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Davenport missionary seeking help in Ukraine refugee relief efforts

Jon Gainer leads KontaktMission relief efforts for Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring Romania.

BETTENDORF, Iowa — It has been one of the largest European exoduses since World War II.

The United Nations now expects 8 million Ukrainians will flee their war-torn country by the end of 2022.

Put that into comparison: Iowa's population is 3.1 million, Illinois' is 12.6 million.

More than 5 million have fled Ukraine as of April 2022, more than 700,000 are in Romania.

"They really come with nothing," said Jon Gainer, KontaktMission USA director of Eastern European operations.

Gainer is a Davenport native who spreads the word of the Gospel with the support of Bettendorf Christian Church.

He helped set up this small refugee camp in central Romania.

"You come to the realization that the people that are coming to these camps are never going back to where they left," Gainer said.

A family effort to help refugees

Gainer, his wife Jenny (from Bettendorf) and their four children lived in central Ukraine for a dozen years before leaving in 2020.

And for the past few months, he and KontaktMission have used small portable units to shelter the women and children fleeing the war.

"After they get a first night's sleep, a lot of them have been traveling for weeks on end to get there," Gainer said. "Once they get that first couple of good night's sleep, they can relax and they can be fed and cared for and loved. Then there's just a feeling of immense relief."

Gainer was struck by the reaction of those who come to his refugee camp for help.

A 9-year-old girl's response to seeing her new home struck him hardest.

"She was like, 'Oh, wow, it's so wonderful,'" Gainer explained.

He came back to the Quad Cities in April to tell what he saw, draw attention to the war in Ukraine and try to raise funds to continue relief work.

"The war has really brought that to our doorstep," Gainer said. 

He said he plans to return to Romania this summer to continue relief efforts.

His travels may take him back to central Ukraine.

The Midwest and Ukraine

He said people in Iowa and Illinois could easily relate to the people of Ukraine.

"If anybody should care about the Ukrainians, it's Midwestern people because they're just like us in a lot of ways," Gainer said.

He said the country has rich, dark soil — the breadbasket of Europe.

And the war in Ukraine affects everyone in Europe.

He likens the map of Eastern Europe to a map of the United States.

He says Poland is 10 hours away from Ukraine.

"So that would be like a war going on in Alabama going on right now," Gainer said. "Would that matter to Iowa?  Of course that would matter to Iowa.".

Looking for help

KontaktMission USA and the Bettendorf Christian Church are continuing to spread the word of the Gospel to places like Europe.

Click here to find the donation page to KontaktMission USA's Refugee Relief efforts.

But to Gainer, it's more than spreading Christian philosophies.

It's about spreading Christian values.

"We don't want people to get worn out about the Ukrainian crisis and forget about it," Gainer said.

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