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

War Relief Updates - October 18, 2024

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

1. There is heightened concern among our Ukrainian national missionaries that some will be conscripted for military service in that country. This concern is born out of Ukraine’s increasingly aggressive conscription tactics. For example, recently after a large musical concert in downtown Kyiv there were military officers waiting at every exit to conscript on the spot the large number of male concertgoers as they were exiting the concert. Furthermore, it has become customary for the military to accompany police on traffic stops, during which they examine the I.D. of the traffic offender and in many cases conscript them on the spot. Also, there has been an increase in roadblocks set up to do the same. Therefore, please pray that our church planters will not be compelled to leave their fruitful ministries to serve in the military, which would drastically affect our war-relief distributions.

2. Believers in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, have begun distributing war relief from our container that recently arrived. Already, teams have delivered supplies to war-torn Kherson. Due to new regulations, these distributions require much more documentation than before. If the documentation is not accepted, that would prevent future container shipments from receiving humanitarian-aid status. Therefore, our brethren are being very diligent about this matter even though it requires much more meticulous effort on their part.

3. Ministry always involves movement—across the street, across town, across the country, and oceans—all for the sake of reaching souls and changing lives. We are thankful to the Lord for allowing Igor Fomichov—our missionary from Desna, Ukraine—to travel to the U.S. and speak in supporting churches these past weeks. Before flying home to Ukraine, Igor offered this “moving” update about his church's rehabilitation ministry in the city of Desna:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/missionsmove

4. After a break for the summer, aid distribution to the Bakhmut-area refugees who have been evacuated to the Obolon district of Kyiv resumed last month. There are over 8,000 such refugees. When Sam Slobodian was recently in Kyiv during the Fall session of our seminary, he was able to meet with Pastor Nikolai, who is leading this outreach. Pastor Nikolai recounted how several refugees have been saved through these distributions are now regularly attending their church services. Praise God!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 11, 2024

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

1.  Praise God, our most recent container arrived in the Polish port last weekend and was quickly loaded onto a truck heading for Ukraine. After a quick border crossing, the container has now reached its destination at the church in Bilogorodka. The contents of this container will certainly give Christians open doors for distributing the relief you donated. More importantly, it will give them clear opportunities to share their Christ with needy ones.

2. Once again, BIEM church planter Vitaly Bilyak has traveled with Pastor Alexander to within 3 miles of Ukraine's eastern war front. This time to Pokrovsk. The pair's two main goals were to share the Gospel with people who live in that dangerous area and also to deliver aid in the form of food parcels. During the last 3 days of the trip, they ministered to various soldiers. In this brief video, Vitaly shares some of the sights the two encountered plus "slice of life" moments from this ministry trip.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/pokrovsk

3. On September 20, we shared a positive report from Chervona Sloboda about a soldier named Sasha. He is one of the soldiers who received warm clothing from this church last winter. On leave, Sasha visited the church to repeat his thanks in person, and he agreed to take more aid back to his unit on the lines. However, the church in Lviv (which blessed 50 soldiers with warm clothing) has lost contact with 2 of those young men, Anton and Alexander. The congregation doesn’t know whether Anton and Alexander are POWs, or perished, but they request prayer for them.

4. This year, as winter draws closer, we are planning to repeat the Warm Clothing for Soldiers program. Please pray that there will be a good response from donors so we can share both the Gospel and warm clothing with soldiers who will need them.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

October Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Recently, while I was making the rounds of various ministry points in Ukraine, the Lord gave me an opportunity to visit the Christian Rehabilitation Center outside the city of Ternopil. For newer friends who are unfamiliar with this outreach, allow me to say that the Lord gave BIEM’s missionary Vitaly Bilyak a vision to start such a ministry. The church he had planted was still quite young and renting a room for meetings when he proposed purchasing a property to open a rehabilitation ministry. But his church members caught the same vision and agreed. Since its humble beginnings as a small house and farm, this ministry has grown and continues to free men from their addictions to substances and to lead them to new life in Christ!

Here, the men in the program study Scripture together, pray together, and work with their hands to provide much of their own food. In this way, God is redeeming lives that were once ruined. We invite you to click the link to learn more.

For our October video, we invite you to click the following link to hear from Vitaly, who first conceived of this rehabilitation center, and Andrei, who is the minister who oversees it. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/redeeminglives

 Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - October 4, 2024

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

1.  The church in Lviv, Ukraine, is requesting prayer concerning Gleb, one of the soldiers for whom they provided warm clothing this past winter through our warm clothing for soldiers project. Gleb’s family was evacuated from Mariupol to Lviv, where several of them have been saved and now attend the church. Gleb—a drone specialist serving at the war front—has been severely wounded. He has been evacuated to a hospital in Lviv. Please pray that he makes a full recovery and, most of all, pray that this church will be able to reach him for Christ.

2. Donations for our War Relief Fund have decreased over time. However, the need has not decreased as refugees continue to flood into the areas of many of our churches. For example, the city of Lviv now has 150,000 registered refugees and an estimated 100,000+ more who have not yet registered. Please consider donating to our war relief efforts so we can enable churches to share the Gospel while aiding refugees, each in their own areas.

3. Some products need to be tried to be appreciated. When a group of believers near Kyiv, Ukraine, first began assembling packets of instant soup ingredients to aid their military, not everyone was initially impressed. However, after soldiers in the field gave the dry soup packets a try, their opinions of the project quickly changed. In this video, Sam Slobodian interprets as some of the kitchen volunteers share reactions to their labor of love…

   https://vimeo.com/user37287229/soupkitchen

4.  In the United States this past week, the labor strike of 45,000 dock workers from New England to Texas held the potential for economic disaster. While this strike effectively halted containerized shipments of products into the U.S., it also blocked outgoing containers bound for foreign shores. Ministries like BIEM cannot ship humanitarian aid or other supplies during such a strike. Happily, this strike was suspended after just 3 days with a temporary settlement. However, we keep our eyes on the situation since dockworkers agreed to only a 3-month suspension, which ends on January 15. As BIEM considers our next aid shipment, timing might be prove crucial, depending on developments with those negotiations. Please pray that no such events will hinder our war-relief efforts.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: October 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Last month, we requested prayer that our Ukrainian national Igor Fomichov be allowed to leave Ukraine long enough to visit supporting churches in the U.S. We’re happy to report that he is with us and will be speaking in Indiana, Illinois, and Kansas. Praise the Lord!

• The autumn session of the Seminary in Kyiv is currently in progress. It has 35 students, including 4 new ones, which is encouraging during this time of war, which makes it much harder for students to attend.

• Our missionaries in Western Asia report another 4 souls have joyfully placed their faith in Christ! 

•  Our director for Central Asia states, “Our believers have just come through intense persecution from the secret police. Praise God that our church plants are meeting, and the kidney function has returned to the men who were beaten. Another brother’s arm has healed after having been broken by a police baton.”

Prayer – Pray with us!

• The church in Lviv, Ukraine, is growing, which opens more doors for ministry than our church-planter can handle alone. Besides regular meetings with the church, youth, men, and a regular Bible institute, he conducts Bible studies with new converts and those interested. Please pray the Lord will send someone who can assist Yura in this ministry.

• In the nation of Georgia, Parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 26. The current ruling party has been strengthening its ties with Russia, resulting in protests and polarization among its citizens. The election could greatly affect all missionaries in that land. Please pray for election results that permit evangelism to continue.

• Although we are still only in the beginning stages of collecting donations for our next war-relief shipment to Ukraine, we are monitoring the current strike by dock workers with concern. Without them working in the ports, it will not be possible to ship out aid. Pray for a resolution soon.

• In Central Asia, our third year of the Afghani Bible Institute has started smoothly regardless of the persecution. We have 32 students. Please pray that we will be able to meet our funding needs for each month.

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War Relief Updates - September 27, 2024

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

1. Sam Slobodian and Pastor Troy Lohmeyer from St. Paul, Minnesota, are currently in Ukraine for BIEM’s Fall seminary session. The session begins on Monday, and brother Troy will be teaching Eschatology. One of their first stops was in Ternopil to see Vitaly Bilyak, who has just returned from his 19th trip to the war front distributing war relief and sharing the Gospel with civilians and soldiers. Most likely, we will be able to post a video about this trip in next week’s updates. The two were able to provide Vitaly with sufficient funds to cover the expenses of Vitaly’s next trip to the war front, which is already being planned.

2. Through Sofia Buyko’s own mother, who has become a refugee in Denmark, Sofia learned of a group of Ukrainian refugee women in that area who needed both encouragement and the Gospel. She and her daughters resolved to take God’s Word plus aid to these Ukrainian ladies dwelling far beyond Ukraine’s border. They tell about that mission here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/beyond

3. Our most recent container of war relief is due to arrive in the Polish port today. Praise God, all the paperwork for this shipment’s overland transportation from Poland to the church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, is completed, so there should be no delay in dispatching this cargo from the Polish port to Ukraine. If all goes as planned, it should arrive to its destination sometime next week.

4. Sasha Petrenko, our church planter at the military base in Goncharovsk, shares some good news regarding Vlad, a young soldier reached through their ministry. After serving in battle from the first days of the war, Vlad has now been transferred from the frontline to Goncharovsk, where he will continue his military service. Sadly, not many survive that long in battle. The numbers of those who remain alive throughout months of active battle are shocking and tragic. Please continue to pray for the war to end, and pray specifically for Vlad now that he is in Goncharovsk, that he will become involved with the church so he can grow in the Lord.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 20, 2024

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

1. Next week, Sam Slobodian and a pastor from Minnesota leave for Ukraine for the seminary’s Fall session. While there, they plan to check in on many of our war-relief efforts in various locations. Since students who attend come from all over Ukraine, their presence in the seminary gives us an opportunity to load up these students with specific war-relief items, which they will then courier back to their hometowns. Please pray that no Russian bombings or drone attacks will hinder the seminary session.

2. We previously mentioned that our latest container shipment was due at the Polish port on September 10. The arrival date has now been pushed back to September 27. Once it arrives at the port, the plan is to load it onto a flatbed truck that will haul it to its destination in Bilogorodka, Ukraine.

3. The husband of one of BIEM’s volunteer aid workers has been fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. While her husband is away serving in the armed forces, Anna helps to distribute war relief provided by BIEM. In this role, she aids children, adults, and wounded military in a wide variety of locations. Anna emphasizes that volunteers can’t perform relief work without friends like you. She likes the motto “Together We Have Strength.” Meet her in the following 4-minute video:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/together

4. Some of our readers may remember that the church in Chervona Sloboda has a Gospel puppet ministry that evangelizes in schools, orphanages, various institutions, and in outdoor meetings. A young man named Sasha came to Christ through this ministry and became a part of the church, where he eventually became one of the puppet actors. Now a soldier in the army, he has been in battles for two years. Just this week he received a leave, which he used to spend some time with the church. Not only was his visit a time of warm and encouraging fellowship, but this was an opportunity to supply him with war relief items that he can share with other soldiers.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 13, 2024

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

1. Igor Fomichov from Desna, Ukraine, arrived safely at our Indiana headquarters this week. This was a definite answer to prayer, since the requirements for pastors wanting to travel outside Ukraine have recently become tighter. In addition to all the previous permissions needed from the government, men wanting to exit Ukraine must obtain proof that they are registered with the military, which we had never done before. Praise God, Igor was able to satisfy both old and new requirements and was able to leave Ukraine. Please pray that the Lord will bless our meetings here in the USA as Igor shares with churches how God is using our war-relief efforts to reach people for Christ.

2. Understandably, many Ukrainian citizens have fled from regions that have suffered intense shelling and battles during Russia's invasion. Those who are left behind often have few resources, including churches seeking to bless and help their communities. When a village church in Kherson hoped to hold day camps for children despite the devastation, BIEM church planters Sergei Skripnik and Pasha Usach were quick to respond. Listen to them discussing the situation, and then watch as the kids enjoy the camp…

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/khersoncamp

3. Some time ago, a young soldier named Roman from Eastern Ukraine was assigned to serve at the military base in Desna, where we planted a thriving church. Roman became yet another soldier who came to Christ at this church. Eventually, Roman was sent to the war front and has been involved in intense fighting. About 4 days ago, Roman's brigade came under heavy fire. Many were killed and severely wounded. Roman was one of those injured. It turns out that a tourniquet we provided saved his life. According to the medics who treated him, the tourniquet also saved his arm because it was a high-quality tourniquet that permitted a gradual adjustment of the tension, which is important when hours pass before medics arrive. Praise God for preserving this young man’s life. Right now, the injured arm has no feeling. Doctors are hopeful that feeling will ultimately return, but that could take months and is not guaranteed. Please pray that his arm will fully heal.

4. This week Vitaly Bilyak is once again taking war relief along with the Gospel to the war front in the East. It is his 19th trip to these embattled areas. He and a local pastor are distributing war relief to civilians. After that, he will move on to military positions where he receives special access through soldiers and officers who are connected with his church. Because of these ties, Vitaly can visit the soldiers in their underground bunkers, where he has free reign to share the Gospel.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 6, 2024

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

1. Some time ago we were able to provide a good amount of military MRE’s (meals ready-to-eat) for distribution in Ukraine. That was a one-time provision that we no longer have access to. However, families of soldiers in Ukraine often ask our personnel for more. Therefore, we are sharing this need with you just in case any of our readers have access to MRE’s or know where we could purchase them at a reasonable price. If so, please let us know.

2. Thank you for praying for Pasha and Sergei, who have just returned from holding a children’s camp in the Kherson region in the town of Vysokopillya, which suffered greatly during the occupation by Russian forces. Although the Russian army was eventually forced out, the area is heavily damaged. The church building, too, is scarred from much shrapnel damage. In that area, virtually no employment opportunities exist, so locals are very economically challenged. Even though the church there greatly desired to operate a summer camp for children, that dream wasn’t realistic on their own abilities. However, thanks to our BIEM war relief fund, we were able to equip Pasha & Sergei with supplies and funds to operate a Bible camp for children. This was a huge blessing, and we have just received a video about this camp that we will soon share. 

3. During Sam and Amy Slobodian’s recent trip to Ukraine, several of the Ukrainian women who assisted in distributing our gift of 10,000+ cans of baby formula wanted to express their thanks to BIEM’s donors in America. Even before the war, quality baby formula was an expensive commodity. But with the coming of war—with so many closed businesses, lack of jobs, and stress inhibiting young mothers’ ability to produce milk—this product was like gold. Please listen and accept their thanks to all of you who help BIEM to help and evangelize during these turbulent times.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/formula 

4. While in Vysokopillya (update #3 above), Pasha and his son David were blessed with the opportunity to see Marynka, the six-year-old granddaughter of the pastor in Vysokopillya who lost a leg when Russian artillery shelled the family’s home. It was Pasha who, after hearing the testimony of Marynka’s pastor-grandfather, asked BIEM whether we could help with her medical and prosthetic bills. As she grows, her medical needs continue. If anyone would like to contribute toward her ongoing medical needs, we would be happy to forward that assistance to the family.

Pasha with his son David and Marynka.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

September Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Early in August, I asked you to pray for an upcoming trip to Ukraine that Amy and I were planning. Part of our time was to be spent in Bilogorodka, where the last children’s camp of the summer was to be held. In addition, we mentioned that we would be checking in with BIEM church planters and others who have been distributing the humanitarian aid that all you friends have been providing.

Of course, accidents and problems can befall any trip overseas. That is even more true when traveling inside a nation fighting foreign invaders on its soil. But we are happy to report that God blessed in a special way. Because Bilogorodka is in the suburbs of Kyiv, the capital, one would expect to hear air-raid sirens at least once or twice. But you and we prayed for a week of camp with no interruptions, and God granted that desire! For 6 days, children attended camp, learned about the Lord, played fun games, enjoyed nourishing meals, and basically had fun being children without a single siren or explosion in the region. Not until the morning when Amy and I were departing Kyiv to begin the long road home did Russia resume its attacks (and some of those strikes occurred so close that we photographed the smoke from the explosions). As it turned out, this aerial bombardment was one of the largest since Russia began its war on Ukraine. Praise God for His goodness and protection for these kids and camp staffers!

Rather than simply write about this trip, I invite you to view the following video, where we join Eugene Buyko in showing and describing some highlights of this trip. Here’s the link!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/end-summer

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light: September 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• We previously announced that Oleg—the brother of BIEM church planter Sasha Petrenko—was released from Russian captivity and is back in Ukraine. Home, Oleg is gaining strength spiritually and physically. He regularly attends church and has regained 20 kg (44 lbs.) of the weight lost. Praise God!

• The last week of August marked the very last of the summer camps. Our camp workers can breathe a sigh of relief, and we rejoice for the multitude of opportunities to evangelize unsaved ones and to edify those who have already accepted Christ! Thank you for helping to make it possible!

• Praise God, a pastor friend in New Jersey teamed up with one of his friends who is in the musical instrument field in donating over 25 trumpets for church orchestras in Ukraine. These gifts have been huge blessings for musicians who had been attempting to praise God on worn-out instruments! (BIEM accepts donations of most musical instruments. If you have questions, please contact us.)

• On August 29, Sam and Amy Slobodian returned from Ukraine, where they participated in a children’s camp and touched base with BIEM church planters. The Lord blessed! During the children’s camp there were no air raids, although Kyiv did come under fire on the day they departed.

Prayer – Pray with us!

• On August 30, a memorial service was held for the father of T. Smith, BIEM’s Field Director for Central Asia. Pastor Smith’s hope was that any unsaved who attended or saw his funeral online would accept Jesus as Savior. We invite you to join in praying for salvation decisions!

• A graduate of the Bible Institute in Central Asia is returning to Afghanistan to take the Gospel there. Please pray for God to protect and use this young man for His glory.

• Igor Fomichov is the next Ukrainian church planter that BIEM plans to bring to the U.S. to speak in supporting churches. Getting permission to exit Ukraine is becoming more complicated. Igor had to submit documentation from the army proving he had registered. But the border guards have the final authority on whether to allow someone to exit. Please pray that he can come and that he will be a blessing in the churches where he will speak.

• BIEM’s current container of war relief for Ukraine (shipped from our Indiana headquarters on August 8) is expected to arrive in the Polish port on September 10th. But even after its arrival, the container must travel overland to central Ukraine, where our people must once again navigate a sea of bureaucracy to receive it. Please pray for God to pave the way in these matters.

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War Relief Updates - August 30, 2024

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

1. Currently, BIEM church planters Pasha Usach and Sergei Skripnik are in formerly occupied Kherson, where BIEM has distributed a good amount of war relief. One recipient of aid is the church in Vysokopillya, where Pastor Sergei Kostin’s 6-year-old granddaughter lost a leg when their home was blasted (see our update from March 8 or read Pastor Kostin’s full account of it at this Link). The church requested help and supplies to operate a children’s camp. Please pray that God will bless this camp and keep all involved safe since this region is close to the war front and still occasionally receives shelling even though the Russian army has withdrawn from this area.

2. We have received a report that BIEM’s current container of relief aid for Ukraine (shipped from our headquarters in Indiana on August 8) is expected to arrive in the Polish port on September 10th. So far, this shipment is progressing quickly and smoothly. Join us in praising God for this good news. May its contents bless many recipients and glorify God! 

3. Once again, BIEM church planter Sasha Petrenko has made a ministry trip to an area near the war front in Donetsk. On this trip, he delivered many of the usual items such as food, chainsaws, tourniquets, and other useful items. However, this time he also accepted the request that he deliver something much larger—a van that had been prepared as a transport vehicle to drive wounded individuals away from the front! In this short video, learn more about this trip and other situations Sasha experienced.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/channel

4. Thank you for praying for Sam & Amy and the campers as they have just concluded a camp in the Kyiv area. Praise God for answered prayer as the entire week was marked by no sirens or air raids, which was unusual for this area. However, as they were leaving this past Monday morning Russia launched what many are calling the largest aerial attack of the war to date with over 100 missiles as well as 100+ attack drones, many targeting Kyiv. As the Slobodians were exiting the city for their next scheduled destination, they passed sites where huge columns of smoke were rising from the strikes. They also passed no fewer than 7 military units that were shooting down the attacking drones and rockets from the side of the road and from bridges. Praise God for His hand of protection!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - August 23, 2024

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

1. Those carrying on our war-relief efforts along the war front report sadly that many of the soldiers they are able to help and share the Gospel with do not return from their battle assignments. Some units return with only half of their numbers surviving. While this reality does motivate our workers to intensify their efforts in sharing the Gospel with these men, the loss of life does make their hearts heavy. Please pray, not only for our workers’ safety but also for their spirits to remain strong in this challenging ministry.

2. Last week we mentioned that Sam & Amy Slobodian were requesting prayer for their travel to Ukraine, specifically that their border crossing would go quickly and smoothly. They report that God mightily answered these prayers. When they arrived at the border, no cars waited in front of them. In addition—praise God!—Customs did not inspect any suitcases, which they often do (a time-consuming process). Thank you for praying!

3. Husband & wife team Vitaly and Natasha have founded an outreach in Ukraine called "The Cross." Operating near the front lines of the war, The Cross aims to engage soldiers heading back to the front, first by nourishing their bodies with a tasty meal, but also by sharing faith in Christ to save their souls. They are planting seeds of the Gospel among men who will literally be facing death. The following video link provides glimpses of that ministry in action as Natasha tells more about it:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/soup-scripture

4. Sam and Amy Slobodian (who are in Ukraine right now) report that everywhere they go people enthusiastically express great gratitude for the Warm Clothing for Soldiers project BIEM did last winter. People are excited by the opportunity to tell them in person what a great blessing that program was. Incidentally, our office has received numerous questions asking whether we plan to do something similar this upcoming winter. The answer is yes. We will provide further information later.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - August 16, 2024

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

1. Brother Eugene and his family are back in Ukraine after spending the last 5 Sundays in the United States, where they shared with churches how God is blessing our War Relief efforts. The Lord blessed the meetings we had in Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, and Montana with generous love offerings for War Relief and very warm and welcoming receptions in every church. The Buykos returned greatly encouraged that they are not alone in all that they are doing for the Lord in these difficult times in Ukraine. Another blessing was that they were able to cross the border from Poland back into Ukraine in only 45 minutes. Praise God for this answer to prayer. 

2. Igor Fomichov is the next Ukrainian scheduled to visit the United States for 5 Sundays in September and October. Please pray that he will be able to obtain the necessary special permission. (As an elected deputy, Igor sits on the city council, which makes his permission more complicated to obtain.)

3. In this week’s video update, BIEM missionary Vitaly Bilyak narrates some highlights from his 18th evangelism-aid trip to the frontline area of Donbas in Eastern Ukraine. Joining him on this trip was Brother Andrei, who oversees our local Rehabilitation Center, and Pastor Alexander. Thank you for helping BIEM to make such evangelism and humanitarian aid possible! 

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/donbas18

4. Please pray for Sam & Amy Slobodian as they leave for Ukraine on Monday, August 19. Though the focus on this trip will be camps, they will also review our War Relief efforts and meet with those conducting these ministries. Last summer, during the same time that the Slobodians went to Ukraine, Russia intensified their attacks by drones, bombs, and missiles. Therefore, please pray for their border crossing as well as their safety and the safety of the campers and camp workers.  

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM