Update – 6/22/22

Arizona Congregations Deliver!

Seven congregations in Arizona (Sun Valley, Mesa, Alma School Road, Casa Grande, Gold Canyon, South West, Tonto) worked together to collect and pack items for an upcoming shipment. Glenn & Becky Mabley drove a U-Haul truck with this collection to Montgomery, AL. The truck was unloaded by the eager youth of the University congregation with Paige Clayton’s great coordination. The photo shows the smiling faces that worked quickly in the sweltering heat and humidity!

Glenn had sent word before they left about their intended trip:

Good afternoon John, just a quick update with some pictures. Loaded this morning at the Mesa church of Christ; 386 5-gallon buckets; 192 2-gallon hygiene bags; 46 crocheted afghans, men’s and women’s winter coats, and a few clothes! Becky and I will depart here Monday morning around 6:00am, should arrive in Montgomery, AL sometime early (to late) Tuesday evening (providing we do not have any unforeseen incidents).

Glenn Mabley

But, there were “unforeseen incidents” that impacted their travel. Outside of Flagstaff they lost some tires due to dry-rot and had to wait 4+hours for the contracted road service to arrive and repair the tires! But they eventually arrived and all has gone well since then.

From Vlad Paziy in Ivano-Frankivsk

I received a note from Vlad discussing activities in Ivano-Frankivsk:

Dear John, we are fine! We just start new school and every Tuesday and Thursdays we have Bible and English lessons for kids, just start and on first lessons we had three new children. Oksana is teaching these classes. Also we working now on new project online Bible school. We had already talk to AP (Apologetics Press https://apologeticspress.org/) and they let us used their materials. Steve Housely from Eastern Meadows congregation in Montgomery, AL was a big help us in this deal.

Now we are trying to make an internet page. This is a big project and just thinking that by using it any person can study with us the Bible and English. In future we can add more language or may be history or mathematics. We try this idea and in future we will grow Lord willing. AP (Apologetic Press) has great materials for studies.

Thank You Received…

A Post by Michael Lawson

Dear Friends of Ukraine Missions. Attached is the latest mission update; you can also find it on the Ukraine Missions website.  Conditions in Ukraine continue to deteriorate.  Shelling, bombing, and ground fighting has intensified in the east as Vladimir Putin has ordered the Donbass region (Luhansk & Donetsk) be completely occupied by 26 June.  Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chrenigiv Regions are also experiencing heavy shelling from RF territory as Russian troops are massed on the border. Your prayers and support are needed more than ever as Satan continues his atrocities. Medical supplies, especially wound care, is desperately needed if you can help.

Michael Lawson

Distribution News

Hello All,

I just received this note from Piotr. This is from a Columbia TN (project #158) donation so thought you might want to be the first to see the results.

News From Denis Sopelnik

Denis has sent his May-June report and had some news that I think you will appreciate:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I’d like to share with you the news from May and June of 2022. Sadly, the war is still raging in Ukraine, taking away lives every day. Putin’s Russia continues killing civilians, creating shortages of food and increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people. The military theater moved mostly to the Eastern and Southern regions of the country. I ask you to lift up prayers for Ukraine and for the restoration of peace.

In the beginning of June, we finished the school year in the Bible Institute. Recently we had 4 students and the 5th man was drafted to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We were able to relocate to a different part of Ukraine and resume the studies in the safest place of the country – the city of Chernivtsy. Now all students are busy with summer activities; during the next three months they will work with the local congregation. There are many war refugees in the city of Chernivtsy and the Church is working with them. There are about 80-100 present at the Sunday services. Our students have an excellent opportunity to put their knowledge into practice. During months of May and June there were about 15 baptisms in the Ukrainian Churches of Christ. People are more open to accept help and have the Bible studies and eventually decide to obey the Gospel.

I came back home to Bela Tserkva and continue my ministry here. Some parts of the church building we rebuilt to suit the needs of the refugees. We purchased everything necessary for them to rest here comfortably and have their meals while they are searching for jobs and places to rent. We are very grateful to all brethren who actively help us in this ministry. On May 16 we had the baptism of Sergey. He is a man from Kramatorsk who had moved to Bela Tserkva about a month ago fleeing from the military conflict in the East. First, he had lived in the church building, then rented an apartment and moved out. During the time period, thank God, he believed and decided to join the natural spiritual family. And one more thing. Please pray for our brother and preacher Konstantin Kisilenko. He has a very complicated lung disease connected to some infectious disorders and the doctors can’t find out how to help him.

We are grateful to our brothers and sisters in Christ for your prayers for us. We are still in war and we wish the peace will come soon. Many people who receive the aid thank God for His protection and your sacrificial help. God’s blessings to you!

NOTE: Since the war’s outbreak I have not been sending out the monthly newsletter. Instead I have been sending more frequent “updates.” If you have selected only to receive “monthly updates” you are missing the updates. If you have missed any of the updates please go online and find them posted in the blog.

This Sunday I will be in Gilbert, AZ reporting to the brethren who have worked so hard to assist our efforts! Please keep me in your prayers as I travel.

We continue to hear amazing reports on the FAMILY BUCKETS. In fact, the reports have been so strong that we have decided to do ANOTHER bucket drive. We have revised the bucket list and are asking as many as possible to join in this effort once again!

For the revises bucket list go here: https://www.dalraida.org/helpukraine.

John L. Kachelman, Jr.
Dalraida Church of Christ
(Montgomery, AL)