Help to Renew Ukraine

This is for those who want to know the bottom line

QUICK VERSION! This is for those who want to know the bottom line, and especially for sharing in churches or small groups! PRAISE 130 people attended the seminar on Immanuel Prayer for Healing the Heart Almost everyone was totally engaged and participated. Upper 90’s but it finally broke with thunder showers on Wednesday afternoon to bring some relief even though we were over halfway through. God gave me (Diane) strength to teach 18 hours total during the two and a half days. Not even a headache despite the heat! PRAYER Pray especially for those who come in contact with or regularly work with soldiers and their families, that they will be able to help them find the peace that only our God who is Peace can bring. Pray for us as we recuperate. Thursday evening after it was over I got sick with a virus and was mostly in bed for the next 3 days. Recuperating slowly, but now Abe got sick yesterday, same virus. And so we go! COMMENTARY Get a cup of coffee! For those who have more time or a deeper interest! 😊 A huge thank you for your prayers for the seminar last week. There were 130 participants. The heat was incredible, in the upper 90’s which is 20 degrees hotter than normal. It was very hard for people to sleep at night because there is no air conditioning in those buildings, and little ventilation. The first day I took six cold showers in between sessions! Electricity was off for many hours each day but there was a generator which maintained mics and projectors and some air conditioning in the main hall. We finally began to have thunder showers Wednesday afternoon when we were more than half way through. But it definitely did bring some relief. The beautiful thing was that most of the people were totally engaged. People looking for healing of their own pain and trauma as well as those involved in reaching out and helping others. All of us are living in a country that is at war. Men are dying. Men are injured. And civilians are dying and injured. Children. Air sirens often sound. Power outages have become the norm, which adds another level of instability to life. Fear, anxiety, uncertainty. Yes, that sums it up for many people. I was amazed at how willing people were to participate. What I loved most is when people began to make connections themselves to Bible verses and principles that I had not mentioned. And all of this is done within the framework of brain science and how God has created us to function best. Hand in hand. What we believe about God is extremely important. Ukrainians are overall a very spiritual people. Despite all of the years under atheistic communism and oppression you would be hard put to find people who are atheists (compared to the “free” West!). But for most people God is far away, and He’s always looking at what we’ve done wrong. He is a God of wrath. Say you’re sorry. Light a candle. Get a blessing from the priest. And do it again next week. Certainly it is true that we have a holy God. But we also have a God who is good and loving and merciful. And a God who wants to be in relationship with us! Who wants to talk to us! Who is with us both in the good and the bad that we face in life. Always present. I guess one of my challenges is to actually help people act upon what they say they believe. One pastor came for the second time. He told me personally last time that he just couldn’t grasp what I was talking about in perceiving Christ’s presence with us—being aware of it—and then he did! This time he gave a public testimony that in the memory of a very touching moment with his son, he perceived Jesus being there with them. It touched a deep place in his heart as he works through wounds in his past. One of the main principles, and the basic one, that I try to make sure everyone is convinced of by the time they leave, is that we need to take time to remember positive experiences: find them, savor them again, and give thanks to Jesus for them as the Giver of all good gifts. In Immanuel Prayer for Healing the Heart this is the basis for connecting with people and praying for them, with them, and having them pray to God and experience His presence with them. It is the beginning of healing. And it also keeps you on the right track in your life! Here is a testimony sent in by one of the participants a couple days after the seminar: The Lord sent me to a wounded soldier, Ivan, at the hospital. He shouted that we had better not come there, that they were treated unfairly, life is unfair, etc. I prayed for him. And he ran out of the dining room in a rage. I quietly followed him, stopped, took his hand, with tears in my eyes... We met... And in thoughts Emmanuel prayer for the healing of hearts. - Share, - I say, - what is in your heart? He shared his grief for a long time... His wife cheated on him. She files for divorce. - And remember, - I say, - about something good that has happened in your life. My son. He smiled. He wanted me to pray He said, "Amen." He hugged me and said that he felt relieved. And I said that it was the Lord. And so my heart is good!!! Just one small example as these people move out, connecting with hurting people, listening to them, and bringing Jesus into their lives. So much to be done. So much pain and trauma. One young friend sent a memo yesterday that her friend’s fiancée was killed at the front. One of the things we encouraged in the seminar was doing breathing exercises to help calm the body. She said she did them many times yesterday to calm down, and then be available to comfort her friend. When this happens, every woman puts themselves in the place of that friend. “This might happen to my husband!” War is not far away. It is here. Do continue to pray for Ukraine. The politics of these things totally baffles me, but I know anyway that the Lord is the only one who can bring it to an end, however He chooses to do that. I did get sick almost immediately after the seminar. A virus that kicked in full strength Thursday evening! Coughing, coughing, sneezing, aching. We had stayed in Kyiv to take a break before returning home. That kind of wasn’t the break I was thinking of!! Monday morning I woke up feeling much better which was important since we had a five-hour trip home by bus. It was in the 80’s temperature wise and I figured that it would be miserable as usually there is minimal ventilation. Surprisingly! This bus had air conditioning! This is a company we travel with all the time! It’s the first time I knew they had any with air conditioning!! When these things happen I always think of all of the people who are praying. People praying--and my staying healthy and strong during the seminar. People praying--and the participants able to engage even though they were sleeping badly during the night because of the heat. People praying--and our having an easy trip home instead of the miserable heat we were expecting! Now Abe has gotten sick also! And so we give our weaknesses, which are many, to the Lord. It isn’t about us, it is about Him. And how it always heartens us to know that so many people surround us with their prayers on our behalf and on behalf of Ukraine.

22 Jun

Last week was quite intense for Abe

PRAISE AND PRAYER ALWAYS PRAISE Last week was quite intense for Abe but God sustained him through it. The last evangelism specific workshop until autumn for the group who already have Centers of Hope up and running. Different struggles. Many testimonies to God’s working. Following that workshop the next day Abe went to a pastors conference. It was held at a retreat center and Abe got this very strong impression that he should take along his own projector and speaker, and extension cord, even though all of the technical things were provided. There was an urgent knock on his door Friday evening. “None of the staff from the center are working on Saturday and we are not allowed to use any of their equipment!” Abe was to speak for about 3 hours on Saturday. No problem! Someone easily hooked up our equipment and everything went as planned! Amazing! He even had Ukrainian music videos because they could not use soundboard or anything for singing. God’s hand. Your prayers. When Abe got home Saturday evening we immediately left to go to a nearby hotel complex to rest for two full days. I knew Abe was tired before that week began. And as lovely as our place is, if we were at home he would be thinking about the painting he needed to do and the gardening—no longer in a relaxed manner because he was so tired. So we had two full days of nothing but peace and quiet and rest! When we got back home Tuesday he was again excited about his projects. And feeling much more rested! Thank You Lord for these opportunities. There are rotating power outages around the country. Priscilla said that they have them happen a couple times a day for a couple or so hours each time. But not according to the schedule which makes planning hard. And now when we go downtown there is the hum of generators again everywhere. And…we have had no outages. It is an ongoing wonder to us! And an extra thank You to the Lord! And, a huge praise which I have not mentioned yet. My energy levels have gone back to normal! I was tracking what happened after the medical checkups in February and my notes from mid-April show that I was coming back up to power. What an incredible gift from God!!! GOD, WE ASK YOUR HELP Russia’s attacks seem so intense. We have many air sirens going off. And yes, they are targeting energy facilities. And men are being called up. One of our leaders was called up last week which means, there will not be a Center of Hope there. Bogdan, who organized the pastors conference and has planted 7 or so churches, was stopped at a checkpoint on his way home and required to report for conscription. Another long-time acquaintance who is a professor at a seminary was called up. He went to the office and asked for a one-year deferment because there was no one else prepared to take over in his department and his groups of students would not be able to graduate next year. And they gave him an indefinite deferment! Praise God! He is 55. But, for many that is not the case. Pray for pastors and Christian leaders as they make appeals, and that they will rest in the knowledge that even if they have to leave their families and ministries, God wants to use them and will use them. Vera has put her trip to Crimea on hold. Ukraine has been attacking military facilities there. She is not afraid. But she is also not sure it is wise right now. Getting there is one thing. Getting back might be another. Such are the uncertainties of life here. Pray for her that she will find opportunities for a holiday here, and a companion to share it with. And pray that the Lord will open the door in due time for her to visit her family in Crimea. Abe is willing to let her go even in the autumn when the ministry starts back up. But things have to calm a bit. Pray that she will feel the Lord’s comfort and peace. Abe has another workshop starting Monday evening until Wednesday afternoon. I think he is very happy that it is the last one for now. He has planned a less hectic schedule in the fall, combining some of them, so is hoping it will be less strenuous for everyone. Pray for a special blessing on these people, and on him. In July and again August I will be doing a seminar on Immanuel Prayer for Healing the Heart. (That is why Abe can relax a bit!) With a special emphasis on the trauma going on here in Ukraine. So I am in intense preparation all this last week and this coming week. I need to have all the details pulled together by the end of June so that everything is in place for printing materials, updating power points and making new ones, etc… This week 10,000 text messages were sent out about it! This is being strongly backed by the Baptist Union leadership. It is possible we could have 200 people, which to be honest, I find very intimidating! But I know that whatever happens this is the task the Lord has laid before me and has been preparing me for. But, sometimes I have to quell the panic! 😊Pray that the Lord will continue to guide and provide above and beyond what we can even think to ask. Sometimes I have a day when I decide in the morning that it will be a thanksgiving only day. I will not pray and ask or intercede. Just constantly lifting up gratefulness, and even the people I would normally be praying for, instead I just thank the Lord for them and what He is doing in their lives. Today a special event will be taking place here. A friend asked if they could use our house to hold a bridal shower. They live in a somewhat crowded apartment, besides which she wanted to make it special. But there are not many options for a private party without paying some big bucks. So last evening even several ladies came to decorate. It gives us so much joy to share our home with others. We have always known it was God’s house. Yes, at one point we tried to buy it and it fell through. And then we thought we were going to be kicked out—but we weren’t. And so instead of worrying about the future we thank the Lord every day we have the privilege to live in this place with so many memories and which Abe has worked so hard to make beautiful. Among our memories are all the people we have shared our home with, usually when we have gone to North America. But sometimes when we are just gone here for a week or so. Usually it is a reprieve from apartment living. Sometimes a temporary solution for a family in between places. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”Colossians 4:2

07 Jun

Good turnout at the workshop this past week

PRAISE Good turnout at the workshop this past week. About 70, plus children and team. This group has really bonded. Many testimonies of God’s provision, of leading people to Christ. (And Abe is training them young!) And the following is a testimony which I tried to record as Abe told it to me: One of the CoH leaders met a man who asked him if he was a Baptist pastor. When he responded yes, the man said. Oh, I want to become a Baptist. Right now! Can you baptize me right away! I'm afraid I'm going to be drafted and I'm taking care of my invalid mother who cannot even feed herself, so I don't want to go into the army! The pastor said, Well, that isn't the way it works. For one thing, becoming a Baptist won't prevent you from being drafted, and, you need to do something else before you are baptized. Here is a prayer card that explains what you really need. Take it home and read it and I'll talk to you in a few days. He met with the man again a few days later and the man said, "Yes, I want to pray this prayer! I want to believe in Christ and follow Him. And I want to do it whether or not I'm drafted. It doesn't even matter whether I have to go into the army!" So they prayed together and the man committed His life to Christ with all joy. Sure enough, soon thereafter he was called up to go into the army, so he went. And...lo and behold, a short time later they released him to return home because of his dependent mother! Interesting how God draws people in different ways, and that when they meet Christ, fear leaves. Praise the Lord as He moves and works in the lives of people! PRAYER Which brings me to what is an ongoing prayer request in Ukraine for these coming months: this issue of men being conscripted to serve in the army. Especially pray for the Christians who are facing this. In that area I see men who are preparing themselves for that possibility, not without fear, but with an understanding of responsibility and God’s care; others who are hiding, trying to slip through the net as it is being tightened, in fear; and the wives of all of these men, many of whom live in dread—not only how they will manage with them gone but, what if. This is not some war far away. This is a war that, at best, is only a few hundred miles away. And the daily reports are of men dying. Pray as each man faces this that he would be able to claim the peace of Christ and the knowledge that he is in the hands of a God who loves him. And that each wife would be assured that their Lord and Savior is able to care for their needs. They are not alone. Shorter term, Abe has two meetings next week. He leaves Monday noon and will return Wednesday evening and leave again Thursday morning, returning Saturday afternoon. The first is a workshop with the smaller group. Pray that they will be encouraged. These are the ones with fully operational Centers of Hope, and they are struggling with the task of building a team. Doing evangelism is one thing. Raising up people a whole other challenge. Pray also for Abe’s endurance. He is quite tired right now. The second meeting is a pastors’ conference and Abe will be speaking a couple times. Pray that the Holy Spirit would give him the right words. He will, of course, be speaking on evangelism and challenging them to go out into their communities and make a difference. And a final prayer request: Vera, our coworker, is from Crimea. She had to leave there after Russia took control in order to be able to continue ministering with Abe. Because of Covid and now the war, she has not been back for 3 years. Abe has been concerned because all of her family is there, and she is a single woman. Loneliness and homesickness can be an issue. Not that she would ever complain! It is a difficult journey, but she thinks she has found a bus. It will take 4 days of travel both ways and it is very expensive, so Abe wants her to leave soon so she will have at least 6 weeks to actually be there. Pray that the Lord would open up the way for her to go. We think it will minister to her soul. Vera is well loved by all of our people. Her work with them is invaluable as she phones, encourages, evaluates and strategizes with Abe. Thank you, Lord, for being our overcoming God! You knew better than any of us how difficult this world would be and how desperately we would need your peace. So you promised that we can have that peace if we would desire it and ask you for it. You overcame the dark powers of this world and provided your peace for us. Thank you, Lord! Pour your peace into me now that I might demonstrate your overcoming power to those around me. (Prayer from Harvest Prayer Ministries)

25 May

Here is a photo of our great granddaughter

PRAISE Here is a photo of our great granddaughter Melody Joy with her adoring 3-year old big brother. How precious is a little life. We rejoice with our whole family. It makes me think of the godly generations that came before this child. For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5 And Oleg and Ellie Khomenko have started their life together, joined in holy matrimony by Daniel before God and His church. It was a joyous and God-honoring celebration. And Abe held another workshop with after the festivities that we were so privileged to participate in. He always comes home with many stories of people seeing Jesus active in their lives in different ways. But…we have to be looking for Him. And always testimonies of people coming to accept Christ into their lives. Abe has prepared a small card with a prayer on it taking people step by step from turning their backs on satan and their previous lifestyle and accepting new life in Christ to walk in His ways. One of our men was on the road and saw a soldier who was hitchhiking. He drove past and then he felt he should really go back so he did. He asked where he was going and actually took him to his village. The man was limping and only has one eye but has been called to go back to the front. As the conversation was gently turned to the spiritual, the soldier said that he had some relatives who were Baptists. Our man read through the prayer on the card with him and the soldier said, “Can I pray this prayer--now?” And he not only prayed but asked if he could have more of those cards to share with other soldiers, which he was gladly given! Praise God! PRAYER One church that has begun to operate as a Center of Hope has had a prayer meeting for Ukraine every day since January. It is a congregation of about 60 people, but every day people show up to pray. The pastor uses the prayer materials that Abe has shared in the workshops. Not just “shared” but used to have times of prayer during the workshops. Pray for faithful believers to both pray and share the Good News that we have for people. One man is a pastor in an area in the east that is increasingly under attack. He already had to leave his church further east as the Russians advanced. He was asked to take this present church. It was bombed and 30 people had taken shelter in the basement. They did escape with their lives, but they had to rent another building, and he has also put up a tent to hold services in on the other side of the city (Izyum). He has about 100 people attending and is doing all kinds of outreach. Now the owner of the building wants to raise the rent completely beyond reason. And, in the midst of it, Russia continues attacking because it sits on a crossroads of a major highway that would give access to critical areas. Pray that the Russians would be repelled. Pray that this group can have a good place to meet, whether God allows them to continue at the present building or provides another place. The reports on the front are fearsome. The Russians are using mines now that have been nicknamed “leaves” because they are very small and they are spreading them everywhere—and they are lethal if stepped on. They are also using chemical warfare. As I write this the air sirens are going. I’m sitting outside. I hear them very little inside the house. A constant reminder. I listened to a video on prayer and they talked about “lament” being part of prayer. We know about praise, confession, thanksgiving, petition, intercession. But—lament. Crying out to God about the injustices, the evil, the difficulties. That has freed my spirit to lift up my laments to the Lord. It is not complaining, but there is so much sorrow. Evil is so black. So senseless. And death and destruction. A quote from desiringgod.org: “Laments turn toward God when sorrow tempts you to run from him.” Food for thought, dear friends. It comforts me

14 May

I realized after I sent

I realized after I sent the prayer update last week that I had not made any personal mentions, and this is a landmark week for us and our family! Our granddaughter, Vienna, graduated on Monday in Oklahoma! (Daughter of Sam and Melissa) A few hours ago our first great granddaughter was born in Australia! (Second great grandchild—Grandchild of Dan and Priscilla—Their son Jesse and wife Daniella for those who keep records! LOL) And on Friday our granddaughter Elizabeth will be joined in holy matrimony with Oleg here in Ukraine! (Daughter of Dan and Priscilla) Presently I am in their town for celebrations. Abe was here and will return again tomorrow night after the present workshop. Our two granddaughters who live in Australia have come for the wedding as well as Daniel’s parents. Yes, I imagine there will be a couple more pictures to follow. This is definitely a week of new beginnings for our family! TESTIMONIES I talked to Abe this morning and he said there were some wonderful testimonies. A couple of them were from ladies who come with their husbands. One wife did not come with her husband for a long time, but with everything happening she finally said – I need to go myself and see about this. Since she started coming she has brought 3 ladies to the Lord and they are ready for baptism Another lady has been coming with her husband for a year and said she has learned so much and is doing things she never did before—especially with her hands: reaching out and touching someone, lifting up her hands as she prays for someone. She feels so blessed by what she has learned how new ways of ministering to people. Just a couple things to give you a feel for the joy. That is the atmosphere at the workshops—one of joy! WAR Russia continues to bombard Ukraine, while Ukraine has run out of munitions. Abe’s translator, Andrei, thinks they may have to evacuate. He lives very close to the Russian border and their city and area is under heavy bombardment now and they have lost electricity. His wife is in early stages of Alzheimer’s. Please pray for wisdom for them and a place to go. Dan and Priscilla are receiving more refugees in their town. And so…joy and sorrow. But God writes the final chapter! Praise be to Him!!!

09 May

Well, Abe had a double header

Well, Abe had a double header a couple of weeks ago and came home energized by all of God’s good works. It was demanding to run workshops back to back, but was a very good time. Always filled with testimonies and with prayer. Those are the mainstays of every workshop. Because (1) people need to hear real stories of what God is doing. And (2) we cannot do anything without God’s power, strength and wisdom. And so, some of our people even have creatively set up points of contact in their cities offering “Prayer for Peace” Some of them even have opportunity to pray with soldiers as they reach out. They pray for God to bring them “people of peace” whose hearts are open to Him. And God is! PRAYER More workshops coming up. Next week from May 13-15, and the following week May 20-22. Thank you for bathing these times in prayer. These people are also lifting up holy hands to the Lord Jesus to bring a great harvest for the Kingdom of Heaven in Ukraine! Here are a few verses for your meditation: 1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands…Leviticus 9:22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them,Exodus 17:11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.Psalm 63:4 So I will bless You as long as I live;I will lift up my hands in Your name. Psalm 28:2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.Lamentations 3:41 We lift up our heart and handsToward God in heaven; May the Lord encourage your heart as you pray for the salvation of souls, for the nurturing of these souls to thrive in the Kingdom of God, and for the Lord’s faithful workers in the harvest.

26 Nov

Two houses of prayer were damaged in the Luhansk region this fall The Russian invaders burned down the house of prayer of the Baptist church in Vovchoyarivka village of Luhansk region. The “Nativity of Christ” church had a house of prayer that was serving as housing for IDPs, a meeting place for Bible study groups, and many other types of ministry; there were organized the ministry for teenagers, children's camps, and English learning classes. The children enjoyed going there. Then the Russians brought there the destruction and decay. First, they occupied the church building for the accommodation of their militants. Then, after looting, they burned the building down. Today, thanks to the Russian aggressors, the house of prayer is left in ashes after burning. The house of prayer of the Baptist church at the occupied Hirske town (Luhansk region) was also destroyed. The church was well-known in the region for its activity. For the house of prayer, the community purchased a historic and spacious building. The church was paying special attention to the ministry of serving children and teenagers. Church life before the war was full of children's laughter and various social activities. When Girske was captured by the russian troops and the house of prayer was taken away from the church, all of that stopped. It is known that the building was occupied. In November the house of prayer was destroyed as result of shelling. Since then, the church was left without an important resource. But we believe the russian occupants will be driven out of our land, and through joint efforts the church will restore so needed ministry... Villages on the border of the Sumy region The russians continue to shell villages on the border of the Sumy region. Residents of those villages live under constant tension and expectation. It reminds us that there are Ukrainians today who continue to live very close to the border with russia (literally 500 meters away). We thank God for allowing us to minister to those people even in such an uncertain time. Oleksiy Myroshnychenko, the pastor of the Krasnopillia village church, is one of the volunteers ministering there regularly. He shares the difficulties local people have: electricity is often absent for several weeks in a row, logistics and delivery of goods are poor, and quality communication is almost impossible. Our ministers are monitoring those needs and are trying to respond to them. So the local church of Krasnopillya village is bringing those people with urgent needs generators, fuel, bread, and other food products. The recent events and a large-scale war make people more open to God. They are happy to receive Bibles and share faith with their friends. Houses of prayer are getting full; the repentance and conversion prayers to God are sound in churches today. Vasylivka town, Zaporizhzhia region Most of our stories are not finished or do not have a logical conclusion. So it is worth returning to some of them. On June 12, 2022 (during the Holy Trinity day celebration) armed Russian invaders came to the Baptist church in Vasylivka village of Zaporizhzhia region. They drove everyone out of the house of prayer, searched the building through, took away the keys, sealed the building, and said that “totalitarian sects have no place in «liberated Vasylivka»”. The church pastor (Mykola Zholovan) was placed under house arrest, and all of the information carriers he had were confiscated. Later, at the end of June, he was arrested and held for almost two days in the so-called "military commandant's office". He was eventually released. But the house of prayer is not yet returned. Numerous attempts to return the building (which is a historical monument) had no success. Pastor Mykola Zholovan shares: “For the last sixth month our building is used by the russian military, and we have no idea when we will be able to return our house of prayer while the city remains under Russian occupation. When I was released from the “commandant's office”, I realized that my entire family (besides me) was under the occupiers’ close surveillance. This convinced us of the need to leave the occupied territories. Most of the church members were also forced to leave the town. With the approval of the Baptists regional association’s leadership, I left Ukraine for a while. Today I am in Europe, and working with refugees. We pray for the faster liberation of our country from the aggressor and doe the opportunity for me to continue ministry in long-suffering Ukraine." Water baptisms continue in November Belgorod-Dnistrovsky church had a large celebration in November 6. There were 20 brothers and sisters baptized and joined the Church of Jesus Christ. Most of those people recently came to the Lord during the full-scale war. These are fruits of happiness for a community tirelessly ministering to people for the last eight months. “Our church ministers to our town by helping to feed more than 2,000 families. Whole families are turning to God. A girl who came to God through teenage ministry is a good example is. She brought her mother and later her grandmother. All of them got baptized today. This is a real awakening we were praying for!” – says Pastor Valentyn Lupashko. That is the second water baptism this year, and the church has already started preparation classes for the third baptism, which, if God willing, is planned to be held this winter. The “Transfiguration” church in Kharkiv have also baptized 15 people on the same day. “Potato story” The Baptist church of Nedrigailov village (Sumy region) has only 30 members but a strong missionary spirit. They are constantly looking for opportunities to spread the Kingdom of God in Ukraine 24/7. Besides preaching the Gospel, brothers of this church have already delivered about 15 tons of potatoes to Donbas! Where do the brothers get those potatoes? They proposed the villagers share the harvested crops. Some people offered a bag of potatoes (approximately 20-30 kg), others gave two, and some were giving even more. This harvest this year was good! Then brothers sorted the potatoes and packed them in nets. Dozens of settlements in Donbas tasted potatoes from Nedrygaylov village. Recently, Balaklia joined their list too. 15 tons of potatoes with the price of potatoes at 10 uah per kilogram is equivalent to 150,000 uah. That’s a lot of money for a small rural church community. That’s a good story of initiative, cooperation, and sacrifice. May this “potato story” help others to look for the opportunities they have, and to use them wisely.

25 Nov

We get together and minister as the light Churches of Ukrainians continue to minister with greater zeal and courage despite the difficult life circumstances. We are convinced that the snowdrifts, worsening or absence of mobile communication, Internet, and electricity are not solid obstacles for the ministry to God and people. As for now, their missiles and drones have damaged several hundreds of vital infrastructure objects. We are trying hard to save electricity whenever possible, which today is supplied by short time limited cycles. Power plants, enterprises, and residential buildings were hit. But we are still alive and can work with incredible gratefulness to the Lord for every day we have. He still sits on His throne, and all the leadership, power, and further history’s writing belong to Him. He will not let Ukrainian people go through trials beyond our strength, so we entrust our current difficulties to Him. Ministry at liberated Kherson There is a humanitarian disaster in Kherson due to the lack of water and electricity. There is a lack of medications and bread because the bakeries can’t bake without electricity. So the problems with food are still acute. The senior pastor of the Kherson region (Pavlo Smoliakov) had already visited the churches of the city three times since the Kherson was liberated (on November 11). Visiting Kherson is still a difficult task. The curfew hours are from 5 pm to 8 am. Many objects in the city were mined by russians, and they damaged the energy, gas, and water supplies before leaving the right-bank parts of the Kherson region. Kherson was occupied from the beginning of March, and leaving the region during the occupation was a difficult and scary quest. Most of the members of our churches became refugees of internally displaced people (IDPs). There are many new people in these churches now. They came looking for help and hope. Even though light and water are absent and no there is not enough food, the life of churches continues. People thank God for everything! And everyone is happy that the flags of the occupant are now not hanging all over the city as they used to be not long ago. Pavlo Smoliakov shares the experience of the life of the Baptists during the occupation of Kherson: “The occupants have not had enough time to pay closer attention to the churches. They were coming regularly, arranging checks, ordered to re-register. Out of eight Baptist churches in Kherson, every one of them survived undamaged. Churches with their own premises (that were not rented) were allowed to continue their regular meetings and worship services. The churches were actively involved in humanitarian aid distribution and were helping people a lot throughout the occupation time. Some stuff we were purchasing locally, we were transferring funds when it was possible. Every single day after the liberation Christians are coming here with some aid.” Extreme poverty and cold in the de-occupied villages of the Kherson region Free life gradually returns to the de-occupied towns and villages. People return and try to live in their homes despite severe destruction in their settlements. The house of prayer at Vysokopillia village is not yet suitable for holding meetings. The village was on the conflict line, so every other house here destroyed. Worship meetings today are held in one sister's flat, on her kitchen. All of the windows in the house of prayer at Novovorontsivka village were blown out. Pastor Serhiy Kostin says: “The church is still meeting, and unbelievers are coming too. The population lives in severe poverty. There is no natural gas supply, so people are looking for firewood to heat their homes using even small bourgeois ovens. We are trying to help people somehow survive through the winter. I saw a 20-year-old girl last Sunday. She became an orphan during this war. Her house is broken, and her roof leaks. These people turn to the church for help. We try to feed them with what we have at the church. Their needs are huge, but we don’t have enough workers to minister to them.” This pastor travels to hold meetings at two villages. He says: We are not getting discouraged because we are with the Lord. The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated 179 settlements in the Kharkiv region (on the right bank of the Dnieper river) within the last ten days. Yet there are dozens of towns and villages still occupied and experiencing pain, suffering, and tortures. The Russians took away three more Baptist houses of prayer in the Kherson region at the end of October. First, they robbed the churches and took away all the church property. After that, they converted two prayer houses into barracks for their military. And keep the third one locked up. Novotrojitske, Cairy – the church building was taken away and turned into barracks for military personnel. Gornostaevka – the church building was taken away and closed. Please, pray for God to preserve the lives and health of people still amid the horrors of the occupation. The first children's camp in Izyum during the war Children in liberated Izyum were rushing to the New Life church volunteer center’s territory for three days in a row. Worth to note that the occupiers burned down the house of prayer of this church in April, so the church today is ministering through the volunteer center. A team from the Rivne region held a camp there on November 9-11 for 30 local children. Because of severe distraction, the residents of the whole city are having severe problems with sewage and goods supply. Children have no opportunity to study in school or even remotely due to damaged power lines and the absence of the Internet. Children of Izyum cannot go to their favorite places to play because of mines, and every part of the surrounding constantly reminds them of the terrible days of destruction and occupation. Therefore, the ordinary children’s day camp became to them a source of great pleasure and joy. Adults also received encouragement besides the joy that children had. We could hear people whispering to one other: “we didn't know there were still so many children left at Izyum!” They were watching the children play with volunteers, warming themselves with hot tea, listening to the Word of God being preached, and enjoying children's laughter.

15 Sep

1. Our defenders thank you for your prayers about Ukraine Our dear friends and partners! We thank you for your prayers and support!

06 Aug

Open appeal The All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptiststo the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists leadership and churches.

14 Jun

1. Assistance to families with husbands and children at war There are over 27,000 villages in Ukraine. During the war, every settlement falls into one of two categories: some were destroyed/occupied/shelled, and the others are waiting for their defenders to come back to their homes. There are from 100 to 200 Ukrainian soldiers dying daily. On June 8, 2022 brothers from the Baptist Union of Ukraine visited one of the villages in Volyn, whose husbands and children are at war, to provide aid to needy families. 39 families received assistance, including food, clothing, and some necessities. There are some families in the village whose father with his sons are serving in the army at the same time. Some families sent several of their sons to the war. In this village we found out that many of their husbands and sons are serving on the border with Kherson region – in Mykolaiv, Bakhmut, Slovjansk… One family got the news that their son got missing in Lyman (Donetsk region). The level of social support for these families is extremely low. We hope the Baptist Union will be able to provide such aid to other villages as well because there are many families in need whose husbands and children are protecting the country from Russian invaders. 2. New wells on the territories of three churches of Mykolaiv open new doors for the Gospel. The city is under constant fire from the Russian invaders. Unfortunately, the tap water in the city is extremely poor quality. It's not suitable even for dishwashing. So the Church has the great opportunity to minister to people with quality water from wells. Victor Zolyn, the regional pastor of Mykolaiv region tells about wells drilling on the territory of three churches ("Reconciliation with God", "Church of Jesus Christ", and "The source of life") of Mykolaiv, and putting those wells into operation. Volodymyr Shemchyshyn (Assistant of the Baptist Union's President) and brothers from the Odessa region have visited the Mykolaiv and local churches of the Mykolaiv region to support the local churches and their ministers. They were brought some food aid and became a fraternal encouragement which is so valuable today in times of danger and high risks. 3. Military hospital and teenagers. What might they have in common? The "Refresh-teens" youth club has existed at the Lutsk Bible Church for three years now. The motto adapted as the leading principle for the ministry by Alyona Yukhimchuk and the team of the club's organizers is: "If you don't teach teenagers to minister, you will have to entertain them all the time." "So," – says Alona, – "every meeting that gathers 15-20 teenagers, we dedicate to ministering others outside of the club. The war provided another area for the ministry - to the wounded Ukrainian soldiers. We bought tea, cookies, hygiene items, and socks. Thus we formed 111 such packages. We took them to the Lutsk garrison military hospital to distribute to our wounded soldiers. 4. Practical aid becomes a great opportunity to point people to an incredibly good God The war is not yet over, but the Russian aggression already results in numerous Ukrainians becoming homeless. And, of course, not everyone has the funds to rebuild their homes. Caring evangelical Christians from Manchester city (USA) became aware of the problems these people have and decided to minister to them. Having the idea and the necessary funds, they could not implement it alone because they located overseas. The brothers from the Transfiguration Church of Rivne became their "extended hands". They have already restored many houses. "I'm amazed people can be like that: so sensitive, so kind," – says Nadiya, a resident of Andriyivka (Kyiv region). Brothers were restoring her house, barn, and garage. 5. Baptismal services are held in dozens of churches 13 people were baptized in the Transfiguration Church of Kyiv recently. Many other Ukrainian churches had also held baptismal meetings: in Lviv, Ternopil, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Irpin, and others. After pastoral guidance and people’s testimonies of their way to the Lord, the churches executed the commandment of Jesus. 6. Today, the society is slowly changing its mind about the church. People are beginning to see more and more that Christians are not freaks united by a certain fanatical idea, but it is truly people who put on practice the things they teach. There was a number of training courses on first aid held in Rivne within these three months. One of such training was held at the First Rivne Church recently. About 20 people got their first aid certificates. One lady covered about 500 km specifically to gain some skills in this field. It is worth to note that people studying on those courses are far from the medical field, but they want to be useful for the society by their ability to provide the necessary assistance in military conditions or at general emergencies. 7. Russians continue to destroy church buildings The war continues to kill, injure and destroy the lives of people of Ukraine. Adults and children, rich and poor, believers and non-believers – all fall under the senseless millstone of the war. Church building of a small Baptist church in Soninke village (Donetsk region) came under Russian army's fire. Also, a devastating bombing raid damaged a Baptist church in Druzhkivka in June. We pray for a miracle - for God to give us a victory over extensively bigger, more insidious, and cynical enemy. 8. In occupied territories of the Kherson region that are now closed by Russians for entry and exit humanitarian crisis intensifies The regional pastor of the Kherson region says he can visit the liberated part of the Kherson region. Brothers, who minister here, bring people food, presents, and aid. And in the Russian-occupied territories, due to a lack of food, medicine, unstable communication, lack of social benefits, and so on, a humanitarian catastrophe is coming. The civilian population is terrorized and often deprived of the opportunity to leave for the Ukrainian authorities' controlled territories.

30 May

Churches that remain in the war zone are anticipating to be visited It is very important for residents of the frontline territories of Donetsk region to feel that they have not been forgotten or left behind. Therefore, evangelical Christians who managed to evacuate from Mariupol to peaceful territories are trying to go to churches in the Donetsk region. In the last week of May, brothers that are IDP from Mariupol visited settlements near Maryinka. They brought food aid, visited the believers and took part in church services. This has become a huge support for local believers and non-church people. It's hard to say what made them most happy – the aid they brought or the visits themselves. Every Saturday, the first Rivne Church invites children of IDPs for chess, guitar, and art classes. Teachers, who pass on their skills to children, don't only strive to develop their creative abilities. But young Ukrainians also need help preparing for adulthood. Classes are conducted by members of the local church. Such a ministry is an important component of the educational and creative development of local and displaced children. Thus, adaptation and individual psychological characteristics will be easier to overcome. Special services for internally displaced persons In the village of Chervona Sloboda, Cherkasy region, the Word of Life Church organizes separate services for internally displaced persons. They are willing to visit them, showing interest in listening to the Gospel. In recent days, residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have been coming here, where intense fighting is taking place. The pastor of the church, Ruslan Uroda says that 500 displaced people stayed in the village. And 60 out of those are received by the church in family[1]type orphanages. Some displaced persons are returning home to the liberated territories, but most of them have nowhere to return yet. Small churches of the Ternopil region do great things We have heard many fascinating stories about how large churches actively volunteer. But the war shows that not only churches with a big number of members have the resources to serve people. To help thy neighbor with the vital needs, the church can have even just 20 members. The small church "Grace" in the village of Pidvolochysk, Ternopil region, has been taking care of those in need since the first days of the war. They were able to receive 200 refugees. The church was also able to transfer medical materials, turnstiles (tourniquets) and bandages to the military. At the same time, believers are active in helping local pensioners (retired), single and large families. Any social ministry is accompanied by preaching the Gospel. Today, the church is going through another happy stage: four people are preparing for baptism. Times of trials have become times of opportunity for the Kyiv church, "God's design" Meeting the urgent human needs helps to reach more people with preaching the Gospel. "Christ could teach people in an accessible and interesting way, gathering thousands of people around the Word. We also learn from the Lord to convey spiritual truths, so we use God's talents to serve adults and children. We combine dozens of boys and girls into different interest groups," says Oleg Larkov, the church's pastor. Thousands of Ukrainians made room to accept displaced persons Especially noteworthy are the ministers who were the first to open the doors of their home without having the proper conditions or enough money for this. 26 displaced people lived in the house of a missionary pastor in the Poltava region, where he also lived with his wife and their seven children. "A little later, we managed to find additional housing and make it suitable for the life of displaced people," says Pastor Viktor Lesnikov. Back in 2011, he moved to the Poltava region from the Luhansk region. Here in Velyka Rublivka, he serves in the small church "Blagovist". This small church was able to receive four dozen displaced persons, and it provides humanitarian aid – clothing and food-to more than 300 displaced persons who settled in the village. If you visit the Church in Nadvirna, you will get acquainted with several dozens of displaced people living in the House of Prayer since the beginning of the war. Each family has its own history, as do millions of other Ukrainian refugee families. Five families who now live in the House of Prayer in Nadvirna hid in bomb shelters for 9 days, after which they went to Ivano-Frankivsk region, their travel took 4 days. In one family, a 10-year-old boy needs constant care because he has cerebral palsy. In another, a 4-year-old girl gets scared every time she hears a siren and runs away somewhere. Most of these people lost their jobs. There are also elderly people for whom it was physically difficult to move. In addition to the 44 displaced persons who live in the church, there are 25 people who were accepted by the believers into their homes. All of them really want to return to their homes, but unfortunately, there is nowhere to return yet. More than 20 churches in Khmelnytskyi region on a permanent basis provide for the needs of displaced persons and take spiritual care of them. Weekly meetings are held over tea, Bible study, joint prayers and discussion of issues that concern displaced people today. "Increasingly, those who were far from God are beginning to pray and read the Bible, take an interest in spiritual topics and attend church services. Such positive developments please and inspire," says Anatoly Melnyk, senior Presbyter for the Khmelnytskyi region. There are circumstances that no one is ready to change quickly Someone is already returning home, and someone still can not leave the dangerous territories. All these circumstances can be mitigated by the care and prayers of caring people. In the Donetsk region in the town Chasiv Yar the church tries to provide any possible assistance to the residents of the region. Konstyantynivka and Stepanivka – here pastor Andriy Pavlov and a group of volunteers conducts Evangelistic and charitable events with the distribution of food aid, and they also visit the Society for the blind. At that time, in the Donetsk direction, the invaders are trying to break through the defenses, using a lot of everything that brings destruction and death. But we are strengthened by God's word: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm" Psalms 20:8-9.

21 May

God keeps Ukraine by his mercy. God blesses Ukraine with your prayers and your help. We sincerely thank all our brothers and sisters, friends and partners.

10 May

1.Every day we gather news for you to the sounds of air raid sirens. Each such siren can end in rocket attacks. During the Baptist office in Lviv, at least 10 rockets flew into the city. The Baptist Union Coordination Center continues to receive and send aid across Ukraine. During the 76 days of the war the humanitarian storage in Lviv received and sent more than 127 twenty-ton trucks. At least 320 vehicles were sent from the storage. 2. Even shelling does not stop the work of volunteers These days, Roman and his team in Lysychansk came under enemy fire and were forced to hide under the supports of the railway bridge. God saved their lives, and they continue to serve those who still remain in Luhansk. Lysychansk, like all other unconquered territory of Luhansk region, has been at the epicenter of enemy shelling for several weeks. Another 60,000 people remain in the free Luhansk region. They need the delivery of humanitarian goods with delivery to bomb shelters. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a team of volunteers from the local Grace Church, led by Roman Kozodoi, has been serving those affected by the bombing and humanitarian crisis: taking out refugees, bringing medicine and food, and visiting basements. "One of the last evacuations was very difficult," says Roman Kozodoy. – An elderly woman with a fracture of the femoral neck can neither walk nor sit. Due to the fact that she could not cope or find volunteers, she made two suicide attempts. We managed to take her to the Dnipro and hand her over to the people who will take care of her". Communications in Luhansk region were completely destroyed as a result of hostilities. Under the current conditions, both electricity and water supply in Lysychansk will not be restored. That is why people here are in extremely difficult conditions for survival. 3. Gifts for children – a special load in deoccupied villages The village of Bilka, Okhtyrka district, Sumy region, survived the Russian occupation in February and March. After backdown, the occupiers left a lot of stretch marks here, mined parks areas, administrative facilities, cemeteries, and plantations. Humanitarian aid here is organized twice a month by Light of Salvation and Hope Poltava churches. There are 220 children in the village. Therefore, among the systemic help, volunteers should keep in mind a special burden – gifts for children. Sweets, cookies, stationery and creative items – any of this will add a little joy and warmth to the younger generation of Ukrainians. 4. Fewer and fewer people want to be evacuated Church from village Horodyshche constantly preparing and collecting all kinds of help in hot spots. Brothers from this church have been visiting Gulyaypole city, in the Zaporizhia region and Kramatorsk city in the Donetsk region. But during the last two days, the occupying forces have been mercilessly shelling these cities. The brothers say that the people who stayed there do not want to be evacuated; they say they are afraid to go into the unknown. They name the reason: they have no money and no acquaintances to whom they would dare to move. The brothers say that a baby was recently born in the basement and now lives with his mother in the basement. The child is simply wrapped in a sheet, without baby’s clothes. Volunteers say that at first they gave help in the amount of one package of 50 cm by 50 cm, and then one thing at a time for everyone to have enough. Ivan Chernyak, a volunteer from Horodyshche, says: “God would allow those people to accept Christ! So that they don't just accept help. And they came to God and received salvation from Him. One day brother who organized a church there wrote an ad: "Whoever wants to come glorify God, come on Sunday". 200 people came. 9 of them repented! 5. In addition to serving the settlers, the church does not let other needy people out of sight The Church of the Resurrection from the city of Chernomorsk, Odessa region, like many other churches of the fraternity, is working hard for the twelfth week of the war. Yes, it is true that the war gave us new types of ministry, – says the pastor of the church Vyacheslav Shcherbakov. But we did not leave our "peaceful" areas of work. We are talking about the rehabilitation service of drug addicts, for example. The church has men's and women's rehabilitation centers, where we help our wards change their lives through faith in and support for the Lord. We study the Bible with them, pray, and volunteer together. And we continue to serve the 25 blind people in our city: we help to clean the apartments, make purchases in the shop, and cook. We also pray together and read the Bible to them.

29 Apr

1. Holidays and weekdays of the Irpin Bible Church Up to 70 volunteers live, eat and work in the church building in Irpin. Every evening they talk about the emotions of the day, followed by a prayer of thanksgiving. Each of them has its own area of work: A team of builders goes to the damaged houses to cover the broken windows with husk, repair the roof, and repair the doors. The boys also help the owners to take out the surviving things from the half-burned or half-destroyed house or apartment. As lunchtime approaches, the boys deliver hot food to the Territorial Defence Forces and the Armed Forces. During the day, people go to church to wash and dry clothes, charge their phones, get basic necessities, vegetables, clothes, and basic building materials. And every morning and every evening the citizens are invited to pray. Pastors and deacons are waiting to listen and be there. We pray that the church will be able to expand its ministry to restore life in the city, helping spiritual revival, emotional healing, supporting the elderly who remained in the city during the war. 2. Along the front line in the Donetsk region crowded church worships Myronivskyi village in Donetsk region has been living near the front line for eight years. The hardships of war motivate people to reach out to God and go to church. Because where to find acceptance and support today? "How valuable it is to be with the church," says local missionary Ilya Natalchenko, recalling the celebration of Easter. "This is the best Easter of my life. There are so many people coming that there is not enough room for them." 3. About 40% of inhabitants of Mykolaev left the city in connection with constant attacks of the Russian troops. The city is preparing for the siege of the Russians. On the eve of Easter, explosions were heard all day - fighting took place on the border with the Kherson region. But the service took place in all churches of the Mykolaev area which are in the territory controlled by Ukraine. Churches are serving God and people in this difficult time. They need our prayerful support because the threat here remains great - the Russians are trying to get closer to Mykolaev, continuing to shell the city. 4. In Luhansk region, Sunday meetings did not take place due to shelling The bishop of churches of the Luhansk region Gennady Shulzhenko tells that churches didn't gather together on Easter. Those churches that planned to gather in the evening could not come to their church buildings in the morning due to heavy shelling. Only one church was able to hold Easter worship - in Lysychansk. The period is difficult, many have limited resources, and the majority of the population has become displaced. Those who remain distribute humanitarian aid, visit basements and, if possible, help all those in need. 5. The Chernihiv region has new people joining the Church Despite the fact that public transport has not been restored in Chernihiv, the church is visited by many people. The second Chernihiv church has 75% of nonchurch people in the church. That part of the hall, which received a direct hit of the projectile in the window sill, has not yet been repaired. Here on Easter 8 people prayed the prayer of repentance. Also on this day, 45 people gathered for worship in the village of Dniprovske, Chernihiv region, 15 of them accepted Christ into their hearts. 6. Villagers are helping to rebuild cities Ukrainians do not yet know the plan for post-war reconstruction. And although our victory is still on the way, we all want to rebuild and develop Ukraine now - in the little ways we have. Baptists from the village of Buzivka in Cherkasy region have joined a volunteer local fire team to help rebuild the suburbs of Kyiv. This group came to Irpin at the invitation of the city government and has been working for several days. They eliminate the consequences of the destruction of administrative and private housing. 7. The people of Lviv brought Easter bread to Bucha and Gostomel Volunteers from Lviv distributed 600 pieces of Easter bread to the residents of Gostomel and Bucha. From morning till night they handed out the Gospel to the people, testified of Christ, and called to keep God. Gryhoriy Ryasnyi, pastor of the Message of Hope Church in Lviv, said many people still live in basements. There are empty streets. Residents hang a white handkerchief at the gate, indicate their phone number and wait for help in the basement. People say: we are afraid that there will be shelling now. They are very frightened by the horrors they have experienced. This is their second trip. Baptists brought people gas cylinders, medicines, generators, mobile phones and Ukrainian food. 8. In the church near Kharkiv, meetings are filled with non-church people On Sunday, the church of Merefa, located 20 km from Kharkiv, was able to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ together. Thank God, the church was able to gather at such a difficult time. The hall was filled with people, and many non-church people in the area began to come to church regularly to seek consolation in God's Word and fellowship with Christians. After the worship there was a tea party. All children received sweet gifts. 9. Churches were able to hold Easter worships in the temporarily occupied Kherson region On Sunday, the churches of the Kherson region, despite the temporary occupation, gathered to serve together to glorify the Risen Savior and encourage each other. Meetings took place even in those settlements located on the front line, under fire. Brothers and sisters gathered together in the homes of believers, the Word of God and songs of praise and hope were heard. Intimidation and provocation of criminals could not deprive believers of the joy of resurrection.

12 Apr

1. Evacuation from the East is getting more complicated The aggravation of the situation in Eastern Ukraine has made it difficult to evacuate local people. Volunteers, risking their lives, try to take humanitarian aid there and take people out of dangerous places. The other day brothers from Cherkasy took another 90 people out of Lysychansk. Vitaliy Andriyets, who has organized the column of vehicles, says that this may be the last trip for the coming weeks. Our brothers volunteers need our prayer support. 2. Our prayers were not stopping Oksana and her son from Mariupol miraculously escaped from the city under fire. The Lord Himself has helped them. At first they were in the basement and constantly repeated Psalm 90. They asked God to stop the enemy's attacks and become a wall of fire around the basement where they stayed. Oksana says, ‘One day our houses were shelled with "grad" (multiple rocket launchers) four times, and we were ready for death, but the shelled miraculously flew over our basement and exploded nearby. My son said, "Mom, let's pray the prayer of repentance," and we prayed. Next morning we heard someone calling us. It was our friend who managed to break through the shelling to pick us up and take to the evacuation site. We could hardly believe it. In a minute we grabbed what was at hand and left. We were taken out by strangers. All the way we continue to pray asking God to accompany us on our way, and we again recited Psalm 90. We just prayed and prayed… When we arrived to the safe place at last, my son said, “Mom, it's a miracle. God has created so many miracles in our lives!”. It was so true. I wept. The next day we learned that after our leaving a bomb had hit the basement where we were hiding. The Lord brought us out and took care of us through the people that we never met. We still have relatives that stay in Mariupol till now, and we do not know anything about them for two weeks. But we believe that God can and will save them, because the only hope is in Him. 3. Churches of Sumy region after the occupation Sumy region slowly resumes its life after de-occupation. More than ten churches of the regional association could not hold usual services. And we cannot even mention about any social work in the circumstances in which the churches of Okhtyrka, Trostyanets and Konotop were for a long time. Thank God, after the liberation from the occupiers, dozens of volunteer teams from different regions of Ukraine started to bring humanitarian aid to local people. So far, almost all churches have resumed their services and are praying that all areas of Ukraine will freed from Russian troops. 4. The city administration promotes the social work of churches Chernihiv has already been unblocked, and a lot of work is being added to the churches. Volodymyr Vysotsky, head of the Chernihiv Baptist Association, says there is a huge shortage of people to work here. The pastor encourages young people who have such opportunity to return home. "People here is in great need, both physical and spiritual. With this in mind, have opened the fourth and fifth Baptist humanitarian sites, on April 8th – one in a local church building and another in the City Garden area, where the city administration has proposed a large space to help people.. Churches are gradually resuming church services in the cities and towns liberated from the occupiers. The consequences of Russian aggression in the form of destroyed houses and burned equipment add black color to all we can see here. There is still a threat of rocket fire, but the fact that such a large territory was liberated from the Russian aggressors is giving new strength for the further service. The first Chernihiv church began to hold services just in the churchyard. The church building, which was seriously damaged by the enemy shells, has not yet been repaired. 5. Ministry to the Gypsies Six months ago in the village Mykhailivka, Kirovohrad Region, began a ministry for Gypsies. With the help of churches and sacrificial people, they bought a house for the church building, rebuilt it and started working with children and adults. Pastor Vasyl Bezushko, regularly comes here 15 km away. He is always accompanied by his wife and three children. Today the worship service is attended by about 70 people. 6. The Bible Church of the New Districts in Irpen will rebuild a new church building A year ago, a young church in Irpin bought a building that it rebuilt into a church in eight months. This church building remained intact for almost the entire period of hostilities in the city. After the occupying forces left Irpin, they carried out a massive bombing of the city, which completely destroyed the roof and burned the second floor of the house with all property, equipment and musical instruments. The pastor of the church Andriy Meleshko says: “The situation itself very upset us, because we miraculously bought this house in March 2021. We did repairs during the whole warm period of the year and completely finished it on the second floor. But if we look at it from the other side, we are glad that members of the church, parishioners and their relatives were saved and taken away in the first days of the war. We believe that the Lord will give us the opportunity to rebuild the church building after victory and make it even better and more convenient to serve the Lord. But most importantly, we pray for our people in Irpin and try to serve them so that they will see in action that in the most difficult times, the Lord is near. 7. Irpin-Bucha: dangerous and extremely necessary process of restoration works The team of volunteers of the Irpin Bible Church did not leave Irpin during the whole first stage of the war. And now here, as well as in the next Bucha intensive work goes daily: to the people who have survived, brought food. They help to clean and in every possible way help sappers to demine city territories. Pray that God will give them moral and physical strength and save their lives.

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Rusty W. Savage

EFC-ER Director of Multiplication

Dr. John W. Lucas

Founder/President
The Maranatha Evangelistic Association
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Prayer Blog

This is for those who want to know the bottom line

Last week was quite intense for Abe

Good turnout at the workshop this past week

Here is a photo of our great granddaughter

I realized after I sent

Well, Abe had a double header

Centers of Hope Map

Help Us to Renew Ukraine!

Donation links

Ukrainian Baptist Union Reports

We are missionaries Abe and Diane Bible

Testimonials

Al Baanna Pres/CEO, SERVING WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST (SWH)

Valery Antonuk Head of the Evangelical Baptists Union

Rusty W. Savage EFC-ER Director of Multiplication

Dr. John W. Lucas Founder/PresidentThe Maranatha Evangelistic AssociationCalgary, Alberta Canada

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Al Baanna

Pres/CEO, SERVING WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST (SWH)

Valery Antonuk

Head of the Evangelical Baptists Union

Rusty W. Savage

EFC-ER Director of Multiplication

Dr. John W. Lucas

Founder/President
The Maranatha Evangelistic Association
Calgary, Alberta Canada