War Relief Updates - October 20, 2023

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

1. This week we have received a generous donation of over 10,000 cans of powdered baby formula. The best thing about this product is that it can be also used as a nutritional supplement for adults. This is a wonderful boost to our war-relief efforts as this will go a long way to help Ukrainian infants, children, and adults during this time of war when many are lacking the nutrition they need.

2. Ukraine has passed legislation that makes it much more difficult to send containers to Ukraine. This goes into effect on December 1. Under the new regulations, a total of 20 steps will be required to import humanitarian supplies. All the steps must be completed within 30 days, which is not realistic. Another new requirement required after December 1 is that organizations providing humanitarian aid will be required to provide the passport information of every recipient! Remarkably, Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy, which is responsible for this new legislation, claims that the new rules are designed to make matters simpler! Many organizations across Ukraine are speaking out against these changes. Please pray that the Ukrainian government will rescind or at least lessen these new regulations.

3.  We are praising God for a group of volunteers from Heritage Baptist Church in the Chicago area who came to our headquarters with a load of clothing donations as well as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and other medical supplies. The group spent the whole day sorting and packing a large volume of donated items that had not yet been processed. In fact, they managed to process everything we had available! This gift of their energy turned out to be quite timely: shortly after they left we learned we needed to load a container immediately due to the circumstances mentioned above. Having all these goods packed and ready to go enables us to put them aboard the container this weekend. This would not have been possible without the timely visit of these folks from Heritage Baptist. Praise the Lord!

4. In the town of Lubyanka, Ukraine, Russian occupiers took over the church building and did much damage to it. But, as the pastor in the following video explains, God is still in control. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/incontrol

5. Thanks to a generous donation from a local supporter and friend of BIEM, Igor Fomichov and Vitaly Bilyak were each able to go on a shopping spree to purchase warm winter clothing needed by the soldiers connected with their churches. This opportunity came in time to add the warm clothing to the container being loaded this weekend. Once again, thanks to God’s timing, these items should reach their destinations before the coldest part of the upcoming winter.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 13, 2023

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

1. Last week we requested prayer that Igor Fomichov be allowed to leave Ukraine temporarily. Even though as a pastor he had been granted official permission to do so, the final decision is up to the border guards, who at first denied him on his last trip but relented after intervention by the Mayor of Desna, where Igor serves on the city council. We are glad to report that Igor was permitted to leave Ukraine last Friday and was able to participate in a missions conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, his first stop. Thank you for praying.

2. Our folks in Ukraine have told us that, since the war started, 495 Baptist churches in Ukraine have closed. This is mostly due to pastors leaving for the West. On the other hand, the churches where pastors choose to stay have gained many new people as they have been providing war relief to local residents. Praise God!

3. This week’s video update is titled “Thrilled at God’s Blessings.” It focuses on our newer missionaries—the Koops—and the Druzhba area, where BIEM has distributed much war relief. To view it, please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/874215448

4. Forum 18 reports the following from Russian-occupied Ukraine:

“Russian occupation forces have closed and seized more churches, the latest known being an Orthodox Church of Ukraine church in Basan and a Baptist Union church in Zaporizhzia Region, and the Catholic Church in Skadovsk in Kherson Region. Occupation forces broke the Catholic church’s windows and door during a raid, claiming they were looking for explosives and drugs. Artyom Sharlay of the Russian occupiers’ Religious Organisations Department claimed to Forum 18 that “law-abiding” religious communities “face no restrictions, but those that break the law are banned.”

5. In a recent update and in our October BIEM’s of Light Prayer & Praise sheet, we mentioned the new church in Nizhylovychi, which was started as the result of our war-relief efforts. That part of the Hostomel area had been occupied by Russian forces, who dragged away everything of value. This church has been meeting in a leaky, old tent while renovations are taking place in the building we purchased for it. The priority is installing heat and flooring. A major storm hit there last week, and it demolished the old tent. Now, the job of completing the heat and flooring has become urgent. Please pray that enough progress can be made to meet in this building since the tent is no longer an option. Funds to help with this project are needed as well.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 6, 2023

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

1. Recently, we wrote about the need to supply tourniquets to families in our Ukrainian churches who have loved ones in battle. Praise God for Operation Renewed Hope, which has provided funds for us to purchase almost 250 high-quality, American-made tourniquets that Ukrainian military medics praise highly. We were able to distribute the first portion of these during our travels in Ukraine these past two weeks. The rest will soon follow. Please continue to pray for this continuing need.

2. We are thankful for everyone who prayed for the safety of our students and teachers during our Fall seminary session in Kyiv. That session has now concluded. During this period, Russia targeted Kyiv with 33 Shahed suicide drones and one rocket. Praise God, these threats did not affect our classes, and this number was far fewer than in previous weeks. Even better, they resulted in no reported casualties.

3. Often, money alone cannot meet the needs of wartime victims in Ukraine. Here, BIEM missionary Pasha Usach shares how he and other believers traveled to a devastated area to apply their time and muscles to help people who could not help themselves, particularly those in need of heating this winter. May God receive praise for their actions! To view this short video, please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/helpinghands

4. Praise God, yesterday Igor Fomichov received the official permission he needed to leave Ukraine to travel to the US for the meetings we have scheduled over the next several weeks. This is an answer to a prayer request we shared previously. However, prayer is still needed since the border guards have the final say and can deny an exit even though official government permission has been granted. This almost happened the last time Igor came to the United States, and only through the late night (2:30 am) intervention of the mayor was Igor permitted to exit.

5. Our last stop on this trip to Ukraine was in Lviv, a large city in far Western Ukraine. There, Pastor Yura and the congregation are earnestly praying for a family in the church whose son Alexander has been missing in action for more than 20 days. Despite many inquiries to the military, the family has yet to learn whether he has been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation for families in Ukraine these days. Please pray for Alexander, his family, and this church. Pray also for Pastor Yura as he ministers to this family.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

BIEMs of Light: October 2023

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• On October 1 the church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, used their pool to hold yet another baptism for souls saved during the war. Joining them was a congregation from Lubyanka. The Lubyanka church normally baptizes in nearby lakes or rivers, but landmines from the Russian occupation plague their shores. So, two congregations baptized their converts, together. Praise God for working in souls!

• One of the neediest churches we have helped with war-relief is in Lubyanka (mentioned above). While occupying that area, Russian troops ransacked buildings to haul away anything of value. After BIEM sent that church a 40-foot container of supplies, the church demonstrated Christian love by distributing to the needy. The church gained 10 new attenders. Some have trusted Christ. Praise God!

• In September, Vitaly Bilyak traveled here from Ukraine. After many wonderful services in U.S. churches, is on his way home to Ukraine. To see a brief video expressing his gratitude and farewell thoughts, visit BaptistInternational.org and click View Video Updates. Thanks for prayers!

• BIEM Board Chairman, Pastor Greg Wahlberg, recently traveled to Tajikistan and taught in our Afghan refugee Bible School. It was an amazing time. Through that experience, God has led him to join the Central Asia team as BIEM’s representative for that region. Praise God!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• In Belarus, BIEM church planter Nikolai Ryzhuk held an evangelistic event on the theme of Harvest. Although no unbelievers made a public profession, the Gospel seed was planted. He says, “Let’s pray to the Lord that the Word and singing that sounded will work in the hearts of the listeners.”

• BIEM missionaries in the nation of Georgia have been overseeing the translation of biblical resources into the Georgian language: “With the help of (4) national translators, we have been picking away at this project for some time, and by recent counts have over 50+ commentaries, devotionals, textbooks, evangelistic resources and curriculums already translated.” However, each translation must be edited linguistically and theologically. Please pray for more experienced individuals who can help!

• Praise God for growth in Nizhylovychi, where the new church established through our war relief recently had 39 in attendance. They meet in a leaky old tent while the building purchased for the church undergoes renovations. A cement floor is being installed over heated tubing, which is the most economical form of heating there. Please pray they can move out of the tent before winter.

• In October we hope to bring Igor Fomichov to the U.S. to speak in churches, followed by Eugene Buyko. Please pray that these Ukrainian pastors will receive the permission needed to exit Ukraine.

• Click here for a printer-friendly version.

War Relief Updates - September 29, 2023

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

1. BIEM Board member Kevin Gaugler and I are now in Ukraine, where we are making stops in multiple areas where BIEM has planted churches. We are looking forward to a baptism this Sunday in Bilogorodka, where brother Eugene Buyko is the church planter. One of the churches where brother Eugene has delivered war relief aid from BIEM is in Lubyanka, which is in the Hostomel area, which was previously occupied by Russians and was the site of many atrocities. When the pastor there heard Eugene was planning a baptism for this Sunday, he telephoned. Like most Ukrainian churches, the Lubyanka church baptizes in nearby rivers and lakes. However, the pastor explained that the shores around the rivers and lakes near his church are plagued with land mines. Because he didn’t want to risk having anyone blown up by attending a baptism, he asked if his congregation could attend and baptize their converts in Bilogorodka’s pool, too. Eugene gladly agreed! So, we look forward to great fellowship with a congregation that has endured much suffering yet remains faithful and continues to win souls.

2. Back on January 6, we wrote about a refugee family who showed up in brother Yura’s church in Lviv after escaping from an occupied area. They told the heartbreaking story of their 27-year-old daughter who had served in the Ukrainian military. Somehow the Russian military killed her. After this family received notification from the Russian military that they could come and retrieve her body, the brokenhearted family arrived only to be shocked and horrified: her body had been cut into several pieces. We visited Pastor Yura yesterday, and he gave us an update. In the months since this grieving family arrived in Lviv, the local church has been reaching out to them with love and compassion. As a result, the father, mother, and most of the children have been saved, baptized, and become an integral part of this church. Praise God!

3. After visiting some supporting churches in the U.S., church-planter Vitaly Bilyak paused to share his gratitude and some parting words with you friends in America. Please watch this brief video here:

https://vimeo.com/869314876

4. Tomorrow we are looking forward to visiting the new church in Nizhylovychi. This is the church that began through our war-relief distributions in that area. Since the congregation’s humble beginnings, there has been exciting progress as the Lord supplied funds to purchase a simple, old house to serve as a church building even though it needed repair work. Since its purchase, we have been able to install a badly needed concrete floor. More recently, additional funds have arrived for a new well, so soon they will have clean, running water. When the church planter showed us photos of some elderly new converts struggling to read their Bibles with little magnifying glasses, we purchased nice, large magnifying glasses for them. We look forward to handing out these new magnifying glasses tomorrow.

5. Here at the Seminary in Kyiv, we are thrilled at the attendance of 32 students for the Fall session. We thank God for such a turnout during this time of war in Ukraine. Because of the war, our students from Donetsk, Lugansk, and other occupied regions cannot come. Also prevented from coming are the students from Belarus. Therefore, to still have 32 students is more than we expected. Praise God! For those students who were able to attend this week, besides learning much from the classes taught, the time together and wonderful fellowship they have been able to enjoy provide their own form of war relief. Of these 32, 8 have newly enrolled just this semester. Once again, we praise God!

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 22, 2023

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

1. One of the important features of our war-relief efforts is to include Bible distribution along with humanitarian aid. These Bible and New Testaments are being gladly received. Our workers say they have not seen such a hunger for God’s Word since when the Iron Curtain suddenly fell. Likewise, today in Ukraine there is an openness to receive God’s Word that most likely is one effect of the war since people do tend to turn to Heaven during difficult times. Sadly, plenty of people react to the war in the opposite way: instead of turning to God, they blame God for allowing such a calamity to happen. Many of the New Testaments our people are distributing to soldiers have a camouflage cover, which certainly blends with their surroundings. What is within these special covers is the greatest power we know—the wonderful and precious words of our Lord.

2.This week we are concluding meetings we have scheduled in churches with Vitaly Bilyak, who has made 12 trips to the warfront delivering aid and sharing the Gospel with civilians and with the military. He receives special access to some divisions since men from his church serve in them. These trips to the warfront are dangerous, as evidenced by the artillery fire you can hear in the background of some of his videos we have been showing in churches. That sound of artillery prompted one believer to ask, “Vitaly, was there a moment on these trips when you felt in serious danger?” “Yes,” replied Vitaly, “several times.” When asked for an example, Vitaly recounted a time when he and his son-in-law Sergiy traveled to Bakhmut. After two long days of distributing aid and sharing the Gospel, Vitaly and Sergiy drove with the local pastor to retrieve several cans of gasoline that were stored in the church building. When they arrived, Vitaly noticed the building was well shot up. That fact made him wonder exactly how close they were to the fighting. He didn’t have to wonder long—as they were loading canisters of gasoline, a Ukrainian tank pulled up right in front of the church and began firing at a nearby Russian position. After numerous rounds, the tank sped away. Vitaly realized why the tank left in a rush. Obviously, the crew expected return fire! Vitaly said, “I think we have enough gas for now. Let’s go!”

3. In this week’s video update, BIEM's Sasha Petrenko is joined by the local mayor, who sincerely thanks BIEM for all the humanitarian aid you friends are providing for Ukraine during this time of war and special needs.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/physical-spiritualaid

4. We have just heard from a church group in the Chicago area that plans to come soon to deliver aid and supplies for shipment to Ukraine. Another blessing—they plan to spend time helping to sort and pack much of the donated items we have accumulated in our warehouse. Yet a third blessing—they say they have collected 5 wheelchairs, which they will bring. Praise God! Wheelchairs are among the most requested items in Ukraine these days.

5. Next week Sam Slobodian and BIEM board member Pastor Kevin Gaugler will be in Ukraine for our Fall Seminary session and to survey our war-relief distribution. Please pray for safety and God’s protection since Russia continues its bomb, missile, and drone attacks all over Ukraine. Please pray for the safety of the seminary students and staff as well.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 15, 2023

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

1. Anton, a member of the church with an outreach to the military base in Goncharovsk, Ukraine (near the Belarusian border), shared an interesting story. Last Sunday, he wore a tee shirt that proclaims, “My God Is Real.” He was standing at a bus stop when a newly recruited soldier approached him. After reading Anton’s tee shirt, the soldier said, “You must be a believer.” Anton replied that he is. Next, the soldier (named Sergei) said, “I am too. Can you tell me where I can find a Bible-preaching church around here?” Anton rejoiced. “Come with me,” he said. “I’m going there now!” Praise God for a church established in this needy place where soldiers being deployed to the war can receive strength from God’s Word and fellowship with believers! (We’ll post a photo of Anton with Sergei on BIEM’s Facebook page.)

2. Thank you for praying for Sasha Petrenko’s delayed trip to the war front to deliver relief supplies for civilians and soldiers in Zaporizhia. Sasha reports that this effort took place and that God protected the 4 men and 2 vehicles who undertook this dangerous journey. Along with much food, this delivery included tools, chainsaws, insulated canisters for transporting food, a vehicle for transporting wounded soldiers, and other practical items.

3. On the trip mentioned in #2 above, Sasha had many opportunities to share Christ and pray with soldiers who are involved in the intensive counteroffensive taking place. The New Testaments he distributed to these soldiers feature camouflage covers, which was a nice touch for these men. A young soldier named Artyom was especially glad to see Sasha. Artyom had been reached through the church’s camping and youth ministries. Now he says that everything he had heard from the Word of God and hidden in his heart has become very real and precious during his deployment. Praise God!

4. In this week’s video update, several BIEM missionaries in Ukraine and their volunteers thank American believers for the latest shipment of aid received and give glimpses of the contents as they unload it. You can view that brief video at this link:

https://vimeo.com/864861254

5. As many of you know, even though men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine, the Ukrainian government has made an exception for pastors who are invited to the West for religious purposes. So far, we have been able to obtain that special approval for several of our church planters. Therefore, we have had a steady stream of Ukrainian church planters coming to the United States to speak in churches. They have been a huge blessing to American believers, who are glad to receive firsthand reports of how God is using our war-relief efforts to reach souls. Yesterday we began the application process for such exemptions for church planters we hope to have with us next month. However, it turns out that the requirements have changed and the paperwork is now more complicated. Please pray that the two applications we are submitting under the new requirements will be accepted.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - September 8, 2023

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

1. Last week we requested prayer regarding Sasha Petrenko’s plans to deliver a load of items to the embattled area of Zaporizhia where many soldiers from the Goncharovsk military base (where Sasha lives and ministers) are stationed. The commander had called and asked that Sasha and his team postpone the trip because heavy fighting would endanger the convoy. This trip is on again; Sasha hopes to leave tomorrow. Please pray for him and the others making this trip, that God would keep them all safe.

2. In the military city of Desna, Igor Fomichov reports that they are continuing to see fruit from their local war-relief distributions. Some recipients end up visiting the church and trusting Christ. The church is now planning another baptism. One of the new converts is a lady who had evacuated to a nearby village with her invalid husband. Igor took them supplies and groceries. They were astounded that anyone would do such a thing and expressed openness to hear the Gospel. Praise God, the wife received Christ, is now regularly attending the services, and is one of those preparing for baptism!

3. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, the head of the International Rescue Committee observed that the amount of humanitarian aid given for Ukraine is far below last year’s giving. BIEM has noticed the same truth. When Russia first invaded Ukraine, people worldwide were outraged and gave to aid the victims of shelling, missiles, tank fire, etc. But in 2023, people in the West are accustomed to knowing part of Ukraine is occupied, that warfare continues there. The shock and outrage have largely worn off. In an interview, Sergiy Shaptala—pastor of Ukraine’s largest Baptist church—addresses the issue of declining aid even as the needs are mounting. You can see that short video here:

https://vimeo.com/861365666

4. It has been reported that Ukraine’s President Zelensky is considering signing into law a measure that would reduce the age of those exempt from being drafted due to being enrolled in university studies down to 30. (Currently, citizens of any age enrolled in university classes are exempt from military service.) Such a change would certainly affect some members of our churches in Ukraine, so there is a great deal of concern about this possibility.

5. With summer camps concluded, our camps statistics for this year are in and—praise God—we are glad to report that our Ukrainian personnel conducted over 50 different camps with a total of 3,712 campers attending. Many of these campers were war refugees. A good number of churches conducted more than one camp, holding various camps for different age groups. They also organized a good number of camps in nearby villages. We praise God that, even during this time of war, BIEM had opportunities to conduct so many camps where many youths accepted Christ and made many other life-changing decisions.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

September Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

For September, our monthly video puts the spotlight on the Kellers, BIEM missionaries who have accumulated much evangelistic experience ministering in Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, and the U.S. Until last year, they were busy sharing the Gospel in Kyiv through various creative outreaches. But then the war came…

The Kellers are still involved in evangelism and ministry to Ukraine, but they are temporarily based in the U.S. In addition to visiting supporting churches and ministering to refugees who have come to the States, their family spent a full month in BIEM’s upstairs guest quarters. Here, they used part of that time to help sort, pack, and organize incoming clothing donations for our next shipment to Ukraine. (They even visited yard sales and persuaded sellers to donate leftover clothing to BIEM as war relief!)

Although we on the home staff of BIEM can and do speak of the great need for war relief, we believe you will appreciate the perspective of the Kellers, coworkers who speak of the needs from firsthand experience.

Like BIEM, international charities have noticed that donations of humanitarian for Ukraine are down from last year. The invasion is no longer shocking news. Yet, Russian missiles and drones continue to bombard homes and businesses. People continue to die even if your evening news doesn’t mention it. The needs are as great as ever. Can you spare a few minutes to watch the Kellers’ update and prayerfully consider how you can help?

https://vimeo.com/861702993

Blessings to you!

In Christ,

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - September 1, 2023

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

1. One of our partnering churches in Ukraine is on the outskirts of Vinnitsa, a large city where a group of 800 refugees from Kherson recently arrived, each with just the clothes they were wearing and a small bag. These people are victims of the flooding caused by the Russians exploding the Nova Kakhovka Dam. BIEM personnel were able to drive a large vehicle full of much-needed aid to that church. These items will help that congregation minister to these people who have lost nearly all their possessions.

2. Polonne in Khelnitskiy region is another large city that has received many refugees. This week, BIEM church planter Eugene Buyko was able to take a large load of humanitarian aid to a local church ministering to this group of refugees. The mayor there presented Eugene with an official letter of commendation and appreciation to BIEM for the help they are receiving. In fact, BIEM has received dozens of such official expressions of gratitude from local authorities in the areas where we have provided war relief. And even though our ministry’s name is the one on these letters of deep gratitude, all of you who are giving are the ones who deserve the real thanks. May our Heavenly Father reward you richly for these donations in Christ’s name to bless people going through extreme hardships!

3. One of the most common questions we receive at BIEM is “What are the most pressing needs in Ukraine right now?” Of course, contributions to BIEM’s War Relief Fund are always needed and give us much flexibility in the kinds of aid we can supply for churches to minister to their countrymen. But in this week’s video, Sam Slobodian and Ukrainian missionary-pastor Vitaly Bilyak discuss specific non-monetary needs that many of you friends can provide with unused items in your cabinets, closets, or basements. To view this brief video, please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/ukraineneeds

4. Sasha Petrenko, the BIEM church planter on the military base in Goncharovsk, was scheduled to deliver relief to the Goncharovsk brigade that is battling in Zaporizhzhia. However, the commander there called and told him to postpone this delivery because the battle was so intense that they could come under fire. Sasha and his team hope to make this trip next week instead. Please pray that Sasha and those who are part of the group delivering this aid will be able to do so, and please pray for their safety as well.

5. Although it’s not exactly a war-relief item, yesterday we were thrilled to receive a beautiful wooden pulpit from a church in Indianapolis. When that congregation remodeled their interior, their pulpit no longer matched—so they donated it to us. As with previous such gifts, this pulpit will be shipped to Ukraine with our next load of humanitarian aid. There, it will be used to preach God’s Word and to glorify Him. And if any of you have access to good, solid pulpits (or other church furniture, such as chairs and folding tables) that aren’t being used, we would be thrilled to accept them for Eastern Europe!

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

BIEMs of Light: September 2023

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In recent days we’ve received a flurry of wonderful updates from Central Asia, especially concerning refugees: “We just baptized 13 Afghani believers! God gave safety even though many police were around….” “Great and mighty is the Lord our God!” One more sinner has come to repentance just now. I was talking to J__ and shared my testimony…. Today he knelt and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.” “I just received word that our Iranian brother, Matthew, led 2 men to Christ, and they are preparing for baptism. Please be in prayer for them as the persecution there is constant.” Praise God!

• On August 25, the last summer camps came to a close. What a blessing that kids and teens heard the Gospel, and learned lessons from God’s Word. They learned songs of praise to the Lord, and some have made the step of putting their faith in Christ. Thank you for giving and praying!

• Praise God that both the Desna and Bilogorodka churches have completed a special outreach project that provided $12,000 of medicine to women in their area whose husbands and sons were in battle.  The best news is that in both churches some of these ladies now regularly attend services.

• Our August BIEMs requested prayer for Sam and Amy Slobodian, who were then in Ukraine. In addition to serving in camps, Sam says, “We were able to participate in two baptisms. One in Ternopil, and the other in Smolin, a town near the Goncharovsk military base. In both locations, those baptisms included converts who were reached through our war-relief distribution efforts.” Thanks for the prayers!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• Currently, we have our missionary Vitaly Bilyak visiting BIEM from Ukraine. We praise God that he has been allowed to exit the country once more and is already visiting supporting churches to preach and give updates in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

• For September 10, the Ryzhuks in Belarus are planning an evangelistic outreach based on the theme of The Harvest. They request prayer for God to touch hearts and draw souls to Himself.

• As many of you know, one of our missionaries in Ukraine has joined another BIEM missionary in Tbilisi, Georgia. Together, they hope to launch a school for training nationals for the ministry similar to what had been established in Ukraine. There is much to pray for concerning this. Please pray the Lord’s guidance and that He would provide the students, the funds, and a meeting place for such an outreach.

• In Central Asia, a young girl who has come to Christ is suffering from holes in her heart that need immediate corrective surgery. A surgeon in the U.S. has agreed to perform the operation for free. BIEM personnel managed to obtain a visa to the U.S. Please pray the flight and surgery go well.

• Click here for a printer-friendly version.

War Relief Updates - August 25, 2023

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

1. After a Russian missile struck an apartment complex in Lviv, Ukraine, BIEM’s Yura Levtseniuk and his church were among those who rendered aid to victims in various ways. Thanks to Yura’s medical training, he has an open door to make bandages and to assist in treating festering wounds at the local hospital. In turn, such assistance provides him with opportunities to share about Christ. Yura says, “Thank you very much for the [financial] help that was provided. Thanks to you, we were able to help people who suffered because of the missile strike. We helped them to purchase [repair] materials and transported them as needed. One woman promised to come to our services, saying that she used to visit an evangelical church.” In all these situations, believers reflect the love of God, and gifts to BIEM’s War Relief Fund play a key role.

2. The Ukrainian government continues to allow pastors to leave Ukraine for short periods of time for religious purposes. Speaking in churches and raising awareness of the war qualifies our missionary-pastors for this exception and helps to raise funds for our war-relief efforts. This weekend, we begin meetings with Vitaly Bilyak, who has made numerous war-relief-distribution trips to the war front. We will be in churches in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio over the next several weeks. Please pray for these meetings as Vitaly seeks to minister to hearts from God’s Word and to update listeners on the current situation overseas.

3. This week’s war-relief video comes from Desna, Ukraine, where Igor and Aleksandra Fomichov talk about ways their local church has been able to minister to the physical needs of people in their community, including medicines for locals with limited income and tourniquets to save the lives of those injured due to the war. You can see the video here:

https://vimeo.com/856911786?share=copy

4. At this point in August, our final Christian camps for children and teens in Eastern Europe are winding down. We do not yet have statistics to share; however, we do know that many refugee children and youth attended these camps. For them, it was a chance to eat nourishing food and forget about the war while having fun, playing games, and fellowshipping. For our camp staffers, these camps provided a wonderful tool for uplifting these young people with God’s Word and explaining God’s way of salvation. Although some people expressed surprise that churches would even consider holding camps during a time of war, many parents of children who returned home refreshed and happy expressed deep appreciation to those who ministered to their children in these camps. Thank you to each of you who donated to make them possible. Together, your combined gifts met the full amount of our goal for the camp ministries.

5. On July 7, we told about a Ukrainian woman, Nastya, who was severely wounded in battle while serving in the Ukrainian military. Thanks to a tourniquet supplied via BIEM, her life and even her arm were saved. Amazingly, this week, Nastya felt strong enough to reenlist. However, Nastya had no suitable footgear for military duty, and her nation’s ability to supply such needs has worn thin. Willing to help, BIEM purchased a pair of boots for her.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - August 18, 2023

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

1. A good amount of medical supplies and equipment is always included in our container shipments of aid to Ukraine. This is possible because of generous supplies of items we receive from donors who contribute everything from stethoscopes to adult diapers. Occasionally we receive a hospital bed. These are huge blessings to people in Ukraine. When possible, aid items get recycled over and over again in Ukraine as our folks get these to families in need who, when they are finished using, are glad to pass an item on to another family. Just recently, folks in Minnesota made available an extra nice, almost-new hospital bed that originally cost $7,000. Now, because of war casualties among military and civilians alike, such items are needed more than ever before. Praise God for this wonderful provision!

Sometimes people ask us, “What kind of equipment is needed most?” Our answer is probably wheelchairs. This is a continuing need in Ukraine. So if you have access to a new or used wheelchair, please consider donating it for Ukraine. Along with those, crutches, canes, and aluminum walkers are always needed. It has been a blessing to receive many of these, which we are always glad to ship to Ukraine. (One time, a visitor stopped by and noticed a large number of walkers, crutches, and canes that had been dropped off to our warehouse in a disorderly fashion. A little embarrassed at the jumble, I jokingly told the visitor, “Sorry about the mess; this always happens after we have a healing service!”)

3. This week’s video concerning war relief focuses on the Christian Rehabilitation Center near Ternopil, Ukraine. That ministry (operated by the local church) has freed many men from addictions to alcohol and drugs. In turn, those men are assisting in BIEM’s war relief efforts. To learn more, please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/855849147?share=copy

4. As many of you know, the Slobodians have recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, where they helped in summer camps. Each camp included a significant number of refugees. Following is a link to a video about this trip that will be BIEM’s monthly video for August. If you do not receive these monthly presentations, you can subscribe on our website. In the meantime, you can view this video, which has a war relief element to it and ends with a sample of what it is like to be in Ukraine these days:

https://vimeo.com/855809988?share=copy

5. On the way to visit BIEM missionaries in the Republic of Georgia earlier this week, Sam Slobodian was able to make a stop in Turkey to visit a special orphanage that we have helped with War Relief funds. This orphanage houses nearly 600 Ukrainian children & youth that have been evacuated to Turkey. Many of them are war orphans, children of parents who have been killed in the war. It was a blessing to see how these children are being cared for and to see a location where BIEM is practicing James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

August Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Our video for the month of August features our travels in Ukraine, helping in camps as well as some other stops related to war relief. This video report is longer than our usual monthly videos since these travels covered a large amount of territory. 

These camps were conducted during a time when Russia escalated its attacks on Ukraine by launching large numbers of missiles and Iranian Shahed drones all over the country, especially in the area of Kyiv, where we spent most of our time. 

We are sincerely grateful for the petitions of everyone who prayed for our safety and the safety of all the campers and workers. We know that God answered your prayers, and we included some scenes at the end of the August video that will give you a small taste of what it’s like to be in Ukraine during these difficult times.

The best news is that God blessed our summer camping program as many children and youth opened their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ and made life-changing decisions for the glory of God!  Please take the time to view this video and please continue to pray for peace in Ukraine:

https://vimeo.com/855809988?share=copy

In Christ,

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - August 11, 2023

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

1. As the war in Ukraine continues, American support for Ukraine remains significant. The fact that most Americans are in favor of aid for Ukraine certainly helps our own war-relief efforts. From the beginning, some have predicted this high level of support would not continue indefinitely and that at a certain point “war weariness” would set in among the American people. This prediction is hard to disagree with, although when such a change might occur is an open question. On August 4, CNN evidently tried to sway the public into believing this has already happened by publishing a misleading headline that stated, “Majority of Americans oppose more US aid for Ukraine in war with Russia.”

Many have refuted this disinformation published by CNN. For example, Wednesday’s issue of the Kyiv Post stated this about the CNN statement: “That was not accurate. Its poll results were that 56 percent were concerned (not opposed) that more aid to the war would threaten US national security.” The Kyiv Post went on to say that American support for Ukraine continues to be strong and that the CNN statistics show the reverse of what their misleading headline seems to indicate since in February of 2022 72% of Americans polled were concerned that the war would threaten US national security. Therefore, fewer Americans are concerned about this issue now than before. You can find this information in the August 10 issue of the Kyiv Post under the title, “OPINION: Ukraine Support Holds.” Nevertheless, while we hope it does not happen, it is realistic to expect that eventually American support will decline.

2. Last week the Kellers, BIEM missionaries to Ukraine, concluded their time of staying at our Indianapolis headquarters while they reported to supporting churches in Indiana. Previously, we mentioned how they greatly helped our war-relief efforts by spending many hours sorting and packing donated items for shipment to Ukraine. This is just one of several ways this family has been involved in war relief; another is by overseeing efforts by the churches they started in Ukraine. With the help of Zoom, they stay in close contact with these groups. For example, the Kellers spearheaded a project to raise a considerable amount of funds for generators, which they distributed through these contacts in Ukraine. In addition, Dana, the oldest of their 3 daughters, spent the summer working in special summer camps for children and youth orphaned because of the war. Dana spent the last 2 weeks working in similar camps in Turkey, where there are hundreds of Ukrainian orphans.

3. BIEM war-relief efforts played a key role in the establishment of a new church in the Druzhba area (means “friendship”) of Ternopil, Ukraine. Sam and Amy were able to visit that location and spend time with our new Ukrainian national missionaries, Sergiy and Karina Koop. This visit was special since the Slobodians were able to meet the Koops’ 6-week-old baby daughter, Karolina. The following link contains a video update about the Koops’ ministry:

https://vimeo.com/853457038

4. Sam and Amy Slobodian also report that during their time in Ukraine they were able to participate in two baptisms. One baptism took place in Ternopil, and the other in Smolin, a town near the Goncharovsk military base. In both locations those baptisms included converts who were reached through our war-relief distribution efforts. The baptism in Smolin was attended by the mayor of Smolin and his wife. Please pray that the Gospel they heard will work in their hearts.

5. From the Slobodians who just returned from Ukraine: “Dear Friends, we want to sincerely thank each of you who prayed for our safety and the safety of camp workers, campers, and the personnel distributing war relief during our trip. Your prayers were especially needed during the time because it was then that Russia stepped up their attacks on Ukraine in response to successful Ukrainian drone operations. In one week alone, Russia used 65 missiles and 178 attack drones, including 87 very dangerous “Shaheds.” Although Ukraine has become quite good at shooting these down, a few still get through. Nevertheless, none of us were hurt, although we sometimes heard sirens and lost electricity at times, once for 13 hours. Praise God, the camps were unaffected, and the Lord worked mightily in the hearts of the hundreds of children and youth who joyfully attended. God also protected us from ourselves. While returning to the Kyiv area from Nizhylovychi (a formerly Russian-occupied area between Bucha and Hostomel, where a new church has been planted through our war-relief distributions), we passed some beautiful fields of sunflowers. We could not resist stopping to take pictures. Lots of pictures—until we noticed a sign warning of land mines. That sight abruptly ended our photo session!” 

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

BIEMs of Light: August 2023

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• BIEM missionary Charles Hoblitz in Tbilisi, Georgia, had an opportunity to share the Gospel at a government meeting to discuss freedom of religion. Many foreign ambassadors and Georgian government officials were present! Charles said he felt God had created this opportunity in the same way He allowed Paul to share Christ with Roman officials.

• Many camps are experiencing higher than expected turnouts of children. In one village, the local town council had denied a request to hold a camp for its children. But then the council reversed that decision, deciding instead that its citizens needed something positive to take their mind off the war!

• From Lviv, Ukraine, Yura Levtseniuk shared this about their church: “The Lord blesses us with guests and preachers. At one service, 6 unbelievers repented, and 3 renewed their relationship with God. We have people preparing for baptism. The Lord is reviving our church in a wonderful way!”

• Occasionally we mention Misha, the nephew of BIEM missionaries. He has been serving on the war front in eastern Ukraine. He and 10 men were sent to hold a hill. A mortar round hit 5 yards away. Shrapnel missed him, but sand blasted his face. By God’s grace, and to the amazement of his commander, Misha got all 10 of his team out alive, although several were wounded. He is currently in a hospital to recover. Thank you for prayers for him and for many others.

Prayer – Pray with us!

• On July 26, Sam and Amy Slobodian left for Ukraine, where they plan to assist with 3 children’s camps. Besides helping with camps, they will be surveying some of our war-relief distribution efforts. Because of Russia’s escalation of bombings across Ukraine, please pray for the protection of all involved and for the Lord to work in the hearts of the campers.

• In a recent brief video, “In Their Own Words,” BIEM missionary Vitaly Keller answers the question, “Is war relief still needed for Ukraine?” You can watch it by visiting www.BaptistInternational.org and clicking “View Video Updates,” but the bottom line is “Yes, aid is still needed!” Please pray for more people to send gently used (or even new!) clothing items to BIEM so we can ship more to Ukrainian churches to distribute as they reach out to their communities with aid and the Gospel.

• Last month, we requested prayer for the Lord to move His people to provide the $50,000 needed for summer camps. He supplied it all! Now please pray for God to work in the hearts of campers.

• In July BIEM Board Chairman Greg Wahlberg traveled with our Field Director for Central Asia into a number of those regions. During the trip, 11 born-again Afghanis were baptized, and 9 others graduated from our Bible institute there. Please pray for God to embolden and use these Afghanis for His glory! Pray, too, for more Afghani refugees in Central Asia to put their trust in Christ!

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War Relief Updates - August 4, 2023

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

1. Sam and Amy Slobodian are in Ukraine this week participating in our summer camps and surveying our war-relief efforts. They report, “Yesterday we spent time with Vitaly and Natalia, a Ukrainian couple that has played a large role in our war-relief efforts, especially in the area of Donetsk, which is in Donbas, where they have many contacts. They told us of a church of 100 we have been helping through them. It is only 15 miles from Bakhmut, which has seen probably the heaviest fighting for months. When the war started, 80% of the congregation left for the West, including their pastor and his family. Although only 15 members remained, they worked hard distributing the aid we have been providing to the community. As a result, their auditorium is full to overflowing for services, and many have been saved!” These kinds of reports are what we are hearing from all over Ukraine!

2. With Ukrainian husbands and sons battling on the front lines of the war, wives and moms left behind often have little income to purchase prescription medicines and other vital needs. Some BIEM missionary wives are stepping into the gap to meet this need in their communities, once again using physical aid to encourage neighbors in spiritual truths. Learn more through this brief video:

https://vimeo.com/851436460

3. Our church planters’ efforts in distributing war relief often involve crossing the border pulling trailers into Poland, where they purchase much of the aid they are distributing. On their return trips, the Polish and Ukrainian border and Customs personnel often begin their inspection with the question, “Are you transporting any alcohol or narcotics?” Our men have learned that the best answer is, “Of course not. We’re Baptist pastors.” Almost always, they are waved through because it’s well established among the border guards (and general population) that Baptists do not consume alcohol. One of our men heard one border guard instructing a rookie that when a Baptist pastor comes through you don’t need to worry about them possessing drugs or alcohol. One Polish border guard made the following remark to one of our missionaries: “Oh, I know the difference between you Baptist priests and our Catholic priests. You cannot drink alcohol, but you can have a wife. Our priests cannot marry, but they can drink all the alcohol they want!”

4. One of the big differences in shipping containers of humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the war is that the containers no longer need to be fumigated and may now contain food. Our last container had tons of rice as well as macaroni & cheese fortified with vitamins. These food products have been very well received in Ukraine. 

5. Many of you have met Vitaly Yurchenko, the tall Ukrainian church planter who started a church in Chervona Sloboda, right across the street from the main employer in the area, which is an alcohol distillery. His church is only 2 miles from territory that the Russian army had occupied. This location made the church building a prime stopping point for many people who were evacuating as well as for electrical brigades that were sent to that area to restore electrical service (which took several weeks) after the area was liberated. This church even hosted a group of soldiers on leave and has hosted many others engaged in war-relief distribution. To accommodate all this activity, which will continue for some time, the congregation found it necessary to add on to their building. All the walls are up, but funds are needed to complete this project. Please pray that the Lord would supply what is needed. If you can help, that will be much appreciated.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - July 28, 2023

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

1. In Chernovtsy, Ukraine, a special conference was held to help and inform any volunteers involved in distributing war relief, including unbelievers. There, 6 souls came to Christ, and 3 others renewed their commitments to Christ. BIEM friends who attended declared this conference inspired them to continue serving, rebuilding their country, and aiding those in need.

2.  In a previous update, we mentioned the need for a replacement for our aged forklift, which stopped working and was too expensive to repair. By God’s grace and through the generosity of friends, our warehouse now has a brand-new, electrical unit that accomplishes all the heavy lifting and moving that our outmoded model did, yet in a more compact size. This new piece of equipment is a great help in hoisting and moving heavy pallets of war relief. Thank you to those who sent generous gifts to make this purchase possible!

3. In recent days, Russia’s escalation in firing missiles at cities all over Ukraine is continuing, with destructive consequences that affect BIEM’s church planters and those distributing war relief. One of those cities that was struck on July 21 is Goncharovsk, where our church planter Sasha Petrenko ministers.

While city authorities state officially that 2 civilians were killed, local residents say they could see the military base bore the brunt of that attack and that many military were no doubt killed. In the following video, Sasha describes this event, shows some of the destruction, and discusses their evacuation efforts.

https://vimeo.com/849527858

4. The brother-in-law of BIEM’s Field Director for Central Asia was hauling a truckload of war relief toward Odessa in southern Ukraine. At one stop, a group of strongmen tried to shanghai him into the Ukrainian military right on the spot. Only by showing proof that he was exempt due to the great amount of humanitarian aid he regularly delivers did he barely restrain them. He remains a non-combatant civilian who is serving Ukraine (and the Lord!) without a uniform.

5. On July 26, Sam and Amy Slobodian left for Ukraine, where they will be participating in three different camps as well as surveying our relief efforts. Thanks to generous donations for tourniquets, they were able to bring a large case of these much-needed items with them. This delivery brings the total of specialized tourniquets BIEM has provided so far to around 300.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - July 14, 2023

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

1. The Keller family, one of our missionary families previously serving in Ukraine, is currently staying at the BIEM headquarters for most of July as they report to supporting churches in Indiana. This family has been a huge blessing to our War Relief efforts. They are spending many hours sorting and boxing donated clothing, medical supplies, household supplies, and other items that will go into our next container shipment to Ukraine.

2. In what Ukrainians are calling “The War from the Sky,” this week Russia has increased aerial attacks upon civilian areas, including large cities such as Kyiv and Lviv. Other civilian areas that were attacked are Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Altogether, 95 civilian settlements were targeted. Some suggest this bombardment is a response to the NATO meetings and hope the attacks will subside after the meetings. Friends ask us whether more funds are needed for our war relief efforts. As long as such serious aggression continues, the answer of course is “Yes!”

3. In the early hours of July 6, 2023, Russian cruise missiles destroyed 60 civilian apartments in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, near the home of BIEM missionary Yura Levtseniuks. Through the following link, Yura tells of the tragedy and how the church is responding:

https://vimeo.com/845076508

4. This week we were blessed to receive a large van full of medical supplies and other humanitarian items from the Widow’s Jar Ministries in Indianapolis. We are sincerely grateful for this aid and for the steady flow of war relief items we are receiving at our headquarters. Recently someone asked whether any particular item is especially needed. Right now, the answer is wheelchairs. Unfortunately, wounded among both soldiers and civilians have become amputees, so wheelchairs are needed now more than ever before.

5. The weekly war-relief videos that we post on our website continue to be effective in informing viewers as well as touching the hearts of many. This week, a couple who were in the process of making a large donation to our war relief efforts increased their already-generous gift by $5,000 after viewing the video from Kherson. Another viewer decided to purchase $500 of tourniquets after viewing the video concerning the young lady soldier whose life and arm were saved by a tourniquet. Praise God! To view or to share these war-relief videos, simply visit our site at the link below, scroll halfway down the Home Page, then click the link “View Video Updates.”

BaptistInternational.org

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

July Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

For July, our monthly video comes from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. But this video has nothing to do with the war raging in the east and south of that country. Summer is the time for children’s camps, which offer kids in that land a much-needed escape from the brutal realities of death and destruction. In Christian camps, children can play silly games, laugh, sing songs of praise to the Lord, learn to pray, hear vital truths in Bible lessons, make new friends, and fuel up on nourishing meals prepared by the ladies of the churches.

In this particular case, workers of the large Baptist church called “Temple of Salvation” captured video clips of their recent outreach, which they titled “River of Life Children’s Camp,” and sent a copy to BIEM to share with you friends.

This video needs no translation or commentary. You’ll understand well enough what is happening. We invite you to click on the following link and let your heart be warmed by these scenes from just one of the many church camps now in progress with assistance from BIEM.

https://vimeo.com/844349463

We thank both the Lord and you, our faithful supporters, for the opportunity to sponsor evangelistic children’s camps like this one, which is only one of well over 20 camps scheduled in multiple countries. We hope the delighted faces of these campers will help to reward you for your generosity. Most importantly, based on past experiences, we do not doubt that the Lord will use the camps to speak to hearts and draw young ones to faith in Christ. May He be praised!

In Christ,

Sam & Amy Slobodian