A gift.
I’ve been in Poland for just over a week and finally feel like I’ve settled back into life here in Lublin. Returning to the same apartment I was in during April makes it feel like I’ve returned to my home-away-from-home, and spending the last few days with familiar faces and new friends has offered a sweet comfort that I do belong here – a reality that sometimes still feels a bit surreal.
You may recall, that back in March as Matt and I began planning “how to go volunteer”, we knew no one in Poland, much less Ukraine. We were answering a clear calling placed on our hearts, but the practical logistics remained a great mystery. But as the pieces began to fall into place (and quite quickly!), I felt two very strong emotions: Excitement for what was to come, and Fear of something left unfinished . . .
If you’re like me and have volunteered or raised money for a good cause, you know the feel-good emotion that comes with that type of service work. And, if you’re also like me, you know how quickly we can transition from checking the box of “help others” and move on to making the grocery list for Publix and go about our day.
That type of charitable amnesia is what I feared the most when we started this mission and what still weighs heaviest on my heart.
But I get it, I do – because I find myself in this camp, too.
There is a lot of suffering in this world and it’s easy to get distracted by the next headline. And so I find myself asking, how can I combat this? What can I do – our Team do - to keep folks interested in what is happening in Ukraine? And more importantly, how can we continue to raise funding to support these lifelines of aid?
For starters, I must remember that it is not up to me. My job is to follow this calling to the best of my ability – everything else is up to Him who called me. The moment I become the female version of Atlas, I lose sight of what is most important.
And so, instead, I am focusing my efforts on the next best thing: relationship building and networking. We all know the saying, “many hands make light work”, and that rings true here.
The greatest need of our partners in Poland and Ukraine is long-term financial support, especially now as all have confirmed the drastic dwindling of financial aid since March. So many of you have generously supported our efforts, but as my Momma says, “You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip!”…meaning, I recognize our base of support must continue to expand beyond on our small team.
You can help in that effort by networking with me – what business, civic group, or local church do you know that might want to get involved? Maybe someone in your family is looking to “do something” for the greater good?
If you can help make these kinds of connections then, together, we can ensure our work here doesn’t fade into the headlines, just another post on a scroll. We can offer our local partners and the people of Ukraine perhaps the greatest gift . . . that we will remember.
- xox, Lauren
P.S. - to help in this networking effort, email me or text me: Lkfilbeck@gmail.com / (678) 381-6284
