War Relief Updates - March 15, 2024

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

1. On Sunday, March 10th, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak was busy with his 17th evangelistic-aid trip to Ukraine’s war-torn Kherson region. Shortly after he drove away from a packed church where he had preached to hundreds of people, Vitaly’s car came under attack by a drone. Evidently, the drone operator attempted a drop a grenade on Vitaly’s clearly civilian car. The blast beside the vehicle shattered the rear and right-side glass windows, punctured Vitaly’s tires, and punched shrapnel holes in the car’s body. Despite all the damage to his vehicle, praise the Lord, Vitaly himself was unhurt! Soldiers manning a nearby checkpoint on the road heard the blast and drove over to see what was happening. Although Vitaly ended up driving a distance on flat tires, the military assisted by summoning a tow truck with a flatbed trailer, which hauled Vitaly and his vehicle to a place where he could buy replacement tires and plastic sheeting with duct tape to cover his windows. Vitaly understands that many of you pray regularly for his safety as he makes these hazardous trips, so he thanks everyone who upholds him this way. Your prayers are valuable!

2. In Odesa, Ukraine—and far beyond that city’s limits—believers are broken-hearted. On March 2, during nighttime, pastor’s daughter Anna Gaidarzhi was sleeping with her 4-month-old baby, Timothy. Meanwhile, Anna’s husband Sergei was in the neighboring bedroom trying to get their daughter Liza sleepy. But then a Russian drone exploded into their apartment building. Sergei and Liza made it out of the chaos, but Anna and baby Timothy were nowhere to be found. Sergei waited all day for word as rescue workers dug through rubble in search of survivors. When they uncovered Anna and her baby, it was clear they had perished in their sleep. Because Anna had been a regular worker in the annual Bible Quest organized by BIEM’s Pavel Usach, believers from churches all over Ukraine knew her personally. Sergei says it’s a relief for him to know that his loved ones did not suffer.

3.  On the north side of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, Awakening Baptist Church (one of the first planted by BIEM), noticed the influx of thousands of refugees who fled from the war in Bakhmut and its surrounding area. Seeing an opportunity for ministry, the church approached the city administration and explained that they would like to reach out to these refugees with aid and the Gospel. The city accepted that offer of help and gave the church the contact information for thousands of refugees lodged there. In other words, the civil authorities are helping Christians as they exercise Christian love and reach out to the newcomers with material assistance and God’s Word! Listen as Pastor Nikolai Rozhnyatovsky excitedly shares about this new outreach, made possible in part with help from BIEM:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/responding

4. Ukraine, one of our partnering churches operates a Christian Retirement center that normally houses 8-12 people. A different retirement center in the city of Kharkiv is evacuating its premises due to constant Russian shelling in the area. (In 2022, Russian forces were driven out of this area, but they continue to attack it with bombs and drones.) Accommodating 30 more people will require some major adjustments and repairs to the church-operated facility but, praise God, this is a need BIEM is helping with from our War Relief funds. Thank you for your gifts, which will not only provide housing for elderly ones in need but will settle these newcomers in a place where they will regularly hear the Gospel and see believers demonstrating the love of God.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

March Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Although the war in Eastern and Southeastern Ukraine continues to wipe out businesses, homes, and lives, for the March video we want to turn your attention elsewhere, to something more uplifting. Years ago, the mayor of a town in Ukraine visited the church where BIEM’s Anatoly Kosyanchuk preaches. At the conclusion of the service, that mayor approached Anatoly with an unexpected proposal: “If you start another Baptist church on the opposite side of town, I’ll give you the land to build on!” 

In the years following that surprise offer, God has taken the Second Baptist Church in Bilogorodka from a mere idea, to an empty plot of ground, to a construction project, to a thriving congregation. Now the Lord has blessed that growing group of believers with an ordination service—one assistant pastor and four deacons! Two of those deacons are neighbors who live within eyesight of the church. Both were unsaved when the church’s construction began. But through this ministry, God has drawn them and other residents of that neighborhood to Himself!

Our latest issue of our Challenger newsletter features an article about this same special ordination service. But for our March video, we decided to let Pastor Buyko and his new assistant pastor, Roman, tell more about God’s blessing that day. You can view that video here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/morehands

Thank you for your prayers!

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

War Relief Updates - March 8, 2024

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

1. In our War Relief Updates for March 1, we requested prayer that our Ukrainian brethren Igor Fomichov and Pasha Usach be permitted to exit Ukraine temporarily to come to the U.S. God has answered those prayers! Both men arrived safely in Indianapolis on Tuesday, March 5, without any hindrances. Having them speak in our American churches is always a blessing, both for us and for the congregations who receive them. This Sunday, March 10, they will be speaking in churches in Raleigh, NC, and sharing what a huge encouragement and help BIEM’s war relief gifts are. May God bless these meetings!

2. Continuing the thought in #1 above, on the same day that Pasha Usach arrived in the U.S., a Russian-launched Shahed drone bore down on his city of Zdolbuniv. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted that attack not far from Pasha’s home. The resulting thunderous explosion right over a residential district struck fear into many. Such events can easily cause our visitors from overseas to wish they were back home to comfort their wife and children. May God protect the families of these men as they wait for their return!

3. In today’s video, Pastor Sergei Kostin from the Kherson area of southeast Ukraine shares his experiences of being under bombardment by Russian forces. Not only did his home suffer greatly, but his daughter and granddaughter did, too. You can view the video “We just pray this will end” here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/wejustpray

Note: You may download a full translation of the personal testimony Pastor Sergei gave in a church at This Link.

4. Because of the devastation in Brother Sergei’s region, there is no work available.  Pastor Sergei and his son are trying to start a beehive operation. BIEM would like to help them with the cost of setting up some hives and also for continuing treatments for the daughter. These expenses will be drawn from BIEM’s War Relief fund. If you would like to help, donations will be greatly appreciated.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

BIEMs of Light: March 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• By God’s grace and your generosity, BIEM received $165,000 for our project to provide warm clothing and Scriptures for Ukrainian servicemen in active battle zones. This amount enabled us to respond churches’ request to provide for 1,650 soldiers known by their members. May the Lord use these gifts to soften hearts and to these servicemen’s eyes to their greatest need—Jesus Christ!

• A BIEM missionary in Central Asia wrote, “One of our Afghan leaders just led a family of 6 Afghanis to faith in Christ!” Less than 24 hours later, that same missionary wrote, “Four more Afghanis, 2 men and 2 women, were just led to faith in Christ by 2 faithful college-age girls who started and lead a women’s Bible study for one of our Afghani refugee church plants.” Hallelujah!

• In Ternopil, our new missionaries the Koops are thrilled that God provided a friend who is licensed in the technical aspect of electrical and plumbing work. By providing such a friend, who donated his time and expertise, the Lord greatly stretched the dollars you friends gave for construction materials to aid the Koops in the first phase of preparing their rough shell of an apartment.

• We rejoice that our most recent shipment of humanitarian aid and supplies is being distributed to churches for their outreaches to their own respective communities. Praise God! Thanks for prayers!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• We have scheduled BIEM missionaries Igor Fomichov and Pavlo Usach to visit America for 3 weeks in March. During this time, they will speak in churches and share firsthand about ministry in Ukraine during the war. Please pray for God to bless both the speakers and listeners during these meetings.

• From one of our missionaries in Central Asia: “One of our Afghan leaders just led a family of 6 Afghanis to Faith in Christ. Praising God with His angels….” This is just one of multiple reports of former Muslims trusting Christ. Please pray for more such spiritual fruit in those lands!

• This is the time of year when we begin preparations for Christian summer camps for kids and teens. Funding all our camps in multiple countries will require $50,000. Such dollar amounts seem huge to us, but not to God. He will send us caring Christians to help with finances. Might you be one? 

• BIEM plans to ship another 40-ft. container of supplies in the last half of March. Please pray that all goes smoothly with packing the container that we hope to purchase and deliver to Zdolbuniv, where it can serve as a permanent place to store items for the new Christian camp and church there. 

• Click here for a printer-friendly version.

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

February Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Despite the death, destruction, and other horrors resulting from Russia’s invasion and continuous attacks on Ukraine, the Lord still gives us causes for encouragement. One ministry that encourages us is the Kyiv Theological Seminary, which recently held its winter session. Although the realities of war have prevented some students from attending and compelled others to leave Ukraine as refugees, 32 students still came to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and to become more effective servants of the Lord.

At such a time in Ukraine’s history, no one would blame these young people if they had decided to stay home rather than pursue their theological training in the nation’s capital. (The women in the Seminary study to become knowledgeable Sunday school teachers, accomplished musicians, or choir directors.) After all, deadly missile and drone attacks on the capital continue to happen. And yet, these young people are committing their lives to the Lord and continuing to come when it would be easier to stay home. Praise God! Who knows, perhaps this current testing of their mettle will play its own role in developing these young believers for future ministry.

For our February video, while in Kyiv I asked Seminary Rector Vitaly Yurchenko to show us the students’ living quarters and to share about some of their backgrounds. To view this brief (4.5 minutes) video, please click the link below:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/seminary

Thank you for your prayers!

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

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

BIEMs of Light: February 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Praise God, we have surpassed $100,000 in gifts for our warm-clothing-for-soldiers project! But please do not stop giving. Although we have filled requests from 33 churches (representing 1,200 soldiers), applications keep arriving. As you give funds, we will fill requests through February. What a blessing to provide warm clothing plus New Testaments to souls in harm’s way! On March 1st we will share the final figures.

• We praise the Lord for this message from one of our men in Central Asia: “Hello, thank you for all your prayers. Just led 2 Afghanis to faith in Jesus, and one more is very close. The family of God continues to grow here. Rejoicing in the God of our salvation.”

• Oleg, the brother of BIEM missionary Sasha Petrenko, has been a prisoner of the Russians for nearly 2 years. For the first time, he was permitted to phone home. He told his daughter he is alive and well. While we rejoice that Oleg alive, we pray he will be allowed to return home.

• In another corner of Central Asia, there is a particular city for which one BIEM worker has prayed for 13 years. In January, a coworker led 2 people to Christ there! As far as he knows, these two are the first believers in that city. Praise the Lord! May they be the first of many.

Prayer – Pray with us!

• This first week of February the winter session of our Seminary in Kyiv is taking place. Since the Russian military continues to target Kyiv, please pray for the safety of the students, workers, professors, and Sam Slobodian, who is there as well. Praise God, despite the war, over 30 students have come for this session. They request prayer that they don’t get conscripted into the military since each student has been called to ministry. Many are already in ministry.

• Our long-awaited container has now arrived in Vyshneve, which is near the capital city, Kyiv. Although the container is geographically closer to our people, they still can’t receive it due to a huge amount of paperwork that must be done. Please pray for God to help speed this process.

• In Western Asia, one of our church planters reports that newcomers in civilian clothes now appear regularly at Sunday services, but it is clear these are police or other government observers. Please pray for our missionaries’ safety and ability to continue serving in country.

• In the town of Nizhylovychi, Ukraine, recent improvements continue on the house that was purchased in 2023 for renovation into a church building. These include a new well and a new, heated floor among other updates. Sadly, the home of a mom and daughter who began attending last summer burned down on January 24. Please pray for them and how believers might help them.

• Click here for a printer-friendly version.

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

January Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

During Vitaly Bilyak’s 14th trip into Ukraine’s war zone with physical and spiritual aid, one type of provision he took was hand warmers. These come in a plastic wrapper with pouches in each package. After removing a pouch from its packaging, the user gives it a fast shake to activate the ingredients inside the pouch. Once shaken, such a warmer quickly heats up due to a natural chemical reaction. Slipped inside a glove or boot, a warmer can provide some personal heat for many hours. A soldier sitting in a frozen trench on the war front can especially appreciate such gifts of warmth.

In a video he made about that trip, Vitaly pauses to read us the words of James 2:15: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” In our modern world, we have largely lost the significance of helping someone who lacks suitable clothing and suffers from cold and hunger. Yet, the Russian invasion of Ukraine compels us to reconsider and act upon such verses as we reflect God’s compassion and love. Of course, Vitaly and our other aid workers always include the Gospel with the physical assistance, for the Gospel of Christ is everyone’s greatest need.

Also, in this video you will see and hear a young soldier who came to Christ through these war relief distributions. Praise God for using us to save souls!

Thank you again for your prayers and donations to our ongoing war relief outreaches. We certainly look forward to the day when this devastating war will be over. But until then, we intend to bless victims with the Gospel while also showing compassion for their physical needs as well. Thank you for all you do to help!

Here’s the link to Vitaly’s latest video:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/warmed

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

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

BIEMs of Light: January 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In Central Asia, 3 Afghanis trusted Christ as Savior at a Christmas service. Children participated by reciting Scripture verses, which pierced the hearts of many. Praise God!

• In the country of Georgia, BIEM missionary one of our BIEM missionaries excitedly shares that a special course designed to deepen pastors’ understanding of Scripture is set to begin next week. “We have prayed for and waited for an opening to begin this training for months.” Praise God for a chance to serve other pastors!

• Also, in the nation of Georgia, our missionaries the Hoblitzes’ write, “It is a joy we cannot adequately express in words, that we are within relatively short flights for people who cannot be baptized in their closed countries, to find us and come here to follow our Lord freely and openly in believers’ baptism.” Amen!

• Concerning Afghani refugees who have fled to Central Asian areas where BIEM has workers, our field director recently messaged to say, “Praising God together with our Afghani church plant and the angels. Two more Afghani men came to faith in Jesus Christ this morning.” A follow-up message praised God for a woman who had likewise placed her trust in the Savior!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• 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 reaching 1,000. 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.

• The winter session of BIEM’s seminary in Kyiv, Ukraine, is scheduled to begin on January 29. Praise God, new students have enrolled. However, as of the New Year, Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv have increased dramatically. Some areas are experiencing shortages of electricity and natural gas. Please pray that the session will go smoothly and not be hindered by any shortages.

• In western Asia, police showed up at the Sunday, December 31, service of our church planters there. Please pray that our workers will be allowed to continue ministering.

• Some good news is that our container has finally crossed from Poland into Ukraine, where it is waiting at Customs. Despite news that the new regulations for such shipments were postponed 6 months, that does not appear to be the case for ours. Please pray for our Ukrainian director, Eugene Buyko, as he plods through many wearying steps to fulfill the new stricter requirements.

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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