A group of Ukrainian Americans and pastors prayed for M. Dujon Johnson in a church last week. The pastor asked God to protect Johnson, 62, who’s on his way to Ukraine to fight alongside their forces according to Detroit Free Press.

“Father, we pray right now as we stand here with M. Dujon Johnson,” the Rev. Jack Perkins of Southwestern Church of God in Detroit said according to the news outlet. “We pray, God, that you would bless him. … Give him the wisdom that he needs, Lord God, to be a help and an assistance. Father God, give him the protection that he needs, that he be safe. Lord God, give him the strength that he needs that he may be able to survive.”

He says he is taking a flight to Amsterdam, then to Krakow, Poland.  Then he plans to cross over into Ukraine to meet up with groups in Cherkasy coordinating foreign fighters. He says he’s been in touch with Ukrainian officials and other contacts he developed while living there with the Peace Corps.

Johnson who is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Germany in the 1970s expects to be given a weapon once he gets to Ukrainian.

“I’m actually going to fight,” Johnson, who currently lives in Detroit. “That’s the purpose. It’s not humanitarian, it’s actually going to fight. I’ll be issued a weapon once I once I get there.”

Johnson is one of many who are traveling to Ukraine to help forces defending their country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last Thursday about 16,000 from around the world have flocked to Ukraine to fight, according to the Washington Post.

“Anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals,” Zelenskyy said.

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