GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Vlad Vremea is watching from half a world away as war rages mere miles from his hometown of Belts, Moldova. He's a freshman studying at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, but when his family group chat started discussing the sound of bombings, he felt helpless.
"It came to the point where I was like okay, something scary is happening, there’s nothing which I can do," he said. "I was thinking about oh, it’s so unfair that they’re there and I am here in safety and protection with everything I need while they are there serving and losing their jobs."
Vremea is a man of faith. Studying seminary at Cornerstone, he wants to return to Moldova to coach basketball as well as lead worship. His church is what ultimately helped remove that feeling of hopelessness. His family has taken in seven refugees who have fled over the border of Ukraine. Other families in his church and in his neighborhood have taken in up to 40.
A text from his father sparked the inspiration. His father said he was crying, unsure how he would financially support a family and refugees in need.
"When I saw war is happening there I felt like I was losing my purpose," Vremea said. "But then I realized that God can use me still."
He started a GoFundMe, and within one day of it going live, he collected more than $15,000. He's working with churches in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor to ensure the money gets transferred to his church, Emanuel, in Moldova correctly.
"I knew that I loved my family, I knew that I loved them," Vremea said. "But it was the first time when I told my dad, 'You told me you were proud of me, this is my time when I am so proud of you."
Vremea says his faith has been bolstered seeing the kindness of strangers on both sides of the world. In his words, he doesn't fear over the war, because his faith assures him he'll see his family again one way or another. He does worry, but he's confident that every little act of kindness pushes the needle back towards hope.
"I see a lot of scary videos and a lot of dead bodies in pictures, but at the same time I see churches who are serving 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Vremea. "It’s not only a story of fear and losing people, it’s a story of love and giving and of sacrificing and I think it’s very important to remember this side of the war as well."
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