LUNA PIER, Mich. — It's been six months since Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the ongoing conflict that began in 2014. And there are no signs of it stopping.
Svetlana Stahl, from Luna Pier, Michigan, took in Olga Pluzhynk, a Ukrainian refugee, on July 26.
Pluzhnyk does not speak English, have family in the U.S. or know if she'll have a home to go back to in Ukraine.
But, she said she's grateful to be safe and not hear sirens every night.
"The shopping mall was bombed in my city and when I was leaving I smelled the dead bodies and burned bodies," Pluzhnyk said, with Stahl translating for her.
Pluzhnyk and Stahl met on Facebook shortly after the war began and formed a bond. Eventually, Stahl convinced her to come to the U.S. as a refugee.
"(Pluzhnyk) wasn't planning on coming to the United States," Stahl said. "She is a citizen of Ukraine and she's hopeful that (the war) will end soon."
As a Ukrainian refugee, Pluzhnyk said her journey to the U.S., and now her transition to her new life, has been tumultuous.
She feels comfortable at Stahl's house. But she cries daily because she misses the family she had to leave behind.
"I miss them. I want to go out and talk to people but I don't know the language so I use the phone to translate," she said.
Stahl's granddaughter, Armani, has found purpose in helping out, especially since there are still barriers that they encounter daily.
"I've always been taught how to do things my whole life and now I have to teach someone older than me how to speak our language and how to do things our way," Armani said. "How we do things in America rather than in Ukraine, it's is a totally different routine. It's fun but it's definitely different."
Armani's assistance has helped formed a sisterly bond between her and Pluzhynk.
"I keep telling her she's not a bother, she's not a burden to me. I never had a sister and I feel like we have a lot in common," Stahl said.
Even though she fled to the U.S. for safety, Pluzhynk wants to make the most of her time here.
"I want to work, I want to learn English to communicate, I want to pass the driver's test and get a license," she said.
Stahl is working to help more people become refugees and get them stateside.
She's been approved to bring over four of Pluzhynk's family members but said it's been a struggle due to a lack of local or government funding to cover the expenses.