BIEMs of Light November 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In the nation of Georgia, our missionary “M.T.” started a Bible study for 4 young people. The study stopped due to quarantine, but 2 of them continued reading Scripture and trusted Christ at home. One shared her new faith with a girlfriend, and that girl trust Christ, too! A male in the group shared Scripture with 2 other teens, and they also repented and placed faith in Christ. Like ripples in a pond, the circle of believers expanding!

• Churches in Eastern Europe and Russia have each been setting aside a Sunday to celebrate Harvest Holiday. Despite a very odd year, God has provided an increase from their gardens, fields, and orchards, plus new souls have come to the Lord. May He be praised!

• In the 1990s, the first soul saved through Pavel Rumachik’s new church near Moscow had been a drug dealer. Recently, that man’s son, too, was baptized. Praise God for changed lives!

• Despite the lingering Covid-19 situation, we had a good group of volunteers who donated their time to help with our calendar mailing. We thank the Lord for friends who contribute in various ways—taking photos, doing the printing, packaging… At times friends even volunteer to assist with maintenance and yardwork around BIEM. We praise God for each one!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• v Many friends recall the church on the military base in Desna. That ministry has resulted in a good number of church planters. One of those church-planting couples is heading up for us a church-building project in Smolin, which is near another military base in Goncharovsk. The foundation is in, and walls are going up. It’s important to finish the walls, roof, doors, and windows before the extreme winter weather. To do so, BIEM is trying hard to raise $50,000 quickly. Please pray that the Lord will prompt hearts of some who can help reach these goals.

• Sasha, one of our missionaries to a predominantly Muslim land, plans to hold a baptism next week right in the Mediterranean Sea as a public testimony. This church has often done so. Pray that they may continue to have such services without incident, and that onlookers will understand the Gospel.

• This month in the country of Belarus, multiple churches plan to hold a youth conference in Brest. Please pray for good attendance at the messages will help to solidify these young people’s faith.

• We rejoice that in recent days a number of souls in Central Asia have come to Christ! Our missionary “Samuel” led one family to Christ, and now another woman, too. Another Muslim woman has listened to the Gospel. She dreamed about a blood-stained cross and agreed to start reading a New Testament in her language. God is moving!

October Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/473566875

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Remember the church started on the Ukrainian military base in Desna,
Ukraine? One of the men saved there was Sasha Petrenko. After some
training, Sasha and his wife Ira moved to Goncharovsk, the next
military city to the north, to start a church. God gave them a
harvest of souls, even though renting a place to meet in was always
very, very difficult. When war came to the East it became impossible,
since Goncharovsk has even tighter security than Desna. This base
provides many of the fighting men for the war.

After much prayer and consultation with our nationals, we raised
funds to buy a house in the neighboring town of Smolin, which is only
about 5 miles from Goncharovsk. This location works well for the
church and expands their outreach into Smolin. The plan was to
remodel the house into a simple church building by adding onto it.
However, it soon became apparent that this would not work, and the
only realistic solution was to demolish it and build a new structure.
This month's video features this project.

The old building has been demolished, and the church secured a
military tent to meet in while the church is being built. The
foundation has been laid and the walls are going up. It is important
that we get not only the walls up, but the roof, windows, and doors
in before the severe weather of late winter comes. We need to raise
at least $50,000 to do this, so any help would be very much
appreciated.

In Christ,

Sam & Amy Slobodian

September Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/458219642

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Greetings!   This month's video update comes from Western Ukraine where BIEM church planter Vitaly Bilyak has planted a church right in the heart of the large city of Ternopil.  In this video brother Vitaly shares about this summers camping program. 

Since this is an urban ministry getting out of the city is special for camp participants.   This summer this young church conducted 3 different camps.  Praise God for this wonderful work that is shining the light of the Gospel in Western Ukraine.

In Christ, 

Sam & Amy Slobodian

Aid During Covid-19

Aid During Covid-19, Spring 2020

In the spring of 2020, the lands where BIEM missionaries are laboring went into various degrees of self-quarantine. However, rather than simply hunkering down and wasting time, BIEM’s missionaries scrambled to stay in touch with their congregations and others to whom they had ministered. They turned to technology to hold worship services, Bible studies, and other fellowships through Zoom and Facebook Live.

In addition, however, when some became aware of locals who had material needs our people rallied to help out, confident that this would bring glory to God and might also lead to future open doors for ministry.

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For instance, in Borschiv, Ukraine, Sergei and Vika Skripnik shared the following in March: 

Despite worldwide events, the Lord is continuing His work. Of course, just like everyone else, we have limitations in conducting various events. But we have no limitations when it comes to prayer and spending time in the Word. By God’s mercy, we are continuing to gather in home groups (not everyone comes, of course), and we continue to have services in the village of Aleksintsy (we have 10 people there). We believe that all will work for good to those who love God.

Many people are gripped by fear and expectation of disaster, but for us this is another opportunity to witness about Him, who gives peace and salvation. As best we can, we are helping people [with gifts of food]. Since the public buses aren’t running, most of the stores are closed. It’s a good time to have a car. You know, it had been a long time since I thanked the Lord that we have a car, but now we understand and rejoice in God’s mercy.

In their April report, Vika Skripnik added…

We once again were able to distribute some sacks of groceries to families of children who attend our Sunday school. This gives us a chance to chat with the children and their parents. Many say that they didn’t value time before the quarantine, but now many are reevaluating their priorities in life. People here now divide life as “Before Quarantine” and “After Quarantine.”

One time I went to visit Angelina (the girl with cerebral palsy, whom you helped so much), but I couldn’t see her because she had chicken pox. I talked with the mother, and she told me how, before Easter, Angelina had gotten sick. (Her temperature had risen to 104° F.) But all during the quarantine, public transportation was not running, and the nearest hospital was 8 miles away. There was no way to get her there. So, Angelina’s brother and sister (children who attend our Sunday school) said to their mother, “Mama, don’t worry. Let’s just pray really, really hard, and Angelina will get better. You’ll see. Jesus won’t leave us.” A while later, her fever went down.

Our God is very powerful, mighty. Through the children and their behavior, the Lord is knocking on the hearts of the parents.

I thank our Savior, who extends our lives and gives the opportunity to serve Him in all sorts of times, including during this time of quarantine. I had the opportunity to visit several families, to chat with children and their parents, and people’s hearts are more open right now.

This is Maria, a young mom who is raising two daughters by herself. At one time, she had attended summer camps. She even came to a Sunday worship service. Now she realizes that she has made a lot of mistakes in life. I talk with her a lot. I witness to her of our Lord.

I believe the day is coming when Maria will receive the Lord into her heart. I thank the Lord for sending such people my way to meet them, and we can show them our Christ in practice. With God’s help, we were able to buy this family an electric hotplate for preparing food to eat and to provide them with a few groceries. Now there are a lot of such families that have no one to turn to for help.

I was also able to meet another family. I pray for each of them, that the Lord will thaw the ice in their hearts. Only He can do this. 

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Near Ternopil, Ukraine, Vitaly Bilyak’s church had been visiting an orphanage (“children’s home”) regularly to teach Bible lessons to the children. The quarantine halted those visits. He writes:

…Furthermore, by law, all of these children were supposed to return to their disadvantaged families all over the Ternopil region. The government takes a very superficial view of this: during a quarantine, children should be with their families. Only 12 children remained in the children’s home. These were kids who had nowhere to go, orphans and kids whose parents had lost parental rights. In mid-April I telephoned the administration at the children’s home. I understood that they would not permit a group to come and visit those children, but could we somehow support these children and the children’s home as a whole? In talking to them, I learned that they needed funds for sanitizing, disinfecting, toilet paper, and masks… My wife and I drove to stores to buy the necessary items. In addition, we bought sweets, cookies, and fruit for the kids who had not gone home. As it turned out, we were the first visitors to that children’s home in two months. Of course, we didn’t have an opportunity to give the children a Bible lesson, but we were able to chat with them a bit and to offer encouragement, give them some sweets, and to leave many essential items for disinfecting, cleaning the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms… Now they have asked whether we can help these kids with shoes for summertime. I will write about this in one of my following letters. For now, we’re using some of the funds leftover due to the youth being quarantined.

Please pray for the ministry to the orphans and children from problem homes (the parents are addicted to drugs, or alcohol, or are prostitutes). The leadership of the children’s home is concerned about these children. The majority went home to very poor families in difficult straits. The courts have already returned some of the kids to the children’s home due to their families’ horrible living conditions. 

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During the quarantine time, the second Baptist church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, pastored by Evgeny Buyko, delivered 80 food parcels to both believing and unbelieving families in need. As they did so, church members kept in mind 1 John 3:18, “My little children, let us love not in word, or in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” In part, the Buykos’ report to BIEM says:

As in other countries, Ukraine today is going through complicated times due to the spread of coronavirus. In cities and in villages, educational institutions are closed, movement on the streets is limited, many people are out of work or have gone on unpaid time off. Besides the painful conversations about how to overcome the pandemic and not get sick, Ukrainians are extremely worried about whether there will be enough funds to pay for community services and whether they will have a means to feed their families.

And at a time when the majority are falling into panic, God’s children sense in themselves the mercy and goodness of our Heavenly Father. Our church in the village of Bilogorodka has clear confirmation of this. My heart is overflowing with joy for what I want to share with you.

Our second Baptist church in Bilogorodka numbers about 50 people who attend, including children and teens. Of those, about 15 people are of advanced age, or have disabilities, and are in need of attention and support, especially during the quarantine time.

When we recognized that there would be restrictions on public movements and that elderly ones are at-risk, some of our members got the idea of buying groceries for those who are especially in need.

By God’s mercy, for this act of care and goodness we were able to gather fairly quickly enough funds to purchase food for 80 parcels. Some of the funds came from our church budget. Brothers and sisters of the church donated more. Also, friends of our church gave, including the BIEM mission, for which we sincerely thank you!

Every package included a variety of things, such as flour, sugar, sunflower oil, tinned fish, meat paté, cookies, chocolate, and tea. Elderly and disabled believers received such blessings of food from the first and second Baptist churches, to the glory of the Creator. Some unbelievers in town also received one.

Later, in a supplemental message, Mrs. Sofia Buyko shared the following…

I personally received the task of delivering one food parcel to a Christian widow. When she opened the door and saw such a large package of food, tears appeared in her eyes. She shared that she had asked God for help. Her supplies were very meager, and she hadn’t been sure she would have anything to eat within a few days.

A different sister who’s well along in years, who herself is in difficult straits, asked whether there might be someone else who needed these groceries more than she? This showed once again how the quarantine has rallied our church. Each of us was thinking more about someone else than about self. Praise be to our loving God for that.

If God’s children always have hope despite difficulties, then people who don’t know Him have panic and hopelessness.

When a deacon was delivering food parcels to needy unbelievers in town, he saw bewilderment in their eyes. For them, his arrival was like thunder coming from a clear, sunny sky. It was hard for them to believe that others could simply care about them and bless them in such a way.

For us, this act of doing good and expressing care opened hearts for the Gospel and created an opportunity to fulfill the Word of God, in which it’s written that we should love, not in words only, but also in deeds. We thank God that His love and mercy cover us all the days of our lives.

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Meanwhile, the first Baptist church in Bilogorodka had similar opportunities for glorifying God. Pastor Anatoly Kosyanchuk expresses it this way:

Knowing the needs of several church members, especially in the quarantine conditions, other members of the church who were able took part in giving to aid those with needs. Food parcels were purchased and distributed to their homes. And right away, people in town started talking about how we in the church care for each other. Praise God that we were able to do this. Prayer groups share their needs by telephone, and while on the line the two people then pray for these needs. Previously, these groups prayed for needs twice a week, but now nearly every day.

We sincerely thank you, too, for your prayers, your support, and help. May the Lord bless you and protect you and help you to get through these difficulties in the name of Christ and for His glory.

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In the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, BIEM’s Yura Levtseniuk volunteered his services for driving medical personnel to and from the hospital during weeks when public transportation wasn’t running. He writes:

Thank you very much for the sincere prayers of our beloved friends! We praise the Lord for you! God is good to us. Throughout the course of this whole quarantine, my family and church have been totally healthy. The Lord used us during this time that has been difficult for everyone.  In our city, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ was glorified through the ministry of “Lviv’s Angels.” This is a divinely appointed time, which we must use, and it won’t be repeated! A large number of medical personnel were evangelized. Many gospels were distributed. Doctors received the Word of God like never before! Violetta and I still transport doctors from the nearest villages to work. And this is effective, because it gives us a whole hour to talk about Christ with them. Please pray for the village of Tulygolovy, which is 50 kilometers from Lviv. People have already asked that we come to them even after the quarantine, and I’m thinking of organizing a Bible study group there. Pray that this would develop.

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In Drogichin, Belarus, the Ryzhuk family had opportunity to come to the aid of needy ones. Nikolai shared the following:

While distributing sacks of groceries to needy ones, I was particularly burdened for one family. About 7 months ago, a woman and her 4 children began attending our worship services. We decided to take that family some groceries, and to use this opportunity to get better acquainted. The woman’s name is Lena. The 3 older children attend school, but not the youngest one. Lena told a little about her difficult life. After her fourth child was born, her husband deserted her and went to live with his mother, because as he said, “I’m not able to feed you. Live however you want.” Two years have passed since then. The government gave her a two-room apartment. There’s practically nothing in it. The things she does have are all old and worn out. I was amazed at how this woman lives without grumbling.

I asked why she is missing teeth. She said her husband hit her, and she has no money for a dentist. Another thing that amazed me is that she doesn’t ask our church for any assistance. So, our heart-to-heart action brought her special joy. I recorded a bit on video about how she lives. Great gratitude to you for all your love and your prayers for us. May the Lord abundantly bless you, your families, and your country!

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 In Chervona Sloboda, Ukraine, a town that had been particularly unfriendly toward believers who came with the goal of planting a new church, the church received a very unexpected request for aid. Vitaly Yurchenko wrote…

Recently, the mayor of Chervona Sloboda fell ill. She needed emergency heart surgery. She herself couldn’t pay for this operation and asked whether we could help. We took up a special collection for her and delivered the funds. We prayed for her and telephoned her to express our care and support. Valentina Nikolaevna (the mayor) was very thankful. The operation was successful, and Valentina promised to come to church to thank God for His help. Back when friends had come from the U.S. to serve widows, Valentina Nikolaevna attended that event. She really enjoyed it, and she was thankful for that ministry. We hope that our mayor will open her heart to Jesus Christ. We ask that you, too, pray for her.

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In Mizotsky, Ukraine, Pavel Usach was able to soften hearts at another orphanage with a gift from America—pillows! Here are his details:

I’m sure you remember buying pillows for the boarding school. Those pillows stayed in my house for several months because I couldn’t get them to their destination. I recently contacted the administration of the orphanage by phone, and I was allowed to take 49 pillows to the Mizotsky children’s home. We were welcomed by the director and headmaster of the school, and they were very happy, because we hadn’t forgotten them, even in such a difficult time. Many thanks to everyone who had a role in buying these pillows for children who will come go there for the new school year. Imagine how those children had been sleeping on pillows that were bought back in the 1990s, that is, pillows that are more than 20 years old. It will be such a pleasure for them to receive these wonderful, soft pillows that were purchased in the USA.

That is why we sincerely thank you for such a wonderful sacrifice and for the opportunity to serve together the One God, doing good deeds for His glory. I think that this gift will help us to ensure that we don’t have any obstacles to visit the children there during the new school year.

In conclusion, here is a separate thought-provoking message from Eugene Buyko, who serves as BIEM director in Ukraine:

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A Mosaic of God’s Love

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

When are the Lord’s goodness and blessings sweeter to the heart, during days of plenty and abundance, or during days of sorrow and sadness? Now, during the time of quarantine, when all around there are feelings of anxiety and fear, we children of God do not cease to rejoice in the mercy of the Heavenly Father and to lift up prayers for His care about our needs.

Today we’d like to tell about BIEM’s container of humanitarian aid from American brothers and sisters for the Ukrainian people. The container traveled a difficult road, burdened by changes in the bureaucratic system in our country. Due to many checks and various new laws, the timeline for opening it got delayed for months. While the process of completing the paperwork was still being done, we asked, “What’s taking so long? Why so many obstacles?” So, it turned out, dear brothers and sisters, that we received your gifts, not before New Year’s Day as expected, but during the time of quarantine. Then we understood that God has His timing for everything. He unceasingly cares for our needs. After all, before the New Year, the situation in our country was stable. Humanitarian aid was not perceived to be so valuable as it is now, during the time of isolation, when funding is so limited, yet needs are so many.

How is it possible to describe receiving gifts that we have from you by God’s mercy? Certainly, humanitarian aid can be measured according to physical categories—weight, length, height, etc. On the other hand, this aid is the story of people, like a mosaic that takes shape into a wondrous picture of God’s love.

Let me start with an 84-year-old widow, a cancer patient for whom every step is very difficult. What do adult Pampers mean for her? Thanks to them, she can wake up dry after a night of sleep. This is such a valuable blessing and impermissible luxury in Ukrainian reality, that no one who hasn’t looked after elderly, ill people can understand the joy from such a gift.

Nor the smile on the face of a 16-year-old teen, afflicted from birth with children’s cerebral palsy, sitting in a wheelchair, thanks to which he can now move comfortably. After all, before this gift, his parents could set their son only on a tiny, old child’s wheelchair that didn’t meet the boy’s needs.

In addition, in one children’s home for children in western Ukraine about 50 pillows have been provided. And let us emphasize, that kids in this establishment have slept for 30 years on the very same pillows. No one ever changed them. You can’t help wondering, How does a child feel in that first moment when he lays his head on a fresh, new pillow?

Furthermore, gifts in the form of clothing, domestic items (dishware, blankets, pillows, sheets) were received by two rehabilitation centers and a boarding school near Kyiv. The mosaic of God’s love sprinkled blessings on residents in Bilogorodka, Chervona Sloboda, Ternopil, Kyiv, Desna, Lutsk…

Many children received terrific toys, such toys as they couldn’t dream of during the quarantine. After all, the parents’ primary concern was how to make enough money to buy them food.

Dear brothers and sisters, we sincerely thank you for caring about our many needs: beginning with children’s beds and things for babies, ending with essential items needed by elderly people to maintain a quality of life. Thanks to your gifts, prayers of praise are rising in many homes all over Ukraine!

Summer Camps 2020

Summer Camps 2020

Despite the obstacles and delays caused by Covid-19 concerns, BIEM praises the Lord for the summer camps we were able to sponsor in multiple countries in Eastern Europe.

BIEMs of Light September 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• We requested prayer for 4 Afghani men—Salim, Amin, Shafo, and Farid—who had been listening to presentations of the Gospel. Praise God, Farid has now placed his faith in Christ!

• Praise God for the street evangelism led by BIEM missionaries Vitaly and Alexandra Keller in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine.  Every week they and their team meet and engage passersby with interesting methods of introducing the Gospel. They encounter both Ukrainians and foreign visitors.  Please pray for God to impress on listeners the weight of their sins and their need of the Savior.

• The Gospel is not bound by pandemics. In Central Asia, citizens are still under lockdown due to Covid-19, but Pastor River texted to say that last week he led 5 Muslims there to Christ!

• Excellent progress is being made on transforming the house purchased in Borschiv, Ukraine, into a church building. From the roof to the new, large septic system, improvements and repairs are preparing this location for public worship. We praise God for it and for the generous donors who made it possible!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• By September, summer camps are over and children and teens in Eastern Europe start back to school. Please pray that the truths they heard will remain fresh in their minds. May God continue to open kids’ eyes to their spiritual needs and draw them to faith in Himself.

• BIEM is currently involved in three church building projects. Please pray for God to supply both the resources and the workers needed for each one.

• Please pray for brother Tim, a BIEM missionary who recently suffered 8 broken bones when a heavy item accidentally fell on his foot. He faces a difficult rehabilitation. Please pray for a full recovery and that he would be spared the arthritis that doctors mentioned as a possibility. 

• Please pray for a BIEM missionary family in Russia we will refer to as Brother V. Due to stricter controls of the borders and international financial transfers that began with the coronavirus, this family has not been able to receive the support BIEM has collected for them in the U.S. To survive, Brother V. has taken a maintenance job. One Russian church has also taken them on for partial support during this crisis. Arrangements have been made for brother V to travel to a nearby country to receive the support that has accumulated. Please pray for God’s provision and continued blessing on the ministry despite these challenges.

August Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/442465920

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

 Hello from the Slobodians! This month's video update comes from Borschiv, Ukraine which is in an area of western Ukraine that has been neglected as far as a Gospel witness. This is where Sergei and Vika Skripnik are serving as missionaries. For a long time, this dedicated couple focused on village ministry. However, they always had a vision to one day plant a church in the city of Borschiv. Recently, through the generosity of a friend of BIEM, this dream was made possible and they were able to purchase a building right in the city.

The main need right now concerning this ministry is the vacant corner lot next door which is available for $5,000. Obtaining this would give the church more land which could be used for parking as well as other ministry needs. Furthermore, since this corner lot is across from a large field that is slated for the construction of new homes, this would give the church a wonderful degree of visibility in the community. Please pray concerning this need, and for Sergei and Vika and the believers there in Borschiv as they are working hard on this church building project.

In Christ, 

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light August 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• We requested prayer for 4 Afghani men—Salim, Amin, Shafo, and Farid—who had been listening to presentations of the Gospel. Praise God, Farid has now placed his faith in Christ!

• In June, we also requested prayers for our camp fund, which had only 50% of the amount needed. The Lord heard those prayers and provided the rest of the funds needed. Some camps are already underway, and we’ve already received reports of salvation decisions!

• Some weeks ago, our BIEM receptionist, Lauren, let us know she would be moving on. We prayed much concerning a replacement, since a Christian ministry needs workers who love service for the Lord rather than just people needing a job. God provided! The next time you phone the office, the new voice you hear will belong to Caileigh. Thank You, Lord!

• The Christian rehabilitation center near Rumyantsevo, Russia, needed to replace its van. Although they were able to get some money for their old one, they still needed $5,000 for a trustworthy vehicle. Thanks to BIEM’s donors we were able to supply their need. Praise God!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• T. Smith, our Field Director for Central Asia, has severely broken the bones in one foot. His doctor advises that he stay off it until October. Please pray for good healing.

• We have requested prayer for more ministers to serve in the rehabilitation center near Ternopil, Ukraine. God has answered. Volodya B. was once addicted to substances but went through the program and found freedom from substance abuse, plus salvation in Christ. He feels led of the Lord to stay and help others. However, in such cases the men still undergoing the program sometimes express jealousy or lack of respect toward a peer with new authority. Please pray for Volodya, that the Lord will give him divine wisdom and insight into how best to relate to the men he will be assisting out of their addictions.

• When 40 days of rain fell in western Ukraine, flooding and tremendous property damage resulted. BIEM’s missionary Vitaly Bilyak organized relief trips to 3 villages, where volunteers delivered clothing, bottled water, food, and other necessities—including New Testaments for anyone who didn’t have one. The volunteers brought glory to God. Please pray for those villagers, for their physical needs, yes, but also for the salvation of any who don’t know Christ.

• Due to covid-19, our mission field in Central Asia has particularly suffered. They have no government programs for unemployment, no stimulus checks, no huge humanitarian aid supply… Please pray for the believers, but also for the unbelievers who are observing them.

July Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/442465920

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Hello Friends!   Travel restrictions due to the corona virus continue to keep us in the United States for now.  Therefore, until this changes we will continue to rely on our national church planters to provide video updates until we can resume travel to our mission fields. 

This month's video comes from Smolin, Ukraine where church planter Sasha Petrenko along with other Ukrainian BIEM missionaries are working on a church building project.  This video shows how they are removing walls from the house that was purchased to make for a larger meeting area.  The next phase will be to completely rebuild the house into a church which will more than double the size of the existing building and include a new foundation and new roof.   

This new church building will serve as a permanent location for the church planted on the military base in Goncharovsk, Ukraine. Smolin is located just outside the base.  Even though this work is in progress the church is currently using it for their services.  

In Christ, 

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light July 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In Desna, Ukraine, missionary Igor Fomichov is excited about the rehabilitation center now operating in conjunction with the church. Men whose lives have been ruined by drugs and alcohol are learning of Christ and eager to know more. May God give Igor and the other men who minister in the rehab center wisdom as they work with these men.

• We have often requested prayer for more Christian workers. Allow us to share an answer from God! In the country of Georgia, the Lord has raised up an Ethiopian named Abreham (that’s how he spells it), who is a big help in ministry. Gifted in electronics, Abreham handles the audio/video and internet needs for the church of our missionaries, the Hoblitzes. He also has a personal online Bible study for 9,000 Ethiopians around the world. Praise God for willing workers!

• In Borschiv, Ukraine, our missionaries the Skripniks praise God for the continuing progress in renovating the building purchased for a church. But they praise Him, too, as He provides opportunities to get acquainted with some of the neighbors, including a number of children who come over to play in the yard with the Skripniks’ children!

• Praise God for over 2,000 illustrated Ukrainian children’s Bibles that were made available to BIEM.  This will be used during this summer’s camp programs which provide contact into many unchurched homes. 

Prayer - Pray with us!

• On Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day), Sam and Amy Slobodian’s 8-year-old grandson Noah went to be with the Lord. Please uphold in prayer Noah’s family and his extended family during this time.

• In Central Asia, 4 Afghani men have been listening and learning about Jesus Christ. They are close to trusting Christ as Savior. Please pray for Salim, Amin, Shafo, and Farid to understand their souls’ need and to place their faith in the Lord.

• In Belarus, BIEM missionary Nikolai Ryzhuk reports, “There is a big problem concerning jobs, especially for young families. There is no work and no jobs. People are discouraged about how to survive.” Please pray for this situation, especially among believers.

• Please continue to pray for the anticipated summer camp ministries on our various overseas fields. Currently, BIEM has almost $20,000 of the $40,000 normally needed for the camps.

June Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/433668933

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Greetings!  Our video update for this month comes from Western Ukraine which has experienced serious flooding which has damaged homes and devastated crops.  Many have been evacuated and there is a lot of damage to buildings and infrastructure.

This does provide an opportunity to help believers in the flooded areas as well as other victims.  In this video Vitaly Bilyak from Ternopil shares how his church is responding to this need and have already made one trip bringing in clothing and other items.  They distribute this help through churches and believers they know.  They are planning another effort to bring food being gathered by churches and believers.  You can also help by sending money to BIEM for "Western Ukraine Flood Aid".  

In Christ, 

Sam & Amy Slobodian

Celebrating the Life of Noah Harvey

Eulogy for Noah Harvey

By Sam Slobodian (grandfather) June 26, 2020

 Begin by reading his obituary written by his parents.

 Noah Harvey was born on April 30, 2012 and passed away Sunday, June 21, 2020, at his home in Greenwood.  He was the son of Mathew and Susan Harvey. He attended Greenwood Christian School and most recently Suburban Christian School and had recently completed the 1st grade.

Noah loved spending time with his family and friends. Noah was unbelievably brave as he battled many medical hurdles and did it with his spectacular smile and infectious laugh. He didn't have an unkind bone in his body and had a heart of GOLD. He enjoyed making people laugh, and he would exude happiness when he was excited. He loved Spiderman, Batman, Harry Potter, and Lego's. He had a love for food and would watch it online and enjoyed helping in the kitchen. He wanted to be a cook or a Master Lego builder. Noah filled our home and our life with his infectious smile and laugh, silly humor, hugs and kisses, and unconditional love. Noah was loved by all he encountered - leaving a lasting impression of his kind heart, perseverance, and unique personality. We will miss everything about him. He will forever be our Brave Noah, and now our angel.

Besides his mother and father, Noah is survived by his twin sister Madison  Harvey (8); his younger brother Shane Harvey (4); his paternal grandparents David & Kathy Reed and Ronald Harvey; his maternal grandparents Sam & Amy Slobodian; his aunts and uncles Sarah & Nate Crouch, Steven Slobodian, Sharon & Ashton Brandyberry, Stephanie & Aaron Anger, Misti & Mike Clark, Alan & Sarah Reed and the many cousins and friends who loved him.

Now I would like to share some information and memories about Noah and how his life touched so many.  Noah’s story touched many people who never even met him.  When I am done, we would like to give you who are here today an opportunity to briefly share a memory or a thought if you would like.

Noah’s life began like many prematurely born babies by spending the first few weeks of his life in the NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital along with his sister Madison.  Eventually they were both able to go home.  After Noah was home one week, he suddenly developed problems breathing on June 19, 2012.  At the doctors office things got worse and a Life Line Ambulance was called to rush him over to IU hospital.  There he lost his pulse and doctors made a quick decision which involved once again calling a LifeLine Ambulance to transfer him to Riley’s children’s hospital.  There the family was ushered into that dreaded room where often the worst news is told.  There they explained that they had rushed to place Noah on a life support system which is called ECMO.  At that point Noah’s heart function was down to 7% and the doctors were totally surprised he survived the procedure. 

Later we learned that there were only 100 such machines in the whole world and that Noah was the 748th child in history to be placed on one. This machine took up a whole section of the pediatric intensive heart care unit and required 3 technicians to operate it 24/7 along with a specially trained nurse.  This machine did save Noah’s life though it was very clear that he needed a transplant to live since surviving on ECMO was a very temporary proposition.  However, qualifying for a transplant proved to be a daunting task since in Noah’s case he would need to undergo a very dangerous procedure which not only risked Noah’s life but which also held a high probability of clogging the ECMO machine which would end everything.  Doctors were not in agreement to go that direction but soon the decision was made and sure enough the ECMO machine clogged.  Remember that at that time there were only 100 ECMO machines in the world then.   Well guess what, Riley’s children’s hospital had two of them and so Noah not only survived but the result qualified him to be placed on the heart transplant waiting list.  One of the greatest moments in this whole story was when the beeper Susan was wearing went off indicating that a heart match had been found and that they needed to get to the hospital.  Susan called Mat but he could not hear since he worked in a large very noisy welding shop.  So she raced over to Mat’s work where she entered and screamed “Mat, we have a heart”.  The machines all stopped, and the entire place broke out in loud cheers.  What an amazing answer to prayer!  What a gift of life!  Noah survived the transplant on July 23, 2012 at the age of about 11 weeks.   The heart of a child that young is only the size of a strawberry!

There was some sobering information the doctors gave the family during the transplant process.  That was that even a successful heart transplant comes with serious challenges, hardships, medical issues, problems caused by the multitude of medications he would be on for life and that ultimately a donor heart would be rejected.  That was certainly the case with Noah.  On the medical side Noah’s journey through life was full of difficulties. In each year there were at least 50 visits to doctors and the hospital. 

It always amazed me how well Noah took all the prodding, poking, and painful medical procedures.  It certainly was not the case that he was an ideal recipient of medical intervention.  The opposite was the case.  If there was a possibility of a bad reaction or a chance of a further complication it seemed like poor little Noah would draw the short end of the stick every single time.  Even an IV procedure would be a major event.  Many times hospital staff had to call in a special team just to hook Noah up to an IV.  What I mean by saying Noah took it well is how he accepted it.  Every time he faced a procedure his mother Susan would patiently, carefully, lovingly explain to Noah what they are going to do and why.  On many occasions I was there in the hospital room when Susan would have that kind of conversation with Noah and the response I heard every time from Noah was a very sweet little “Okay”.

If it was something as simple as taking a temperature the response was “Okay.”

If it was something as invasive as an operation where they would install a feeding port in his stomach and later an even larger device in his intestine so he could receive the nutrition he needed through a tube for hours each day, the response was the same.  That sweet little “okay.”

In fact, there was only one time I remember when Noah was not Okay.

That was at one of the many birthday parties he enjoyed with his many cousins.  This one was at a very exciting place called Chucky Cheese.  All were having a great time, everybody was enjoying themselves.  Then everything changed when their mascot, a character called Chuck E Cheese made his appearance.  Noah was terrified!  Everyone in the whole establishment knew that Noah was not Okay.  He screamed bloody murder at least 100 decibels loud.  Susan immediately put on her hospital voice trying to explain to Noah that everything was OK.  But Noah would have none of it. He knew things were not OK.  I have to say that it did not help that the dude they decided to put in that costume was 6 ft six and as wide as refrigerator and honestly the ugly head of the mascot looked more like a rat than a cartoon character!  Noah only stopped screaming when his parents took him to the farthest corner away from Chuck E Cheese as possible.

With that one exception, how is it that Noah was able to take things so calmly, so peaceably, so sweetly?  How could he be Okay?  I believe I am looking at the answer to that question.  Fact is, Noah had an amazing support system of folks who cared about him, loved him and prayed for him.  God heard those prayers and gave Noah an amazing  amount of His grace.  Many of you are here.  But literally there are people all over the world that knew about Noah and reached out to heaven asking God to bless him and that is one way that God did.  He really did.

Despite the hospital visits, medical procedures and physical challenges God gave Noah a lot of joy.  He really was a happy little boy who loved much and was greatly loved by many.  He so much enjoyed the times with family, friends and cousins.  There was indeed a lot of happiness in his life.  When you are one of the sickest kids at the Riley Children’s hospital there is also a little bit of notoriety that comes with that as well.  For example Noah was brought to the attention of the Make a Wish Foundation who sent Noah and his family on an unbelievable trip to Disneyland in Florida complete with a limousine ride to the airport, special attention from the airplane flight crew and a wonderful stay at the Give Kids the World  resort.  Free ice cream, free pony rides, free train rides, free crafts and wonderful meals for the whole family.   On Noah’s 8th birthday not long ago,  the community did an amazing drive by birthday parade in front of the Harvey home with police cars, fire trucks over 100 vehicles, a motorcycle brigade,  and super hero’s.  The batmobile even showed up and Noah actually got to ride in it.  Noah was a very happy boy as he cruised the neighborhood in that batmobile.   That event was so grand that Noah ended up on the local television news!

As grand of a day as that was there was a better day yet to come for Noah.  That day was last Sunday.  It was last Sunday that something pulled up to the Harvey home in Greenwood that was far greater than even the batmobile.   It came from far away.  From over the battlements  of heaven.  It was God’s angel in a heavenly chariot which came to take Noah home.  Now,  I didn’t actually hear it.  None of us did.  But we can easily imagine the heavenly shout out to Noah, Noah are you ready to go home? Are you ready to ride this chariot to see Jesus who loves you and died for you?  Are you ready to leave all of the pain and suffering behind? Are you ready to go to that place where the sun always shines, where there is no more tears, no more crying and no more sorrow.

And we know what Noah said, in that sweet little voice.  He said “Okay.”

BIEMs of Light June 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In Lviv, Ukraine, BIEM missionary Yuri Levtseniuk thanks God that, during this time of coronavirus, medical personnel have been evangelized and gospels distributed as never before. Christians with cars have volunteered to drive doctors to and from work, allowing conversations. May the Lord use these countless seeds of the Gospel that have been planted.

• Thanks to recent donations, the new church in Borschiv, Ukraine, now has electricity, plus plumbing in the restrooms and a newly installed septic system. Each completed step brings this building closer to being used for church services and other ministries!

• During the time of quarantine, believers have looked out for each other and provided basic food items. Non-Christian neighbors have heard and seen how Christians support one another and been amazed at such unity. Many unbelievers have also heard clear presentations of the Gospel. May God be glorified!

• In April we requested prayer for BIEM missionaries in western Asia. Their young son was diagnosed with autism. But now an American speech therapist will be visiting weekly to help, which is a huge answer to prayer!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• In Central Asia, missionaries River and Hope have a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, Joseph, who has been in and out of comas with Type 1 diabetes. He will be on insulin. But the insulin cost would use up his parents' monthly income in 10 days. We praise God for recent improvements that have allowed him to be transferred from ICU to Endocrinology. Please pray for him and his parents as they all adjust and try to care for his health.  

• In Shakhovskaya, Russia, missionary church-planter Andrei Yudintsev reports that his wife Zara and 3 of their children have symptoms that match those of covid-19. There is not yet confirmation of the virus, but please uphold this family in prayers.

• One of our missionaries in the Republic of Georgia speaks for many when he shares about ministry: “Personal relationships have been affected by the two-month separation. Please pray in general that we would be able to quickly pick up in our discipling relationships where we left off in March.” Despite phone calls and online outreach, some individuals seem to drift.

• In Eastern Europe, churches are planning to go ahead with summer camps, but are delaying them until July and August. Please pray as camp leaders continue preparations and for sufficient donations to hold the camps. Right now, BIEM has only $17,085 of the $40,000 normally disbursed to hold summer camps. If you can give in addition to praying—thank you!

May Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/423262582

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Hello friends!   We are thankful for your prayers as we continue to be grounded from foreign travel due to the coronavirus.  It is a blessing to know that God is in control and has all things planned according to His glory.

This month's video once again comes from our home office where I share some excerpts from recent reports received from various churches which share a little bit about church life during these unusual times.  Our upcoming newsletter The Challenger which is being printed now contains more on this subject.

In Christ, 

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light May 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In Central Asia, Pastor River (not his real name) was wondering how to feed his flock and reach out to unbelievers. His country is strictly locked down. Still, he says, “We praise God for the trials…. No one can be out, but we have found ways to continue meeting and evangelizing on an almost nightly basis.” Over the past couple of weeks, they have led 6 Muslims to Christ!

• As in other parts of the world, many of our missionaries in Eastern Europe have turned to technology to hold online church services. And although online sermons lose part of the richness of worshiping alongside other believers, there is a plus. Unbelievers who have never stepped inside one of our churches are tuning in to listen!

• In the nation of Georgia, our missionaries the Hoblitzes report, “Our new church plant among Farsi speakers has been making a lot of progress. We have two Iranian pastors in training and two more who want to sign up for our Bible School.” Also, they have a number of believers in training who are holding home Bible studies in villages and planting churches. Praise the Lord!

• The economic slowdown in Ukraine brought about by the Coronavirus has resulted in lower construction costs that are benefitting church building programs in Smolen and Borschiv, Ukraine.  In both locations, homes are being converted into churches. Praise God for excellent progress.

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Noah, a grandson of the Slobodians, has experienced serious challenges to his health almost since birth. Noah recently celebrated his 8th birthday, but behind the celebration is a hard reality. His parents write, “Noah’s heart is in rejection, and he has progressed into stage 5 full kidney failure. There are no viable options based on his overall medical complexity. Noah will be transferred to hospice. Based on his recent severe decline, they think things could go very quickly, but only God knows when He will call Noah to heaven…. Please pray for our family as we continue through this difficult journey.”

• Please pray for those unbelievers who are watching our missionaries’ services online. May God open their eyes to their need of Christ, the Savior from sin.

• Back in February, out of curiosity, 2 Turks began visiting services held by BIEM personnel in western Asia. At first, they asked questions out of mocking, but the answers were always serious, from God’s Word. In time the men dropped the mocking and asked sincere questions. Please pray for God to open their understanding of Christ and their need of the Savior.

• In the country of Turkmenistan, a tornado in one city has ripped off roofs and done other severe damage to buildings, including homes of believers. Please pray for them as they rebuild and as they demonstrate Christian kindness to others in need.

April Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/413176999

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Warm greetings from the Slobodians! 

Since we have had to curtail our overseas travels during this time because of the coronavirus and all the travel restrictions in place, we are not able to personally bring you a video update from overseas. However, since some of our brethren were getting together to haul wood for one of our building projects in Ukraine, this brought an opportunity for us to bring you a video update from them. I asked Lyosha, who speaks English, to translate for these brethren as each shares a blessing that has come from the unusual circumstances that believers are experiencing during these times. This video features Eugene, Igor, Sasha, Anatoly, and Lyosha. 

Thank you for your part in this ministry. 

May God bless you! 

In Christ, Sam & Amy Slobodian

March Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/400343254

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Hello again from the Slobodians! This month's video update features a report on how the Coronavirus is affecting the ministry of BIEM. As you can imagine this has had various effects on our office operation, our missionaries on the field, and our traveling personnel. This is a bit longer than our usual video updates but we do give a country by country description of the varying situations. 

Not mentioned in the video is that two of our families have been quarantined for two weeks because of recent travels outside their country of residence. Thankfully they are not showing any symptoms and so far none of our folks have contracted the virus. Praise God! 

Our Spring seminary session in Kyiv, Ukraine scheduled for late April may be affected as well. At this point if the Americans scheduled for that session cannot travel to Ukraine, the Ukrainian brethren will continue with the session as planned with all Ukrainian teachers providing that the prohibition of meetings larger than 10 people is no longer in effect. If that ban is still in place or if travel is still restricted, they will still have the Spring session, but it will be done online.

Thank-you for your part in this ministry. May God bless you! 

In Christ, Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light April 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• We praise the Lord for the vision of our brethren in Central Asia. They are training men for ministry and have organized a Bible institute that meets for classes every three months. They actively evangelize village by village, and 4 young Muslim men recently came to Christ. In Western Asia, 4 other Muslims likewise placed their faith in Christ!

• The church in Desna, Ukraine, has often requested prayer for a believer with musical skills to lead their music ministry. God has sent them a young Christian soldier (literally) who plays multiple instruments and volunteered to help. Also, our missionaries’ teen daughter, Anya, is gaining confidence at playing a synthesizer, making this a double answer to prayer!

• In Belarus, before the coronavirus situation became critical, BIEM’s Nikolai Ryzkuk took part in two conferences for Christian youth from small churches. In villages and small towns, such young Christians might rarely see believers their own age. These conferences not only delivered appropriate teaching from God’s Word but provided these youth with good, spiritual fellowship.

• Before quarantine began in Ukraine, the 40-foot container of supplies we shipped months ago was recently cleared by Customs and released to our BIEM personnel. Among the contents for churches are tables, chairs, and even two pianos. Also, much gently used clothing will open hearts to share the Gospel.  We praise God for allowing us to receive these items!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• During these odd times, please pray for the health and safety of all our BIEM missionaries and their children. The mission fields need every possible light for the Gospel. We don’t want any of our missionaries or volunteers to be hindered by sickness.

• Our missionaries had already been planning spring and summer evangelistic outreaches. The quarantine situation changes many of those plans. Please pray for wisdom as they consider ways to reach their countrymen with the Gospel.

• One BIEM missionary family recently learned that their 2-year-old son Luke has autism. While they are thankful finally to have a diagnosis that seems to answer multiple questions, they are also in need of prayer as they help their little guy to communicate, to interact with others, and as they prepare him for a lifetime of service to God.  

• Please pray about our upcoming seminary session in Kyiv scheduled to begin on April 27.  Ukraine has just extended their quarantine until April 24.  If public meetings of more than ten people are allowed after that and transportation is restored, our session can take place.  Otherwise this session will be conducted on an online basis.

BIEMs of Light March 2020

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• The church on the military base in Desna, Ukraine, continues to receive visitors who are there for military training. Two female soldiers showed up for church and stayed for a birthday celebration for the pastor. Pleasantly surprised, they said how well they understood the sermon and prayers. They didn’t know such churches existed!

• The Rehabilitation Center near Ternopil rejoices that individuals with addictions continue to come to them. One recent case is a man named Vladimir, a well-educated man who had been a dentist before getting hooked on substances. May God lead them to freedom in Christ!

• The Hoblitzes, BIEM missionaries in Tbilisi, Georgia, report that, since the holidays, 15 souls have followed Christ and been baptized. God is blessing in other ways, too!

• BIEM missionaries Vitaly and Alexandra Keller evangelize on the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine. One day a woman approached. Maria shared that in 2019 she had considered herself a good Orthodox believer, but in reality she thought about God only on church holidays. After hearing the Gospel from Vitaly, Maria visited a Protestant church and repented of her sins. Now Maria is active in her church and joins the Kellers in street ministry. Praise the Lord!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• A BIEM missionary in Central Asia met an elderly woman who trusted Christ in 1989, after her son got saved and overcame heroine addiction. She directed the local movie theater and allowed Christians to hold services there. For that, Muslims beat her, knocking out her teeth. For years she has feared letting anyone know she is a believer. Pray for her faith to increase, for fears to decrease, and that she would forbid her daughters-in-law from practicing witchcraft in her house.

• Electricians recently ran a powerline to the uncompleted building purchased in Borschiv, Ukraine, to use as a church. Electricity will enable work to continue inside even during cold weather. The Skripniks request prayer for funding and experienced workers to complete the building so it can be used for church services.

• The arrival of March means BIEM must begin plans for summer camps for children and teens. Praise God, of the at least $40,000 needed, over $9,000 has already been received as year-end gifts in 2019. Please pray for God to prompt some of His people for the remaining $31,000 needed for camps.

• One of our experienced church planters has expressed a desire to start a church in very populated area of Kyiv which has no Gospel witness. This would be a major undertaking as far as building costs yet would have truly amazing potential.  Please pray for direction as we consider this and that God would lead and provide.

February Video Update

Watch this video on Vimeo by either clicking on the following link or by copying and pasting it in your browser:

https://vimeo.com/389798064

Dear Pastors and Friends, 

Hello from the Slobodians. This month's video finds us in Ukraine for the winter session of our seminary where we are training nationals for ministry in churches. Abbas in one of our students from Iran. Ukraine has a small community of Iranians who were able to obtain refugee status which they treasure as it allows them to escape the tyranny of their homeland and live in freedom. Better yet it is here that some have found the Lord and obtained a citizenship in heaven! Abbas is one of those and has a hunger to learn God's word and to serve Him. 

Currently we have 60 students in the seminary. 32 are Theology students, 14 are Christian Education majors, 13 study music with the goal of preparing them to be choir directors and 2 are missions majors. Over these years this school had graduated over 300 students which are now serving in nearly 70 cities and towns in Ukraine as well as a handful of foreign countries. This school functions as a partnership of BIEM and the Brotherhood of Independent Baptist Churches of Ukraine so the students come from all over Ukraine, which is the size of Texas. Therefore many of our students come from a long way.

Praise God for this opportunity to invest in the lives of young people willing to serve God. 

Sam & Amy Slobodian