War Relief Updates - March 1, 2024

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

1. Last Friday we shared the news that Vitaly Bilyak was sent home from the Ukrainian army recruiting center thinking and hoping that this was the end of the matter. However, On Monday, February 26, he received a summons to appear at a third recruiting facility, once again with a backpack containing one day’s worth of supplies since if he was conscripted he would go directly into the army without returning home. But it seems all our prayers concerning Vitaly’s previous meetings carried over into this third interview. He was once again sent home! This time, though, Vitaly was handed an official document stating he was exempted from all 4 branches of military service. Praise God!

2. Ukrainian law states that no men between the ages of 18 and 60 can leave Ukraine while the country is at war. However, the law does provide an exception for pastors on official religious business. Obtaining such permission is a process that the Lord has enabled us to navigate several times now. So far, none of the pastors we have applied to bring temporarily to the US have been denied. In answer to prayer requested in a previous update, Igor Fomichov was granted this special permission yesterday! On Tuesday he will be traveling to the US along with Pavlo Usach, another one of our Ukrainian missionaries. Since Pavlo has 4 small children, he does not need this special permission ( men with multiple small children are allowed to leave Ukraine). However, when Igor crosses the border, the border guards do have the authority to overrule the special permission, even if it has been officially granted. The last two times Igor crossed the border, the border guards resisted since Igor is a government official (serving on the city council), and in one case Igor had to telephone and get his mayor out of bed in the middle of the night to intervene. So please continue to pray about this matter, especially on March 4th, when Igor hopes to cross the border.

3. Awakening Baptist Church in the Obolon district of Kyiv, Ukraine, was surprised on a Sunday when a contingent of soldiers appeared in their morning service. In this short video, Pastor Nikolai Rozhnyatovsky explains what happened and why the Special Forces showed up at the church:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/specialforces

4. February 29th marked the end of our project to provide warm clothing and Scriptures for soldiers. To date, we have received a total of $165,000 designated for this project. Praise God! We are sincerely grateful to all who gave and prayed. You have enabled 1,650 Ukrainian servicemen to receive warm clothing, New Testaments, and Gospel literature. BIEM has received many heartwarming words of thanks from soldiers. We plan on sharing some of these testimonies in the Spring issue of our Challenger newsletter. The Winter Issue (which will soon be out) deals with other matters since work on that began weeks ago. 

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 23, 2024

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

1. Early in our war relief efforts, a part of the relief we were providing in the Ternopil region of Ukraine was distributed in the Druzhba area of Ternopil, a district where 30,000 refugees had settled. Sergiy and Karina Koop headed up this effort, which led to them getting a burden to start a new church in this area. For many months they have conducted regular children’s meetings, youth meetings, and special events in a rented facility that they remodeled in the heart of this district. All of this activity was preparing for the day when they would begin Sunday services. That date arrived on Sunday, February 11, when 34 people attended their first Sunday service. While Sergiy and Karina were thrilled, they were also apprehensive about the attendance on the 2nd Sunday, since many who attended the first Sunday were simply curious visitors. Praise God, 23 people attended their second Sunday on February 18. Following is a link to a brief video the Koops made to show the activities and events that led up to now having regular Sunday services:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/koops

2. The donations for our project of providing warm clothing and Scriptures for Ukrainian soldiers has now reached $154,000! This amount provides warm clothing for 1,540 soldiers. Praise God! We will accept donations for this project through February 29, so there’s still time to donate to this outreach if the Lord so leads.

3. In this brief video, BIEM’s Sasha Petrenko shares some of his firsthand experiences after a frontline commander invited him to spend a night near the war front.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/emotionalvisit

4. On February 22, our missionary Vitaly Bilyak—who has now made 16 evangelistic-aid trips into the southeastern war zones of Ukraine—was summoned to the military induction office. Fearing he might be conscripted into the army, we prayed for him. That day, they let him go home. But Vitaly was required to report again today, February 23. Vitaly used that opportunity to distribute New Testaments while waiting in line. Meanwhile, we at BIEM were praying the examiners would exempt him from military service so he could continue his service to the church and to others. Praise God, Vitaly was not conscripted. For now, at least, he was permitted to return home a civilian. Considering the way God has used Vitaly and his congregation to minister to thousands of refugees in the church building and to others near the front, we believe the correct decision was made. Brother Vitaly has been serving the Lord and his country in ways that make him more valuable out of uniform than in one.

5. Tomorrow, February 24, marks the 2nd anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine. We continue to urge believers to pray daily for an end to this disastrous conflict along with other specific prayer requests. BIEM still has on hand prayer reminders in the form of bookmarks and prayer cards. If you would like to receive some for yourself or for your church or other group, please contact the BIEM office, and we will mail them to you.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 16, 2024

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

1. Praise God, we have passed the $140,000 mark for funds received to provide warm clothing and Gospels. This amount will provide warm clothing for 1,400 soldiers. So far, with the assistance of participating Ukrainian churches who know them personally, we have already distributed warm clothing with Gospel literature to 1,200 soldiers. So, we have funds to provide for 200 more. This aid will be distributed in the next few days. Since we will accept funds for this project through the end of February, we hope to see this figure grow. On March 1, we will announce the total amount that you friends provided for this outreach.

2. In March we plan to resume bringing our Ukrainian missionaries to the United States to speak in American churches. Even though BIEM personnel can and do speak in churches and conferences, we see that our American friends truly appreciate opportunities to meet and interact with our national missionaries personally. Next week, Igor Fomichov plans to submit his application for the special permission needed for men between the ages of 18 and 60 to temporarily exit Ukraine. Please pray that he obtains the needed document.

3. At the end of January, BIEM’s Pasha Usach and a team of 7 others traveled to the Kherson area of Ukraine to deliver aid and to share God’s Word in villages. Even though Christmas was well past, the team continued using the theme of Christ’s birth as they presented children’s programs and Bible lessons to introduce village kids to the Savior. In the following video, Pasha shares details and photos from that trip:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/visitingvillages

4. You may remember the story of Bogdan from our past updates. He is the young man who showed up in Desna to voluntarily enlist in the military. But he had a relative enrolled in our Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center who invited him to visit. At that rehab center, Bogdan heard the Gospel and put his faith in Christ. The other brethren at the center encouraged him to stay for a few weeks to get more grounded in the faith before going off to war. He gladly accepted that advice and was blessed to learn more of God’s Word before enlisting. We have just received the sad news that Bogdan has been severely injured in battle and apparently will lose the use of his legs. Please pray for this young man, both for his physical recuperation and his spiritual well-being. In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 9, 2024

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

1. One of the congregations participating in our church project for providing warm clothing and Scriptures for soldiers is Awakening Baptist Church in the Obolon district of Kyiv. (This was BIEM’s first church plant in Ukraine, right after Ukraine gained independence.) Their list of 70 soldiers they have personal contact with included members of a Special Forces unit that paid a surprise visit to the church to personally thank the congregation for the warm clothing! They awarded the church a beautiful plaque with the signature and seal of their commander, a Major General. These visiting Special Forces soldiers told the congregation that the warm clothing they had provided was the best quality the soldiers had ever received!

2. On Wednesday of this week our container was finally received and unloaded at the church in Bilogorodka, near Kyiv. The trucker who delivered it arrived the night before and asked if he could stay the night since he had to fulfill a rest requirement. A deacon gladly received him and ended up spending hours talking, which proved to be a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel at length. By morning, a good number of trucks and cargo vans from various churches that will be distributing the aid were in place to receive the contents. In answer to prayer, the temperature had warmed to nearly 40 degrees, which helped the process. We are also thankful for God’s hand of protection, since on that day of unloading, Russia launched numerous missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, during which 4 people were killed and dozens injured. Praise God for His protection of our people!

3. While making his 15th evangelistic aid trip to the war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak recorded various sights and sounds, plus his personal observations, to share with all of you who make such trips possible. At one point, a woman who put her faith in Christ during an earlier trip thanks Vitaly and others who do not forget them and bring both aid and the Gospel even though doing so is hazardous.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/donbas-15

4. Some time ago, BIEM provided financial assistance to an 8-year-old girl named Marina. She lost a leg when her home in the Kherson area was bombed. On Tuesday, February 6, we had the chance to meet Pastor Sergei—this girl’s grandfather—and provide additional financial assistance since her growth and rehabilitation require periodically changing her prosthesis and other care. Pastor Sergei’s firsthand account of life under the Russian occupation was riveting and heartbreaking. They were eyewitnesses to horrific atrocities committed by the Russians as they mercilessly slaughtered civilians, including many children. Pastor Sergei and some other family members survived the bombing and fled with only their blood-stained clothing from carrying Marina and her mother Natalya, who was also badly wounded. This family is from one of the most severely attacked areas near Kherson, where a team of French journalists lost their lives covering the events this family lived through.

5. Today, February 9, Sam Slobodian returned to the BIEM office after ministry in Ukraine. During his time in Ukraine, Russia attacked several cities throughout Ukraine. Forty attacks on Kyiv alone included cruise and ballistic missiles and Shahed-type drones. In Kyiv, 4 people were killed and 35 injured, according to the city’s mayor. Sam says, “So once again we heard sirens just as all Ukrainians have become used to hearing since we were just miles from bombings when we were in Kyiv, as well as when we were in Dubno in Western Ukraine. We are thankful for God’s hand of protection in answer to your prayers.”

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 2, 2024

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

1. We are glad to report that we have surpassed our $100,000 goal to bless 1,000 Ukrainian servicemen with warm clothes and New Testaments! However, we are also grateful for every gift coming in over this $100,000, because the churches there have more members and loved ones in the military than we expected. Even though we’ve limited this project to the specific churches BIEM has planted and those with which we work (over 100 churches), the first 33 churches to apply requested aid for 1,200 servicemen they named, which was well over our goal of 1,000. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to provide funds for those 1,200. The churches—the ones who oversee local distribution of funds from BIEM—continue to submit names of servicemen they would like to bless in this way. So, even though we have already met our initial commitment, as you provide funds, we will continue to fill requests through February. What a blessing to provide warm clothing plus New Testaments to souls in harm’s way! We look forward to sharing the final totals the Lord has blessed us with on March 1st.

2. The church in Desna, Ukraine, has sent BIEM a video that includes clips from several recipients of clothes and Scriptures from BIEM’s War Relief fund. Each one expresses their gratitude to BIEM and to you, the people who are providing the funds for this outreach. You can view that video here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/thankyou-clothing

3. The family of Sasha Petrenko, our Ukrainian church planter serving in Goncharovsk and Smolin, has finally heard from Sasha’s brother Oleg, who went missing in battle during the first few weeks of the war. For nearly two years, the family received no information about Oleg and feared he had been killed. But then he was allowed 1 phone call and informed his daughter he is alive and in a Russian prison with many other prisoners of war. Occasionally some prisoners are released via swaps between the two countries. Therefore, the Petrenkos request that we please pray that Oleg will be released.

4. Thank you for praying for the dangerous trip that Sasha Petrenko and others recently took into the area near Zaporozhe. This group of volunteers, which included the mayor of Sasha’s military base town of Goncharovsk, have now returned safely after distributing humanitarian aid to the soldiers. At one point, the commander told the group of volunteers that if any of them were interested in going deeper towards the fighting and spending a night in a bunker with some soldiers, they had room for two. Since things were already intense, the thought of going deeper did not appeal to Sasha at all. However, the mayor immediately announced that he would go, and that Sasha would go with him! As you can imagine, Sasha has some stories to tell about this venture. We hope to share with you eventually.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 26, 2024

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

1. Many of you are acquainted with Vitaly and Alona Yurchenko, our Ukrainian nationals who were with us in December, along with their son Nikita. After their time of speaking in churches for BIEM, they spent Christmas and part of January visiting relatives near Atlanta. This week they returned to their home in Kyiv. As you may have heard, Russia has increased its attacks on civilians in Kyiv. Yesterday, a missile streaking toward the Yurchenkos’ neighborhood was intercepted by the Ukrainian Air Defense system. However, a large chunk crashed onto their street, just a few doors down. The resulting huge explosions and flames damaged buildings and cars. The Yurchenkos are safe, but the incident shook up all the neighbors. Please pray for God’s continuing hand of protection on our people during these attacks.

2. New Life Baptist Church in Ternopil, Ukraine, is one of many participating in BIEM’s outreach to provide warm clothes and Scriptures to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers. As part of that activity, the church’s youth created a video showing some of the boots, clothes, New Testaments, and Gospel tracts being packed for servicemen they personally know. The video includes snapshots of several soldiers who have already received these treasured gifts. The church sent us the video to share with all of you friends and to thank you for funding this outreach! Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/warmclothes

3. Last week we mailed out a special appeal to help us raise the above-mentioned $100,000 needed to provide warm clothing plus Gospel literature to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers. We are nearly at the $50,000 mark as donations from this mailing begin to come in. Please join us in praying for the funds still needed. In case you did not receive this mailing, you can view/print it at this link:

WarmClothingLetter

4. Sasha Petrenko called and requested special prayer as he and a team of volunteers leave in the next few days for another dangerous trip to deliver warm clothing, food, Scriptures, and needed supplies to people near the war front. This time they plan to visit an area near Zaporozhe, where soldiers from Sasha’s own military town of Goncharovsk are operating. Please pray for the Lord’s protection since this group will be driving through some highly dangerous regions.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 19, 2024

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

1. The incoming applications from Ukrainian churches hoping to aid their members and friends serving at the war front are outpacing incoming donations. Under this program, churches may receive $100 to purchase warm clothing for each soldier with whom they are in direct contact. Yesterday we mailed out a special appeal for this project. So far, we have received about half of the $100,000 needed. The number of applications is quickly approaching our maximum of 1,000 soldiers. Please pray for a good response from this mailing so we can fulfill each application. (Also, we thank the Lord for all the volunteers who came to our headquarters to help with this mailing. Twenty people participated.)

2. Ever since November, Polish truckers have been blockading crossings at the border with Ukraine. The root cause for the blockade was the truckers’ demand for a return to the permit system, which regulated Ukrainian truckers’ permission to operate in Europe. However, the Polish truckers are lifting the blockade (at least temporarily) as the government tries to work out an agreement. This is good news for humanitarian-aid shipments and definitely an answer to prayer. The Kyiv Post offers this article on the topic:

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/26816

3. Vitaly and Natalia Khmelnitsky have helped to distribute aid from BIEM to adult civilians, to children, and to members of the Ukrainian military. This week’s video captures glimpses of their recent street outreach to soldiers. In addition to warm food, active military members were offered gospels, audio Scriptures, and a gift to take with them. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/streetoutreach

4. Praise the Lord, friends around the US have been sending BIEM very helpful items for our war relief efforts. Most recently, we received a shrink-wrapped skid load of aid from Calvary Independent Baptist Church in West Redding, Connecticut. It is 90% clothing, and the pastor personally helped to box those gifts. In doing so, he realized that some of his members had given their very best winter coats! And a tiny girl had given her own treasure—a little box of hairpins. What touching generosity! If you have good clothing you can donate to the ministry in Ukraine, the need has never been greater. But we need more than clothes. This link will open a printable list of a variety of items that are much in demand during the war in Ukraine:

BIEM’s War Relief Needs

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 12, 2024

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

1. On January 6, Calvary Baptist Church of South Bend, Indiana, sent us a truckload of aid for our next shipment to Ukraine. This cargo included boxed blankets, coats, sleeping bags, and medical supplies. In addition, they brought dozens of walkers and canes, plus 8 wheelchairs. This is possibly the largest number of wheelchairs we have received from a single source. With so many wounded soldiers losing mobility, wheelchairs are certainly one of the most—if not the very most requested—item during this time of war. They even brought a manual hoist with slings that can lift patients of various sizes from a wheelchair onto a bed. These will be greatly welcomed in Ukraine.

2. On December 22, we requested prayer for a group of volunteers traveling to Druzhivka (within 20 miles of the war front) to do Christmas street evangelism for children. This event was spearheaded by a couple named Vitaly and Natalia, who have been active distributors of relief for BIEM right from the start of the war in Ukraine. Although mostly video footage to show you some clips from that outreach, it closes with a summary by Natalia. Thank you for praying! Thanks to this event, modest children’s gifts and the Gospel went to homes with which we previously had no contact. You can view the 4-minute video here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/kiddies

3. Churches in Ukraine have now submitted warm clothing applications for more than 700 soldiers. Since more applications are coming in, there is no doubt we will be able to identify the 1,000 soldiers we hoped to help with warm clothing. More than half of the 700 soldiers have already been supplied. Since we have so far received $44,000, please pray with us for the remaining $56,000 needed. We are in the process of sending out a mailing we hope will bring in these needed funds. This mailing states, "For gifts of $100 or more, we will send a Sound the Trumpet CD. For such gifts, you can indicate the CD of your choice for yourself or for a friend."

4. On Saturday, we are helping to finance a group of 9 volunteers who are taking a trip to the warfront in Donetsk. Five of these brave people are Christians from the Carpathian area; the others come from Kyiv. They are asking us to pray for their safety since they will be passing through areas where entrenched Russian soldiers are using drones to spot and attack targets. Please pray that they will not be targeted.

5. Although it’s not a church planted by BIEM, we are including a large Baptist church in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine, to those receiving relief funds to aid 1,000 soldiers. These believers have helped hundreds of refugees with food while evangelizing, but their means are limited. We are pleased that, in this time of special needs, BIEM can partner with other churches of like precious faith to touch lives, win souls, and glorify our Lord.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 5, 2023

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

1. Our war-relief project to provide 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers with warm clothing is moving along. In a short amount of time, we have received applications identifying over 600 Ukrainian soldiers for whom church volunteers have committed to deliver the $100 worth of warm clothing that we are providing through our warm-clothing-for-soldiers efforts. It appears we will have no problem identifying 1,000 men to aid. However, donations for this project are currently at $44,000, so another $56,000 is needed. Please pray that God’s people will provide and that He will be glorified as soldiers receive these gifts in His name.

2. In the military city of Desna, our missionary Igor Fomichov is rejoicing that he was personally introduced to the new general now in command. This general had already heard from more than one source about the Desna church’s war-relief outreach to needy people in the area. In fact, he ended up asking Igor about some specific needs they were facing. Through our war relief funds, Igor was able to meet those needs, which goes a long way in establishing a good relationship. Praise God for such a wonderful opportunity to lend a helping hand and to share the Gospel.

3. During his 14th trip into Ukraine’s war zone with physical and spiritual aid, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak shares his experience plus reasons behind such efforts. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/warmed

4. Some of our war relief help has been distributed to Ukrainian orphans who have been evacuated to a location near one of our missionaries in a restricted Western Asian country. This is where security forces recently detained 32 ISIS-linked people who are suspected of planning attacks on churches and synagogues. Since these 32 are believed to be only part of those planning such attacks, security operations continue. For instance, security and police forces attended a recent church service conducted by our missionary to observe. While it is great that these people heard the Gospel, at the same time their presence made some feel in imminent danger, which has affected their attendance. As various security measures take place, please pray this church’s outreach to Ukrainian refugee children will not be affected.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 29, 2023

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

1. This morning I spoke with brother Yura, our church planter in Lviv, a large city in Western Ukraine very close to the Polish border. They had a rough night of little sleep since they were heavily attacked by Russian rockets and drones throughout the night. Their church building—which is also where Yura’s family lives—is very close to the airport, which seemed to be the focus of this latest Russian attack. Brother Yura shared with me that his church added a festive element to their distributions of aid, which they have been delivering to needy refugee families and soldiers stationed nearby. They formed their youth and church members into groups of carolers who sang Christmas carols along with delivering the aid. Praise God!

2. On Tuesday of this week the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine published the draft of a law that plans to mobilize another 500,000 citizens for military service. Throughout Ukraine there is much concern about the measures contained in this draft, which would make many more Ukrainians eligible for conscription. One aspect of this draft may also affect BIEM’s ability to continue bringing Ukrainian pastors to the United States to help boost our War Relief efforts by speaking in churches. Specifically, one measure in this draft requires all Ukrainians traveling abroad to register for military service and to validate their registration with local consulates. Please pray that this would not be enacted, as it would negatively impact our Ukrainian pastors’ ability to visit the United States.

3. In this week’s war relief video you will hear from Vitaly Yurchenko, one of our Ukrainian church planters we have been bringing to the United States to visit supporting churches. Vitaly, along with his wife Olena and son Nikita, were a great blessing while with us during this month of December. Since brother Vitaly’s church in Chervona Sloboda is just a couple miles from the formerly occupied areas of Bucha and Hostomel, they have been at the center of much or our war relief distribution and have received and helped hundreds of refugees. Here is the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/expanding

4. There is good news and bad news concerning our container that had been stuck in Poland, largely due to the border blockade conducted by protesting Polish truck drivers. The good news is that, after delays with the overloaded rail system, our container has finally arrived in Ukraine, where it is now at Customs. The bad news is that, despite news that the new regulations concerning such humanitarian shipments were postponed for 6 months, that does not appear to be the case for our container. Therefore, our people must process the humanitarian status of our container under the new regulations. This was the very thing we had hoped to avoid since it will greatly increase the effort required to accomplish this. Please pray for our Ukrainian director and pastor, Eugene Buyko, as he must now navigate a mountain of bureaucratic steps to fulfill the new requirements. 

5. An important part of our War Relief outreach is to encourage people to pray for the war to end. We now have a large quantity of special prayer reminders in both prayer card and book marker formats. These beautifully designed and printed prayer reminders are available for free upon request. You can order as many as you can use for yourself or to distribute to others by contacting us by phone at 317-718-1633 or through our email address, missions@baptistinternational.org. Please don’t be weary in praying for this.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 22, 2023

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

1. BIEM’s project to provide 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers with $100 of warm clothing is now underway. The distribution will be done through partner churches in Ukraine that have direct contact with specific soldiers and can enlist church members who will be responsible for purchasing the warm clothing and getting it to the soldier(s) for whom they have taken responsibility. This plan is realistic since the soldiers will be the sons, fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands, or close friends of those doing the purchasing. As a bonus, right now in Ukraine, free shipping is available for parcels to soldiers in battle.

2. Concerning the project in Update 1 above, there is an application process that requires the churches involved to identify the soldiers their church volunteers are taking responsibility for and to name which church members agree to purchase items for which soldiers. We have already received applications representing over 400 soldiers. Therefore, war relief funds to provide for these soldiers are needed and greatly appreciated.

3. In this week’s video “War Relief Continues!” (filmed 100% in Ukraine) BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak shares some sights and thoughts during his 14th trip to deliver humanitarian aid and to preach the Gospel among needy ones in the war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/reliefcontinues

4. Vitaly and Natalyia are a couple who have dedicated themselves to delivering aid from BIEM to civilians and soldiers along the front lines. God has greatly used them. In the past two months, as the weather turns colder, they have resumed a method of aiding they used last winter. It features sharing the Gospel while providing soup. They gather volunteers who help to prepare huge kettles of very thick, meaty soup. They set up stations along main roads near the front, where hungry civilians and soldiers alike can stop for a warm bowl of hearty soup. As crowds gather, the volunteers make use of opportunities to share the Gospel and give out New Testaments and tracts along with groceries, which are scarce in those areas.

5. Tomorrow (December 23) a brave group of volunteers from Temple of Salvation Baptist Church (on Pukhova Street in Kyiv, Ukraine) set out on a special war-relief project to the war front in the Bakhmut area. There have been many such trips to distribute aid to civilians and soldiers along the front; however, this one is different for two reasons. First, central to this outreach is a special, pre-prepared evangelistic Christmas program for children. Second, large numbers are expected, which is unusual so close to the war front. Please pray for God to touch hearts and change lives during this evangelistic effort. Please pray for protection as well.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 15, 2023

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

1. In last week’s updates, we mentioned that we are launching an effort to raise $100,000 through our War Relief Fund to provide 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers with warm clothing and the Gospel for unsaved ones. Here are the details regarding this project:

Recently, we were approached by a dear friend of BIEM deeply burdened for the plight of Ukrainian soldiers facing the rigors of a bitterly cold winter in frozen trenches. Some soldiers are brothers in Christ. Countless others are unsaved. We share the same concern for these freezing soldiers. After much prayer and contemplation, for this winter we have developed a specific plan to glorify God while using our War Relief Fund to evangelize and meet the physical needs of such men in the military. We propose to channel $100,000 toward helping 1,000 soldiers with warm winter clothing such as boots, coats, gloves, thermal underwear, and socks. (To boost this project, the friend mentioned above has already committed the first $26,000!) Providing clothing for soldiers in battle is a challenge. However, after consulting with people on the ground, we have developed a unique plan that involves distribution by partnering churches in Ukraine that have personal contact with specific soldiers who are friends or relatives. This plan also takes advantage of free shipping currently available for soldiers in battle. If you would like to help, please designate your gift “War Relief.” Each $100 gift will make one Ukrainian soldier’s winter warmer this year. Of course, as God’s people provide, we also continue providing relief and God’s Word to needy civilians caught in the tragic circumstances of war.

2. We are continually blessed with donations of clothing, blankets, towels, etc. Quite some time ago, we received several boxes of donated items. Among the typical items was a hearing aid kit, complete with extra batteries. It was some time before we got it to Ukraine. Eventually it ended up with Eugene Buyko in Bilogorodka. More time passed until brother Eugene devised a plan to find someone who could use it. The plan was simple. In a service, he announced that this was available for anyone who needed such a device. Turns out that one lady in the church had recently lost part of her hearing. When this lady tried out the hearing aids, she immediately burst into tears of joy and gratitude. It turns out that this unit is a high-quality device that this family would not be able to afford, especially during these difficult wartime circumstances. Praise God for His provision!

3. After BIEM invited Vitaly & Alona Yurchenko to the U.S. to speak in churches, they received permission to bring their 20-year-old son Nikita along. We took advantage of the opportunity to let Nick share how war relief looks from his perspective. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/nikita

4. Praise God, our container that has been sitting in the Polish port incurring extra daily charges has been released to the railroad yard, where it will soon be loaded onto a rail car bound for Ukraine. While we all breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God for this answer to prayer, a new concern has arisen. It turns out that, despite the Ukrainian government’s announcement that the new regulations for humanitarian-aid shipments are being postponed for 6 months, some sources now say this will not apply to all shipments. Since no one knows what the exact situation is concerning our container, please continue to pray about this issue.

5. Recent events in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv indicate that various forms of aid will continue to be needed. Before dawn this past Wednesday, Russia launched numerous high-speed ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Although Ukraine intercepted all of the missiles, the weighty falling debris damaged a hospital and civilian homes. Fifty-three people (including two children) were reported injured in the attack. As our friends in Ukraine face continuing attacks, they urge us to uphold them with the greatest possible form of aid—prayer!

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 8, 2023

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

1. Last week, we were glad to report that the new regulations for shipping humanitarian aid to Ukraine due to begin December 1 had been postponed for 6 months. This was great news because the Polish truck drivers’ strike had closed all border crossings for trucks. Therefore, we arranged to ship our container from the Polish port to Ukraine via rail. However, there is a backlog of such rail shipments since many shippers are jumping to that same strategy. (In case anyone is interested, here is an online article on this topic:  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/ukraine-finds-ingenious-solution-to-polish-border-blockade/ar-AA1l9qAQ ) So, while our container sits at the port waiting for its turn, we are being charged $70-$100 per day after an initial 10-day grace period. Please pray that our container will get onto a railcar soon.

2. News reports in Ukraine state that conscription efforts will soon intensify. This is of great concern for all of us at BIEM since our churches need all the manpower they have to conduct their ministries and distribute war relief. Please pray that the effect on our churches as many Ukrainian men face conscription would be minimal.

3. In addition to ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of needy civilians in Ukraine’s war zone, BIEM personnel and volunteers likewise reach out to their military, the ones on the front lines. In this week’s video update, BIEM missionary Sasha Petrenko and others send you thanks for your War Relief donations! You can view this brief video here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/thankyou

4. We are now launching an effort to raise $100,000 through our War Relief Fund to provide 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers with warm clothing and the Gospel for unsaved ones. Details will be in the cover letter for the Challenger newsletter now going out. Please pray God will work through this outreach.

5. This week we received several more pallets of donated aid for Ukraine—mostly good, used clothing, shoes, and housewares. This is in addition to the 8 pallets of medical supplies that we received earlier. We are thankful for all those who are delivering or shipping such donations. Some of these donated items end up in the Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation centers some of our churches operate. Therefore, household items, furniture, and gardening equipment are welcome and appreciated in these locations. Furthermore, sports equipment is always needed for youth ministries.

 In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - December 1, 2023

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

1. Praise God for a wonderful answer to prayer! As you know, we at BIEM were concerned about the new regulations governing humanitarian-aid shipments to Ukraine that were scheduled to go into effect on December 1. Despite our best efforts, due to the Polish truck drivers’ strike, it looked like our container would not arrive by December 1. However, this week the December 1 date has been extended by 6 months! Thank you for praying.

2. After leaving the U.S., Pasha Usach and Eugene Buyko have arrived back in Ukraine and rejoice to be reunited with their families and churches. This weekend, Vitaly and Alona Yurchenko, along with their 20-year-old son Nikita, arrive here at our headquarters to continue speaking in churches about how God is using our war-relief efforts to reach souls in Ukraine and to increase community appreciation of our churches there. Please pray that God will bless these December meetings.

3. On his 13th trip into the Donbas area, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak and Andrey Eliseev took both the Gospel and humanitarian aid to soldiers serving on the war front. Some of the recipients are men from their church who were conscripted to serve in the military. To see video footage that Vitaly and Andrey provided, please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/donbas13

4. Igor Fomichov reports that V_____, a female staff member of the local military hospital in Desna, was moved by all that the church is doing to help wounded soldiers in the hospital and in distributing war-relief supplies in the community. This prompted her to visit the church, and she now attends regularly. Please pray for her salvation.

5. Also in the military city of Desna, the public-school administrator was likewise impressed by all that the church is doing for the military community during this time of war. So much so that he reached out to Igor and asked him to speak before the whole student body and to share what the church is doing. On November 29, Igor spoke to the entire school. He not only explained what the church is doing but why they are doing it, thus giving glory to God. This was a wonderful opportunity to present the Gospel, which is bound to produce fruit.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 22, 2023

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

1. This week, BIEM is posting our war-relief update and video update on Wednesday instead of Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. We want to take this opportunity to wish each of you a blessed Thanksgiving. One of the things that we as a ministry are thankful for is you, our dear friends. We are grateful for each of you who receives these updates and partners with us in these efforts to share the Gospel through war relief to suffering Ukrainians. God is blessing these distributions as you can see from the following touching update.

2. Yura, our church planter in Lviv, related an incident in which, because of War Relief funds BIEM provided, he was able to significantly help a victim of the war from Kharkiv, which was heavily bombed. His name is Ivan, and he survived the bombing of a civilian apartment complex that killed 220 people, including his wife and two children. Ivan was critically wounded and ended up in the military hospital in Lviv, where Yura often ministers to the patients. Because Ivan was openly considering suicide, someone gave him Yura’s contact information. When he phoned Yura, this led to Yura being able to regularly counsel and encourage him. Praise God, through this Ivan came to know the Lord! Yura also purchased the medicines and food needed. However, finding a place for Ivan to live was a huge problem that Yura’s church in Lviv began to earnestly pray about. God answered their prayers through a Christian brother in Odessa who offered Ivan a home to live in rent-free! Today Yura drove Ivan to the train station, where he will take a train to his new home. The Christian brother there and the church will be able to continue to minister to Ivan. Today, Ivan made this statement to Yura: “I never believed that I would ever consider commit suicide, but then God sent you and I was able to find God through you. I am so happy that God forgave me and gave me a new life through his son Jesus Christ. Though I have lost my family, God has given me a new family which are my wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ.”

3. BIEM’s Ukrainian church planters Pavel Usach and Eugene Buyko wanted to express their gratitude and other thoughts to American believers before departing back to Ukraine. You can hear and see that brief video message here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/farewell

4. Please continue to pray about our humanitarian-aid container, which is due to arrive in the Polish port any day now. So far, the strike by Polish truck drivers continues to block border crossings into Ukraine. This quotation comes from the Kyiv Post:

As Polish protests blocking three major Poland-Ukraine border crossings stretch into their third week, negotiations to bring an end to the blockade have failed. Exhausted drivers are stuck in massive lines on both sides of the border, with expected waiting times reaching over one month at the Yahodyn – Dorohusk crossing, according to the electronic service, eCherha. Kyiv on Nov. 19 sent a humanitarian team to the border to provide food and water to truckers.

Furthermore, the arrangements we have made to avoid this blockade by shipping the container from Poland to Ukraine by rail instead of truck appear to offer little hope that the container shipped this way would arrive by December 1. Please pray.

5. One particularly encouraging video that Pasha Usach shared in the American churches he was able to visit is from Posad-Pokrovs’ke, a town in Kherson Oblast. On one of his aid-distribution trips to this town that was 80% destroyed, he noticed a heavily damaged church that had been abandoned. God burdened his heart about this, so he began asking people if they had contact information for any of its members, who had all evacuated to other areas of Ukraine. When he received contact information for two ladies who had been part of the church, he immediately noticed that they had evacuated to his own hometown. Soon Pasha paid them a visit, and he challenged them to return to their hometown as missionaries. This was indeed bold, since these ladies are in their 70s. Pasha told them the people there are very open to the Gospel and some have become believers through the distributions and the sharing of the Gospel that Pasha and his team performed. He told them their presence was needed there, not here where they were. He stated that he would help to re-establish the church if they would go back. They agreed to go! When they arrived, one of these ladies, upon seeing the destruction, collapsed! After two weeks of folks praying, she was able to walk again. So the two began services in her home. Even though these two ladies were limited to reading scripture, singing hymns, and sharing testimonies, before long more than 20 people were trying to attend but could not fit into their home. Pasha arranged for a tent to be put up beside the damaged church and for a church in a nearby town to send a preacher to hold the services regularly. Now 60+ people are attending and have the tent packed! Praise God! 

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 17, 2023

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

1. Last week we mentioned an urgent prayer need concerning our container headed for Ukraine. It’s important for it to arrive in Ukraine by December 1 due to stricter regulations coming into effect that day, which will make it harder to receive humanitarian-aid status for such shipments. The prayer request involved the striking Polish truck drivers who have blocked truck border crossings. There is no sign of the strike ending and the lines are now thousands of trucks long. Therefore, we are trying to arrange to transport our container from Poland to Ukraine by rail. Please pray that this can be arranged.

2. Last week we mentioned that our church planter Vitaly Bilyak had completed his 13th trip to distribute aid and preach the Gospel to those living in the war zone. Accompanying Vitaly was Andrei Eliseev, who directs the church’s Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation ministry. To see and hear glimpses from that trip, please click the following link for the video, Donbas 13: Serving for Civilians:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/serving

3. As many of you know, each of our church plants in Ukraine has members and close relatives serving in Ukraine’s military. Many of them are in battle, and all of them will soon be facing freezing winter temperatures. Praise God, a friend of BIEM is especially burdened to help as many of these Ukrainian soldiers as possible with warm thermal underclothes and socks. He’s considering making a large donation for such a project if we can produce a realistic plan for procuring and distributing such items. Please pray that God would direct our thoughts concerning this important, potential project.

4. Igor Fomichov—who pastors the church on the military base in Desna, Ukraine— has recently returned home from a trip to the US, where he was sharing about BIEM’s war relief efforts with American congregations. He reports that more and more of his men are being called up for military service. One of his deacons and the director of their drug and alcohol rehabilitation center have both recently been called up. This reduction in manpower will slow down the church’s ministry of distributing war relief. Igor has been told that he may be next. Please pray that Igor would be spared military service as this would be a huge setback for that church’s overall ministry.

5. Yesterday a local charity sent us 8 pallets of medical supplies as humanitarian aid we can ship to Ukraine. We praise God for this huge blessing! Some friends have asked whether the new regulations will prevent us from continuing our war-relief shipments. Although continuing such aid will involve more work than in the past, we believe we will be able to continue shipping containers to Ukraine. Doing so may take a bit of time as our people adjust to the new regulations. However, we believe they will be able to adapt and continue despite the new, tighter regulations.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 10, 2023

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

1. BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak recently completed his 13th war-relief trip to Ukraine’s war zone, where he and others distributed food and preached the Gospel to civilians, to active-duty servicemen, and to wounded ones in the Kurakhove hospital. On this particular trip he was accompanied by Andrei Eliseev, who directs the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Ministry of the church. When they finished the civilian part of their journey and arrived at the military unit they were helping, Vitaly was presented with a military medal for his service!

2. Praise God, the trip to another area of the war front by Sasha Petrenko for which we requested prayer last week did take place. Now, Sasha and others are in the Zaporizhia area to deliver generators, winter coats, New Testaments, and other war-relief supplies. Please pray for spiritual fruit from all the Gospel seeds being planted in the soil of War Relief aid.

3. We have previously mentioned the need for prayer that our container heading to Ukraine arrive before December 1 due to new restrictions that go into effect on that day. The good news is that the projected date of this container’s arrival in the Polish port is November 23, which normally would provide plenty of time to get the container into Ukraine by December 31. Unfortunately, truckers across Poland have just gone on strike. As a result, the flow of trucks from Poland to Ukraine has come to a halt. Please pray that this strike will end in time to transport our container from Poland into Ukraine before December 1.

4. Last week we mentioned that our Ukrainian church planters Eugene Buyko and Pavel Usach have arrived in the U.S. and now are speaking in churches to share firsthand accounts of how God is using BIEM’s aid to introduce people to the Gospel during the war. Eugene and Pavel paused their activities long enough to record an update for the following video:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/containerconcerns

5. In the Kherson area of Ukraine, our people are considering holding an evangelistic winter camp for children whose parents were killed during the Russian occupation of their city. They request prayers for wisdom and divine guidance as they consider the logistics of holding such a camp. 

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - November 2, 2023

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

1. We are glad for an answer to prayer! Our Ukrainian church planters Eugene Buyko and Pavel Usach were granted permission to leave Ukraine temporarily and arrived in the United States this past Wednesday. Thank you for your prayers! Both men are greatly involved in our Ukrainian war-relief efforts and will be speaking in churches to share their firsthand accounts of how God is using these distributions to introduce recipients to the Gospel during this time of war.

2. In this week’s Ukraine war video update, Ukrainian missionary-pastor Igor Fomichov discusses how aid shipments from BIEM translate into changed lives in Ukraine. In it, he describes a poignant example from his own church. To view “The Story of One Box of Groceries,” please click the following link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/groceries

3. As winter approaches in Ukraine, there are signs that Russia will once again attack the Ukrainian power grid as it did last winter. Apparently, the goal was to make Ukrainians suffer so badly from the cold that they would overthrow their own government for relief. However, generators were widely used to provide electricity. Many generators came from Western nations. BIEM participated in this effort as we provided over $200,000 for generators to churches that were vulnerable to these attacks. Now, with the cold weather approaching again, we welcome donations for generators in the months ahead.

4. After receiving a green light from military commanders on October 30, Sasha Petrenko (who ministers in the Goncharovsk, Ukraine, church) is taking a trip to the war front to deliver relief to soldiers from his area who are stationed near Donetsk and Zaporizhia. These are dangerous journeys, which are occasionally delayed due to military operations. Please pray for his safety and for those traveling with him. Pray, too, that this trip will go forward as planned.

5.  In our October 20 update, we mentioned that Ukraine has passed legislation that makes it much more difficult to send containers to Ukraine. That legislation goes into effect on December 1. One of the most-dreaded new requirements that had been announced was that receiving organizations must provide the passport information for everyone receiving aid. However, the broker in Ukraine who processes our containers has just received a notification concerning the new regulations. That particular requirement is missing from what they received. If this stipulation has been stricken, it would be great news since it would be unusual and invasive to expect needy citizens to show their passport in order to receive aid.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

War Relief Updates - October 27, 2023

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

1. Because of impending, adverse shipping changes we mentioned on October 20, BIEM rushed to send our next container of war relief to Ukraine as soon as possible. By God’s grace, we managed to secure a 40-foot-high cube container immediately, and we were blessed by a large group of volunteers who loaded the cargo in record time. On Tuesday, a driver delivered this container to the railroad depot, where it will be transported by rail to a seaport. Please pray with us that the vessel carrying this shipment will experience smooth sailing with no delays so it can reach the Polish port by November 23. That should enable us to truck it into Ukraine before December 1, when the stricter regulations go into effect.

2. Eugene Buyko and Pavel Usach are the next two Ukrainian church planters who are coming to visit churches in the United States. They have submitted all the forms required to apply for special permission to exit Ukraine temporarily for religious purposes as they plan to share how God is using war relief in Ukraine to reach souls. Please pray that their applications will be approved quickly so they can travel to the United States next week. Having Ukrainian pastors share firsthand accounts of our war relief efforts with American congregations greatly opens understanding and strengthens our financial and prayerful support.

3. In this week’s War Relief Video Update, Pastor Mykola of Sumy, Ukraine, shares about daily life in a city near the Russian border and the ways BIEM is assisting the church’s outreach to the community using gospels and humanitarian aid. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/sumy

4. Sasha Petrenko, who pastors the church reaching the Goncharovsk military base, is preparing to transport aid to the war front in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk. These are areas where soldiers from Goncharovsk are stationed. Therefore, Sasha has special access that enables him to deliver supplies needed by the soldiers connected with his church. They are involved in intense fighting, so these trips are dangerous. Praise God, among the items we managed to purchase are a large number of winter coats that he will deliver on this trip. These will certainly be a help as the cold of winter approaches.

5. With the war between Israel and Hamas dominating the news, friends of BIEM are asking how this affects our war-relief efforts for Ukraine. After all, the new war certainly shifts focus from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. No doubt, there will be some sort of effect, but we can’t predict what form that may take. (Many Ukrainians fear the new conflict will push Americans into donor fatigue, resulting in diminishing aid.) Nevertheless, we at BIEM will continue to apply what God supplies in the best ways we can. Meanwhile, we along with Ukrainian Christians and believers around the world will pray for Israel in these very difficult times.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

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