War Relief Updates - October 30, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. As winter approaches, we at BIEM are gearing up for 2 special projects. First, the Russian bombing of Ukraine’s power grid last winter warns us of what to expect for this year, too. As we did last year, we would like to provide $1,000 apiece to our partnering congregations to assist them in maintaining supplementary means of heating their church buildings. This, in turn, not only provides warm havens as a form of relief but also opportunities for believers to meet and witness to those who come. The 2nd project is to help the churches we’ve planted with funds to create gift bags containing various items, including sweet treats, coloring supplies, and small toys as they conduct Christmas outreaches to children. Donations toward these two projects are needed and would be greatly appreciated.

2. BIEM’s newest addition among our missionaries is Dana (pronounced DAH-nuh) K. Throughout her days in Bible college and missionary training, she has steadfastly pursued her goal of ministering to orphans in Ukraine. Now there, Dana does struggle with realities of wartime, but the war has not changed the goal of her heart. She writes,

“These past few weeks have been incredibly stressful as my sister and I have been trying to settle into life in Ukraine.... There have been so many unexpected challenges, and it seems that as soon as we solve one problem, another one comes up!

“One of the hardest adjustments has been the electricity situation. We have already experienced being without power for almost an entire day, and I cannot fully describe how discouraging and depressing it feels to sit in a cold, dark apartment without electricity, hot water, or access to fresh food. During one of the outages, the food in our refrigerator spoiled, and when we returned home from a ministry project, we couldn’t even take a warm shower. We had to brush our teeth in the dark and go to bed hoping that the electricity would be back by morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t return until late the following evening. Experiences like this have made us realize how challenging the coming winter could be, especially since more outages are expected. Despite all these challenges, I am thankful that the Lord continues to provide and open doors for ministry!”

3. The new Christian campground in Derman is not just for youth activities. Recently, the church in nearby Zdolbuniv reached out once again with a special retreat for widows (and a few widowers) who have lost loved ones to the brutal violence of the war against Ukraine. Here, BIEM’s Pasha Usach shares about that ministry. (Voiceover interpretation by BIEM’s Sam Slobodian.)

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/widows

4. These past few months, we in the BIEM headquarters in Indiana have been blessed with a stream of Ukrainian coworkers here with us. They have taken turns in 3 shifts. The second group left a few days ago, and the third group, Vitaly & Olena Yurchenko, just arrived. Visits by our Ukrainian coworkers create an exceedingly busy time, both in the office and as we travel to speak in churches. Nevertheless, having Ukrainians here and accompanying them to churches is an amazing blessing for the ministry. These meetings definitely boost our War Relief funds, for which we all are grateful. In addition, with their hands-on assistance, we managed to ship out two containers to Ukraine just 3 weeks apart! Praise God!

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 23, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. On October 20, our most recent shipment of war relief departed BIEM on its way to Ukraine. But before shipping, each container loading requires volunteers to help load it. Once again, God provided healthy volunteers with strong backs, including several brethren from the Slavic Baptist Church in Elkhart, Indiana. They not only helped load but brought a van and trailer loaded with boxes of winter clothing, which we loaded onto the container. This cold-weather gear is very timely it should arrive before the severest cold of winter hits. The Slavic church was especially motivated to help since many of them come from the area in Western Ukraine where this container is headed. They personally know friends and loved ones there who are in need and will benefit from this shipment.

2. Here’s a special blessing concerning the container shipment mentioned above. Because we shipped a container of humanitarian aid less than a month ago, coming up with another $8500 for container shipping costs so quickly would normally be a challenge. However, when we shared about needing to ship another container before winter, the Lord prompted a generous friend of BIEM to underwrite the whole $8500 needed for this shipment. Praise God!

3. When several military chaplains approached BIEM church planter Yura Levtseniuk about a chance to minister to disabled veterans, he and his wife jumped at the opportunity. In addition to sending BIEM a compilation of video clips from that retreat, Yura recorded a verbal description, which Sam Slobodian interprets for our English-speaking friends. Please pray for the souls of these and other veterans who became disabled in the defense of their country. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/retreat

4. One more interesting detail about this week’s container: Just in time for shipping, we received an unusual donation—5 large boxes of excellent-condition communion sets! These will be a wonderful blessing to new churches in Ukraine that cannot afford such items and often resort to sharing or borrowing. Incidentally, God has blessed us with people who have studied and mastered the complex requirements for qualifying church items as humanitarian aid. This ability has enabled us to ship all kinds of church-related items like pews, chairs, musical instruments, sports equipment, tables, and numerous church furnishings to Ukraine duty free. Now they will have the task of clearing these communion sets as humanitarian aid. Praise God!

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 16, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. On September 18, we shared a video about a special conference for Christian women who minister to people in war-affected areas and beyond. Not long after this video was posted, a friend of BIEM decided to provide an additional $1,000 for this event even though it had already concluded. This financial gift was an amazing blessing because that $1,000 was the exact amount that Iryna Sovenko, who organized the event, had scraped together from personal funds to cover a deficit. Praise God!

2. From Andrii Sovenko, one of our BIEM workers in the Kyiv area:

“As autumn closes in, power outages began in Ukraine. This time the situation in Kyiv was extremely severe. Last week some major power lines connecting Kyiv to the rest of the country’s grid were hit. The damage was so intense that even the subway and water and sewage systems had to shut down.

“So, please keep praying for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, that God would equip them with everything they need to go through this difficult time. Also pray for the churches, that they would have everything necessary to serve as beacons not only of the living water (the Word of God) but also as beacons of civilization, with backup supplies of power, water, and heating in order to serve people around them in this way, too. Gifts of war relief are still greatly needed and appreciated!”

3. BIEM’s video update for October shows the building of “The Tabernacle.” It’s a multi-purpose pavilion at the Derman campground. However, even though the construction is interesting, actual ministry is more heartwarming. Since camp ministry is directly tied to BIEM’s War Relief program, we decided to show you this video, which depicts scenes from one of the camps held in Derman, including in the pavilion. We hope you enjoy it:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/service

4. What do you do when there are kids in a small town where there is no church and no chance of them going away to a Christian camp? You take camp to the kids! BIEM missionaries Sergei & Vika Skripnik sent us this video, which shows how Christian teens helped them to take a camp experience to kids living in the village of Glibochok. No interpreter needed. Simply watch and join us in thanking God for sincere laborers who love kids and love God and want young ones to love the Lord, too. Enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/glibochok-camp2026

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 9, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Tomorrow in the city of Rivne, Ukraine, Yura and Violetta, our church planters in Lviv, have a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel with soldiers who are handicapped from their war injuries. City officials have invited them to conduct an all-day program for these soldiers. They are bringing a bus full of such soldiers from Lviv to this event. Yura and Violetta request prayer that God would bless their efforts and work in the hearts of these men.

2. Pasha Usach returned to Ukraine after spending the past month at our Indiana headquarters and traveling to churches. His presence was a huge help since during that time we were loading a container bound for Ukraine that was shipped out. He was able to speak in churches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota. One of the needs he shared was that, even though the new building at the camp in Derman is in use, the entire second floor needs to have all the walls and ceiling painted and finished. Praise God, during Pasha’s visit this need was met! With this done, the next item remaining is flooring. While the building is functional with plain cement floors, vinyl flooring would be much easier to keep clean and would be easier on the campers. (If this is a project you would like to support, financial gifts may be designated “Flooring in Derman.”)

3. On September 19, volunteers gathered at BIEM and helped us load thousands of pounds of war relief for the country of Ukraine. One of our missionaries was in the U.S. and joined in that effort. Later, in expressing appreciation for all the items aboard the container, he uttered a phrase that has become the title of this brief video... “Exactly What They Need.”

Here’s the link: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/exactly

4. Yesterday Vitaly and Olena Yurchenko arrived in the U.S. from Kyiv, Ukraine. Their first church meetings are in a missions conference in Littleton, Colorado, this weekend. Their visit to the U.S. will provide this couple with a very welcome reprieve from the ferocious bombings they have endured. (You may recall the video we shared which Vitaly recorded from their porch. Over 100 homes were destroyed in their area.) Please pray that God will bless their meetings in the United States as they raise awareness for the needs of our War Relief efforts, which are proving instrumental in drawing many to Christ.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

October 2026 Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

For our October 2026 video, we would like to share with you a special project. With aid from BIEM, believers in Western Ukraine have been developing a base for youth camps and other ministries in Derman. However, they lacked a large, rainproof meeting place. Thanks to friends of BIEM, they now have one! In this video, Pasha Usach shares the construction of “The Tabernacle” and thanks all who helped.

By the way, although she doesn’t appear in this video, one of the leaders of a camp that used the facilities this summer included these words in her camp report: “This year, we experienced a very rainy period [in camp]. But – praise God – both we and the campgrounds in Derman were well prepared. A large pavilion had been constructed on the property. There, we could hold services, spend time together, and sing even when it was raining, all without needing to worry about our musical instruments or sound equipment. This was a great blessing for us and allowed us to continue our full program regardless of the weather!”

Here’s the link: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/tabernacle

Blessings to you!
Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - October 2, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. In September our latest container of aid left for Ukraine. Thank you for all the clothing, shoes, wheelchairs, disposable diapers, coats, etc.! We have enough items to fill another container but could use more winter wear. (However, we will need $8,500 for shipping.) If we can ship within 3 weeks, it will bless recipients before winter cold sets in.

2. We are encouraged that donations are trickling in to buy a small bus for the family in Lviv with 5 children that has now adopted 10 orphans. Initial donations are encouraging, but there’s a long way to go. Our next Challenger newsletter will include more details and photos of this unique Christian family.

3. On September 30th, a drone was intercepted right above BIEM’s office building near Kyiv, Ukraine. It exploded and hit the ground 150 from the office. Thank God, there were no casualities among the people, but the explosion shook the surrounding buildings and the shockwave blasted out windows. Praise God, BIEM’s offices remained intact. In this video, Andrii Sovenko tells more about it and shows some of the results.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/no-harm

4. In September the Russians targeted major data centers that supply internet and cell service across Ukraine, damaging some and destroying others. The estimated time of recovery and adaptation extends into 2027. There already are some malfunctions with the internet, with more expected to happen come winter. This has affected some of our missionaries. Please pray they would retain the ability to use internet and cell service.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: October 2026

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• On September 30, a Russian drone was intercepted above BIEM’s offices near Kyiv. The drone crashed and exploded into the ground about 150 feet away. Shock waves blew out the windows of surrounding buildings, but praise God, no one was hurt.

• In September our latest container of aid left for Ukraine. Thank you for all the clothing, shoes, wheelchairs, disposable diapers, coats, etc.! We have enough items to fill another container but could use more winter wear. (However, we will need $8,500 for shipping.) If we can ship within 3 weeks, it will bless recipients before winter cold sets in.

• In Western Asia, several newer believers were recently baptized. Each one had previously been involved in demonic practices—esotericism, fortune-telling, consulting dark spirits, and similar practices. But when they visited our services, God touched their souls through His Holy Word. As a result, they repented and accepted Jesus Christ!

• BIEM missionaries once again held a special, one-day camp meeting at our campground in Derman for families who have lost sons and fathers in the war. Of 180 who attended, 30 were children who have lost their fathers. This provides encouragement and support for those who need it most. Several from the first meeting are now attending the church. Praise God!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• Our director for Central Asia and his wife have 3 daughters. Each girl has serious physical afflictions: one has developed a rare, aggressive, painful tumor the size of a ping pong ball on her knee; another seems to be experiencing flare-ups of the Lyme’s disease she had years ago; the 3rd girl has developed severe allergies that may have their origin in a fungal infection she had in her stomach years ago. Please uphold this family in prayer!

• Ruslan, one of our evangelists in Central Asia, has come under increasing scrutiny and hostility by the police. Local imams all hate him because through Him locals learn of Christ and of God’s love and turn away from Islam.

• In September the Russians targeted major data centers that supply internet and cell service across Ukraine, damaging some and destroying others. The estimated time of recovery and adaptation extends into 2027. There already are some malfunctions with the internet, with more expected to happen come winter. This has affected some of our missionaries. Please pray they would retain the ability to use internet and cell service.

• We are encouraged that donations are trickling in to buy a small bus for the family in Lviv with 5 children that has now adopted 10 orphans. Initial donations are encouraging, but there’s a long way to go. Our next Challenger newsletter will include more details and photos of this unique Christian family.

  Click here for a printer-friendly version.

War Relief Updates - September 25, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. We praise the Lord for making our latest volunteer workday a success! We had arranged for a large group of friends from local churches to come and help us stuff, seal, and affix address stickers on our new 2027 BIEM calendars. However, as of the day before our work day, the shipping company still had not delivered the calendars! So, on the very morning planned for our mailing, 3 of our men drove to the shipper’s Indianapolis terminal and personally hand-loaded all the boxes of calendars onto a trailer and hauled them back to BIEM. Our hard-working volunteers hustled, enabling us to get all of those thousands of heavy bulk-mail envelopes to the post office that day—and with a few minutes to spare!

2.  Recently BIEM sponsored a conference for women involved in War Relief work held by the Brotherhood of Independent Churches and Ministries. The title of the conference was “Is It Not for this Time?” (referring to the Book of Esther, chapter 4). Women from all over Ukraine attended the conference, which was held in Lutsk. The purpose of the event was to empower and encourage the sisterhood, reminding that God put them in this time and place on purpose, and He nourishes and gives opportunities not only for ministry, but also for rest and refreshment.

The conference speakers talked about calling, women's health, financial stewardship, and handling stress and trauma—everything based on God's Word, pointing to Jesus as the center of their identity and the way of doing things.

Based on the feedback that we received, many women managed to fill the emptiness within, gain refreshment and encouragement to keep up the ministries they have been doing throughout all these years of war.

3. Although there are similarities, each summer camp is unique. In this video, the leaders of 2 camps sponsored by BIEM asked to share some personal thoughts and video clips with all of you, the friends who gave and prayed to make Christian summer camps possible! We’ve combined their thoughts into a video called simply “A Couple of Camps.” Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/couple

4. Although it’s easy to report on actual events happening inside Ukraine during this horrible war, it’s not so easy conveying how the constant wartime condition wear upon the hearts and minds of people who live there. So, we want to share with you this recent message from a single mother in Kyiv who put her trust in Christ years ago, on the last day of one of our children’s camps. This is her reply to a BIEM staff member who had written to ask how she is doing in Kyiv. As you read, see if you can feel her emotions and imagine living in her shoes, with no end in sight:

“I wanted to write to you earlier, especially after you asked how I was, but honestly, I just couldn’t. I’ve been living in such a constant state of anxiety and shock that sometimes I don’t even have the energy to think, let alone explain what is happening.

“What you see in the news is real, but living here feels completely different. In Kyiv, you can be sitting at work, talking to a client, trying to have a normal day, and suddenly the windows start shaking from explosions. You hear the blasts and just freeze for a moment, wondering how close they are and whether you need to leave.

“And then, somehow, life continues. People go to work, go to the shops, try to buy food, but everyone is watching the news and listening for explosions at the same time. Recently people have started buying everything they can—water, cereals, vegetables, other foods. You can feel the fear and uncertainty everywhere.

“The hardest part for me is not knowing what comes next. You can’t make normal plans anymore. You don’t know what tomorrow will look like, whether there will be electricity or water, whether you’ll be able to work, or whether another night will be spent hiding from missiles and drones.

“I think I’ve become emotionally exhausted. Sometimes I’m not even scared anymore, I’m just numb. Then another explosion happens, and you realize that this has become your everyday reality.

“What hurts the most is watching my country being destroyed and knowing that ordinary people are the ones paying the price. Homes, lives, normal everyday things, everything can disappear in a moment.

“So when you ask, ‘How are you?’… I honestly don’t know how to answer. I’m here. I’m working. I’m trying to live my life and stay strong. But I’m weary of having to be strong all the time….”

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 18, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Yesterday Pasha Usach, our church planter in Western Ukraine, arrived safely at BIEM’s offices in the USA. In light of the issue of Pasha somehow ending up on Ukraine’s "Wanted List" of draft dodgers (which we shared about previously), his arrival is a wonderful blessing and answer to prayer. Thank you for praying! During the next month, we will be traveling with Pasha to churches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Minnesota. Pray that God will bless these meetings as these churches hear about the challenges, blessings, and needs our people are facing in Ukraine.

2. Today we begin loading our next container of aid for Ukraine. We plan to ship it out next Tuesday. We have recruited volunteers to help with packing it. It is amazing how much a 40-foot, high-cube container will hold. Loading these containers proves the adage “Many hands make light work,” so we are thankful for all the hands the Lord sends to help us. God has already blessed us with ideal weather with temperatures in the 70’s and cloud cover to keep the day cooler for loading. Until today, local weather has been sunny, humid, and temperatures in the mid 90’s. (The inside of a steel container that has been sitting in the sun is much hotter.) We praise God for the blessing of cooler weather for loading this next shipment!

3. This week, the Brotherhood of Independent Churches and Mission in Ukraine held a women’s conference for sisters who minister to people in war-affected areas and beyond. In this video, chief administrator Iryna Sovenko tell us more about the conference. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/refreshment

4. We are thankful for the labors of 2 men from Ladysmith, Wisconsin, who hauled a trailer to us containing 150 auditorium chairs and other items for Ukraine. They left at 3 a.m., drove nearly 600 miles, unloaded quickly, and then headed back after a meal we enjoyed together. They completed this project in less than 24 hours! The chairs are going to the Forest Baptist Church on the outskirts of Kyiv. (You may remember a couple videos about this church, which is literally on the edge of a large forest.)

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 11, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. This coming week we have two Ukrainians coming to our headquarters, where they will be with us for about a month. They will be sharing updates, giving reports, and speaking in churches. As they travel, please pray that they would have smooth border crossings and that God would grant them journeying mercies.

2. Also, this coming week we will receive a 40-foot, high-cube shipping container that we will be packing for Ukraine. This requires an army of volunteers as well as dealing with a massive amount of bureaucratic paperwork. Please pray that God will enable and bless these efforts. If you are in our area, 5:30 pm on September 18 is when we need volunteers to help load boxes and other items. This shipment will include 150 auditorium chairs donated by a church in Wisconsin that will be used in one of our church building projects.

3. In this week’s video update, Andrii Sovenko interprets as Pastor Yura Levtseniuk from Lviv, Ukraine, shares an update about changes in his ministry in light of the recent increase in Russian bombings all over Ukraine. For the title of this video, we’ve selected an especially poignant comment that Yura made: “We feel the bombings, but we feel the prayers even more.”

Here’s the link: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/yura

4. When a Ukrainian church in the Elkhart, Indiana, learned that the teams we send out to distribute aid and share the Gospel occasionally travel to Dobropillia, they took action. Knowing how difficult things are in that area, which is constantly under bombardment, they collected 80 boxes of humanitarian goods, which they brought to our headquarters when we were loading a container. They requested that these items go to Dobropillia. Now the delivery of that container has taken place. We sent a team to the Dobropillia area, and they were able to distribute these 80 boxes along with other needed goods. Even better, they were able to share the Gospel with needy souls.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

September 2026 Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Continuing our monthly video series, in this video for September we are pleased to share with you an interview with Sasha Kapshuk. Not only does Sasha pastor the church in Desna, Ukraine, but he oversees the church’s rehabilitation center. As with several other rehab centers operated by BIEM church plants, the Desna Rehab Center has glorified God and redeemed souls of men who were once addicted to drugs and alcohol. Does every person who enters the program in Desna trust Christ and experience new life in Him? Unfortunately, no. There are always some who get cleaned but then return to their old ways in the world. But God continues to give spiritual fruit to this ministry! Each time that He does is a new reason to sing His praises. We pray that He continues to use this center to break the chains of addictions and transform lives.

Here’s the video: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/rehab-update

Blessings to you!
Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - September 4, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Last week, we requested prayer for Pasha Usach, who had mysteriously appeared on Ukraine’s “Wanted” list of men who were being summoned to serve in that country’s military. Because of his status as a father with young children, Pasha never should have appeared on such a list. Praise God, Pasha was able to get the mistake cleared up. He’s no longer summoned for military duty. Better yet, he is now cleared to visit the U.S. as planned to speak in churches.

2. We have seen an amazing display of God’s loving grace in our church in Lviv, Ukraine, where one of the families that already had 5 kids of their own plus two orphans recently adopted 8 more orphans, all from one family. These 8 children’s parents had been severely addicted to drugs and alcohol, which led to their death. Normally the city administration places such children in orphanages. Tragically, most Ukrainian orphan girls end up in prostitution while the boys become criminals. When a man connected with the city administration learned of these 8 orphaned kids, he contacted a pastor who had been witnessing to him—our Pastor Yura in Lviv. The man explained to Yura that these kids could end up in the hands of the Mafia, who would exploit them in human trafficking, so they needed to be extracted immediately. Yura sprang into action! He recruited his two brothers who lived in the city where the children were from. One of his brothers convinced a local hospital administrator to secretly admit all the children to his hospital, where they could be hidden. Next, Yura shared this situation with the church family that already had 7 children. God moved those parents to adopt all 8 of these children, potentially saving them from a horrible fate! Although this is a great, true story, the situation produced a great need. This family’s old van (which could not hold all 17 anyway) broke down and is unrepairable. Even though the family must use public transportation they don’t miss a church service! They badly need a bus. A decent 20-passenger bus would cost $40,000. Please pray that the Lord would provide for this need.

3. In this video, our brother in Christ Arthur Sovpel, from the church in Dobropillia in the Donetsk region, gives thanks to BIEM for the various forms of war relief that the church has received. He also gives an update about their ministry, why it relocated, and what is now happening in their church, which is located on the edge of the frontlines of the war.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/we-serve

4. August 2026 became a period of escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian logistics infrastructure. Official reports indicate the loss of approximately 90% of modern warehouse logistics belonging to retail chains — big grocery retailers, hardware stores, appliance shops, and logistics companies. Unofficial estimates confirm the scale of the destruction and point to a long-term impact on product assortment and availability.

People have felt the effects of this destruction: empty shelves have appeared in a number of stores that are important to the population, and the waiting period for certain goods now ranges from 1–2 days to a week. Moreover, due to damage to the distribution centers of Nova Post, a company whose services are used by nearly the entire population of the country, the delivery of parcels within Ukraine has been disrupted. People are afraid to send anything, because they aren’t sure it will arrive at its destination.

Against this backdrop, citizens are expressing anxiety concerning the food supply. Some fear that by winter there might be no food left in the stores. As a result, shoppers are beginning to stock up on goods with a long shelf life. This turn of events underscores that war relief will remain a huge need in coming months.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: September 2026

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Praise God for a wonderful camp season. What a blessing to receive reports of unexpectedly high attendance and many youth giving their lives to Christ. We are also grateful for God’s hand of protection over the Slobodians—during their second night near Kyiv, two Russian missile explosions in the vicinity shook them awake.

• We announced Vitaly Bilyak’s need to upgrade his phone and some unexpected expenses. Within hours, two different friends of BIEM called and met most of that need!

• Last Friday our coworker Andrii Sovenko joined several Ukrainian pastors in heartfelt thanks for the war relief on our most recent container. It is a joy to hear that these goods are now serving those in need. Here’s a video: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/received

• Last month’s BIEMs of Light requested prayer that our missionary Vitaly Bilyak, who is now serving as a military chaplain, be able to leave his post to attend his son’s wedding in Seattle. It is rare that a man in military service in Ukraine is allowed to exit the country. Praise God, Vitaly was able to attend the wedding. Thanks for prayers!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• In September we will have some of our missionaries in the U.S. to speak in churches on their ministries. Pasha Usach from Ukraine will be with us as well as Sasha, who serves in a restricted nation. Please pray that God will give them traveling mercies and protect their families while they are gone and bless the meetings in churches.

• We plan to send another container of aid and church-planting supplies to Ukraine the third week of this month. This requires coordinating with shipping companies in the U.S. and in Ukraine, a massive amount of paperwork, and assembling volunteers to help load the container. Please pray for God’s enablement and blessing on each step of this project.

• Russia has increased its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, especially on Kyiv. Such attacks are causing considerable damage, injuries, and loss of life. Since Russia is increasing its attacks, let’s increase our prayers for Ukraine, especially asking God to shield our people and churches.

• A family with 5 children in our church in Lviv has now adopted 10 orphans! This family’s old van broke down and is unrepairable. Forced to use public transportation, they don’t miss a church service! They badly need a bus. A decent 20 passenger bus would cost $40,000. Please pray that that God would supply this need.

  Click here for a printer-friendly version.

War Relief Updates - August 28, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. The camp season has turned out to be very fruitful for the Skripniks, our missionary family in the city of Borschiv in Ternopil region. Besides their own church camp, they have conducted 3 camps in various villages in the area. God blessed abundantly. These camps gave Sergei and Vika the opportunity to share the Gospel with over 200 unchurched kids from mainly Catholic communities. Many of those kids come from families in which the fathers have died in the war, are missing in action, or are currently away serving. Some of the kids came to the camp venue early in the morning—even though the camp wouldn’t start until 10—because they said they couldn’t wait to hear interesting stories from the Bible.

2. In September, we are planning to bring one of our Ukrainian missionaries (Pasha Usach) to the United States in order to help with loading our next container and to speak in various churches to update congregations on our war-relief efforts. Meetings have been scheduled, and his airline tickets have been bought. However, just this week a situation arose for which we need your prayers. Mysteriously, Pasha has appeared on the Ukrainian government’s ROZSHUK list. Basically ROZSHUK means “Wanted.”

This is the method the military conscription office uses to find people more effectively and compel them to come to the conscription office instead of them searching for the people themselves. Before the war, this system was working manually, and everything was fine because the number of such people was insignificant. When the war began, the pool of people in the system increased to several million, and the government introduced digitalization and automation to it. This means that an imperfect AI-model now manages the statuses of all military-aged men in the country. As you can imagine, glitches are bound to occur. That’s one reason why individuals can appear on the Wanted List even when their paperwork and status are okay. Pasha, for example, should not be on the list because he has 4 small children. In Ukraine, having 3 or more small children exempts a parent from military service.

When you are on this Wanted List, you cannot cross the border. If you try, the border officers will immediately deliver you into the custody of conscription officers, who likewise man the borders. Also, if a wanted person gets stopped by the police for an ID check, they will see this in their database. The police will then detain such a person and contact conscription officers. If you are on this list in error, as in Pasha’s case, you can get off of it by hiring a lawyer who is able to do this through legal means. Of course, this involves expenses, which are normally between $300-$500 dollars. Because we have started this process for Pasha, we need your prayers that he can successfully be removed from the ROZSHUK.

3. Recently, we shared a praise that the container bound for Desna, Ukraine, finally arrived. In this week’s video our coworker, Andrii Sovenko, together with several other pastors, pass along their heartfelt thanks for the war-relief aid on the container. It is a joy to hear that these goods are now serving those in need. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/received

4. As you may have noticed in news reports, Russia has increased their missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, especially on Kyiv. While Ukraine can knock down most of the drones and cruise missiles, they cannot knock down incoming ballistic missiles because defense units have run out of the interceptors that are launched from Patriot defense systems. Such attacks are are causing considerable damage, injuries, and loss of life. Since Russia is increasing its attacks, let’s increase our prayers for Ukraine, especially petitioning God to protect our people and churches. Our office has an excellent supply of attractive prayer reminders in both prayer card and bookmark form. You can contact our office to receive some, and we will be glad to send them to you free of charge.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - August 21, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Last week we mentioned a need Vitaly Bilyak had concerning upgrading his cell phone and some unexpected travel expenses to get to the United States. Within hours of sending out our updates, two different friends of BIEM called and met most of that need. Praise God!

2. Our partner church Dobra Novyna (“Good News”) in the city of Sumy has started a new kind of war relief for the people of their city. The church is offering workshops on Critical Incident Stress Management. This topic is very timely as more and more Russian glide bombs and drones wreak death, destruction, anxiety, and disorders among city residents. 

In these workshops the believers explain that God created all of us with a body, soul, and spirit, and that crisis situations affect all three parts of us. Proceeding from that understanding, they emphasize that, in addition to caring for the body and the mind, one should also care for his/her soul, which God is ready to help with. Of course, such a spiritual perspective provides opportunities to refer to Scripture and God’s way of salvation. In this way, listeners learn about taking care of their bodies and minds but also hear about the importance of their soul’s need.

3. Many of you will remember the video we sent out, thanking contributors for the “Warm Clothing for Soldiers” project last winter. This is the video where the General of the military base in Desna, Ukraine, expresses his gratitude. Also in that video, we introduced Sasha Kapchuk’s nephew, who had just been conscripted and was being sent to the warfront and was asking for people to pray for him. We are rejoicing that God has answered those prayers as you can see from this week’s video, which provides an update:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/answered

4. Our War Relief fund could use some help. When the war began, we were blessed with an amazing amount of gifts designated for war relief. As was expected, this giving did slow down and has diminished steadily. Now that the war is in its 5th year, donations for war relief have slowed to a trickle. However, needs for war relief in all the forms we provide still remain. We hope that mentioning this situation will generate more gifts for war relief, which in turn also spur opportunities for evangelism. Please pray with us about this continuing need.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - August 14, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Praise God! Vitaly Bilyak was able to get all necessary documents and was able to successfully cross the Ukrainian border and get to the Polish airport for a flight to the USA. This was not without problems. Getting from the Ukrainian border to the airport in Poland involved a long train ride, then buses the rest of the way to the airport. Because the buses were running late, Vitaly ended up having to hire a taxi for $250 to get himself to the airport in time. Nevertheless, he has made it to his destination for which we thank God. He did share a need for which we would like to request your prayers. He asks, “Could the mission buy me a new iPhone? My iPhone is already very tired. The battery is not holding up well. And my entire ministry is tied to the phone.”

2. This week BIEM’s war-relief program has been especially blessed. Earlier, a retired pastor and his wife had contacted us from Wisconsin. They wondered if they could drive to Indiana and spend several days sorting, folding, and packing donated clothing for our next container shipment to Ukraine. Of course, we said Yes! So, they have been with us for three days, and they are just now sorting and boxing the last of the unprocessed clothing donations currently on hand. This is a tremendous blessing! We thank and praise the Lord for our volunteers!

3. In Lviv, Ukraine, Yura and Violetta Levtseniuk testify that the warm winter clothing BIEM supplied for frontline soldiers continues to spark gratitude reaps spiritual results among soldiers who received them. Here’s the story of one soldier who found his way to the church and from there found his way to the Lord. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/moreresults

4. Our War Relief Fund sponsored several trips that Sofia Buyko took to Denmark to share the Gospel and distribute aid among the many Ukrainian women refugees who have settled there. On each trip, she would take one or two of her daughters (Angelica, Solomia & Ivanko) with her. After Angelica was engaged to a young Ukrainian Christian man in Germany (he grew up in the same church as Angelica), it became apparent that—due to issues related to obtaining a legal marriage certificate since the groom was not a citizen of Germany and could not return to Ukraine—it was determined that a wedding in Denmark would satisfy legal requirements for registering the marriage. Because Sophia had established relationships with a considerable number of Ukrainian women in Denmark through war relief distribution, these local ladies rendered valuable assistance in organizing the wedding. When Sam and Amy attended the wedding last Saturday, some of those refugees who have received aid from BIEM blessed them personally with words of thanks.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - August 7, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Sam & Amy Slobodian are now in Ukraine and wish to thank you for your prayers. Their border crossing into Ukraine went smoothly, and they are thankful for God’s protection, especially since they spent the first few days of their trip in Kyiv, which continues to be heavily bombed. About 2:30 a.m. last Saturday, they were shaken awake when Russian missiles exploded in the vicinity and shook the building they were in. When dawn broke, they easily saw smoke billowing from the two locations where the missiles had struck. The Slobodians are now in Lviv, which is considered much safer than Kyiv, though nowhere in Ukraine is considered totally safe. They report that summer camps are going great with higher-than-expected attendance. In Lviv, where many campers are from unchurched homes, several parents forbade their kids from attending. However, because this camp was being conducted on church property the entire neighborhood could see and hear all the fun. The doubtful parents relented, and these children happily joined the other campers.

2. In Bucha, Ukraine, our missionaries the Anokhins regularly visit a military mental health hospital. After a recent visit, a veteran named Bohdan came to their church and shared how his faith in God sustained him when he was wounded and taken as prisoner of war. Another man, Yevhen, had known nothing about Christ but listened intently and placed his faith in the Lord!

3. For years, the members of Awakening Baptist Church in the Obolon district of Kyiv have worshipped in the basement while they slowly continue construction upstairs. But now they have a wonderful problem—too many people to fit in that basement! Just like the church in Desna that we wrote about two weeks ago, the Obolon church is experiencing growth due to their war-relief outreaches, which BIEM is making possible. By God’s grace and through your financial gifts, BIEM has invested heavily in this church-construction project and will continue to do so. In this week’s video, Pastor Nikolai Rozhnyatovsky shares about the church, their construction project, and their dreams for the future... Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/completion

4. This weekend BIEM Ukrainian missionary Pavel Usach will be leading a team of volunteers who are traveling to Vysokopillia, which is on the edge of the warfront. They will be distributing war relief aid and sharing the Gospel together with the local church there. Please pray for their safety on this dangerous venture and for souls to respond to the Gospel as it is preached.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: August 2026

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• As explained before, Vitaly Bilyak had requested permission to leave his military post in Ukraine to attend his son’s wedding in Washington state, USA. Hallelujah, the U.S. renewed his visa! Vitaly still must obtain Ukrainian documents allowing him to exit Ukraine temporarily, so this is still a matter for prayer.

• We praise God for the many friends who continue to donate good, useable clothing and shoes for refugees in Ukraine. A recent example was a couple who visited BIEM with their car stuffed with wonderful clothing. A relative had passed away, and they wanted to bless women in Ukraine. Thank you all!

• In Bucha, Ukraine, our missionaries the Anokhins regularly visit a military mental health hospital. After a recent visit, a veteran named Bohdan came to their church and shared how his faith in God sustained him when he was wounded and taken as prisoner of war. Another man, Yevhen, knew nothing about Christ but listened intently and placed his faith in the Lord!

• In May we requested prayer for Mark, the husband of BIEM’s receptionist Patty. Fast forward: he had a 5th surgery on July 15 to insert another medicated knee spacer and to address the wound inside his knee. Praise God, the surgeons did not find any staph infection (which he had prior)! However, he has a different type of infection, which they are treating with an oral antibiotic. Patty says, “We are now waiting for this wound to heal. Once that is completely healed, they can move forward with placing new components into the knee (surgery #6!). This has been a very long process, but God is good! Please continue to pray as this ordeal has been physically taxing and at times discouraging.”

Prayer – Pray with us!

• Sam and Amy Slobodian are currently in Ukraine. They will be working in children’s camps, surveying various BIEM projects— including our war-relief efforts—and visiting our BIEM missionaries. Because Russia has not scaled back their missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, please pray for safety, for God’s blessings on the camps, and that they will be an encouragement to our Ukrainian coworkers and friends.

• By God’s grace and with your help, we reached all of the $77,000 goal for funding summer camps. So, although no more funds for summer camps are currently needed, we do still request your prayers for all those young souls who will be attending camps this month.

• The Eugene Buyko family are experiencing a double need. First, their personal vehicle broke down during an evangelism trip to the warfront. The cost of towing and repairs came to nearly $2,000. On top of that, their daughter Angelica is getting married in Denmark in August, so that is another expense. Please pray.

• We previously requested prayer for the Yura and Violetta Levtseniuk in Lviv, Ukraine. Violetta had been rushed to the hospital for bleeding, and there was danger of her losing her baby. Although she was subsequently allowed to return home, she did lose the baby after all. Please uphold the family in prayer.

  Click here for a printer-friendly version.

August 2026 Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Monthly video! Every year, there are kids who draw close to the Lord in camps, some unto salvation, while other kids who already know the Lord grow in grace and in knowledge of God’s Word. In this video update for the month of August, a number of English-speaking Ukrainian youth express various reasons why they are thankful for you, dear friends of BIEM, who support the camping ministry.

And here in the home office of BIEM, we are very thankful for you, too. It is by your prayers and financial gifts that this ministry can make an impact for God’s Kingdom. Thank you for caring, sharing, and upholding our projects in prayer!

Here’s the link to the video: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/closer

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - July 31, 2026

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. At the time of this writing, Sam and Amy Slobodian have arrived in Poland and are heading toward Ukraine. They will be working in children’s camps, surveying various BIEM projects— including our war-relief efforts—and visiting our BIEM missionaries. Because Russia has not scaled back their missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, please pray for safety, for God’s blessings on the camps, and that they will be an encouragement to our Ukrainian coworkers and friends.

2. Last week we requested prayer for the Levtseniuk family in Lviv, Ukraine. Violetta had been rushed to the hospital for bleeding, and there was danger of her losing her baby. Although she was subsequently allowed to return home, she did lose the baby after all. Here is a message of condolence that we sent to them:

Dear Yura and Violetta,

We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of your little one. There are no words that can truly ease this pain, but please know that you are in our hearts and prayers during these difficult days.

Your baby was already very loved, and that love doesn't go away—it just changes form. We pray that God will surround you with His comfort, give you strength for each day, and remind you that you are not alone in this journey.

“For you created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb . . . and my bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret.”  —Psalm 139:13, 15

Please lean on God, on us, and on each other during these days. We are here for you, whatever you need.

With love and prayers,

The Slobodian family and everyone at BIEM Mission

3. In the Druzhba district of the city of Ternopil, Ukraine, Sergiy & Karina Koop (along with their two kids) continue all the various outreaches that go into starting and growing a new church. As many will recall, this church was born out of BIEM’s war-relief efforts. While ministering among the 30,000 refugees who settled in their city, Sergiy & Karina felt God’s calling to start a new church to reach them with the Gospel. In this video, Sam Slobodian interprets as Sergiy brings us up to date on their recent activities. Please watch, but also please keep the Koops in your prayers... Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/catchingup

4. In and around the eastern city of Sumy, Ukraine, in recent weeks, Russian attack drones have started targeting gas stations. (Evidently, this is a reaction to the fuel crisis that Ukraine has created all across Russia with its attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries.) To alleviate some of the need, local Ukrainian authorities have been rolling out mobile gas station/refueling units. This news is significant to BIEM because the Baptist church in Sumy is a key partner with BIEM. The pastor and church members depend on their vehicles for evangelistic and humanitarian-aid outreaches among their countrymen. Please uphold these brothers and sister in prayers as they remain in the dangerous eastern zones to perform ministry before the Lord.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM