Our ministry received some remarkable messages from a woman who translated my book Happiness into Ukrainian in 2023 and just finished translating Heaven. She shared how the books have helped her and others in this season of war and suffering in Ukraine. (Several of my articles and some of my books are available in Ukrainian. And we have a growing number of resources in other languages.)
How wonderful to know that Heaven is being translated by Olga, who is clearly a Jesus–loving soul:
Dear Randy, I am currently working on the Ukrainian translation of your book Heaven, and I am nearing its completion. My heart is overflowing with gratitude—first and foremost to God, of course, because this is His Spirit, His inspiration, and His Word. But I am also deeply grateful to you. Thank you for painting such a breathtaking and wondrous picture of our eternal home. Very often, while working on the text, I would stop just to pray and give thanks, over and over again, to the One who awaits us there with such immense love. This book holds so much love, hope, and happiness—everything that our Creator gives us and embodies in Himself. Thank you for this incredible privilege of giving a Ukrainian voice to your Heaven.
Warmly in Christ,
Olga Drobko
P.S. Quite often, I find myself unable to hold back tears from the overwhelming emotions that fill my heart.
It almost sounds insensitive to think my book Happiness could possibly be relevant to people who are facing such immense suffering. But Olga also wrote:
Actually, Heaven is the second book by Randy that I’ve translated. The first one was Happiness. I was working on it back in 2023, during the second year of the war here in Ukraine. It was a time of pure horror, uncertainty, and the deepest sorrow. Honestly, working on a book about a happy God, who is the source of all joy and happiness, became my true refuge. I would almost literally hide in this work to escape the endless news of deaths and destruction. I remember quoting it and sending snippets to everyone I talked to. It was my medicine, my place of rest, and my strength to keep moving forward.
Now, a year later, since the book has been published, Happiness has become a true revelation for so many people here in Ukraine during these dark times. Every page reveals a God we never really knew or heard about. And now, I’ve just finished Heaven. It brings the exact same hope, comfort, and refuge. Honestly, I sometimes wonder who needs these precious truths more—people in stable, peaceful countries, or those who are staring death in the face every single day...To say I’m deeply and unspeakably grateful is an understatement. I’m crying even now as I type this… Thank you all for being such a blessing to us!
Olga followed up with these words: “I can hardly describe how much more deeply the truth about our happy God touches me now, as I come to understand that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. And how much more precious the wonderful truths about Heaven become when we realize that our present, momentary sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed.”
She explained what life looked like on the day we were emailing with her:
Your message brings a special warmth and comfort this morning. Air raid alerts are sounding across Ukraine again, explosions are shaking Kyiv, and fighter jets are flying overhead. My older son cannot go to university today, and my younger son cannot go to high school. In the midst of all this, your kind words and prayers feel like a warm embrace.
My friend Steve Keels and I visited Olga’s home country in 1991 when it was still a republic as part of the old U.S.S.R. For two weeks, we passed out Bibles in both Ukraine and Russia. Steve and I met wonderful believers in both countries and personally witnessed historical events that I will never forget.
I was actually there on “Lenin’s Day,” April 22, 1991, watching live from maybe the tenth floor of a hotel, as the Ukrainian people put ropes around a huge statue of Lenin. They pulled it down to the ground, while police and/or military were lined up pointing rifles at them. Fortunately, there was no shooting, but what an unforgettable sight, and I still remember the sounds of celebration when the statue hit the ground. Ukraine has always been on my heart since the time we spent there. (See a blog I wrote four years ago sharing more memories of that trip: Pray for the Precious People of Ukraine (and Russia), Traumatized by War.)
Olga wrote our ministry, “Knowing that Ukraine has been on Randy’s heart ever since, and that you are praying for us and for these translation projects, is such an encouragement. Thank you for remembering our country during this painful time.”
Peter Hibbs, the missions pastor at my home church Good Shepherd Community Church, gave a report about his very recent trip to Ukraine. The senseless war between Ukraine and Russia is absolutely horrific, and young men, including Christian young men, are being sent to the front lines from both sides where the average length of survival is less than an hour. Military casualties for both sides combined are said to exceed two million, one million minimum, and there are many civilian deaths in Ukraine.
The horror of Christian brothers killing Christian brothers only because they’re commanded to do so by their government is, to me, a weight beyond description. I remember sitting at dinner with a large extended Ukrainian family on that trip in 1991, and singing joyous hymns I could not understand except when the music corresponded to the hymns we also sing in the U.S. These were people who had grown up under the massive weight of communist atheism, but by God’s grace, they had broken free and deeply loved Jesus. I find myself wondering how many of the two dozen now-grown children at that huge table have already been killed in this war, and how many will soon be killed. It breaks my heart, and I’m crying as I write this because I can still see their faces and hear their voices and the resonance of songs sung in a minor key that only the suffering can understand. Yet they declared a major faith in the God who is above all suffering, and still uses it for His purposes.
Samaritan’s Purse is having a tremendous ministry in Ukraine and needs our support. (And certainly, the people of Russia need prayer too. I think of our brothers and sisters there who love Jesus, including a Christian leader I know of who has spoken out against what the Russian government has done to the people of Ukraine, and is in jeopardy of serious consequences.) Samaritan’s Purse has produced a remarkable two-part video about the situation in Ukraine. Whether you watch it or not, please consider supporting them in their work to help the helpless.
If you do nothing else, please listen to the song at the beginning of part one in the Ukrainian language and read the captions that start that video:
Part two:
