TEMPLE, Texas — Derrel Thompson has visited Ukraine seven times since 2010 and was in the country last October. He traveled with a choir for a music ministry. He helped teach English both in Ukraine and online. He taught an online bible study with those students just last Wednesday.
Now he's trying to make sure they are still safe.
"It's just so heartbreaking knowing what they are going through and the horror that they are seeing," Thompson said.
One student, referred to as "Kate," had to flee from Mariupol' in eastern Ukraine all the way to Lviv in the western part of the country. It's a 767 mile journey. He eventually received an email saying she was safe along with photos of the devastation seen on the way.
Another student that lives in the southern part of Ukraine has still not checked in.
Thompson is currently the Music Minister at Taylor’s Valley Baptist Church in Temple. He taught the bible study class, which has four Ukrainian students, three times since January. When the class last met on Wednesday, the students didn't seem to expect a full-scale invasion.
"Those that lived in the Western park of Ukraine seemed to be very confident that they would be away from harm," Thompson said. "They all thought he (Putin) would come in from the East and stay there. They didn't think it would be the massive, wide spread attacks as we've seen."
Danny Cunningham, the executive leader at Temple Bible Church describes Ukraine as a beautiful place, with beautiful people who have a gift of hospitality.
He says what he is seeing now is beyond what most of him and his congregation expected.
Temple Bible Church has been faith partners with many churches in Ukraine and neighboring countries for several decades doing ministries together.
"We have a significant relationship with friends and family there to the point where many of us can say some of our closest friends in the world are halfway around the world so it's been a blessing," Cunningham said.
Cunningham says one of the biggest fears they've had other than harm and the terror, was not being able to talk to them as they battle and flee for their lives.
Ukrainian residents hide in bomb shelters
Luckily, they've been able to talk every day.
"We have secure apps and we have messaging capabilities that we've been able to have moment-by-moment reports, prayer, communication, and face to face communication in ways that is just the flat out miracle," Cunningham added.
As disaster and devastation unfolds just above them -- Cunningham shares photos with 6 News of his friends hunkering down.
"The cities that we know and work in have military bases so they are targeted and they have sirens on a daily basis and they're running to their shelter," he said.
With prayer, Cunningham says they're trying to help as much as they can, including working with partnerships on the grounds and also helping from Central Texas.
"How do we help them get the aid that they need and then how do we help folks that are seeking refuge in the neighboring countries and so we are working diligently to have a reliable, repeatable plan," he added.
Temple Bible Church will have a specific, separate prayer service Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the church's' "Commons" building.
Cunningham says they will soon be announcing more details about how they plan to help Ukrainians.