“God guides my heart and I am guided by His word. Every veteran needs healing of the soul. We protect our homeland, and both the Bible and the Most High support our efforts.” Oleksandr Dovhyi, chaplain, veteran.
War-related activity started for Oleksandr Dovhyi in 2014, when the Russians annexed Crimea. Together with some brothers from his church, he volunteered and ministered to the Ukrainian military on the border of the Kherson region and Crimean peninsula. Later, he became a volunteer chaplain and supported the Ukrainian soldiers who defended the Donetsk airport. Ukrainian authorities decided to legalize the chaplaincy movement and make sure the army meets NATO standards.
Oleksandr Dovhyi studied the principles of chaplaincy in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. From 2016 to 2018, he served as a full-time chaplain in one of our military brigades.
“Chaplains serve as guardians of soldiers’ souls. It’s hard for them to manage the emotions of killing another human. Taking a person’s life worries soldiers the most. It is difficult for them to accept violence that occurs in war as normal behavior. Divorce is more likely in military families. During war and the associated struggle for life, soldiers view people and situations differently, especially when a weapon is in their hands. During my initial volunteer service back in 2014, I did not fully understand the heartache the guys were experiencing. Everything changed on February 24, 2022, when I stood up to defend my homeland and took up arms. God was preparing me for military service when I served as a chaplain,” Oleksandr Dovhyi says.
He shares that traumas suffered by Ukrainian military men and women are more mental than physical. Trauma experiences cause the veteran’s brain to function differently. Consequently, a veteran’s personality changes. They are not the same person that they were before the war.
“I joined the army because we were attacked. We had to defend ourselves. During my service as a chaplain, I developed a relationship with God that compelled me to defend myself and take up arms if required. The Bible teaches us to protect our home and family.”
My decision to protect our nation and families was made on the day of the full-scale Russian invasion. I evacuated my children and my wife and came back to join one of Ukrainian brigades. We defended Mykolaiv for about 45 days. Then we were deployed to the eastern front. In June, I was wounded and left the service after a lengthy rehabilitation period,” Oleksandr Dovhyi shared.
With his experience and desire to help those who served in the military, Oleksandr joined the My Home team to help build a Veteran Hub for Ukrainian veterans.
“Helping veterans and saving their souls is our primary goal. After experiencing the horrors of war, it is difficult for soldiers to regain optimal mental health and adjust to normal civilian life. Although not every veteran will come to faith in Christ, we will be available for them to extend a hand of spiritual and physical help, counsel, and support. They defended our state; we are obligated to protect their souls,” Oleksandr Dovhyi declares