Couple's vigil offers hope

Once again, we live in uncertain times. But amidst the gloom and despair of war in Europe, allow me to bring you a story that offers us all real hope.

Gregor and Katarina are friends of mine. As their names suggest, they hail from eastern Europe – from Ukraine, no less.

Today, they live in the Guildford area, where Gregor is a vicar within the Church of England. Fifteen years ago, they were in their homeland, daring to dream but not quite believing their hopes would ever be realised.

The couple had been invited to come to England by a UK evangelist, where a bible college place was awaiting Gregor, an engineer. Yet so many obstacles stood in their way – not least a lack of money, nowhere to live and Gregor's acute unfamiliarity with the English language, which was a major hurdle that had to be overcome if a temporary residency visa was to be issued by the UK Government.

Rather than panic, or become disillusioned, Gregor and Katarina resorted to prayer in a bid to deal with the many conundrums they faced. In a nutshell, they totally surrendered to a higher authority. But not only did they commit to pray together for an hour every day, but they also pledged to bear their souls aloud!

THE LONG WAIT: the British consul in Kyiv miraculously granted Gregor and Katarina a visa.

Despite any reservations, the couple started fulfilling their commitment to God. Every day, for at least an hour, they would go down on their knees and commune with our Creator. And the more they did so, the more confident they became. Not only that, but remarkable things started to happen.

The issues they had with money, accommodation in the UK, and a plethora of other things, all fell by the wayside. Several messages from their contacts in the UK, delivered over several months, told them of the remarkable things that were happening – some of us would say these acts bordered on the miraculous – as strangers came forward offering to support the young man and his wife.

Continuous prayers were also being said in the UK by at least one church congregation.

The progress was astounding and after a couple of years, all that remained was for the UK to rubberstamp their application. In anticipation, a one-way coach and ferry trip was organised. But there would be no second chance. There was enough cash to pay for one journey. If there were any hiccups, Gregor and Katrina's hopes of reaching the UK would be crushed.

Alas, there remained a huge problem: Gregor was required to pass a verbal reasoning test and, by his own admission, his command of English was still not nearly good enough. If he failed the test, a visa would not be forthcoming. It was as simple as that.

HOPING FOR A MIRACLE: protestors around the world are making their views known about Russia.

Fast forward to the day they visited the British consul in Kyiv; they arrived in the morning and were immediately greeted with a long queue. It seems many other Ukrainians also wanted to visit the UK, so they found themselves at the back of the line. Several hours passed with Gregor trying to recall and recite English words and phrases and becoming increasingly anxious despite Katarina's reassurances.

Eventually, with less than five minutes to go before the consul closed, and their dreams looking as though they were going to be crushed, a member of the Embassy's staff approached them. In their hand was a piece of paper.

"Here you go, here's your visa to the UK," said the official briskly, before he showed Gregor and Katarina to the door and wished them a safe journey. No interview was required by them, even though everyone who had preceded them had been grilled in some detail!

The cynics among us will be critical of the official for seemingly not doing his job properly. I think somewhat differently. I believe that the consul staff member was being used by God.

CASUALTIES OF WAR: families have been broken up and displaced since the conflict erupted.

Today, this couple are among the many thousands of Ukrainians in the UK who have family and friends in places like Kyiv. As Britons, we cannot understand the extent to which their worlds have been turned upside down in just a few short days.

Every time I think of Ukraine, I think of Gregor and Katarina and their incredible faith. Their prayers – and those of many Britons – resulted in the impossible becoming possible.

The reason for sharing this story is to encourage you never to give up hope. If you are prepared to do the right things, and God is at the heart of all you do, it is amazing what can happen.

I do not know what God has planned for the current situation in Ukraine. But I do believe his protective hand will be over those believers who look to Him, just like Gregor and Katarina did all those years ago and continue to do today.

So please pray for Ukraine and put your faith in God. He really is more potent and powerful than any bullet, missile or tank.

Tony Yorke is the Deputy Editor of Sorted.