Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People
Dear Friends of BIEM,
1. We thank the Lord that Vitaly Yurchenko has received temporary permission to exit Ukraine to share in supporting churches in the U.S. how war relief is being used. At our request, Vitaly Bilyak has begun the same application process. Please say a prayer that he, too, will receive permission. American believers greatly appreciate a chance to meet and hear our men from overseas in person, especially in these times when Ukraine is so much in the news.
2. The churches with whom BIEM works in Ukraine continue to exercise creativity and personal involvement as they touch lives with war relief. For instance, in Bilogorodka (near Kyiv), the church hosted a special luncheon for women who have a husband, son, or grandson in the war. Such ladies filled the auditorium. During that time, the guests heard the Gospel and received New Testaments along with a sack of groceries. To hear more, click the link below for a brief video of Sofia Buyko telling about the event:
3. Previously we had asked you to pray concerning our upcoming time of discussion in a neutral country with our Russian missionaries. We have now returned but while there enjoyed a fruitful time with our missionaries. They continue to serve God, both in the church and outside the church with various kinds of evangelism. In fact, brother Pavel Rumachik reports his church has grown so much that the congregation has outgrown their building’s second addition. They now face the task of further expansion. Within the next few days, we’ll be posting our February update video featuring him discussing all these blessings. If you are not receiving our BIEM monthly videos, you can sign up here to get them.
4. Our War Relief efforts have recently produced an opportunity to distribute aid and share the Gospel in a public school building in the Kyiv region. The building has been transformed into a facility housing many refugees and orphaned children. Our aid resulted in an invitation to hold Bible studies in a nearby business establishment. Praise God for open hearts. Please pray that this exciting development would lead to the salvation of souls for the glory of God.
5. We previously mentioned how a young man named Bogdan received Christ at the Desna Christian Rehabilitation Center before he was drafted into the Ukrainian military. Recently at that Rehab Center, another man named Fedya was also drafted. Both men had been involved in distributing humanitarian aid from BIEM to needy ones. We invite you to pray for these believers not only to stand firm in their faith but to shine for God in their new surroundings.
Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM