On February 25, 2022, administrators at the Ukrainian Adventist Center of Higher Education (UACHE) in Bucha, Ukraine, faced a critical decision. Russian forces were quickly advancing on Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, where the college is situated. It was winter and the middle of the academic year. After a prolonged forewarning, conflict and its disruptive cacophony had arrived at their proverbial doorstep. Now, they had to make a choice. Should they evacuate the students or not?

The breathtaking decision to evacuate was inevitable; the destruction and fury would soon barge into their lives. They had one bus—and despite it being “almost unusable for traveling”—it proved to be an invaluable resource during the rapid evacuation. Administrators and faculty used their cars as a supplement to transport the remaining students elsewhere. 

The battle, now known as the “Battle of Bucha,” rained an aura of destruction and looting upon the UACHE campus. The Russian military occupied the deserted college’s buildings and the surrounding city through the end of March 2022. Most students and staff were safe, but the bus, key in this evacuation, could no longer transport students. This left a significant and profoundly unsafe aberration in their evacuation plans.

Filling The Need

Over a year later, in March 2023, Seventh-day Adventist World Church leaders selected UACHE as the Special Mission Focus during the Spring Week of Prayer at the Adventist Church world headquarters. 

Each year, employees and leaders at the General Conference (GC) headquarters gather for a week of spiritual enrichment. The Special Mission Focus allows World Church employees who would otherwise be unable to contribute “in the field” to make an international impact.

“Every year during our week of prayer, we select some place in the world where we are able to contribute [money],” said Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, director of Education at the GC. “Everybody gets to contribute to that,” she said. “This is coming out of the pockets of ordinary workers here.”

When they asked UACHE administrators what their greatest need was, the college stated that they needed a replacement minibus, which would cost $26,860.13 USD.

So, they set out to gather the funding necessary to purchase the bus. Initially, world church leaders only set out to raise $20,000 USD. This goal was met, and more, for on July 31, 2023, the amount raised exceeded $27,000 USD—$7,000 USD more than what was initially expected. 

Pastor Abner de los Santos, GC vice president who is the chairperson of the Morning Worship Committee at the GC, announced via email on July 29, 2023 that the fundraising goal had been met. “We are delighted to share with you that we surpassed our goal for the Special Mission Project during our Week of Prayer in March […] and were able to raise enough money to be able to purchase the entire cost of the minibus.” He added, “Please continue to keep Bucha University in your prayers and for all of Ukraine during these trying times.”

If the additional money hadn’t been found, UACHE would have been on the hook for the remaining cost. “People responded with their hearts and their pockets, so we exceeded the amount of money that we aimed for,” Beardsley-Hardy said. 

A Volkswagen minibus has since been purchased using the funds that were raised.

In addition to the minibus serving as a tool to transport students in the event of an evacuation, it will also assist UACHE and its students as they continue ministering to the war-torn community surrounding the college.

“I was even afraid when we announced the project [...] It was more than we raised last year,” Beardsley-Hardy said. “But people really responded. Many people want to do something. Their hearts bleed for those in Ukraine. This is an opportunity to do something very tangible that will address the current crisis as well as continue to enable this college and the students to participate in mission and community outreach into the future.”

Looking Forward

As for the aftermath, Andrii Shevchuk, president of UACHE, told ANN in an email, “We feel God’s protection and blessing in this difficult time for Ukraine.” 

Classes have been taking place remotely since March 2022. “Most of the students plan to return to Bucha despite the ongoing conflict,” Shevchuk said. “With the help of the global church, local communities, and individuals, we are rebuilding our campus infrastructure and plan to start classes on September 1, 2023.” The bus was only one piece of this.

When asked if UACHE had additional needs that had not been met, Shevchuk stated, “We have a need for 35 new computers and 22 monitors. During the occupation of the city by the Russian army, some hardware was destroyed. We also need 39 laptops to provide online learning opportunities for students who, for various reasons, will not be able to study offline, especially for students living in the occupied territories.” 

At this time, it is unclear how this need will be met. UACHE continues to solicit the prayers and support of the global church as they navigate these extraordinary circumstances.

Lisa Beardsley-Hardy contributed to this report.