Ukrainska flyktingar förbereder Thanksgiving-fest som tack till Texas kristna
**Houston** — A year ago, Memorial Church of Christ volunteers served Ukrainian refugee families a traditional Thanksgiving meal from Pappas Bar-B-Q, a popular Houston restaurant chain.
But this November, the newcomers to Texas — still struggling to adapt and learn a new language after fleeing Russia’s 1,000-day war on their homeland — rejected the offer of turkey, dressing and all the fixings.
“No, we’re not going to be doing that,” Oleksandr Voievoda, a 34-year-old father of two, declared in his native language during the Ukrainian Bible class that meets at the Memorial church.
Instead, Voievoda insisted, the refugees would prepare a special feast — featuring Ukrainian favorites such as stuffed dumplings known as varenyky — to show their extreme gratitude to their English-speaking brothers and sisters.
“It was so inspiring,” Yulia Merchant, the 36-year-old Russian immigrant who started Memorial’s thriving outreach to Ukrainians in early 2023, said of Voievoda’s pronouncement.
“Merchant helped Kozhevnikov, who had fled Russia after speaking out against the war, delve deeper into the Scriptures.
And she jumped into action when Kozhevnikov mentioned that neighbors — Ukrainian refugees in his apartment building, about five miles from the 1,000-member church — needed help with basic necessities.
“It’s really amazing,” Duncan said. “I thought this was going to be just for one family, and now there are hundreds involved. So it’s a really, really great ministry, and God has made it so. And we’re just very thankful for that.”
