BIEMs of Light: October 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• According to the Institute for Religious Freedom, as of July over 270 churches, synagogues, and other “religious buildings” had been destroyed by shelling in the invasion of Ukraine. So far, none of the churches built by BIEM have been destroyed. Since a good number of our churches are along the route the Russian army took towards Kyiv, this is remarkable. Praise God!

• This just in from overseas: “Praise God, a 50-year-old Afghani man put his faith in Jesus Christ last night in our refugee ministry in Central Asia.” Thanks be to God!

• Brother Tim, one of our missionaries based in the United States, will be making his 11th aid trip to Ukraine for the purpose of distributing humanitarian aid. These trips involve purchasing food and other needed items in Poland and then driving them across the border into Ukraine. These trips (which do not include our other container shipments) have provided over 50 tons of aid to Ukrainian churches that are distributing these goods.

• We thank God that the hardships and needs in wartime have galvanized many believers to step into ministry roles they never imagined in peacetime. This includes teens who are volunteering to serve God and neighbors through their local churches’ refugee ministries.

Prayer – Pray with us!

• Last month we requested prayer that our director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko, would be able to visit the US for several weeks with his family. The Lord answered that prayer. The Buykos have blessed numerous churches with personal updates from their homeland. Please pray that BIEM will be able to bring additional Ukrainian missionaries to the US so they, too, can report directly to supporters.

• Please uphold in prayer our newest church planters, Sergiy and Karina Koop, as they continue to reach out to refugees and others in the Druzhba district of Ternopil. May God bless their ministry with more souls for the Savior!

• Churches in Ukraine continue to assist refugees who have been uprooted due to the war. Sometimes this involves evacuating them from occupied territories, which is quite challenging. Many displaced persons are hearing the Gospel for the first time as they seek food and shelter. Please pray for more to see their spiritual need and to accept Christ as Savior.

• Please pray for the war to end soon. Several of our church planters express concern that, the longer the war lasts, the less likely it is church members who have evacuated to the west will return.  

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BIEMs of Light: September 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Our new missionaries in Ukraine, the Koops, operated a 3-day children’s camp in Druzhba, which they have targeted for a new church. The first day, 65 attended; the 2nd day up to 85, and the third day over 100 participated, including about 20 mothers who were asking, “Where is the church?” When those moms heard that church services will be starting soon, some replied they will come.

• Praise God, attacks from Russia on Ukraine’s Independence Day were not as bad as some feared. Although Russian rockets and missiles hit 58 cities and communities on that day, the next day there was only one. Since then, it seems things have died down.

• In Ukraine, the Slobodians report a wonderful baptism at the new church in Bilogorodka. Nine adults were baptized. Praise God for souls being accepting Christ in this time of war. Previously, the Russian army had come within a few miles of Bilogorodka, which is in the Bucha area.

• Praise God for a fruitful trip Vitaly Bilyak took to the military front in Donbas area with a trailer full of aid. He and those with him helped civilians, wounded ones in a hospital, plus soldier friends for whom he brought much-needed supplies and requested items. Vitaly plans two more such trips in September. Pray for safety. His videos from the front include sounds of artillery and explosions.

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Sources predict that the next week will be an especially dangerous time for the military cities of Desna and Goncharovsk, where BIEM missionaries have planted two churches. Both towns have already suffered attacks by missiles, rockets, and planes. More attacks are expected. Please pray for our missionaries, the churches, and the community, that lives would be spared.

• Pasha Usach conducted a special one-day event for mothers and wives who had lost sons and husbands in the war. Over 50 attended. The event was a huge blessing and provided a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel, so much so that Pavel is planning another such an event. Pray that God will use these outreaches to draw souls to Christ, the source of the greatest comfort.

• Plans are underway to bring the Buyko family to the United States, where they will visit churches for one month. Sophia and the three girls have already received visas; now we are working on getting the special permission needed for Eugene to temporarily exit Ukraine during wartime. Please pray that this permission will be granted, just as it was for Vitaly Yurchenko.

• Some of our contacts are witnessing of Christ to Muslims in Afghanistan. Please pray for God to open eyes and illumine hearts with the Gospel.

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BIEMs of Light: August 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Praise God, our personnel in Ukraine have received another 40-ft. container of humanitarian aid from us here in the United States! This is the 7th container our dedicated Ukrainians are distributing to needy places. This one went to the city administration of a region that contains several settlements that were occupied by Russian forces, so these goods will reach some of the neediest recipients.

• BIEM president Sam Slobodian heads back to Ukraine on August 2. The main focus of this trip will be humanitarian aid, but praise the Lord, he will also participate in a baptism and an ordination!

• Today BIEM personnel drove another 5 tons of food from Poland into Ukraine, this time for the Kharkiv region. We praise God for thoughtful donors and for those driving and distributing.

• So far, we are receiving reports of young people coming to Christ in BIEM-sponsored camps in Estonia, Ukraine, and Russia. Although the Lord touches hearts in a special way through such camps every summer, we never take that blessing for granted. To God be the glory!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Despite the war in Ukraine, one of our seminary graduates is deeply burdened for a particular district in a large city in Western Ukraine that has been flooded with refugees. Many of them plan to stay. This brother has recruited others to help start a new church, and they are praying and fasting every Friday for God’s direction and provision for that goal. Please join them in praying.

• A pastor named Aleksander emailed us today from the Intensive Care section of a hospital in central Russia. He has a weak heart, and their summer camps and other ministries may have taxed him too much. Let’s uphold this worthy servant of the Lord with our prayers.

• In Central Asia, the manager of our Christian shelter for hurting women is named Julie. She is a big blessing—talented, yet with a servant’s heart and love for Jesus. She devotes herself to running the shelter and ministering to these women and their children. It’s a big job. Please pray for her.

• In another nation of Central Asia, one church recently baptized 9 former Muslims who had put their faith in Christ. Please pray that more hearts in those regions will soften and consider their need of the Savior.

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BIEMs of Light: July 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Our goal for funding summer camps in 2022 was $50,000. Praise the Lord, we have now reached that goal!

• Despite the war in Ukraine, which generally prohibits adult men from exiting the country, BIEM church planter Vitaly Bilyak was able to come to the US for several weeks. Here, he not only reunited with his wife and sons, but visited many churches with firsthand reports from Ukraine. From Poland, he will be driving a load of humanitarian aid back into this homeland.

• At a time when war-torn areas of Ukraine are short on food, BIEM was able to distribute large amounts of powdered milk to needy ones across 5 regions of Ukraine through churches, boarding schools, hospitals, a mayor’s office, and local charities. We thank the Lord for the donors and for all those who give of their time and energy to help us distribute these gifts of aid.

• In Central Asia, Pastor River (not his real name) reports he is being surveilled 24/7 by secret police. Still, God gave another victory as two more formerly Muslim souls (one of them a mullah) placed their faith in Christ!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• As our churches proceed to hold children’s camps in July and August, please pray for the leaders as they teach and model God’s Word, pray for the campers to be open and receptive to spiritual truths, and pray for the Holy Spirit to draw young souls to salvation in Christ.

• In early July an evangelistic team traveled through an area of great unrest near Afghanistan to share the Gospel with all who would listen. Please pray that the words they shared will not be forgotten and that the hearers will ultimately come to Christ.

• A new provision adopted by Ukraine would allow religious workers to leave Ukraine for a short time to attend religious conferences even though they are males between the ages of 18 and 60. Because BIEM occasionally brings national church planters to the US to report to churches, please pray this opportunity will work for our Ukrainian coworkers.

• In the nation of Georgia, the church in Gldani lost Pastor Lasha to Covid last fall. The church is experiencing some troubles from within and without. Other brethren are filling in with preaching, Bible studies, and counseling. Please pray for unity, for reconciliation, and for a new pastor.

BIEMs of Light: June 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Recently, one of our BIEM missionaries entered a Central Asian nation (predominantly Muslim) with a bag full of Bibles. When Customs officials saw the x-ray scan containing the Bibles, they began arguing back and forth. While they debated, our missionary snatched up his bags and headed out the door. Moments later, they followed him and searched the crowd but didn’t spot him. God provided an opportunity to take in every Bible!

• Afghans who fled the Taliban are coming to Christ in Central Asia! Plus, BIEM has organized a school to teach refugee children school subjects, which includes reading the Bible in their language. A Bible institute is also in the planning stages and is well on its way to being operational.

• In Ukraine, in addition to hundreds of tons of aid we have distributed using vans, SUV’s, and small trucks, we have now received 5 forty-foot containers of humanitarian aid, which we transported to churches that serve as distribution centers in needy parts of Ukraine. Praise God for the compassionate friends in the USA who have provided these goods and for our Ukrainian brethren who distribute them!

• Although the world’s attention is on Ukraine, we still have people ministering for the Lord inside Russia. We praise God for souls recently won to Christ in Siberia!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• On Easter Sunday, one of our churches in Central Asia was raided by police, who arrested the pastor. The church was fined $200, which BIEM paid. We rejoice that the punishment was relatively light, but please pray for Pastor River and his congregation as they serve God in a land that is hostile to Christian activities.

• BIEM’s evangelistic outreaches overseas depend on our ability to transfer funds to those lands. The sanctions on some countries have a side effect of blocking our normal methods of transferring funds. Please pray that the Lord will show us effective workarounds.

• On June 6, BIEM’s president Sam Slobodian plans to travel to Ukraine, including to Kyiv. Please pray for safe traveling as he visits our missionaries and makes plans with them.

• Friends often say, “Pray for Ukraine.” But don’t pray only for the life of that nation. Pray for the salvation of the countless souls who are hearing the Gospel in conjunction with our aid efforts.

BIEMs of Light: May 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In Central Asia, our personnel continue to win souls among Afghanis who fled from the Taliban and their nation. One of our workers writes, “In our Afghani work, we had 3 more Afghanis trust Christ as Savior today. Praising God; He is always good. In trials and sufferings, He still is glorified.”

• At the end of April, BIEM’s president Sam Slobodian was able to enter Ukraine via Poland and to meet with many of our coworkers and friends and make plans face-to-face. The emotions and brotherly hugs were more emotional than usual due to the difficult times.

• Miraculously, none of the church buildings we’ve built in Ukraine have been damaged, and none of our missionaries or missionary families have been injured! Praise God for answered prayers!

• Thanks to your generous donations to our War Relief fund, our personnel continue to provide aid to needy Ukrainians, both inside and outside the borders. Food purchased in Romania, Poland, and western Ukraine is trucked into Ukraine and received with great joy and appreciation. Along with the food, our people share the Gospel at every possibility.

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Please pray concerning a church in Central Asia that the police raided at the end of their Easter service on April 24. Our missionary pastor persuaded the police to arrest only him but not the church members. Pray for God to protect and defend these believers.

• The U.S. has announced an expedited plan for enabling Ukrainian refugees to enter the country. Please pray that this plan will truly be implemented and operate smoothly. 

• With the situation in Ukraine in constant flux, please pray for divine wisdom for us and our coworkers as we must make regular decisions concerning how, when, and where to minister.

• Our closing prayer request comes from a BIEM missionary in central Ukraine: “Please continue to pray for the multiplied thousands who grieve over the loss of loved ones and friends. Please continue to pray that families who have been scattered will soon be able to be reunited. Please continue to pray that our God will be glorified in this conflict and in the lives and ministries of His people! Please pray for God’s blessings upon those who have sacrificed to help us here!”

BIEMs of Light April 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Last week we surpassed $300,000 in war relief aid directed to Ukraine. We praise God for each gift, and we rejoice in the many souls that are hearing the Gospel and being saved as the result of these efforts. Thank you for your prayers, concern, and help!

• The generosity of contributors made the purchase of a large generator possible. The purchase proved timely because almost as soon as it was bought, a rocket hit the power grid supplying electricity to the church in Bilogorodka, which is feeding refugees. This generator was exactly what was needed to keep the church’s refrigerators running while repairs were made. See the video “Power to God’s People” in the “War Video Updates” section of our website.

• A group of 9 refugees (wives and relatives of our missionaries) for whom we requested prayer as they entered the U.S. via Mexico have arrived safely. Thank you so much for upholding these 3 women and 6 children in prayer. The husbands remain in Ukraine. 

• One of our American missionary couples, the Smiths, have just returned from Poland where they assisted other missionary efforts among Ukrainian refugees. They made two trips into Ukraine with 5 tons of food and medication, organized Ukrainian church services in a Polish church near Warsaw, and assisted other refugees with lodging and other needs.

Prayer - Pray with us!

• We have a smaller group we might try bringing into the U.S. through Canada. Please pray for God’s direction in this matter. Canada, Mexico, and a host of European countries are receiving Ukrainian refugees easily while the United States has not yet made provisions for Ukrainian refugees to enter the United States easily.

• Although the city of Chernihiv has been heavily bombed, the large apartment building in which we have remodeled a portion for a church has not been hit. Once again, we are glad to report none of our people have been injured, and none of our church buildings have been hit. These are answers to prayer, so please keep praying!

• Please pray for both believers and unbelievers as Ukraine goes through incalculable stress from the war on a massive scale. Countless wives and children have fled the nation (including our missionary families) while the men remain behind to fight, minister to others, or simply continue working as they keep as many businesses, utilities, and public services functioning as possible. Children are witnessing horrific sights. May God comfort and heal as only He can.

• Please pray for an end of the killing and destruction

BIEMs of Light March 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Times of great pain and tragedy sometimes compel people to consider their souls and to come to God. We hear reports of this very thing happening in Ukraine during the invasion. May those foxhole decisions last forever!

• Although the world’s eyes are on Ukraine, our ministries continue in other places, too. Afghani refugees in Central Asia are coming to Christ. By email we received the photo of another who trusted Christ as Savior just yesterday!

• No one can predict how he will respond in trying times until such times come upon them. We rejoice that, even in the midst of crisis, there are selfless pastors in Ukraine saying, “We don’t pray that the war will end, but that the Lord will help us to shine in these dark days and glorify Him.” As one of our missionaries put it, our regular ministries are interrupted, but ministry does not stop!

• Praise God that, no matter what happens on earth, He gives us encouragement through verses like Psalm 46:1-2a, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed…!”

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Obviously, please pray for a cessation of the shooting and killing. Each unsaved casualty of war is one more soul sent to hell. How Satan must rejoice in the numbers going there without the Gospel.

• BIEM has already transferred thousands of dollars for relief aid to our churches in Ukraine. Pray for more to come in to help our missionaries as they serve suddenly needy ones in the name of Christ.

• Please pray that the aid we are sending our Ukrainian missionaries and ministry partners reaches them.  At a certain point, we may not be able to continue to send funds through banks.  We do have a way for them to access funds without the banks but what is available is nowhere what will likely be needed.  Just yesterday a possibility manifested itself.  However, we need more such opportunities so please pray for this.

• Pray for the peace of God to rule the hearts and minds of believers in Ukraine. May they see and use opportunities to share Christ with fearful ones.