Food storage, delivery strengthens faith for Latter-day Saint in Ukraine
Mar 6, 2022, 1:41 PM | Updated: Jun 19, 2022, 9:42 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — The war in Ukraine has left many residents who did not flee the country foraging for food and shelter.
Since the war broke out more than a week ago, it’s been a struggle to get food and supplies into certain parts of Ukraine.
Andre Zinkovsky lives in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and credited a message from Church prophets to help him prepare for the war and help his countrymen.
“Our streets are destroyed,” Zinkovsky said. “I think that I have, I would have the desire to you know, go around and help people and I put myself, my life and my drivers at risk and my farmers at risk to do this. But I plead with them every day to come and to gather some food.”
Zinkovsy works in food delivery in Ukraine and began storing food years ago. It was a spiritual feeling that compelled him to be prepared. Never knowing he would need the food.
He has delivered food to local hospitals, homes, and to those who are in need.
“Right after everyone found out that Ukraine had been invaded by Russia, you know, I was shocked by that news and horrified and felt so sad like everyone else and wanted to do something,” said podcaster and blogger Corrine Stokoe.
She recently discussed faith with Zinkovsky during her regular podcast Mint Arrow Messages.
She saw what Zinkovsky was doing and decided to help by creating a way for people to donate to him.
“I think it’s just restoring my faith in humanity and people having such good hearts and wanting to help and I think we hear far too often about doom and gloom and how terrible things are in the world,” Stokoe said.
She has raised over $20,000 for Zinkovsky.
“And then my testimony wasn’t weak but strengthened even more, because I saw in real life, how this food storage helps not only me, but as those around me,” Zinkovsky explained. “And I was a self-learning specialist (for self-reliance), in our state for a couple of years.”
It showed that no matter how much bad there is in the world, there’s always some good to restore your faith.
“My faith right now is probably the biggest blog that holding me together and helping me to stay strong and understand that this thing, this war, invasion, whatever we call that is not permanent,” said Zinkovsky.
Corrine’s in-depth discussion with him is available Monday. Click here to get more information.
