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