and the children need to be protected.”

Adds Victor: “You don’t protect children by attacking civilians and bombing hospitals.”

This summer, Kateryna felt strongly she needed to travel to Ukraine, despite the war and potential dangers such a trip posed, to visit family and friends she hadn’t seen in nearly three years. “People told me I was brave,” she says. “I don’t think I am brave. I just wanted to listen to my family and friends if they wanted to talk about what they’re going through, and to hug them tightly.” 

And the 42-year-old did just that, flying solo from St. Louis to Philadelphia, and from there to Warsaw, Poland. She took a bus from Poland to the western part of Ukraine, where she stayed for two weeks. It took her about 30 hours from departing St. Louis to arriving in Ukraine, she says. Her family and friends live in communities in the western region that are not wracked by bloodshed and devastation, like other parts of the country. But Kateryna says she still saw and heard signs of war in her hometown, including soldiers riding on buses, patrolling streets, and air raid sirens blaring. Air raid sirens are regularly heard across the country, according to Reuters and other news media.

Earlier this summer, Rock Church and St. Mary’s Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church sponsored a fundraiser for Ukraine. Held in the Rock fellowship hall, the event included homemade Ukrainian dishes and desserts. A live band sang songs in Ukrainian. “All proceeds were sent to Ukraine to save lives,” says Tetiana Mouzi, a member of St. Mary’s, referring to Ukrainian trauma centers that serve children, adults, and soldiers; volunteers in need of a vehicle to deliver food and medical supplies; and a Ukrainian church that Mouzi says is now a shelter for Ukrainians who’ve been displaced by the war.

Newly arrived Ukrainian refugees and their St. Louis families were among those attending the fundraiser. They’ve come to the U.S. under a new federal program called “Uniting for Ukraine,” administered by the Department of Homeland Security. To be eligible, DHS says “Ukrainians must have been residents in Ukraine as of February 11, 2022, have a sponsor in the United States, complete vaccinations and other public health requirements, and pass rigorous biometric and biographic screening and vetting security checks.” To protect against exploitation and abuse, Ukrainian citizens who are allowed entry to the United States under the program “will be required to declare their financial support and pass security background checks,” according to a DHS press release.

Arrey Obenson, president and CEO of the International Institute in St. Louis, says he expects 200–300 refugees will arrive in St. Louis in coming weeks and months under the Uniting for Ukraine. “We have only a few right now who’ve arrived under the program. So many people have applied,” Obenson says.

Meanwhile, Kateryna, who made six loaves of Ukrainian poppy seed bread for the fundraiser at Rock, continues to bake for various events at church and elsewhere. And on Friday nights, she and Victor continue to welcome native Ukrainians and native Russians to Bible study—something they’ve done for seven years, since the study started in 2015. Asked why she thinks  people continue to meet, despite the sometimes differing views voiced about the war between Ukraine and Russia, Kateryna says, “Everything starts with love—love for God and his word, love for fellowship, and for each other.”