Photo: A group of children were evacuated from the dangerous locations and are currently housed in western Ukraine. They have been fed by the loving donations that many sent that bought fresh foods and helped pay cargo for containers with critically needed staple commodities. Here they pose wearing some of the t-shirts sent on one of the containers!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMPASSION!
This is the first update since I returned from Ukraine/Poland. Since that return I have been in Kentucky, Arizona, Middle-Tennessee, North Alabama and Central Alabama! The trip to Mesa, AZ was wonderful as it gave me the opportunity to be with the Sun Valley Church of Christ and share biblical messages. It was good to spend time reporting on the Lord’s efforts in Ukraine. The locations I visited have all been involved in assisting these good works.
While away, we unloaded a 53-foot trailer of medical supplies and then loaded them into a container destined for Odesa, Ukraine. We have more loadings scheduled (June 16 & 20) so all in the Montgomery, AL vicinity are invited to join the fun. We are loading two containers out of Judsonia, AR. If you are in that vicinity please let David Lawyer or BR Barden know of your willingness to assist!
Here are three reports that have been received. As you read these I think you will gain insight into the good work that is being done in the Lord’s Name!
Ivan’s News
Greetings from Ukraine, dear brothers and sisters!
We thank God for another month we have lived through and we thank you for prayers and support of Ukraine. There have been several attacks by Shahed drones on Western Ukraine but all of them were shot down not far from Ivano–Frankivsk (all of them that were coming our way). Unfortunately, Kyiv has had more damage and there are victims. This war has taken a lot of young people’s lives among both military and civilians. Every day young people are drafted but with the war people understand that we have to defend the country.
As far as we know from the news, the enemy is suffering great losses, Russians are in panic, some of the military surrender and refuse to fight against Ukraine. We pray to God asking Him to take mercy on us and take the enemy away from our borders, so that the bloodshed would stop and we would go back to normal life.
Nowadays, the Churches of Christ have more work than ever. We try to help and support displaced who lost their homes, family members, and hope for future. We hear dozens of stories every day and in the majority of cases people are looking for sympathy and spiritual support. They are very excited to get presents from American Christians, too, when we give them buckets that you sent with such basic things as toothpaste, soap, shampoo. Buckets have everything that a family would need and are a very good help to them. We also buy medicines for those needing them. We tell them about salvation and pray together.
In May, Sveta met Sofia from Kherson at a pharmacy. Sofia was there crying because she could not buy medicines for her family as all of them were sick at the same time—her mother of 82 and her daughter Nika of 10. Sofia did not have enough money to buy medicines for all of them. Sveta came up, talked to her and helped her buy what she needed. This is how they met. Upon having treatments, Sofia called and thanked Sveta and Church for help and asked us to pray on behalf of her family. She and Sveta visited more often and Sofia began reading the New Testament. Last week we met her daughter and gave her a new doll for Sofia cannot afford buying toys for her daughter. This is the way the Lord gives people an opportunity to hear and be saved in Him. Besides, we continue supporting the displaced sisters Maria, Lena, Inna and Valentina. Lena and Inna started coming to Church assemblies, while Maria and Valentina worship and study the Bible with us online.
Our Sunday worship starts at 11:00 a.m. and is over at 1:00 p.m. We have finished studying the Gospels and have moved on to the Book of Acts. We study the Old Testament on Wednesday and have already finished Numbers.
On Friday, we pray together and everybody who desires to can join us. We pray for peace in Ukraine and thank God for His Church and for unity with our American brethren. Of course, psychologically, the situation is very tough—multiple air raids and daily burials of the military impact everybody.
Dear brethren, thank you so much for prayers, support, and letters. We love you,
Ivan and Svitlana
Ruslan’s News
Greetings, brothers and sisters! I am thankful that I can write to you! God is gracious and just! I would like to let you know that with God everything is in progress. We continue building our assembly place, distributing humanitarian aid and spreading the Word of God to people around us. We would like to thank you for the bus that is used to transport the members of the Church as well as to deliver construction materials.
I am sure that the team that came here shared with you all the information about our work and successes. Those things are not easy to achieve with the war in Ukraine.
Please, pray and ask God to end this trial as soon as possible. We thank you for prayers and support. Ruslan and family
Denys News
Greetings to our dear brothers and sisters and churches. I am very grateful for your prayers and the assistance that you provide for the people of Ukraine. We still have a war going on that everyone is tired of, except for the aggressor. The Russian army artillery shelling rains down on the entire territory of Ukraine; the Russians are striking with hypersonic missiles. Both the military and civilians are dying alike every day.
Many refugees are coming to us; we have distributed thousands of food packages but it seems like there’s no end to this. People need food, clothing; many of them are resentful of their lives and angry at God. Many children are psychologically traumatized; they and their parents are calling us on the phone to get in line in order to obtain humanitarian aid. And all of this is happening far from the battlefields; at the frontlines there’s only death, pain and grief.
New cemeteries are growing like mushrooms after the rainfall. We don’t even know the exact numbers of the fallen soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
News of the Bible Institute. The month of May is the last month for our three graduates. It was a very difficult period for these guys. At first, it was the Covid 19 quarantine which forced everyone to stay at home in order to avoid the virus. Then the war began which made people move all over the place. During that time, we experienced massive missile and drone air attacks, in addition to blackouts and energy cuts. In a word, the reality is such that there was no quiet time during their studies. I am very grateful to all the teachers who, in spite of the hardships, found the time and made the effort to make sure that the preachers’ preparation program continued in Ukraine.
News on the Church in Ukraine. We are still trying to visit the town of Kramatorsk once a month where we are taking the humanitarian food aid. In May we made a second trip to that frontline town. It’s only twenty miles from the frontlines. We are distributing food packages and conducting evangelistic lessons; we also are inviting the people to attend our worship services on Sunday. Thank God, we have good results. People do come and listen to the gospel message even on the days when there is no food packages distribution.
May the Lord keep and protect His Church. Thank you for your love. Your brother,
Sopelnyk Denys
Our efforts continue as we are sending shoes, relief supplies, foods, medicines, medical supplies, hospital furnishings, and home furnishings. We are excited about WILL TUCKER brining the Chase Park Church of Christ youth group to work in the warehouse the week of June 18.
FAMILY BUCKETS!!! Will you coordinate a Family Bucket program in your congregation, civic club, workplace, etc? We are being bombarded with requests for these buckets. Please read again Ivan’s comments on the impact these buckets are making in the midst of this horrible war: “We hear dozens of stories every day and in the majority of cases people are looking for sympathy and spiritual support. They are very excited to get presents from American Christians, too, when we give them buckets that you sent with such basic things as toothpaste, soap, shampoo. Buckets have everything that a family would need and are a very good help to them. We also buy medicines for those needing them. We tell them about salvation and pray together.”
John L. Kachelman, Jr. Ukraine Missions, P. O. Box 3085 (send mail to this PO Box here) Montgomery, AL 36109
You must be logged in to post a comment.