Shoreline native living in Ukraine stays in the country, helps raise children of families joining fight
Shoreline native living in Ukraine says they were given Molotov cocktails to throw at tanks
James Hopkins says all the streets have big barricades for tanks and every corner has a group of men with machine guns (local militia). He also said they were given Molotov cocktails and told how to light them and throw them at tanks. Two families have given him their children while they go fight for Ukraine.
Thousands are in the path of Russia's destruction as families flee Ukraine.
But, many decided to stay inside their homes, including a missionary named James Hopkins. He was born and raised in Shoreline, and now lives in Lutsk, Ukraine, which is near the borders of Poland and Belarus.
He says he expects Russian troops to roll by his home any day now.
"Now, all the streets have big barricades all over the place for tanks and for armored vehicles, and every corner has like 40–50 men with machine guns, local people," said Hopkins. "Yesterday morning, car came to our house with about seven guys, and they brought us Molotov cocktails, and they instructed us how to throw them, how to light them and throw them on the tank, how to do it right. And I was a little shocked by that."
Hopkins says people are scared, but they are ready to do anything they have to, so they can defend their country.
"We have two families that have given us their children to watch while they're fighting. So a husband and wife," said Hopkins. "One is a major and his son is with us, and another family and their daughter is with us. They're 11 and 12 years old, and we're kind of their new parents, for now."
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