Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People
1. Sam and Amy Slobodian are in Ukraine this week participating in our summer camps and surveying our war-relief efforts. They report, “Yesterday we spent time with Vitaly and Natalia, a Ukrainian couple that has played a large role in our war-relief efforts, especially in the area of Donetsk, which is in Donbas, where they have many contacts. They told us of a church of 100 we have been helping through them. It is only 15 miles from Bakhmut, which has seen probably the heaviest fighting for months. When the war started, 80% of the congregation left for the West, including their pastor and his family. Although only 15 members remained, they worked hard distributing the aid we have been providing to the community. As a result, their auditorium is full to overflowing for services, and many have been saved!” These kinds of reports are what we are hearing from all over Ukraine!
2. With Ukrainian husbands and sons battling on the front lines of the war, wives and moms left behind often have little income to purchase prescription medicines and other vital needs. Some BIEM missionary wives are stepping into the gap to meet this need in their communities, once again using physical aid to encourage neighbors in spiritual truths. Learn more through this brief video:
3. Our church planters’ efforts in distributing war relief often involve crossing the border pulling trailers into Poland, where they purchase much of the aid they are distributing. On their return trips, the Polish and Ukrainian border and Customs personnel often begin their inspection with the question, “Are you transporting any alcohol or narcotics?” Our men have learned that the best answer is, “Of course not. We’re Baptist pastors.” Almost always, they are waved through because it’s well established among the border guards (and general population) that Baptists do not consume alcohol. One of our men heard one border guard instructing a rookie that when a Baptist pastor comes through you don’t need to worry about them possessing drugs or alcohol. One Polish border guard made the following remark to one of our missionaries: “Oh, I know the difference between you Baptist priests and our Catholic priests. You cannot drink alcohol, but you can have a wife. Our priests cannot marry, but they can drink all the alcohol they want!”
4. One of the big differences in shipping containers of humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the war is that the containers no longer need to be fumigated and may now contain food. Our last container had tons of rice as well as macaroni & cheese fortified with vitamins. These food products have been very well received in Ukraine.
5. Many of you have met Vitaly Yurchenko, the tall Ukrainian church planter who started a church in Chervona Sloboda, right across the street from the main employer in the area, which is an alcohol distillery. His church is only 2 miles from territory that the Russian army had occupied. This location made the church building a prime stopping point for many people who were evacuating as well as for electrical brigades that were sent to that area to restore electrical service (which took several weeks) after the area was liberated. This church even hosted a group of soldiers on leave and has hosted many others engaged in war-relief distribution. To accommodate all this activity, which will continue for some time, the congregation found it necessary to add on to their building. All the walls are up, but funds are needed to complete this project. Please pray that the Lord would supply what is needed. If you can help, that will be much appreciated.
Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM