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

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

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

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

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

War Relief Updates - July 7, 2023

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

1. On July 6, a Russian cruise missile attack on Ukraine’s western city of Lviv struck an apartment building, killing at least 10 known victims. Local officials report another 42 people were wounded in this nighttime attack, which damaged 60 apartments and about 50 cars. BIEM church planter Yura Levtseniuk lives close to this site in Lviv. He has access to some of those who have been injured because he is a medic and happens to know some of them. BIEM’s War Relief fund has enabled Yura to aid some of them with their needs and to share the Gospel with them, especially with a man named Victor, who lost his legs and is facing difficult operations. Yura asks to pray for Victor and these others, that they would open their hearts to the Lord.

2. This weekend, 4 refugee families—a record—are traveling to visit BIEM in Indiana at the same time. It is a blessing to help and encourage them. However, as we do, in some of these cases we come to the sad realization that many of these people will not be returning to Ukraine even after the war is over. This is a loss for Ukraine in general, but since these people are Christians, this is also a loss for Ukrainian churches, which truly need workers. The longer the war continues, the less likely it is for Ukrainian refugees to return. Please pray for the war to end soon.

3. Normally, when you think of war relief (or humanitarian aid in general), you probably picture supplies of food and clothing. But in a wartime scenario, war relief can also take the form of something as simple as tourniquets. Through the following video link, Igor Fomichov tells the story of Nastya, a woman in Ukraine’s armed forces, whose life was saved, thanks to a tourniquet.

https://vimeo.com/842953549

4. War Relief distributions continue to add people to the church. In Desna, for example, new faces have appeared in the services from among those receiving aid. Please pray for Luda to be saved. She is one of those who are now hearing the Word of God regularly. Also, there is Zhenya, who was recently released from prison and ended up in the church’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, where he was saved and is now growing in the Lord. Praise God!

5. In our May BIEMs of Light, we mentioned a woman named Ludmila, a medical doctor who began attending the new church plant in Ternopil’s Druzhba district. This church began largely as an effort to evangelize refugees through war relief and children’s ministries. Although Ludmila’s family members were atheist doctors, she herself was intrigued to learn more of the Bible. Now we’re delighted to share that Ludmila has placed her faith in Christ and has already expressed her desire to be baptized. Hallelujah!

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 23, 2023

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

1. Thank you, those of you who prayed for Eugene Buyko’s visit to the U.S. During his time in this country, Eugene was able to speak in a number of churches in multiple states. The Lord blessed those services with wonderful love offerings for BIEM’s War Relief Fund. Eugene also contributed greatly in the physical loading of our most recent container and in filling out dual-language paperwork needed for the shipping company and Customs. He reports the border crossing from Poland back into Ukraine went smoothly—less than an hour!

2. Often, our mentions of war relief refer to large numbers of people, in some cases even to whole villages on the front lines. But today let us give an example of a specific person. Nastya is an unbeliever, one of many women in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Her unit of 17 soldiers was engaged by an enemy tank and its supporting soldiers. Gravely wounded, Nastya managed to survive by taking shelter behind a tree. A tourniquet saved her from bleeding to death, and surgeons managed to save the arm. Although Nastya is eager to return to her unit, she is currently convalescing from her multiple wounds. Meanwhile, a mutual friend contacted the church in Desna and asked if the believers can provide any sort of aid for Nastya. Once again, BIEM’s War Relief will soon give believers an opportunity to share spiritual Truth along with physical assistance.

3. We previously mentioned starting a program to aid wives and mothers of soldiers to obtain needed medications. That program is now underway. It is one of the forms of assistance mentioned in our last video update, titled “Beyond Just War Relief.” You can view it here:

https://vimeo.com/838788501

4. A Christian man named Sergei is a member of one of the churches planted through BIEM. He is now also a commander in the Ukrainian military. When his vehicle came under fire, Sergei jumped out and took shelter in a depression in the ground. Seeing post-battle photos of that vehicle, anyone would be amazed that he is still alive. But in this, too, we see Almighty God’s preserving hand and another opportunity to share Christian faith along with aid from the church.

5. Our containers of humanitarian aid are shipped duty-free since the Ukrainian government does not levy any taxes or duty charges for humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid may be food, clothing, medical supplies, or essential equipment. It is a blessing and interesting to note that the Ukrainian government is also counting any church furnishings (pews, pulpits, chairs, tables, etc.) as humanitarian aid when donated to Ukrainian churches. Also included in the category of humanitarian aid are sports equipment for church youth programs, camping gear, as well as furniture and household furnishing for our drug and alcohol rehab ministries operated by churches. The container of war relief that is currently on its way has several tons of goods in these latter categories. We praise God for opportunities to send such helpful church supplies, all duty-free!

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 16, 2023

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

1. A couple of weeks ago, BIEM personnel and volunteers loaded a 40-ft. high-cube container with war relief for churches for shipment to Ukraine. Much of this cargo consists of gently used, donated clothing and shoes, but it also includes supplies for churches, along with, for example, large donations of foodstuffs such as macaroni and cheese from Widow’s Jar Ministries. On June 9th, the ship carrying this container left port, and it is due to arrive in Poland on June 29th. From there, it will be trucked across the border into Ukraine and eventually to the Kyiv area. Please pray for a smooth passage through customs so that the churches in the Kyiv area will soon be able to receive and distribute the nearly 30 tons of aid in this container.

2. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine swept away homes, farmlands, and lives. It’s a major catastrophe for the residents, for the ecology, and even for people nowhere near that area since it ruined crops that were ripening in farm fields. Once again, BIEM personnel are mobilizing to aid victims. In the following video, BIEM church planter Sasha Petrenko shares part of how believers from his area are responding.

https://vimeo.com/836313630

3. Sasha Petrenko is just one of several of our folks who have quickly mobilized efforts to help those suffering in the Kherson area due to the Russian attack on the dam. This week our folks in Kyiv, Bilogorodka, Zdolbuniv, and Ternopil have likewise launched efforts to help those suffering in Kherson. Others are gathering supplies to transport as there is a huge need for food, water, and medicine as well as other equipment and supplies.

4. Praise God, our first three summer camps went well. Our war-relief efforts have certainly increased local Ukrainians’ interest in the camps as the testimonies of the churches have risen in their communities. These first three summer camps in Kyiv, Lytvynivka, and Smolin definitely benefited from our war-relief activities.

5. Last week we mentioned that pastors Eugene Buyko and Igor Fomichov from Ukraine are with us in the US through most of this month and are traveling to churches for the purpose of raising War Relief funds. We are glad to report that these meetings are going well. However, Eugene’s and Igor’s hearts are often heavy from the reports they continuously receive that Russia has increased its air attacks on Kyiv, which is where both of these men are from. Things were relatively quiet when they left Ukraine. However, the near daily attacks weigh heavily on their hearts as they are very concerned for their families. In May alone, Russia is said to have launched at Kyiv approximately 7 “Kinzhal” hypersonic missiles, 13 Iskander ballistic missiles, 65 cruise missiles of various types, and 169 Shahed drones. Please pray that God will continue to protect their loved ones.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 9, 2023

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

1. As has been widely reported in the media, on June 6 an explosion occurred on the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, unleashing an amount of water equivalent to Utah’s Great Salt Lake. In the biggest ecological disaster in Europe in decades, flood waters have engulfed villages, destroyed farm fields, and left untold thousands of Ukrainians without clean drinking water. As soon as BIEM learned of these events, we transferred funds to various BIEM personnel in Ukraine who can mobilize food and supplies for this suffering area. Combined war reliefh and evangelism efforts focusing on that Kherson district are now underway. Please pray for these outreaches, not only that they will ease people’s physical misery but that they will lead to hearts embracing Christ as Savior.

2. As a result of the destruction of the dam mentioned above, Ukrainian officials predict another wave of refugees, which will be difficult for Ukraine to accommodate. Several of our churches have made their facilities available for displaced persons who had to abandon their homes. The major parcel shipping company in Ukraine has announced it will not charge for war-relief parcels shipped to Kherson. Many of our people are preparing such parcels of aid. We certainly can use more gifts to BIEM’s War Relief fund to take advantage of this opportunity.

3. Our newest church plant in Druzhba reaches out especially to refugees who have fled to this western Ukraine area. As the church prepares to baptize 7 new believers, we want to update you on Sasha, the young man whose parents vehemently opposed his new faith in Christ. Their hostile reaction was so extreme that Sasha stopped attending services. Recently, however, he resumed attending all services despite must displeasure from his parents. He is also attending new believer classes for those planning to be baptized. Although he would very much like to be baptized with this group, he and the church are praying for his parents to have a change of heart on this matter. Please pray for Sasha and his parents.

4. Every church planted by BIEM in Ukraine—indeed nearly all churches in that country—has members, relatives, and friends serving in the military, many of them in active combat positions at the front. Therefore, believers in Ukraine are quite active in sending war relief to these loved ones and upholding them in prayer. Of course, the obvious prayer is for God’s protection in battle. But the most important prayers are for the Lord to draw the souls of these soldiers to Himself. And God is answering. To learn more, click the following link, where BIEM’s Director for Ukraine shares about prayers for family members at the front:

https://vimeo.com/834898242

5. During the early days of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, friends of BIEM provided an extremely generous outpouring of financial support. However, during the months when the media provided less coverage, donations for War Relief dropped significantly. Whatever the reason, we need a continuing supply of War Relief funds since the needs continue and responding to physical needs automatically creates wonderful opportunities to proclaim the Gospel. Can you help? (Or if not, would you pray for the Lord to touch the hearts and pocketbooks of those who can?)

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 26, 2023

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

1. Among our key distributors of war relief aid is a husband-and-wife team of Vitaly and Natasha, through whom we have funded numerous relief operations. They just returned from a dangerous area about 30 miles from Bakhmut called Druzhkivka. There, they delivered 120 large packages of food and supplies to a church that is helping the many in need around them. Though most members have left (the government has been urging civilians to leave this area for months now), the handful of members who remain have been inundated with requests for aid, which provides wonderful opportunities to share the Gospel. As a result, the church has been packed with refugees for services—the largest crowds they have ever had! In addition, the church has been visited by 3 different Ukrainian military units (about 30 soldiers in each) who are battling nearby. They, too, came for food and heard the Gospel.

2. The church pastored by BIEM’s Yura Levtseniuk in Lviv, Ukraine, continues to enjoy abundant opportunities to evangelize. This church has been especially active in distributing humanitarian aid to refugees. In this role, Yura has even had openings to share the Gospel with Muslims who have come to their city. Some who hear the Word embrace Christ for salvation. Others listen without any immediate commitment. But either way, God’s Word is being heard, and we get to see fruit from it! To see a brief video of Yura expressing thanks to you all, click on the following link:

https://vimeo.com/830597659

3. Some of you will recall Misha, the Ukrainian nephew of a BIEM couple. Through him, our people have been able to deliver some aid to his military unit. After being rotated away from the battle lines for a rest, he was sent back toward the front. Even before reaching the front, his group came under attack. The vehicles were shot up, so the men had to press forward on foot. They spent a night in a field where they were bombed. Many were killed, and others were shell-shocked. But we praise God that, once again, Misha has survived.

4. In addition to obvious war-relief needs in Ukraine such as food and clothing, another need has come to our attention. In this economically trying time for that nation, some female church members have been quietly conferring with each other, trying to locate sources of various medications or preparations for personal issues they would be embarrassed to discuss in groups or with their pastor. With the assistance of your war-relief donations, BIEM is also procuring the needed items to address such personal needs.

5. Although this final update for today is not so much about war relief, it definitely concerns the war and is a request for prayer. Oleg, the brother of BIEM’s church planter Sasha Petrenko, was taken prisoner by Russian forces and had been placed in a sort of POW camp near Zaporizhzhia. Now the family has learned he is no longer in that place but have no information on his status or location. They would appreciate prayer for Oleg.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 19, 2023

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

1. Thank you, everyone who prayed for Igor Fomichov’s planned visit to the United States. He arrived safely yesterday evening, but not without some serious difficulties. At the Ukrainian-Polish border, guards there decided that, no, they were not going to permit him to exit the country. Normally their decision is final. However, being a member of the town council in Desna, Igor telephoned the mayor of the city late at night and woke him. After learning the border guards would not let Igor pass, the mayor wrote an official letter assuring them all was well and urging them to permit him to exit the country temporarily. Based on that letter, they relented and allowed him to leave. Next, the airline canceled Igor’s flight out of Warsaw. He ended up with a totally different, last-minute itinerary. Ultimately, though, he arrived in Indianapolis, tired but praising God!

2. BIEM is planning to load its next 40-ft. container of war-relief aid for Ukraine at the end of this month. However, our donated forklift is more than 30 years old and has finally succumbed to age. Repairmen tell us it’s not worth fixing. Because loading this container without a forklift would be much more difficult, we need to get something newer as soon as possible, which is a costly challenge. Various new and used options are on the market. Please pray for God’s direction and provision.

3. When a Russian missile struck an apartment building in Uman, Ukraine, it blasted homes to rubble, snuffed out lives, and severely damaged surrounding apartments. War-relief funds from BIEM were able to help brethren to provide some immediate aid to residents. To learn more, please click the following link, “Providing Aid to Uman”:

https://vimeo.com/828131751

4. Distributions of BIEM’s war-relief aid continue to reap blessings and opportunities to share the Gospel. Our missionary in Desna, Igor, reports that, after an elderly woman named Valia received aid along with Gospel tracts and an invitation to the Desna church, she phoned him. Many years ago, she babysat Igor when he was a child. She was always very closed to the Gospel and the church. However, when she called, she said that she would very much like to attend the services but would need assistance since she has trouble walking. One of the deacons took care of this need and drove her to the services. Afterward, she called Igor again and expressed how very pleased she was with the service. She also mentioned this was the first time in her life to be in a church service! Now her heart appears to be opening to the Lord. Please pray for Valia’s salvation. 

5. Recent days have seen an increase in the sheer number of missiles and drones being directed at Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv and other cities. An article in the Kyiv Post described one such attack: “Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with six Kinzhal (‘hypersonic’) ballistic missiles, three other ballistic missiles, nine Kalibr cruise missiles, six Shahed drones, and three Orlan drones. The attack began just after three o'clock in the morning, and the explosions kept the city awake for hours. Though the scale was unusual, this was the eighth such Russian attack on Kyiv this month alone.” BIEM’s own personnel and active volunteers who are involved in distributing humanitarian aid see and hear the missiles and explosions, some of which have shaken their own homes. As you can imagine, such traumatizing events are extremely frightening, particularly for the children. Please pray for the war to end.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 12, 2023

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

1. Our April 28 update told how BIEM’s Pasha Usach and others from his church had returned from distributing aid near Kherson, in the towns of Archangelske and Posad-Pokrovsk. We also shared how enthusiastically locals received these men and told that Pasha and his team wanted to return to replace blown-out windows in some of the homes. They have now completed a follow-up trip where, in addition to distributing food, supplies, and the Gospel, they installed nearly 20 replacement windows in homes. How the people rejoiced! That area still has no running water or electricity, so receiving replacement windows was a huge blessing. Your gifts to our war relief fund help in ways you might not imagine.

2. Once again we can say that, praise God, none of BIEM’s Ukrainian missionaries have been injured or killed in the war thus far. However, there have been casualties among people close to them. For instance, last week Mark, a 25-year-old man with a wife and small child from the home church of several of our families in Kyiv, was killed in battle. One of our missionary wives messaged to say, “Pray, please, for our defenders. It is very difficult morally. Everyone is weary. Death all around is depressing.”

3. Occasionally, friends tell us they haven’t heard much news about the war in Ukraine. We guarantee that fighting and dying and destruction take place every day. But amidst the horrible backdrop of war God’s people are actively ministering to countrymen and glorifying God. The following recent video from the eastern Donbas region contains footage that might make your heart ache, but other scenes might warm your heart!

https://vimeo.com/826287562

4. As the above video shows, while making frequent War Relief trips right up to the battlefront, Brother Vitaly Bilyak of Ternopil, Ukraine, distributes aid and shares the Gospel with civilians and soldiers alike. However, back in Ternopil, he has also developed a friendly relationship with two military hospitals that are treating injured soldiers. This aid comes in the form of food products as well as medical equipment and hospital supplies. One of these hospitals functions as a rehabilitation facility while the other performs surgeries on soldiers with battle-inflicted wounds. Because many soldiers treated there have lost limbs, the hospitals are in constant need of prosthetics and special equipment. Thanks to a recent generous gift to BIEM from Operation Renewed Hope in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Vitaly will be able to supply still more needed aid for more wounded defenders.

5. As the war continues and casualties rise in Ukraine (as well as Russia) the government has stepped up its conscription efforts. One huge concern for us is for our missionary pastors, who could also be conscripted. Losing a pastor to the war would be devastating to any church. Recently the Ukrainian government introduced a program that would enable pastors to obtain specially issued identification cards that would exempt them from conscription. Our men are all in the process of applying for these cards. Please pray they will all receive this exemption for the sake of continuing their spiritual and war-relief ministries both inside and outside the church.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 5, 2023

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

1. Praise God, we have received generous War Relief contributions from friends in Canada. If you have any contacts in Canada, please consider sharing with them that Canadians, too, can contribute to BIEM’s War Relief efforts. (We can provide instructions on how to do so if they wish their donations to be tax deductible).

2. Another reason to praise the Lord is the ministry of Revival Baptist Church in the Obolon area of Kyiv. This is one of the first churches established by BIEM after Ukraine gained independence. It has been self-supporting for many years and has grown to be an amazing church in a strategic location of the Obolon district, which has 400,000 residents. The church’s immediate neighbors are the court building, the city administrative offices, the prosecutor’s office, the fire department, the police department, a music conservatory, and a teachers institute! It has been a blessing for us to help this church with their war-relief efforts. Click the following link to view a recent video about this outreach:

https://vimeo.com/823446201

3. In May and June, we are planning once again to host a couple of our Ukrainian church planters whom we are scheduling in churches for the purpose of raising funds for Ukrainian war relief. Please pray that Igor Fomichov and Eugene Buyko will be able to obtain the special permission needed to leave Ukraine temporarily during this time when men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not normally allowed to exit that country.

4. On April 21, we posted a video about the increased number of Ukrainian men who are slipping into depression during wartime and getting hooked on drugs and alcohol. To address the needs of such men, before the war we had purchased a larger, unfinished building to house the Christian Rehabilitation Center in Desna, Ukraine. Due to the war, we halted work to make the structure habitable. However, the growing number of men with addictions convinced us this facility is needed now more than ever. We praise God that a generous gift from a Sunday school class in Elkhart, Indiana—plus some other gifts—has provided funds to continue this project. In fact, the work to make this building habitable has resumed. You can view the video about this ministry via this link:

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/818759559

5. BIEM’s war relief efforts extend beyond the actual borders of Ukraine. By God’s grace, we have aided Ukrainian war refugees in such European countries as Poland, Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland, plus a number who have come to the United States. Some refugees have ended up in one of the restricted Muslim countries in Asia. One BIEM church planter there reports, “We also started helping orphans from Ukraine. At the beginning of the war, orphanages were evacuated from Ukraine (about 2,000 children); 600 orphans settled in our region. We help them with food, clothes, shoes, and some materials for schooling.”

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - April 28, 2023

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

1. One of the highlights of our ministry last year was that most of our locations in Ukraine were able to have summer camp despite the war. Thousands attended with hundreds of salvation decisions. We have a 22-page report concerning last year’s camps available upon request. Once again, even though the war continues, our people in Ukraine are planning for summer camps. As they are currently making preparations, they tell us that in some locations 70% of the campers will be refugees!

2. Along with some others, brother Pasha Usach has returned from distributing aid to the Kherson area. One of the towns where they distributed was Archangelske, near the city of Kherson, which had been occupied for a time. The residents were extremely glad to receive the aid, which included a large quantity of vegetables, especially potatoes. They were very surprised that people from the other side of Ukraine would travel so far to help them. The town mayor came to thank them and invited them for tea, which gave them an opportunity to get to know them better. Our men learned that when the Russians were advancing, locals were able to escape by crossing the river on wooden boats. The head of the school there also spoke with Pasha and his team, asking for children’s Bibles, which Pasha will certainly provide. Brother Pasha and the volunteers with him plan to return soon with more aid, including windows for the homes there that were damaged from the fighting.

3. Last week, we shared how a woman in the church in Lviv, Ukraine, was featured on a Ukrainian TV program called Super Mama and had a chance to speak about her faith in Christ. Since then, the same television program offered a similar invitation to a lady from the church in Kyiv with whom we partner for our seminary and several church-planting projects. That broadcast has yet to be aired. Praise God for another opportunity to share the Gospel with a large audience!

4. Another continuation from last week: On April 21, I shared how I’d had the privilege of speaking and playing my trumpet in an evangelistic outreach using war relief for widows in Bilogorodka, Ukraine. And while such outreaches are a blessing to be involved in, I realize that written descriptions do little to “bring it alive” for readers who were not there. So BIEM has created a brief video that will give you some inside glimpses into that event. There’s no translation, except for some special words of thanks at the end, but I believe you’ll find it interesting to get an inside peek by clicking the following link:

https://vimeo.com/821272911

5. In our February 3rd War Relief Updates, we told you about a young man named Bogdan. Bogdan is the man who placed his trust in Christ at the Desna Christian Rehabilitation Center. He had been growing in Christ and helping to distribute war relief but then was drafted into the Ukrainian military. BIEM’s Igor Fomichov just now informed us that Bogdan has been reported as seriously injured in battle. He has been hospitalized. Please pray for this young man, both for his spiritual and physical strengthening.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - April 21, 2023

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

1. This week we are continuing to focus on bringing aid and the Gospel to the war front. Several trips are planned. Brother Pasha Usach is returning once again to Kherson. Pastor Igor from Dubno and Vitaly Bilyak will be traveling once again to the Donetsk area. When Vitaly goes to that area, he works with Sasha, a local pastor. This time he plans to stay over and preach in Sasha’s church.

2. Praise God, in Ternopil people continue to come to Christ at the new church, which is in a large community of war refugees. Brother Sergiy Koop reports that a lady from Donetsk has been saved along with a woman from Berdyansk in the Zaporizhzhia area, not far from Mariupol. Soon there will be baptism. Pray especially for a young man, Sasha, who has come to Christ but whose family is vehemently opposed to him being baptized. Please pray for their hearts to soften towards this. Also, pray for Ludmila, another refugee who is attending the new church. She herself states that she will get saved but needs more time to digest all the new information she is receiving. She is a medical doctor from a family of doctors, all of whom are atheists. In communicating with them about what she is learning about Christianity, one family member told her this: “One thing about those Christians I’ve learned from my many years of medical practice is that there is a huge difference in how Christians die in comparison to the rest of us. Christians die peacefully and with no fears or qualms, while all other people who die along with their loved ones experience a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear!”

3. There’s an interesting development from Goncharovsk, where the church in nearby Smolin has distributed much aid. Sasha Petrenko told us of an incident that resulted from one of the war-relief distributions. Waiting in line for aid stood a couple that everyone knew was not married. However, the man occupied a place near the back of the line to receive aid while his common-law wife was much closer to the front. They evidently intended to receive a double portion of the food being given out. When the man’s turn came, Sasha informed the man he could not receive a package of aid because his wife already had. He protested, saying, “But we are not married.” This led to a long discussion during which Sasha explained that his status was married due to the “common-law wife” principle, which applied to his case. During this long discussion, Sasha shared the Gospel with this man, who afterward began attending the church services and was saved! He then wanted to be baptized along with some others who had come to Christ. Sasha told him the church could not baptize him because he was living in sin through his common-law wife arrangement. A couple weeks later this man approached Sasha and said, “I’ve solved the problem. That woman is 100% opposed to Christianity although I’ve tried to convince her through many hours and days, which has made her even more opposed to my Christian life. Besides, she is a terrible alcoholic and a chain smoker, and I just can’t live that way anymore. So, I sent her away to go back to where she came from!”

4. Presently, we are concluding our trip to Ukraine by spending time in Lviv with brother Yura, whose church is also experiencing growth. One of their ladies is a blogger, whose blog posts on the Christian home have attracted many followers. The producers of a popular TV show called Super Mama contacted her about featuring her on one of their episodes. She asked Pastor Yura if she should do this. He replied that it might give her an opportunity to share her faith. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. Since her life revolves around the church, where her whole family is involved, the camera crew came to the church and filmed several events. So, the church also appeared on the nationwide TV program viewed by millions of Ukrainians. I was able to watch a video of this broadcast and was blessed as Alla gave a strong testimony for Christ, adding how important the church was in their lives (even though the producers immediately afterward interviewed someone they said was a “Super Psychiatrist” who downplayed the positive influence of Christianity).

5. When we were in Bilogorodka, we were able to participate in yet another baptism and a distribution of aid to widows, including war widows. They all heard a clear Gospel message and received Christian literature and a New Testament in their package of aid. The ladies of the church prepared a wonderful meal, and the youth put on an amazing musical performance while the ladies ate. Pastor Eugene was especially glad because this event marked the first time in their history that all four neighboring homes had someone in attendance at a church service!

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - April 14, 2023

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

1. One of our recent church plants is in Belarus near Brest, where we have been in a church building program. In Belarus, Christians have not experienced the same religious freedoms as in Ukraine. The war has complicated this situation since any contact with the United States is dangerous for Christians. For this reason, we have had to keep communications with our brethren there to a minimum. Recently I was able to meet with the pastor of this new congregation while he was traveling outside of Belarus. In that conversation, he shared how Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian leader who falsified the elections to remain as president, has shut down 98% of humanitarian and charitable organizations in Belarus since many had ties with the West. This man, who has labeled himself “the last dictator in Europe,” remains in power only because Putin has protected him and assisted in clamping down opposition. The pastor shared with me the following example of how dangerous these times are. Recently, several college-age believers in a nearby church were arrested, tried, and each sentenced to 1-2 years in prison. Their crime was “liking” some Facebook posts critical of Lukashenko! Meanwhile, we thank the Lord for providing various ways of channeling funds into that nation to continue ministries.

2. Last week we shared a prayer request from Brother Yurchenko’s church in Chervona Sloboda, Ukraine. This is the church that had been housing 20 soldiers on leave from their deployment in Bakhmut while their battalion was being rebuilt due to heavy losses. The prayer request was to find a chance to witness to these soldiers who were keeping to themselves and not interacting with locals. Those prayers were answered when the soldiers heard they were being redeployed. This news was not a surprise; that had always been the plan. What shocked them was that they would be leaving the next morning—at 7 AM! This sudden announcement provided an opportunity. When the church asked the commander if they could give gifts to the soldiers and pray with them that night, he agreed. So, the congregation gave them gifts, Christian literature, prayed with the soldiers, and shared the Gospel! Praise God for that opportunity. Thank you for praying.

3. In Ukraine we continue to hear heartbreaking stories of the ongoing suffering from this horrible war. Some stories include powerful elements of God’s grace, enabling amazing acts of love and compassion. For instance, the home of one Ukrainian pastor in a formerly occupied territory came under Russian fire. Despite damage, the house survived. However, the pastor’s daughter and granddaughter each lost a leg due to their injuries. This happened at Christmas time, while occupation troops were still in the area. Somehow, God prompted this pastor’s heart to visit the nearest Russian soldiers to give them gifts and share the Gospel. Immediately after he did so, one Russian soldier approached him and said he, too, is a Christian but was there against his will. According to that man, the moment he was conscripted he was under observation with no opportunity to escape. He pointed to the house next door, where Russian officers lived, and said they had declared numerous times that anyone attempting to leave would be shot on the spot. He told the pastor he was one of 20 such believers in the area and asked the pastor to pray they would find a way to escape. A month later, the pastor received a letter from that soldier, who eventually managed to escape and ended up in Europe with no plans to return to Russia. The letter thanked the pastor for praying.

4. Last week we shared that Pasha Usach and Sergei Skripnik were in Kherson distributing aid and sharing the Gospel in this needy, formerly occupied territory. When the Ukrainian army liberated this city, the Russians escaped across a nearby river and destroyed the bridge behind them. From their position across the river, Russians continue to shoot rockets and other armaments into the city, causing casualties among civilians. Pasha and Sergei have since safely returned. Thank you for your prayers! To view Pasha’s report, click on the following link:

https://vimeo.com/817670249

5. In the past few days, both Russia and Ukraine have drafted stricter conscription laws, and Russia has closed its borders, not permitting any men of draftable age to leave the country. In addition, Russia passed legislation that a draft notice by email is enforceable: when received, a recipient has 20 days to report. If he does not, he loses his driver’s license, cannot do any business, and is cut off from any bank accounts and healthcare services. In both countries,  authorities are literally grabbing men off the streets and conscripting them to fight in the war. Even though such forced conscription is not legal in many cases, the individuals taken do not even get an opportunity to go home to pack for their journey. They are told they will receive everything necessary and that their families will be informed.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM