War Relief Updates - January 17, 2024

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

1. Some of our readers may remember a Ukrainian woman named Alona, who appeared in one of our videos last winter. At the time of making the video, Alona was on her way to mail packages of warm clothing, which BIEM had provided. She was mailing the clothing to her uncle and to the son of one of her colleagues at work and was expressing gratitude to BIEM for that opportunity. But now Alona and her family request prayer for the uncle, Andrei, who was serving on the front lines and has disappeared. The family fears he has been either killed or taken prisoner.

2. BIEM’s missionary pastor Igor Fomichov ministers in a church in Desna, Ukraine, which is a town with a military base. That church has many members and friends serving in combat, and Igor shared a sobering story. Two of his members—Roma and Vova (one of their deacons)— were part of a unit of 100 men who were dispatched to the front line. After 2 months of intense fighting, the remains of that unit returned with only 13 survivors out of the 100. The deacon, Vova, was the only one who returned uninjured. The other 12, including Roma, are hospitalized with injuries. Roma has an injured arm that is not responding to treatment and has lost all feeling. Nevertheless, the military is refusing to release Roma and plans to send him back to the front. Please pray about this situation.

3. Our video for this week, “They see the church is active and cares for them,” takes its name from an observation by Michael Buyko, the son of BIEM’s director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko. In this video update, Michael shows examples of some of the medical supplies provided by BIEM. He also describes how these items not only help people in need but also increase society’s esteem for the church and glorify God. You can watch the video through this link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/theysee

4. Trail Life USA is a faith-based Scout-like organization providing youth mentorship and character development to boys in the United States. One of their groups, led by BIEM friend C.J. Cordell, has gathered clothing for BIEM’s war relief efforts in Ukraine. This weekend they are bringing a large trailer full of clothing to our BIEM headquarters for our next container shipment of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Praise God!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

January Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

So now it’s January 2025, and Russia’s war against Ukraine has been wreaking death and destruction for nearly three long, weary years with no end in sight. So, what should believers there do now? In BIEM’s video for January, missionary Sergiy Koop thanks you for all the aid and prayers, but he also addresses that question. He says, “We don’t know what the Lord has in store for us, but we are going to continue to minister to the refugees, to our community, and to the military. We need your support and your prayers. And we believe that we—together—and that God through us, will change the world and save many.”

But is three years too long to continue such optimism? Not at all. In the land of Egypt, the children of Israel called out to God for far longer than three years, and when God determined that enough was enough, He sent Moses to lead them out of slavery. In Israel, many Jews probably gave up hope that their Messiah would come. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). The Lord doesn’t ask us to help Him to determine His timeline for events. But He does expect us to be found faithful and to occupy this earth until Christ comes again.

In this month’s video, you will also see two more joyful young people who have been adopted into the family of God and followed Christ in believers’ baptism. (Due to lack of space and no baptistry in their church’s rented facility, they held the baptism at the mother church.) Thank you for your ongoing support for God’s work overseas. You are helping to make such victories happen! Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/continuing

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - January 10, 2024

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

1. The 40-ft. container of war relief that we shipped on December 13 is expected to arrive in the Polish port of Gdynia on January 21st. However, actual arrival dates can shift according to weather conditions and other factors. Please pray for a smooth delivery at the port and for the many details involved in transferring this shipment to a truck, carrying it overland across the border into Ukraine, and then passing Customs.

2. Praise God for friends of BIEM who provided funds for a much-needed van for the ministry in Ternopil. Andrei Eliseev, who oversees the Rehabilitation Center there, says, “We are very thankful for you, for your labors for us, and we’re very thankful for this transportation. It is very needed in our ministry. It serves the church, mainly the Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Center. We have invalids who need help and transportation. We also use the van in our work of providing humanitarian aid for refugees and needy people. Often Brother Vitaly travels to the war front to help civilians there [with humanitarian aid] and the military. We will also use it in camp ministry…. So, we want to thank you and want to ask you to pray that God will bless these efforts.”

3. Just before Christmas, New Life Baptist Church in Ternopil, Ukraine, held a special service. This wasn’t a meeting for born-again church members; it was an outreach to the refugees, the downcast, and other discouraged ones who lived near the church building. During this time, believers shared testimonies and shined the light of the Gospel into these neighbors’ hearts. With assistance from BIEM’s War Relief program, the visitors also received food packets and sweet treats to make their Christmas a little more joyous. As part of their appreciation to you for making such meetings possible, the church provided the following video:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/outreach-to-discouraged

4. Readers of these updates will recall that back in October over 47,000 workers in ports along the U.S. east coast went on strike. The strike was temporarily halted and their contracts extended to January 15, when another strike could potentially begin. We asked you to pray concerning that situation, as it would halt humanitarian aid flowing from the U.S. to refugees in Ukraine. Now it seems a more permanent agreement has been reached, and these ports will remain in operation. Thank you for praying!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 3, 2025

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

1. The Lord has answered our prayers concerning the possibility of our missionary pastors getting drafted into the Ukrainian army. On December 26 the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers amended regulations governing the mobilization of conscripts during wartime, introducing provisions to allow clergy members to be exempt from military service. Praise the Lord! Thank you to each of you who prayed concerning this matter!

2. We previously shared that Eugene Buyko, who pastors the church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, had reported that his congregation’s war-relief distributions had attracted many visitors to their services and that several had become regular attenders, including 3 refugee families that had been resettled in the area. Praise God, that number of new families attending weekly has grown to 6!

3. In this week’s video update, missionary Sergei Skripnik discusses just a few of the ways that war relief from BIEM is enabling their church in Borschiv—and other churches across Ukraine—to reach out to children, adults, and soldiers with both material aid and the Gospel. In concluding, he shares glimpses of a program their local church held with the assistance of BIEM aid to bring needy children some Christmas joy, but especially to bring them Jesus!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/ukraine-this-winter

4. Like last year, for each accepted application, BIEM plans to provide $100 for local church members to buy warm clothes and Scriptures for loved ones in the Ukrainian military. So far, we have received applications for over 600 soldiers, with more coming in. Please pray that this project will not only warm bodies but also point souls to the Savior. If you would like to help but don’t have many funds to contribute, let me encourage you with the news that a generous donor has created a matching-gift offer for BIEM’s War Relief program. Up to $100,000 in gifts connected to our War Relief will be matched. So, any amount you give for the “Warm Clothing” project will be doubled. Praise the Lord!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: January 2025

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• The Lord has answered our prayers concerning our missionary pastors possibly getting conscripted into the Ukrainian army. On December 26, Ukraine amended regulations for the mobilization of conscripts. They introduced provisions to exempt clergy members from military duty! Hallelujah!

• We previously shared that Eugene Buyko, who pastors the church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, had reported that his congregation’s war-relief distributions had attracted many visitors to their services and that several had become regular attenders, including 3 refugee families. Praise God, the number of new families has grown to 6!

• Praise God for a generous donation we received to construct brick walls for the first floor of a building under construction on the campground in Derman, Ukraine, which is also the location of a new church. Despite the time of year, there were enough breaks in the weather that this phase could be completed before the really harsh winter sets in.

• When our missionaries, the Petrenkos, attended the opening of a monument in remembrance of fallen soldiers, they experienced bittersweet memories of young men who had accepted Christ at their tent camps. In fact, there are other instances of fallen soldiers who first learned of Jesus in our summer camps. Thank you for helping us reach youth for the Lord!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• The Republic of Georgia’s new president is known for anti-Western sentiments. Please pray that Georgia’s leadership will not hinder Western-based missionaries serving God in that nation.

• The next session of our Seminary in Ukraine will take place in January. Please pray for the safety of all who will be traveling to it during wartime and that these classes will deepen the students’ understanding of God’s Word and how to minister better.

• Due to security concerns, we at BIEM cannot communicate directly with our national missionaries in Russia. This month Sam Slobodian plans to meet with them in a neutral country. Please pray for all the logistics to work out and that this rendezvous will go smoothly.

• Like last year, for each accepted application, BIEM plans to provide $100 for local church members to buy warm clothes and Scriptures for loved ones in the Ukrainian military. So far, we have applications for over 500 soldiers, with more coming in. Please pray that this project will not only warm bodies but also point souls to the Savior. Remember, thanks to a generous donor, gifts to War Relief will be matched up to $100,000, so any gifts in this area will be doubled.

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War Relief Updates - December 23, 2024

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

Merry Christmas!

December Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Recently, House of Prayer Baptist Church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, hosted a special musical event for ladies. Because of the war, many women are lonely and fearful for their husbands, sons, brothers, and boyfriends who are away at war. The event began outdoors with hot tea, snacks, and a chance to get acquainted. Then they proceeded indoors for an evening of music presented by the youth. Of course, the Gospel was presented along with an invitation to church. The ladies who came expressed great appreciation. May God bless such outreaches with fruit for the Kingdom of God.

The following video provides some glimpses into that evening…

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/musicalevening

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - December 20, 2024

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

1. Over the past few weeks, as Russian forces intensified their attacks on Ukraine, they have heavily targeted Ukraine’s power grid. As a result, many parts of Ukraine are without power for several hours each day. So far, BIEM has spent over $200,000 of war relief funds providing generators for churches we partner with in ministry. As this situation worsens, we hear many expressions of gratitude from churches, stating that this assistance has enabled their ministries to continue. However, purchasing fuel to power these generators is a challenge for these economically challenged congregations. This winter BIEM has provided many of our churches with war relief funds of $1,000 apiece to meet this critical need.

2. This month churches in Bilogorodka, Nizhylovychi, Lviv, and other towns are conducting special services for needy widows and ladies whose husbands are serving in the military. Ladies who attend hear the Gospel and receive a package of groceries and other essentials. This form of war relief does much to lift the testimony of these churches while directing the ladies’ thoughts to God’s Word.

3. In the last quarter of 2024, Ukrainian military medics conducted various training sessions in the area where BIEM missionary Sasha Petrenko ministers. Because Sasha, of course, cares about saving lives as much as saving souls, he reached out to these medics as they trained newer medics and put on demonstrations for civilians. Through Sasha’s collaboration, BIEM was able to provide not just tourniquets but specialized wound kits for rendering emergency aid to soldiers and civilians injured by Russian munitions. A spiritual addition inside each kit is a New Testament and a card with contact information from the church. In this video, Sasha introduces one of the trainers. With your donations of tourniquets, walkers, canes, crutches, and funds for war relief, you’re helping believers as they in turn reach out to their countrymen spiritually and physically. In this brief video, Sasha introduces one of the medics…

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/medics

4. Eugene Buyko, who pastors the church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, reports that his congregation’s activities in providing war relief in various ways have attracted many visitors to their services. Several have become regular attenders, including 3 refugee families who have been resettled in the area. Praise God!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 13, 2024

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

1. Today, BIEM’s 3rd container of war relief in 2024 departed for Ukraine. Once again, this shipment was made possible by all of you who contributed clothing, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, medical supplies, and other items for those in need in Ukraine during this time of war. In addition, many, many volunteers came to the BIEM warehouse and donated their time in sorting and packing the clothing in preparation for loading. Yet others came earlier this week and assisted manually in loading the container despite frigid temperatures. To one and all we express a huge “Thank you!”

2. Igor’s car—As we are publishing this update, our missionary Igor Formichov is on his way back to Ukraine. Thank you to all those who prayed for his meetings and for his disabled vehicle, which he left in Poland. Praise God for Ukrainian friends in Poland, who were able to get the vehicle into a shop where it was determined that the vehicle was the victim of bad fuel, which clogged the fuel pump and injectors. Cleaning did make the vehicle operable and hopefully operable enough for Igor to make it back to Ukraine, where he may need to replace the pump and injectors for long-term use. Praise the Lord for a church in South Dakota that has volunteered to pay for the costs of repair thus far.

3. While briefly visiting us in the US, Igor had opportunities to speak in some supporting churches and personally provide updates on the wartime situation in his home country of Ukraine. However, Igor also played an invaluable role in loading the container mentioned in #1 above. Both before and after volunteers came to help load it, Igor spent many hours hand-loading and arranging odd-shaped items of various sizes to use every bit of airspace possible. He started the trip back to Ukraine on the same morning the container was scheduled for pickup. Before leaving, he provided a brief interview in which he not only deeply thanks all of you who give but also explains why such donations provide so much hope for the recipients—a “light in this time of crisis,” as he puts it:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/crisis

4. Praise God for friends of BIEM in Wisconsin who are providing a large supply of disposable diapers (for both adults and children) for Ukraine. This is an extremely welcome contribution to our war relief efforts because such diapers are very expensive in Ukraine. Especially for the elderly, who try to survive on a pitifully meager income which has become even more strained since the war has resulted in shortages of goods and rising costs for everything, especially for food and essentials like diapers. As we now begin collecting goods for our first container of 2025, we can certainly use more such disposable diapers. If you have any you don’t need, please consider donating them to us for war relief.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 6, 2024

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

1. Recently we shared with readers the good news that Igor Fomichov had received all the documents he needed for exiting Ukraine to visit here in the US. We mentioned that even with this good news, prayer was still needed since Ukrainian border guards do have the authority to override all of Igor’s documents and not allow him to exit Ukraine. A huge thanks to all who prayed because, as it turned out, Igor encountered 3 huge obstacles on his journey. First, when he arrived at the border, the chief of the border guards decided not to let Igor cross the border! He stated that Igor was lacking a document from his employer authorizing Igor’s departure. Among Igor’s large collection of documents, he had such documents, both from the church (which would be his employer) and from the City Council since Igor serves on the Desna city council. This official refused even to look at Igor’s documents, which is highly unusual, and wanted Igor to sign a document acknowledging that he had been denied exit. There was something about the situation that persuaded Igor that it would be no use arguing with this person. So, he politely refused to sign and departed for another border crossing point, which was 2 1/2 hours away. There, he was permitted to cross the border with no issues since all his documents were in order. Soon, Igor encountered another problem – his vehicle began stalling and running rough. Each time it stalled, he was able to restart the car and continued limping along until he somehow got within about a half mile of his destination in Poland. There, friends were planning to drive him to the airport for his 6 am flight. However, the delays at the border crossing and his car troubles added so many hours to his journey that at this point it was nearly 3 am. Praise God, after leaving his car with his friends in Poland, he did reach the airport in time for his flight. He was relieved to board the plane and thanked God for making it thus far. However, a third obstacle awaited: This time, it was the US Customs that did not let Igor immediately into the US as per normal procedure. Instead, the US Customs workers interrogated Igor for 2 hours and thoroughly searched him and all his bags. They asked endless questions, which ended up requiring several phone calls to Ukraine to prove that Igor was who he said he was. Finally, they let Igor pass and explained that they are on high alert due to Russians posing as Ukrainians seeking to enter the US for nefarious purposes. Having finally passed through the US Customs, Igor had one more flight to get to us here in Indiana. Because of the delay at Customs, he would have certainly missed that final flight – except for the fact that it was delayed for almost 2 hours. Once again, Igor rejoiced in God’s provision in answer to the prayers of His people. When we met Igor at the Indianapolis airport, he was totally exhausted but rejoicing to finally arrive. By the time he reached our BIEM office, he had been on the road for 64 hours.

2. Please pray for the church services where Igor will speak. He will report on how God is blessing BIEM’s war relief efforts in Ukraine, how they are reaching souls, and how they lift the testimony of the church and open hearts to the Gospel. Please pray as well that his vehicle can be repaired in time for him to return home. This promises to be a significant cost, so please pray concerning this need.

3. In this week’s video, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak takes you within just a few short miles of the war front in Ukraine on his 20th humanitarian aid & evangelism trip. This personal viewpoint gives a taste of life in the south and east of Ukraine that typical newscasts don’t show and helps you to know better how to pray for people on the front:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/frontline

4. Thanks to the generosity of all you friends, BIEM now has enough donations of clothing, shoes, and medical items to ship another 40-ft container of war relief to Ukraine. We have arranged with a shipper for the container to be delivered to our warehouse door on Monday, December 9, and then picked up on Thursday, December 12, to begin its trip to Ukraine. This will our 3rd container for 2024. May God bless it with swift passage to those who need its contents!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: December 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• We had requested prayer that Igor Fomichov be permitted to exit Ukraine temporarily to assist BIEM with its next container and to speak in churches! Praise God; he’s now here!

• Connected to the praise item above is another cause for praise. Thanks to the generosity of all you friends, BIEM now has enough donations of clothing, shoes, and medical items to ship another 40-ft container of war relief to Ukraine. This is our 3rd for 2024. May God bless it with swift passage!

• In November, our newer church planter Sergiy Koop had the joy of baptizing 2 new believers!

•  BIEM church planter Anatoly Kirilko declares, “Greetings from Nizhylovychi! We celebrated the Harvest Festival in our church and thanked God for all the blessings He sends even though such a brutal war continues in the country…. We had wonderful fellowship, sermons, much inspiring singing, and lastly a festive dinner. Thank God that He takes care of us in every way.”

Prayer – Pray with us!

• From our Director for Central Asia: “Our 5 Iranian believers were beaten severely. As they were enduring beatings, the others sang hymns and praises to God to encourage the ones being beaten. As they were being beaten and singing, the Iranian police looked at each other and said, “What are we doing? These men aren’t violent. They’re even praying for our country as we beat them.” The police stole the men’s money and documents, then dumped them on the street, telling them to keep their religion to themselves. Their faces are so swollen they could barely speak, but they rejoice to suffer for their Savior who suffered so much more for them. Please pray as they plan Christmas evangelism.

• As Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, church members are among those being taken into the military. Please for their safety but also for their Christian witness to fellow soldiers.

• Our church planters the Kellers have relocated to Armenia, where they face multiple challenges in the cultures, language, and religion. Vitaly says, “Pray also that we can clearly see the area where God wants us to serve. We don’t want to spread ourselves too thin by trying to do everything, but instead focus on what will be most effective.”

• Concerning Belarus, news outlets report fresh repression in advance of elections. If reports are accurate, there has been a wave of searches and arrests, with a sharp increase in citizens arrested on accusations of treason. Please pray that churches are not targeted, especially our Belarusian church planters.

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Dana Keller

Dana Keller - A Heart for Orphans

On November 19, BIEM’s Board of Directors came to an exciting decision. After lengthy discussion with a young missionary applicant, the Board enthusiastically appointed Dana Keller as a BIEM missionary to orphan children in Ukraine.

One of the exciting things about this application is that Dana (an Eastern European name pronounced “DAH-nuh”) is the eldest daughter of our seasoned missionaries Vitaly and Alexandra Keller. As such, she grew up, not only in a Christian home, but in a home where she regularly saw her parents ministering to others and engaging them with the Gospel.

Her early years

Dana says, “I think I was around 10 years old—maybe a little younger—when I came to the conclusion that I want a personal relationship with God.” She talked with her father, who made sure she understood the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. Assured that Dana truly believed and had placed her faith in the Savior, Vitaly had the privilege of baptizing her along with several others at their next baptism service.

Right away, Dana embraced her Christian faith in a personal way, not just something that she observed in her parents’ lives.

“My mom tells stories of how, when I was little, we would go to a playground, and I would tell the other kids and their moms about God. Those other moms would walk over to my mom and be like, “Your daughter is trying to convert us or something.”

As Dana grew and matured, she often joined her parents in street evangelism and other outreaches, where she benefited from learning by their example.

Bible college & beyond

Currently, Dana is in the U.S. attending her last year of Bible college. But no one should think she’s content just to absorb information when there is hands-on work to be done. Even before the war, Ukraine supported a huge number of children in orphanages. Now, the war has only multiplied the number of kids without parents who need the Gospel.

A special advantage for Dana is that ministry to orphans runs in her family. For many years, her uncle has been active directing camps for orphans in Ukraine. “So, I’ve had very easy access to his camps for orphans during summers and winters. I went and just felt that this is where I feel most needed.”

Because Turkey invited Ukrainian orphanages that were close to the warfront to relocate to Turkey for safety, Dana traveled there with a ministry team to evangelize among the children. This experience confirmed in Dana’s mind that this is the sort of mission field she wanted to work in, not just temporarily but full-time.

As part of her Bible college training, Dana did her internship in a prison for troubled youth, and she declares she especially enjoyed that experience. However, Because of cultural differences, she notes, “I really like to work with youth, but with American youth it’s so different. I don’t understand them. I don’t understand their struggles and their jokes….” So, even though she appreciated that experience in an American correctional facility, that outreach pointed her thoughts back to the lands of her upbringing: “I can do the most in Ukraine or Russia, because I know their culture. I know how they grew up.”

Looking ahead…

Asked whether she might have trouble using her time effectively as a single missionary, she states, “I can’t sit still, so I like structure in my life. I like to have a schedule. Usually on free days I create my own schedule, because if I didn’t have a schedule I wouldn’t be as productive. I can’t sit still.”

Will Dana miss America when she eventually heads back overseas as a missionary? She replies, “The more time I spend in America, the more I understand that I don’t want to stay in America. It’s a wonderful country you have, but I love my own country. And I know I could get too comfortable here. I don’t want to do that. I don’t think God is calling me to be comfortable.”

Dana expects to graduate from Bible college in the spring of 2025 and hopes to be on the mission field by the summer of 2026. She is already contacting churches and says, “If churches would like to contact me, I would love to share my vision and plans over the phone or by Zoom. I would also come and visit if they are located within 2-3 hours from Lancaster, PA.” Churches may contact her via email: DanaKellerRu@gmail.com.

Thanksgiving week - November 27, 2024

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

Dear friends, 

Due to a shortened workweek, in place of our usual weekly updates, we at BIEM are going to join you in focusing on God’s material and spiritual blessings. This photograph of young ladies singing praises to the Lord comes from the Harvest holiday (Thanksgiving) held at House of Prayer Baptist Church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine. Despite the war in their land, despite hardships, bombs, drones, and so many shortages, Ukrainian believers held a special day to obey the Biblical admonition,

“In everything give thanks….” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) May God bless them and you!

Happy Thanksgiving from BIEM!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 22, 2024

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

1. Last winter, your financial gifts blessed 1,650 Ukrainian soldiers with warm clothing and New Testaments. Once again, we are offering you an opportunity to supply $100 worth of warm clothes and God’s Word for soldiers on the line in Ukraine. This time, we aren’t setting a specific dollar amount as a goal, but we will forward whatever amount arrives for churches to use as opportunities to bless others and to share God’s Word.

2. BIEM has received some exciting news. A donor has stepped forward with a matching-funds offer: Every dollar that BIEM receives for our War Relief outreach will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000! This offer includes the Warm Clothing outreach mentioned above, and it extends through the end of 2025. In other words, each gift you give toward War Relief will automatically double until the $100,000 is reached. Praise God!

3.  Through your gifts of humanitarian aid, BIEM missionaries have established relationships with various hospitals and charities. In this short video, BIEM's director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko, introduces administrators of 2 different organizations in the Kyiv region that you have blessed with aid and the Gospel:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/helping

4.  A couple of weeks ago, we requested prayer that Igor Fomichov would be able to obtain all necessary permissions and documents to be allowed to leave Ukraine for War Relief meetings we have scheduled in churches for the month of December. Another benefit is that his presence would allow Igor to help load our next container of war relief bound for Ukraine. Praise God, today he received these documents! This news comes just in time since he leaves on Monday. Please pray that Igor does not have any issues crossing the border, since the border guards do have the authority to deny exit despite a traveler possessing all necessary documents. Our readers may remember that on a previous trip the border guards did not want to let him exit into Poland. Only because Igor was able to enlist the help of the mayor of Desna in the middle of the night did they let him through.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 15, 2024

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

1. In our November 8th updates, we mentioned a serious need for volunteers to help BIEM sort and pack clothing for our upcoming container of war relief. Praise the Lord, we have enjoyed the assistance of a good number of volunteers who have processed a huge amount of clothing within the past few days. Even as I pen these words, two more volunteers are in our warehouse and sorting and folding clothing into boxes for shipment!

2. As the war drags on, Ukraine not only needs more soldiers, but they are also facing a shortage of medics. Therefore, Ukraine has been recruiting and training more medics. One of the places that has been established for a medic-training center is the local library in Smolyn, next to the Goncharovsk military base where brother Sasha Petrenko has planted a church. This turn of events created an opportunity for brother Sasha to get acquainted with this group of people. Through our war relief fund, he was able to provide them with medical supplies and equipment, including tourniquets, which are in high demand.

3. On a Sunday afternoon in Ukraine, our shipping company contacted Pastor Eugene Buyko. They were ready to deliver our long-awaited container. So, although a Sunday delivery was unusual, Brother Buyko wasn’t going to say, No. He and his family stayed to accept the delivery. Normally an arriving container remains on its trailer and is hauled away after unloading. But in this case, BIEM had purchased a used container for the church to keep as an outdoor storage unit. In the following video, the Buyko family shares with you the off-loading process and introduces just one of many refugee families who are benefiting from war relief shipment...

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/container-arrival

4. This week, Widow’s Jar Ministries in Indianapolis provided us with another trailer full of medical supplies and other relief goods to be distributed by our Ukrainian missionaries. These items, along with other donated goods, will be loaded onto our next container to Ukraine, which we plan to ship in early December. BIEM thanks and praises the Lord for opportunities to collaborate with fellow missions like Widow’s Jar Ministries, which has not only blessed our individual missionary families but provided literally tons of humanitarian aid supplies.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 8, 2024

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

1. Thank you, everyone who prayed for Pasha Usach’s brother Alexei, who was picked up and taken to a military processing center. After gathering various documents that normally would exempt him from military service (for example, he has a document verifying that he has an invalid child who is dependent on his assistance), he was told that his case would be decided in the next day or two. When Pasha and Alexei arrived with Alexei’s documents, they learned that every person who met with the officials and presented documents that should have exempted them were nevertheless shipped off somewhere to receive 30 days of training before being dispatched to the front—and with no opportunity to go home first. Upon learning this, they decided to simply leave as soon as it was possible to exit without being detected. Obviously, this is a risky move with unknown consequences. However, Alexei and Pasha felt that this was his best option. Therefore, please continue praying for Alexei in this situation.

2. On November 13, 14, and 15 an out-of-town pastor’s wife has volunteered to come and spend those 3 days sorting, folding, and packing clothing donations that are overflowing our warehouse. She doesn't mind working alone, but more hands would speed up the job next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. If you might like to help for a day or even a few hours, please call our office (317-718-1633) for further information. Thanks for considering it!

3. For the second time, Sofia Buyko and her daughters traveled from Ukraine to Denmark, where they aided and evangelized a community of Ukrainian refugee women. At least one woman who had initially been cold and unreceptive softened and changed her attitude by the end of their presentation. In the following brief video, they share about that experience:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/denmark2

4. In one of our recent publications we wrote that our practice of bringing Ukrainian pastors to the United States to boost our war relief efforts by sharing the need with churches and supporters has been put on hold due to the military escalating efforts to conscript ordained pastors. However, since Igor Fomichov has connections and standing that others do not have, he has volunteered to come since we urgently need to send another container now that our warehouse is overflowing. Lord willing, he will come at the end of this month. Please pray that he can obtain all necessary permissions and be allowed to leave Ukraine for this purpose.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: November 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Praise the Lord, friends of BIEM continue to donate slightly used clothing and shoes for shipment to Ukraine as war relief. Plus, we have accepted 150 stackable chairs for churches in Ukraine. Thanks to your donations, we plan to schedule another shipment before the end of this year.

• When 5 of our men were recently arrested for evangelizing in Central Asia, we requested prayer. We praise the Lord that, although our men were fined $25 apiece, they were not beaten. They were released with the warning that next time they are caught witnessing they will get 15 days in jail.

• Despite the horrors of war, our churches in Ukraine are celebrating Harvest, a day of giving thanks. BIEM missionary Yura Levtseniuk says, “We also pray for your country…. You are a blessing to us, and you are a wonderful instrument in the hands of the Redeemer!” 

• In Nizhylovychi, Ukraine, where BIEM purchased a house to use as a church, Anatoly Kirilko says, “We’re extremely grateful to BIEM for help on renovations. Thanks to you, we have a nice kitchen and bathroom. It was a great blessing during the camp and afterwards. May the Lord bless you.”

Prayer – Pray with us!

• Our Afghani Bible Institute now has 32 students. Our Director for Central Asia says, “This is the easiest group we have worked with, largely due to our graduates being involved in the Institute’s discipleship and leadership. Please pray for us as we endeavor to continue the Institute.... We don’t have full funding for it, so we cry out to God to supply our needs month-by-month.”

• We requested prayer concerning Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Georgia. The prayer was that election results continue permitting evangelism. The election is now past, and the ruling party remains in power. However, opposition figures—including that nation’s president—claim meddling in the election and do not accept the results. So, the outcome remains in question.

• Our new church planter, Sergiy Koop in Druzhba, Ukraine, writes, “I am especially grateful to God that I can live in this country during its most difficult times, because in this way we can truly testify to people about God’s love and grace not only with words, but also with very practical actions.” He requests prayer for opportunities to meet and talk with many more unbelievers.

• Marynka—Pastor Sergei Kostin’s granddaughter who lost a leg to Russian artillery—remains cheerful and trusting God as she gets around on a prosthetic leg. Next week she will be at a special hospital in Kyiv to continue rehabilitation procedures. Please pray for this step and for funds to cover expenses.

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November Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Each autumn, something special happens in our churches in Eastern Europe—the Harvest holiday. Harvest is similar to our North American Thanksgiving holiday in that both celebrations express thankfulness for what we have. But in Eastern Europe, Harvest is celebrated, not at home, but in a Sunday church service, where many members of the congregation praise and thank God with sermons, special songs, Christian poems, and typically a meal for all members and visitors.

Of course, in addition to thanking the Lord for that year’s fruits from the ground, churches also praise Him for souls saved and other spiritual blessings.

We at BIEM often receive photos taken at Harvest celebrations of churches we assisted in planting. This year, we received a video from the Baptist church in Lubyanka, a village situated northwest of the capital city of Kyiv. So, for our November video, we invite you to click the following link to pay a quick visit to these brothers and sisters in Christ in Lubyanka. Enjoy your visit! 

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/harvest-lubyanka 

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - October 31, 2024

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

1. Alexei, the brother of BIEM missionary Pasha Usach, has been particularly helpful in assisting us with the distribution of war relief supplies to the needy in Ukraine. However, as he was leaving work today, military personnel were waiting on the street. Alexei and others were conscripted on the spot and loaded onto buses, which drove them straight to an inductment center. A doctor declared Alexei healthy and fully capable of serving in the military. However, as a pacifist, Alexei had decided long before this current war that he would never bear arms and has requested a deferral so he can continue assisting in his Christian ministry in the church. Both Pasha and Alexei urgently request prayers about this right now. 

2. For churches in Ukraine to receive free containers of war-relief supplies, they need to register with the government and obtain approval. This is not an easy process. Even as we collect more aid to ship in our next container, the church in Desna, Ukraine, is attempting to navigate the bureaucratic requirements necessary to receive approval for tax-free aid shipments. This, too, is a good matter for prayer.

3. In New Odesa, Ukraine, believers who bake for the needy are helping BIEM’s war-relief program by baking fresh bread for people left in desperate straits because of Russia’s war on Ukraine. In this short video, Brother Andrei shares some of what they do and how it’s beneficial:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/bread

4. Praise God, this week we have received 150 padded auditorium chairs from a church in our area that is upgrading theirs. These chairs have a lot of useful life left in them and will be a great blessing to churches in Ukraine. Even though our containers focus on war relief and humanitarian aid, furnishings for churches can also be classified as humanitarian aid, so we can ship them duty-free to Ukraine.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 25, 2024

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

1. We praise the Lord for prompting many individuals and families to give us bags and boxes of lightly used clothing and shoes for Ukraine. With so many homes that have been destroyed in the war, the need for clothing and footwear remains great. We are well on our way to having enough for a new container shipment. However, the amount of recent donations is greater than what our staff can process. In fact, in addition to the large number of recent donations, 2 days ago we unloaded a huge trailerful of clothing we hadn’t known was coming. If your family, Sunday school class, or other group would like to volunteer 2 or 3 hours to sort, fold, and box up clothing for shipment, please contact our office. We could use the help!

2. Tomorrow Vitaly Bilyak leaves for another trip delivering war relief aid and sharing the Gospel along the war front. This trip will concentrate on civilians in Kherson and then further east to Dnipro. Please pray for safety and for him and those volunteers participating in this effort.

3. Awakening Baptist Church in the Obolon district of the Ukrainian capital of Ukraine is continuing its efforts of reaching out to the refugees from Bakhmut who have so many needs, both materially and spiritually. In the short video update “Reaching out to Refugees,” Pastor Nikolai Rozhnyatovsky shares about the church's efforts and the fruits of these labors:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/reaching

4. Igor Fomichov has returned to Ukraine after 5 weeks of speaking in churches here in the United States. We thank the Lord that Igor had an opportunity to help us in that way. Next, we had plans to invite Vitaly Yurchenko to come and speak in other churches. However, this plan has been put on hold because of various risks and hassles the Ukrainian military is exerting even on ordained pastors to join the military. Our longstanding practice of bringing our Ukrainian missionaries to the U.S. to represent BIEM to supporters has been a huge blessing. Now, though, with this changing situation, we request prayer that we will be able to continue such visits in the future and that this hold on Brother Vitaly’s trip be only temporary.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM