When Does Childhood End? How old should a child be to start taking responsibility? At what age should a boy become a man? Is it before years of playing games with friends are over? Before grazed knees from climbing trees are a thing of the past? We don’t know if there could ever be an age we universally agree brings a boy into manhood, but we do know this: in the midst of war, boys take on that mantle far too soon.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We know of a boy, Andriy, only 8 years old, who lost his father and his smile on the same day. As war knocked on his family’s door, Andriy stepped up to support his mother – and stepped away from play, away from joy – locking down his emotions as he became the man of the house.
Anyone looking in could see that at 8 years old, Andriy should still have been playing, laughing, and enjoying his childhood alongside his younger brother. But what could be done for him? His mother, pregnant when she lost her husband to the Russian invasion, was heartbroken and overwhelmed, unable to meet her boys’ needs on her own.
That is when Operation Blessing stepped in. Our team from the Ivano-Frankivsk Training Centre first met the family while delivering support from the SEED project directly to their home. As we listened to Andriy’s mother share her fears for her sons, our team came alongside the family – extending help beyond food and self-sufficiency through the SEED project to include an invitation to the summer Youth camp we were running.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As Andriy spent time with our team, he slowly began to let down his defences and accepted the invitation. Attending the Youth Summer Camp alongside his brother, Andriy began to play again – and even to laugh.
To bring joy to a heartbroken child, to help restore innocence and hope, is something we never take for granted. Through Operation Blessing’s work around the world, we see time and again that when we help a child, we help an entire family. And so, with your help, we continue to go – bringing Jesus to the poor, the lonely, the orphaned, and the widowed – and working to see more childhoods like Andriy’s restored.
