On Saturday, Jan. 17, Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville will host a daylong series of worship services, presentations and artistic offerings focused on peace, education and action in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine — along with one unique guest.
“A Day of Prayer for Ukraine and Beyond” begins with morning prayer at 9 a.m., followed at 9:30 a.m. by a presentation from Alex Drueke.
Drueke is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who served two tours in Iraq before traveling to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion to help train Ukrainian forces. Drueke joined foreign volunteer units and was captured by Russian forces near Kharkiv in June 2022 and held as a prisoner of war for more than 100 days before being freed in a prisoner exchange. Drueke returned to Ukraine after his release to continue supporting humanitarian and advocacy efforts and has spoken publicly about his captivity and the broader conflict…