Dear Family and Friends,

I have an incredible opportunity to travel to Poland next month to serve Ukrainian families who have taken refuge there from the war. I know you, like I, have been saddened to watch the images of the traumatized mothers and their children leaving their husbands, fathers and brothers behind in their country, not knowing if they will ever see them again or ever return to their homes. The Pole's are doing all they can do to help. It is amazing that across Poland, every Polish family with any available room or space has taken in these mothers and children into their homes! Imagine having a very stressed family in your home for an extended amount of time. We get irritable after a week and it has been 2 1/2 months now and the Polish people are weary from caring for the constant influx of the traumatized. Just to give you an idea of the situation there I have included a few sentences from an email from one of our partners we will be serving with: 

         "As you know from my last newsletter update, it is an honor to serve in this moment, but it is also an emotional rollercoaster. I just got off the phone with Xxxx, our churches point person for serving the refugees, because I had asked him to follow up on a family who I was asked to help. It is a mother with a 7 month old baby and a she is with her mother who is going through cancer treatments. Imagine the challenge of moving to a new country, with a new language and culture, without your spouse, but with an infant and a mother battling cancer and currently living in student dormitory."

These types of stories are occurring all across Poland. I am grateful (and honestly, a little nervous) to have the opportunity to go to Warsaw to serve these people, to help lighten their load for a small 14 days. If you also have been wishing there was something you could do, well here is a way for you to come to Poland with me!

First, I am asking for your prayers. While this seems like a simple undertaking, I will need a lot of prayer, before I go and while in the country. I will need wisdom, humility, love, patience and kindness to encourage and serve both the Polish people and Ukrainian families. The women are fragile and the children are confused and hurting. Also, while we will not be close to the border with Ukraine, this is still a volatile region. And while I have too many Covid shots to count, I would love prayers for protection from Covid. Would you please consider being on my prayer team? 

Second, I would love support for the refugees. I am self funding my expenses on this trip, but any money I raise over my costs will go directly to members of my team who may not be able to raise enough support to go. And, if all 12 of us meet the support goals, all additional money will go directly to helping the Ukrainian Refugees. So any money you contribute to my fund will go to either a team member or the refugees. 

I will be leaving Atlanta on June 14 and will return June 26. I would love if you would consider praying and/or supporting me.

If you have any questions, I would love to answer them. Feel free to email me, text or call: gkosiba1@mac.com or 770-823-8807

Blessings,

Gayle