Updates from Ukraine

*Update 12/19/2023

Ukraine Update

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

The Russia/Ukraine war is now reaching over 660 days. I (Bob Cave) recently talked to Dima (Ukraine's humanitarian director) and Lesya, his wife. It’s been a rough week in Kiev, where our mother church was holding their three day Pastors Conference. None of our people were killed or injured in the recent missile attack, but as I looked into the faces of my two dear friends on our video call, you could see their stress. Dima and Lesya are living in two temporary locations so their children can continue with school.

Right now their team is putting together Christmas boxes for as many families as possible. Each box for a family is $25.00. We really need your help. You can give to project “Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund" #41502P, or give online at: https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief

*Update 11/22/2023

Ukraine Update

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

War, no matter where, is always a demon’s delight, and in Ukraine, this terrible fighting has been going on since February 2022. What a tragic waste of lives on both sides. Over half a million have been killed who might have NOT yet made a decision to follow Christ. Look what the Guardian in the UK said in just the last 24 hours.

Summary

As the time approaches 3.30pm in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, here’s a roundup of today’s news so far.

• • • • Ukraine was subject to an overnight drone attack by Russia, as the Ukrainian armed forces claimed it shot down 29 of the 38 drones that were sent on a raid.
      • More than 400 towns and villages in the south, southeast and north of the country were affected by the drone attacks.
      • An oil refinery was hit in Odesa as part of the attack.
      • Meanwhile, Ukraine said it had carried out “successful actions” on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. It comes after Ukraine and Russia acknowledged earlier this week that Ukraine had established positions on the eastern side of the river, which marks part of the frontline in south-east Ukraine.
      • Ukraine’s armed forces have claimed to have killed another 620 Russian soldiers on Friday during its operations.
      • In response, Russia has said it had heavily bombed Ukrainian forces near the river, and killed about 75 soldiers.
      • In its daily intelligence briefing, the UK’s Ministry of Defence notes Russian forces are suffering “particularly heavy casualties” in fighting around Avdiivka, which is one of three areas seeing heavy ground fighting.
      • Despite the heavy fighting, however, the MoD said neither side was making any significant progress.
      • The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has called on Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to take the first step towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
      • Ukraine has been the target of nearly 4,000 cyber-attacks since the invasion began, three times higher than before."

IPHC Ukraine has been in the thick of all that is going on by providing Humanitarian Aid. Dima Loiuk, humanitarian director and drug and rehab director, has a team who is covering a lot of ground to get food and supplies to the hundreds of thousands in desperate need. I have been with Dima three times this year and can see the emotion from all he has seen written on his face. I want to thank him and his wife Lesya and children for representing the face of IPHC across this war-torn country. Dima and his family still live in a commune in a refugee center 20 miles from the Polish border. This gives him quick access to food, medicine, and other supplies needed for those who have lost everything.

Your financial contributions have honestly made a major difference. Right now, we need funds for Christmas food hampers. For $25.00 per box, Dima and his team can get these boxes to their needed destinations. the goal is to deliver 3,000 boxes...........how many could your church help with??

*Update 9/25/2023

Bad News Followed by Good News

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Russia-Ukraine War live news:

"Odesa Port Damaged in Moscow attack", "Air Alert lifted in Sevastopol, Missile Attack Thwarted, Says Governor", "Russia Downs Seven Ukrainian Drones over Belgorod Region", "Russian Military Repels Missile Attack on Crimea's Sevastopol", "Russian Air Strikes on Ukraine Kill Six, say Officials", "Russian Air Strikes and Shelling Killed Four People in the Black Sea Port of Odesa, Ukrainian Officials have said", "UN Says that Russia has Tortured Some Ukrainians to Death."

The headlines above are bad enough, without reading the whole story, and the war between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of ending anytime soon. But we can keep praying and giving. It’s making a big difference.

Please pray for our IPHC Leader, Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky as he was taken to a Kiev hospital just before he was going up to preach in our main Church this past Sunday. By Wednesday, Sept. 27, they will either put in stents or do open heart surgery. We pray for his rapid recovery as he has felt the weight of war and the responsibility to lead our 225 Churches, pastors and scattered refugees. He has continued to spearhead church planting in four or five other countries, as well as Ukraine.

Bishop Valery and Dima Loiuk, our humanitarian director, recently made a quick trip to Zurich, Switzerland where one of his field superintendents has planted six new churches. Then they traveled to the United States in mid-September for several busy meetings and Global Outreach Rallies.

Since, Dima has returned to Ukraine, where he has led another humanitarian drive to deliver “Life Boxes” to desperate villages across the war zone.

Can you help us with "Life Boxes"?

Life Boxes are $25 per box. Check out what they consist of here! Maybe your church or Sunday school call could commit to sponsoring boxes this month!

You can give through your local church to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund, project #41502P, or easily online at https://iphc.org/missions/update-from-ukraine/.

You are MUCH appreciated!

 

*Update 8/23/2023

Kids from Kyiv Bused Over Border to IPHC Refugee Base

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

The summer has been busy with our Ukrainian children who are stuck in a very dangerous war situation. Among the thousands killed (with estimates tallying around 500,000 both for Russian and Ukraine), many innocent children have lost their lives. Our mother church in Kyiv arranged with children's ministry director Gayana Omelchenko who runs our Ukraine Refugee Center in Poland to send as many children as was safe to Poland for summer camp over the summer. This was all possible because you have been sending funds to  the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund. As you see in Guyana’s note, she is so grateful to you for making this logistic challenge a reality.  Please continue to help with Ukraine's needs!

Note from Guyana Omelchenko

Dear friends from IPHC, today we summed up the results of the camp. It was supposed to be in Dluga, Poland from July 1 to July 31, but due to constant rocket attacks on Kyiv, we held the camp from June 14 to August 14.  Some families are afraid to return to Kyiv and will stay with us in Poland for a while. We want to express our deep gratitude to IPHC for your great support.  Without you, we wouldn't be able to have this camp at all. Many of the newly arrived children spent the school year in Kyiv bomb shelters and hiding in basements to the sound of sirens. We tried to fill the program of the day with interesting activities, to do everything possible so that the children would forget about the war at least for a while. We held sports competitions, water relay races, quests, cooking classes, invited clowns, made barbecues, went mushroom picking, swam in the lake, went to the petting zoo, and much more.  All this was very important for the emotional and psychological rehabilitation of children and God has done it through you, our precious friends. The highlight of the camp was a day trip to the Baltic Sea. Golden sand, gentle sea, soft waves, gentle sun - all this was so necessary for the physical and emotional rehabilitation of children who have been asking God for a year and a half to save their lives and the lives of their parents and stop this crazy war. They ran on the golden sand, jumped on the waves, sunbathed under the sun, shouted with joy, and splashed each other.  Seven-month-old Olivia, one-and-a-half-year-old Milena, two-year-old Zlata and Nikita and all the other children splashed in the water and squealed with happiness and joy. IPHC, thank you giving so much happiness and joy to Ukrainian children!

 

*Update 8/23/2023

Update from Dmitro Loiuk

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Dima Loiuk, IPHC Ukraine Humanitarian Director, and I (Bob Cave) are in touch on a regular basis as we continue to send your financial gifts to the war efforts to buy food and supplies. We have worked together for years, and Dima is a man of God for Ukraine at this time. He is also Bishop Valery Reshetinsky’s right-hand man as Bishop oversees our 225 IPHC Churches there. As we pray for them, please also remember the 20 Churches that we have on the Russian side as well.

Letter from Dmitro Loiuk

Dima Loiuk, IPHC Ukraine Humanitarian Director, and I (Bob Cave) are in touch on a regular basis as we continue to send your financial gifts to the war efforts to buy food and supplies. We have worked together for years, and Dima is a man of God for Ukraine at this time. He is also Bishop Valery Reshetinky’s right-hand man as Bishop oversees our 225 IPHC Churches there. As we pray for them, please also remember the 20 Churches that we have on the Russian side as well.

“Hello, Bob and Carol. I hope all is well with you and your family too. Thank you very much for your prayers and financial assistance. It is difficult for me to convey everything in words and on video that is happening in Ukraine. War is a curse. A lot of military people and ordinary people die. A lot of people have lost their homes and other property. We are all tired of war.

At this time, we serve people by helping them survive the war and we preach the gospel to them. It's generally forbidden to film or take photos four kilometers from the Russian army, but I was able to film some for the IPHC. People live in cellars under the sun's rays without food or water. We were able to visit them and help them. It is impossible to look at people without tears. I will send you a message on a video where you can see a little of the conditions people live on the frontline.

In the church, we continue to take care of children with mothers who are displaced from the military zone. We give them diapers and various hygiene products. In the month of September, we want to increase this program in order to gather children with their mothers in church five days a week, have classes with them, and cook food for them. I will also send you a link from the latest promotion. Today we started to form new boxes of humanitarian aid which we called the “box of life”. We want to put there everything necessary for people who live under shelling and do not have the opportunity to buy the necessary things for themselves. Together with the boxes, we will deliver drinking water. I will send you a link for that too. I just got back from another trip and will be leaving again soon. Soon, I will send a video from the last trip. Thank you, dear Bob, for being with me and supporting me. May God bless you and Carol and your entire family. I hug you and we will keep in touch. Please pray for me.

Below are some short videos:

Caring For Refugee Children

IPHC Humanitarian Convoy During ongoing War

Baptism UNDER Fire

 

*Update 7/18/2023

IPHC Ukraine Humanitarian Director's Latest Report

See the full report here. 

Humanitarian Director Dima Loiuk and his team of 40 others have served on the war front for over a year and a half. Your financial contributions have gone to help over 19,000 IPHC members and thousands of others!

Please continue to give!

Give online at: https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief

Or through your local Church to: Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund 41505P

 

*Update 6/27/2023

The Ukraine Flood Disaster in the Midst of War Disaster

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

We reported on June 15 that the major Ukrainian Kakhovka Hydro Dam had been breached. Thousands of people were flooded out of their homes and much livestock was lost to the floods. Whether Russia or Ukraine bombed it is not yet confirmed.

Humanitarian Director Dima Loiuk and his team have been in the war/flood zone this past week with a convoy of trucks loaded with supplies. Your donations are making a difference. Please continue to help us help them.

See the below video from Dima and his team.

___

A Note from Dima

Greetings dear Bob and Carol!

Hope you are good. Thank you for all prayers and support!

I sent you a video from Humanitarian Convoy to people who are victims in Kakhovka Flood. Despite all the horrors of war, we use this opportunity to preach the Gospel. People are very needy to hear what God says, and there is hope. Next week we will go in that area again. We must to deliver all needed aids. Thank you, you are always near us.

Dima

___

As you may know, Bishop Valeriiy Reshetynskyi’s goal during this war is to preach the Gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ and plant new churches. Many in the country claim to be Ukrainian Orthodox, and yet many have not heard a clear presentation of who Jesus Christ is, nor have they been presented with hope in Him through salvation. This window of hardships and struggles is an open door for our IPHC believers and other Christ followers to share the Gospel.

Please pray that may will surrender to Him.

Blessings, Bob.

 

*Update 6/27/2023

Where Have all the Children Gone?

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Children are without a doubt the world’s greatest commodity, resource, and hope! Unfortunately, they are expendable, especially during a senseless war that has killed 485 children and left more than 1,005 wounded. Almost 20,000 kids remain missing.

Across the Ukraine and Polish border, our Children’s Ministry director, Gayana, is running a Refugee Camp with about 120 persons, 85 of them children. Starting in July, additional children will be coming over the border from Ukraine to Gayana’s summer Children’s Camp. World Missions has advanced the funds needed, and we are asking you to help with this vital project.

You can give at your local church by earmarking checks: Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund $41502P or online at  https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief

Below is a note from Gayana expressing her thanks for a few things your funds have done for her ministry.

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I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our dear sister Carol and brother Bob. Every time we get into the vehicle, we thank the Lord for you and for all your friends who helped us get the Renault Trafic.  We donated our old car to our rehabilitation center in the village of Zhmiyivka. In this letter, I want to address you with two requests: First, is it possible that this summer a group of young people from America would come to us again? Last year, they (a group from The Awakening base in Hungary) did a wonderful job here. They were a great blessing at our Gospel Center in Gorzow Wielkopolski, and they were also a great inspiration for the mothers and children at our camp in Dluga. After all the military events we experienced, this group was like a breath of fresh air for us. The children fell in love with them. They remember everyone by name, and now they believe that they will come this summer. The second thing I want to ask of you is for at least a little financial support for the month of July. The fact is that, on the first of July, a bus of people from our church arrives at our camp from Kyiv. There will be 30 people on the bus and another 15 will arrive to us in their cars. I received permission from the Polish authorities to receive an additional 50 people (mothers with children) from our Christian Hope Church on the condition that Poland pays for their accommodation and food once a day; only lunch. It is up to me to provide them with breakfast, dinner, drinking water, paperwork, hygiene products, diapers for children, transportation from Gorzow Wielkopolski to our camp, and, of course, ice cream. For this reason, I dare to ask you for financial support. Some of these children spent the whole war in Kyiv in basements or school bomb shelters. They come only for one month because their parents cannot leave Kyiv for more than a month. By the way, before Shepherd (Bishop) Valerii flies to America he will bring his family here as well. I thank the Lord that we have friends like you.

Love, Gayana.

 

___

Thank you so much for your continued help in Ukraine and the places our IPHC Church people have fled to, such as Poland. This war continues to be harsh on millions. Your finances are helping many of our 19,000-plus members.

Blessings, Bob.

*Update 6/15/2023

Major Hydroelectric Dam Collapses

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Our IPHC Ukrainian Church sends their continued gratitude and thanks for the ongoing support in the war with Russia. Most natural disasters happen quickly, and cleanup begins. War is different, as we know it is ongoing until peace is agreed upon and declared. So, it is with this war started on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia launched a major offensive against their Ukraine neighbor. Hundreds of thousands have now been killed and President Putin is moving nuclear weapons into the neighboring Belarus as early as July.

On Tuesday, June 6, a major hydroelectric dam collapsed. Monitoring agencies say an explosion caused the collapse and Russia and Ukraine both blame each other.

The ensuing disaster is causing hundreds of thousands to have no drinking water, at least 16,000 have lost their homes, some have lost livestock, and some have lost their lives.

On Wednesday, June 14, humanitarian director Dima Loiuk took two trucks loaded with medical supplies and a few tons of bottled water to the thousands of victims. Can you or your church help cover the cost of some of those supplies as soon as possible? We are needing about $12,000 to cover expenses.

Give online at: https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief

Or through your local Church to: Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund 41505P

*Update 5/30/2023

Barnabas Ukraine Ministries

God continues to work through humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Find the latest news and testimonials from IPHC Barnabas Ukraine Ministries here.

Ukraine Barnabas PowerPoint

*Update 5/16/2023

A Call to Fast and Pray

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Rockets, bombs, and missiles have been raining down on Ukraine for almost 15 months. There are so many thousands who have died that it is hard to get any kind of accurate count. The numbers suggest somewhere around 200,000 attributed to each side. Sadly, most counted didn’t know Christ as their Savior. As I have talked to our Bishop in Ukraine, who cares for our 225 Ukraine churches, he invited me to join him in fasting and prayer from May 15-17. As our brothers and sisters in Ukraine face constant threats, I am extending this invitation to our global IPHC family to make Wednesday, May 17, a day of prayer and fasting over Ukraine. Prayer is our only hope in predicaments such as this.

Urgent Letter from Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky; Kiev, Ukraine

Hello, my dear friend Bob!

Greetings from Ukraine!

For several days in a row, Russia tried to attack the entire territory of Ukraine with drones and missiles. Here in Kyiv, there were two night air raid alerts per night. Many people go down to their basements or go to bomb shelters. Unfortunately, there were hits by missiles or drones in some places and regions of Ukraine, also in Kyiv. Our district in Kyiv was not affected.

We thank the Lord that our Western partners USA, CANADA, POLAND, ISRAEL, and other countries support Ukraine and provided air defense to protect our skies. Therefore, of all those numerous missiles aimed at Ukraine, 98% were shot down. Thank the Lord for the support provided by these countries and God's protection.

I would like to inform you that in the period from May 15 to May 17, 2023, we are announcing a fast and prayer for all churches in Ukraine. Now, we expect a sudden and swift offensive of our Ukrainian troops, but we also believe that our prayers and fasting are the most powerful spiritual warfare against the evil spirits and worldly rulers of darkness. May the Lord accomplish His Victory over Russian invaders, villains, murderers, marauders, and liars. We ask our entire IPHC spiritual family to connect, if possible, to this prayer fast for Ukraine. Below I am sending you our call to prayer and fasting.

 

The Call to the Ukrainian Church

Dear brothers and sisters!

Dear Christian community IPHC of the whole world!

For more than a year, full-scale military aggression by the Russian Federation against sovereign and independent Ukraine has been carried out before the eyes of all mankind. This is not just aggression, this is a real cynical and brazen genocide of the people of Ukraine with the ambitious goal of the renaissance of the Russian empire. This is not just a local war, it is a civilizational battle of good against evil, light against darkness, and a struggle of democratic and moral values against a handful of beleaguered dictators and their neo-fascist shamanic worldview. Never before in the history of mankind has there been such an audacious and insidious challenge to the world Christian community.

For more than a year, modern world society has been watching as Ukraine, which was the first to voluntarily give up nuclear weapons, is bleeding: thousands of cities destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people dead, destroyed infrastructure, violence, rape, looting, and robbery throughout the occupied territory of Ukraine. Power plants mined by orcs in Ukraine are in great danger, which may end in a global environmental disaster. Russia brazenly and publicly continues to ignore all international legal norms and conventions accepted in the modern world, challenging everyone, making nuclear threats, and provoking a hybrid information war. And all this is speculatively presented as the protection of Russia's interests and the protection of the murderer's "scraps" under the omophorion of "Putin's icon".

Ukraine recognizes its responsibility, in fact, for the fate of all humanity, being at the tectonic fault of modern civilization, and is sincerely grateful to all countries and people of goodwill for the military, diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian support of our people.

Putin's generals, the oligarchy, and traitorous collaborators were carefully preparing for this war and, according to their calculations, intended to completely capture Ukraine in a matter of days or weeks. Everything came together. And the intelligence of many countries of the world regrettably gave Ukraine a disappointing forecast.

But the aggressor did not take into account the most important component - the spiritual component. The aggressor did not take into account that Ukraine is a Christian country, the territory of which is home to thousands of churches, millions of Christians who, together with the armed forces, stood in the breach to protect their people, millions of volunteers who demonstrate the sacrifice of Ukrainians and their will to victory and freedom.

The Bible unequivocally shows us that first all events take place in the spiritual higher dimension, and then they take place in physical reality! Millions of Christians all over the world became a spiritual breach for Ukraine! And, as a result of this spiritual asceticism, the whole world during this war already observed the extraordinary and supernatural intervention of God in this military company. Everyone noticed the connection between the three-day prayer fasts and the liberation of Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions from occupation, and later Kharkiv region and Kherson. Thank God and thanks to all soldiers and volunteers!

And so, the decisive moment and the decisive battle in this war approached. Ukraine has already announced a big offensive! The result of this battle is expected by all the peoples of the world! We believe that the prayer cup before God's throne is already full, the Ukrainian land is already sufficiently covered with blood and tears. The time of spiritual battle has come!

Christians of Ukraine and the whole world, prayers, worshipers, and priests of the Living God — the time has come to declare a spiritual PRAYER REBELLION against the forces of evil and use the power given by God to His Church to stop this cruel war and drive the enemy out of our land!

It is suggested to all Christians in the period from May 15 to 17, 2023, to conduct a 3-day prayer fast. At this time, organize prayer services and worship services in front of the Almighty Creator in all churches with the proclamation of the complete victory of Ukraine and the end of the war.

A request to all Christians to pray for the following:

• Repentance and reconciliation with God of all the people of Ukraine
• Liberation of Ukraine from treason and corruption
• Complete liberation of the territory of Ukraine within the borders of 1991
• Complete healing of the physical and mental wounds of the Ukrainian people
• Complete capitulation of Russia and dismantling of its criminal political structure, as a guarantee of further security of Ukraine
• Restoration of Ukraine at the expense of reparations from Russia, and repentance of its deep and zombified people
• Prayerfully deliver all military and political criminals of Russia to God's just judgment.

With respect and gratitude,

Bishop of Union "Ukraine Missionary Church" - IPHC Ukraine

Valerii Reshetinskyi

З повагою, ДУ ХВЄ "Українська Місіонерська Церква"

Sincerely,

Union "Ukraine Missionary Church" - IPHC Ukraine

Kiyv, Ukraine

 

*Update 5/8/2023

Humanitarian Efforts Persist Amidst War

*Update 4/19/2023

It's Bad But We Get To Do Good

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

This war has completed its 419th day, and for many, it has been like they are living in the tribulation! We know it’s not, but all the signs of war and lawlessness are there. Conflicting reports reflect the loss of 124,500 to 131,000 casualties including 15,500 to 17,500 soldiers on the Ukrainian side, plus 189,500 to 223,000 casualties, with 35,500 to 43,000 soldiers on the Russian side. Britain and others estimate the loss to be more around 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers alone. My thought is that whatever the number is, that’s a lot of souls that probably went to hell before hearing a clear presentation of the gospel. What a tragedy this is, as all wars are.

But, amid all this chaos, our IPHC Ukrainian Humanitarian team is taking love to those who have lost hope and are meeting those who have overwhelming needs. Can you imagine a life where the arrival of food parcel trucks are your hope to survive another day?

Despite it all, the Church continues to grow as another plant is taking place just this month. Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky’s hopes for thousands of Christ followers to keep sharing the gospel from village to village.

See more updates by watching the videos below:

The War Zone

Cruise Missile Hits an Apartment

Helping at City of Kherson

Care for Refugee Mothers and Children

Greeting to Calvary Church (If your church would like a personal clip from Ukraine, contact Bob Cave.)

 

*Update 3/23/2023

Ukraine Update: More Missiles

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Dima Loiuk, IPHC Ukraine's humanitarian director, recently visited another scene of death and destruction. There are too many stories like this. I only keep you updated because our brothers and sisters need your prayer covering and we can easily forget what is happening on the other side of the world.

Watch the latest update from Dima Loiuk here.

Of course, as you see this video, realize this is happening hundreds of times around the country. For over a year, you, the IPHC church, have given generously to Project #41502P Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund. This has helped us buy hundreds of tons of food and supplies for our 19,000 plus members in Ukraine. We were also able to buy generators, batteries, inverters, and lights for 70 locations as there is no electricity in hundreds of villages and towns. These supplies allowed us to create what we call Safety Points. Thank you so much! Please continue to help as you can see in the video many people have lost all their possessions.

On another note, Carol and I were just in Turkey and interviewed many of our IPHC Turkey Earthquake survivors. Our church members from Antioch suffered the most as the majority of the buildings (high rise apartments) collapsed. Thanks to the earthquake relief support you have sent, we have people on the ground in Antioch giving out needed relief.

Now, we are in Israel and all ministries are moving along smoothly. We’ve met with our leaders here, and they too are so grateful to you for the support of the Israel and Bethlehem work. If you are planning or are on a trip to Israel, please let me give you our contacts here in the country and in Bethlehem. They would love to meet up with you to say thanks! Contact me by phone at 210-929-9793 or email at bcave@iphc.org

*Update 3/7/2023

Past the One Year Mark and Things Are Not Improving

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

We’re into the second year of war and hundreds are dying every day, especially in the Bakhmat area of the country where fighting is very intense. There are thousands of pictures and videos coming at us from television and newspaper outlets around the world. What do we do and what do we say? First, we say our Lord God is in charge as 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.”

As we consider our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, we pray this over their lives. Every time I hear from one of them, they are so thankful and grateful to you for not forgetting them while our lives go on outside a war zone.

Every week, since before this all started, we have been delivering food and necessary supplies to bombed-out villages and towns where people are living without electricity, heat, and running water.

Dima and his humanitarian team have kept on the go every day to get these supplies out across the country.

Take a look at this short video of things they have been involved in.

___

Across the Polish Border in our IPHC Refugee Camp Guyana Directs a lot of Children

Letter below submitted and approved for publication by Guyana Omelcheko and Regional Director Bob Cave. 

Dear friends of IPHC,

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you are still with us and support us both in prayer and financially. There are 150 people in our Polish children's camp, and 85 of them are children and teenagers. We are far from home and loved ones.  We left our homes, jobs, our usual way of life, and comfort because we fled from the war - from explosions, sirens, fear, hopelessness, cold, and hunger. We fled to save our children - the future of Ukraine. Every day our children pray: "God, let the war end! Let children like me not die. Let bullets not kill and rockets not to fly. God, let the war end. We want to go home to our dads, to our schools, to our native Kyiv..."

Of course, it is not easy for us in a foreign country, and here each of your help means a lot to us. One of the problems of our camp is that we are in the forest. In order to get to the hospital, clinic, shop, and school, you needed a car. This week, thanks to all of you, we have acquired a used Renault Trafic with nine seats. This is a great car that all the adults and children of the camp have been praying and dreaming about for a long time. Thank you to everyone who blessed us financially to purchase this van. Now it is much easier for us to solve our problems, to buy food, water, medicines, to take children to school, to a clinic, and take babies and pregnant women to the hospital. And, this weekend, we promised to take all the children in small groups for the first time in eleven months of the war on a new mini bus to McDonald's!

We thank you for helping us take care of our children, giving them your love and warmth.

To give to Ukraine, visit Project #41502P Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund.

 

*Update 2/13/2023

The Belarus/Ukraine Connection

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Belarus is a small country laying right under the belly of Russia. It is a nicely developed country because Russia wanted it to be a showpiece after the fall of the Soviet Union. Their government is very much in step with Russia, and now they are a launching pad in the war against Ukraine. Four or five years ago we started planting churches there under the advice and direction of Ukraine’s IPHC Bishop Valery Reshetinsky. Pastor Slava Goncharenko has a large (1500 member) mother church in the capital city of Minsk and has facilitated in four church plants. Two years ago the city government deemed their church was not on “legal” land and ejected them from the premises. They didn’t even allow them to meet in the parking lot. So, for the last two years, they have met outdoors in the cold, snow, rain and everything in between. Pastor Slava is still very much involved in helping those in need. As you will read in the letter below, there are many Ukrainian refugees that have been captured by Russia, and if not rescued, they will be shipped to Siberia. Most of those forcibly sent to Siberia never return.

Many of those captured were in Mariupol, the city of 450,000 that Russia flattened, killing at least 20,000. IPHC Ukraine had three thriving churches there and we really don’t know the plight of all our people in those congregations.

Pastor Slava is asking us to participate with them in the rescue of these Ukrainians trapped in Russia, and help care for them when they are brought back through Belarus, and eventually on to Poland.

Many Blessings to you,

Bob Cave

___

Letter below submitted and approved for publication by Pastor Slava Goncharenko in Belarus and Regional Director Bob Cave. 

Dear Bob and partners from IPHC,

Greetings to you from Minsk, Belarus.

We are grateful to you for the church plant project in Belarus and your help in spreading the Gospel in our country. Due to your support, we were able to open and support four new churches in Belarus.

The war in Ukraine brought so much pain and suffering. Thousands of dead and wounded people in Ukraine, so many ruined lives and millions of refugees looking for a new home. Our churches could not remain indifferent to the pain and sufferings of people in Ukraine.

During this difficult time for all of us, one of our pastors, Andrey Latyshevich, and his wife Varya, began to serve the refugees from Ukraine. For the time being, this ministry has helped more than 3,000 Ukrainian refugees to escape from Russian-occupied territories and assist them with transportation to Poland.

For more than half a year there has not been a single day that more and more refugees did not come to us. Every day we meet, feed, care, help with documents, pray, and transport to Poland at least 50 new refugees a week. Some refugees spend four days on a bus getting to us without a single meal.

In the East of Ukraine, the cities of Mariupol and Severodonetsk were totally destroyed by the Russian troops. Still now, thousands of bodies remain under the rubble and the cities have turned into huge cemeteries where the air is saturated with corpse smell. The local people have no opportunity to evacuate to Ukrainian territory. The Russians forcibly take them to Russia, but first they go through a filtering camp.  Later, they are taken to the city of Taganrog, Russia (120 km from Mariupol), an intermediate point, where they spend several days in a huge sports arena (there are always about 1000 people there). It is difficult for Ukrainians to leave that place, and there is no opportunity for them to return to Ukraine. Most of them don’t have money and they are not allowed to buy train tickets with Ukrainian passports. After several days in Taganrog, the Ukrainians are sent by train to different towns in Siberia, and it is almost impossible to leave that area.

A few months ago some people from our church received a call with a request to come to Taganrog to evacuate someone’s relatives out of there. When they arrived at that refugee’s centre in Taganrog, they saw so much suffering and pain and hopelessness in people. They had several empty seats in the minivan and decided to take to Belarus not only their relatives, but some other people. Mariupol refugees have practically no money, many of them have stayed in basements for two months, many are coughing and have many diseases, and many have lost their relatives and friends.Initially, they took several people in a minibus to Belarus and later transported them to Poland so these people can go back to Ukraine from Poland or go to some other places. Later, our church and some other churches in Belarus began to transport people in several minibuses. Then, big buses brought them over to Belarus where we fed them, took care of them, and in a several days, transported them to Poland.  We’ve already evacuated around 1,000 Ukrainian refugees.

These are people whose future was taken away, who have practically nothing left, destroyed lives, and they are morally depressed and physically exhausted.

We took a boy to a clinic in Minks. A concrete slab fell on the boy in Mariupol. He was pulled out from under the rubble and we took him to the neurologist.

An elderly man spent two months in the basement under the rubble. He couldn't even walk on his own. Our people took him from Taganrog and brought him to Belarus and found relatives in Belarus who took care of him.

We brought a girl with a small child. Her husband was torn apart by a bomb and they simply brought his remains in a bag. She says everything has lost its meaning.

One lady who came to us stopped talking because of the shock and stress she went through.

People have lost everything. They lived a wonderful life; everything was taken from them.

We brought one family with 12 children, some of them were adopted. Their skin was pale and the children had cramps. After several days we brought them to the Polish border. The Polish border guards cried when they saw them.

Everyone has their unique story.

People from our church host refugees in their homes. We have a house where we host about 40 refugees every day. Our leaders come to spend time with them every night. It is important to talk to them and to pray for them. Our leaders cook for them, do the laundry, buy personal hygiene items, and take them the shops to buy clothing. It is a joined effort of churches in our network.

All this time we were able to do this work on our own with the support of our church members. Now, we need help. Every day we need funds for fuel, food, clothes, medicines, and hygiene products. In some new places where we want to accommodate people it is necessary to buy mattresses and bed linen. Many refugees need to buy suitcases, as they bring their belongings in plastic bags.

We would like you to participate with us in serving refugees from Ukraine. Your help is very much appreciated.

The monthly budget is about $2,500 USD.

Please pray for the protection and salvation of these people.

May God bless you,

Pastor Slava Goncharenko in Belarus

Project #41502P Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund

 

*Update 1/20/2023

Troop Tension on the Front Line

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Greetings and a big thank you for your contributions to help buy generator packages for some of our 225 IPHC Churches in Ukraine. Dima Loiuk (head of our 38-person humanitarian team) informed me they have set up the first 25 churches with electricity. As most of the country is without electricity, this is a great evangelistic outreach. Imagine the northern part of the USA in winter without lights, heat or a means of pumping water into houses or apartments.

I can’t stress what a relief these generators, batteries, and inverters are to these village and town churches. People are coming to a place that has lights, warmth, hot drinks and humanitarian food to take to their own home.

I’m asking if your church, family or business could raise $2,000 for one of the 70 locations. So far we have completed 25 and are geared up to do 25 more next week.

Please watch this latest report from Dima Loiuk.

Dima and his team also told me of God’s miraculous protection of his own men and women who are in harms way most of the time. I have mentioned Pastor Max Hahan before as we planted a church in his town of Krushinka about 20 miles outside Kiev. Pastor Max is also the director of our Drug Rehabilitation Center in Krushinka that houses about 40 men. Pastor Max is an ex-policeman and signed up to fight for his country when the war started. His unit was held up in a building a mile and a half from the Russian border this week. They had all left the building just three minutes before it was attacked by a Russian drone and they were all safe. He and others of our Church leaders that are part of the Ukraine Army need your prayers. We also pray a swift end to the war and not an escalation into other countries.

Please watch this short interview between Dima Loiuk and Pastor Max Hahan.

Please continue to pray for the elderly as their whole know world is shattered and nothing makes sense. We specifically try to make sure we can get food and warmth to them in all the villages we travel to.

Your contributions are a big help.

Project #41502P Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund

*Update 1/10/2023

2023 and Still at War

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Olga is Bishop Valerii’s assistant and lives in Kiev with her husband Oleg. I’m in touch with her once or twice a week as she translates all the correspondence between Bishop and myself. She doesn’t usually say anything about their living conditions in Kiev unless I pry it out of her, but she texted yesterday saying, “This is a very terrible time. Two days ago, we couldn’t sleep because of night bombardment by drones. One building not far from us was damaged, and windows flew out of the apartments there...But we are safe with God!”

As you know, this war has taken a toll in every way on our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and they need your continued prayers and financial assistance for food, medicines, and baby supplies.

As you’ve heard, most of Ukraine’s electricity has been bombed out of existence. We are raising funds to provide electricity for 70 of our church locations in villages and towns across the country. We just sent funds for the first 25 generator packages (each including a generator, lights, batteries, six sleeping bags, and a coffee urn). One package cost $2,000 and I am asking your church or family to commit to purchasing a package. If you would like to make this commitment, please email me at bcave@iphc.org and World Missions will advance the funds while you raise yours.

A note of appreciation is that we have been able to purchase a large commercial generator for our mother church in Kiev. We have also drilled a well inside one of the wings of the church that will supply all the water we need to be able to fill water jugs that come in. Now, there is electricity, water, and heat. Because of this, our church has become a true refugee oasis in Kiev.

Please Watch Dima Loiuk's (the IPHC Ukraine humanitarian Director) latest video report  from Ukraine. 

Project #41502P Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund

 

*Update 12/21/2022

Delivering a Taste of Christmas

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

The resilience of so many Ukrainian villages is amazing. Even with bombed houses and apartments they have stayed where they have always lived. Thank you for what you have done in the last year through humanitarian efforts to provide food, medicines, and even generators for electricity in at least 70 locations where we have churches.

Please Watch Dima Loiuk's (the IPHC Ukraine humanitatian Director) short YouTube report from the war zone.

Below are the generator packages we need to put in 70 locations. For $2,000 per location we can have “Safety Point” and evangelical outreach in a village. Can your Church/family/business/community all get together to raise the needed $2,000?

Project #41502P Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund

*Update 12/14/2022

No Lights, No Heat, No Water

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

This past week I was able to talk with Dima Loiuk (the IPHC Ukraine Humanitarian Director), his team administrator, and Pastor Max. They are in the dark in a village, delivering food near the Polish border. Did I mention “in the dark”? Because that is the fate of much of Ukraine now that the country's electrical grids, substations, and network have been bombed by the Russians. It is now winter, and the average temperatures are well below freezing! Dima and Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky are very thankful to all of IPHC for the generosity that has allowed us to send hundreds of thousands of dollars to supply emergency food, medicine, and other supplies since this all started last February 24, 2022.

Please take 2 minutes to Listen to Bishop Valerii express his thanks.

Amidst their gratefulness, they face a new crisis: no electricity.  Can you imagine being in a cool or cold climate and having no electricity in your home, your town, or your state, all winter long?

Here is how you can help! We have started purchasing “Generator Safety Points” for at least 70 of our church locations in towns and villages across the country. These Safety Points are becoming evangelistic beacons in the middle of each town's darkness. At these points, we are able to share warmth by wood stoves, hot drinks, and a place to charge their mobile devices as communication is vital.

Can your church, family, or group of friends or colleagues fund a Safety Point for $2,000?

BONUS: We are trying to help 200 mothers have essential products at a cost of about $30 per baby. As fathers are called off to war, many mothers are on their own.  Can you help?

All funds can be given through your local church to Project: Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund #41502P” or online at https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief.

*Update 12/2/2022

Ukrainian Refugees Head to Israel

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

I am reporting from Israel where IPHC/WMM has a significant work among the 1.5 million Russian speaking Jews and Ukrainian Refugees that have recently arrived from the war zone in the Ukraine and Russian front.

Last Friday night in our Shabbat service (Sabbath weekly prayer service) I met a good number of Ukrainians. Of course, they all have relatives and friends that are in the midst of war. Amongst the many, I met a young couple that just fled from Russian occupied territory and came through the country of Georgia to Israel as refugees. They accepted Jesus here, and this week we baptized them in the Jordan River!

I also met Stan Slavchenko from Saint Petersburg, Russia (about age 20) who escaped Russia but had enough documentation to qualify to make “Aliya”, Jewish citizenship. He arrived in Israel not knowing a soul and through several referrals, has ended up in our Bible School Center in Haifa.

Our ministry here is called IPHC Living Israel and it has a number of drug rehab centers, a dynamic new church in Haifa with about 250 attendees, plus about 35 house churches with 20-50 people meeting in every location. In three locations we minister to Holocaust survivors and to new arriving refugees close to our Haifa Church location. If you are ever touring Israel or Bethlehem, please visit us. You will be blown away at what God has done.

We Need Your Help

You can help the Ukrainians: the refugees in Ukraine, Israel, Poland and Germany. Most are in need of food, medicine, heat, and a bit of electricity for now. Our goal is to meet these needs and share the gospel of Christ.

Can you or your church help? This week we are going to advance funds for a large generator for the mother church complex in Kyiv. Besides being a large church, and on Saturdays the largest congregation of Messianic Jews in Europe, it is also a refuge center, feeding, and warming center.

We are purchasing a large generator as electricity is close to non-existent. Can you help? This is a $27,000 installation and any size donation will help.

To help, give to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund project #41502P

Many Blessings to you,

Bob Cave

 

*Update 11/18/2022

A Letter from Ukraine

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

16-year-old Diana from our Kyiv church tells about her family‘s encounter in the first days of the Russian invasion. There are thousands of stories that represent families in our 225 churches in Ukraine. We received terrible news last weekend that over 100 cruise missiles were fired upon the country, hitting at least 15 key cities. In talking to Bishop Reshetinsky and others in Ukraine, living conditions are becoming even more dire than the month before. Many have returned to Ukraine, and are now stuck in apartments with no heat, water, or electricity, and in winter temperatures that can reach below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Right now, we are seeing how fast we can get more generators, deep-cycle batteries and inverters, and wood stoves to the people. You can help as we hope to get an electric package in most locations where we have a church by continuing to give to: Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund #41502P

Many Blessings to you,

Bob Cave

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Story below submitted by Lilia Shvets, journalism director at Christian Hope Church, Kyiv; from Diana Alimkhanova, 16 years old. 

Dear brothers and sisters! We thank you for your support and for your prayers. Today our family and our country want peace more than anything, and we are asking for your prayers for Ukraine!

On February 24, at five o'clock in the morning, our mother Jana woke us up and told us to put on warm clothes quickly and put everything we needed in our backpacks. Then the dreadful words sounded, "...the war has begun." We did not know yet what it meant, we only saw that our mother was crying and frightened. She had woken up before us because of a missile explosion – three explosions were heard.

All morning we were looking for basements and bomb shelters near our house. For the first twenty-four hours, we slept in a parking lot. But the next morning, at four o'clock, there were explosions in the neighboring neighborhoods, some rocket shrapnel hit two apartment buildings not far from us! We were very frightened and decided to go to Grandpa Tolya's village. Our relatives also went there. But it turned out to be even scarier in the village: missiles and fighter planes were constantly flying over our grandfather's house. For five days we lived in the basement. It was very cold there, and my youngest brother Arthur got sick and had a high fever. Then we decided to leave the country. My grandfather did not want to leave his house and land and refused to come with us. My relatives did not want to leave either. My elder sister Kristina (24 years old, who had stayed in Kyiv) came to pick us up. We did not have time to pack anything. We had some food supplies and clothes on us. With all that, we jumped into the car and drove to the Polish border.

A month later, the village where my grandfather lived was under heavy shelling. The whole street was destroyed, and houses were badly damaged by shrapnel. Later, my grandfather told me that it was very scary. He heard and saw all this destruction and the missile that fell into a nearby street and killed their fellow villager near the yard. Even now, my grandfather hardly remembers how they packed up and left their place. Everything was burning and exploding all around, but the Lord saved our relatives and brought them out of the village.

Our road to Poland was very difficult as we drove for two days. I especially remember the night when we were driving through the fields and the automobile tire punctured. We did not have a spare automobile tire with us. We did not know what to do and there were no stations or settlements nearby. I remember that all of us prayed to God very hard. I had never asked God for anything as much as I did that night. During the prayer, the wheel pressure began to rise a little and we were able to reach a concrete block in the Vinnitsa region. It was scary. Our mom, sister, brother, and I were alone on the dark road, but God sent us a police car. The policemen were like two angels to us. Their names were Misha and Kolya. I will never forget them! They helped us a lot and changed the automobile tire, taped up, and even helped us to fill up the car with gas since we were low on gas and there was none at the gas stations!

We did make it to Poland. Our family is thankful to God that He helped us get there safely. We were put up in a free hostel, but we did not know what to do next.

It was hard at first. Everyone really wanted to go home, even though we knew it was dangerous and scary there. Our family lived in Poland for a few months and I celebrated my sixteenth birthday there. God helped us, blessed us, and comforted us, but we still wanted to go back to Ukraine.

At the end of the summer, we were able to return home to Kyiv. How happy I was to see my home, my yard, and my school friends! I do not want to go anywhere else. It is a great joy to live at home with my family!

Grandpa also went back to his home, which was not destroyed and remained unscathed amongst the many dozens damaged.

We really want peace for our land!

There is nothing scarier than war.

We hug you and thank you all for your prayers!

Diana Alimkhanova, 16 years old

 

*Update 11/08/2022

The Lights are Growing Dim!

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Each day I hear more disturbing news of the plight of our Ukrainian friends. I also think of the fresh Russian soldiers that have just been recruited (at least 300,000 plus) and sent to the front line to be killed with little training. Remember, IPHC has 20 plus churches in Russia as well as the 225 in Ukraine.

The latest tactic is to bomb and destroy the Ukrainian infrastructure, the electrical, water, and rail and roads, and bring cities to their knees through the cold winter. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitscheko is urging the 3 million thought to still be in the city to get out before they are frozen out and to seek out relatives and friends where they may have utilities.

WMM is receiving your funds in our “Ukrainian Emergency Relief Fund # 41502P” very gratefully and sending it on in bank wire transfers weekly to buy food and emergency supplies. Much of our supplies have to be purchased in Poland or wherever there is something left.

The following videos were just sent to me by Dima Loiuk, our Humanitarian Director. He and his team were in a dangerous area of the country in the Ukraine Occupied Territories. Please pray for their safety as 3 Bible School students (from the Bible School in L’viv) were killed delivering food to Mariupol earlier this year.

We are going to be buying generators for electrical needs and need any help you can give.

In the video’s you can see there are still many living in these apartment buildings, even with no heat or electricity. More videos from Ukrain humanitarian efforts:

Humanitarian Efforts - Video 1, Humanitarian Efforts - Video 2, Humanitarian Efforts - Video 3

New York Times reports:

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces are stepping up their efforts to make life unbearable for civilians across the occupied southern Kherson region, where power was cut on Sunday night and Ukrainian officials warned that Russian troops were mining critical infrastructure even as they dig in to fight for their last bridgehead west of the Dnipro River.

So-called filtration centers were set up by Russia to temporarily detain and screen Ukrainians and identify anyone perceived to pose a threat to Russia’s occupation efforts. In July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said that Russian authorities had  “forcibly deported” between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens to Russian territory.

___

Conditions are growing more dire for civilians.

Before Russia’s invasion, Kherson’s population stood at more than 250,000. Ukrainian activists estimate that 30,000 to 60,000 people remain in the city, but it is difficult to know the real number.

Last month, the occupation authorities announced that they would relocate tens of thousands of civilians from the west side of the river to territory held more firmly by Russia. Ukrainian officials and residents said that was a pretext for forced deportations.

For those who remain, life is growing more bleak. On Monday, residents reported that Russians were cutting power supplies and drinking water not only to Kherson City but also to towns and villages all along the western bank of the river.

* Find these articles and more recent updates on The New York Times' Russia-Ukraine War Live Updates.

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Kyiv’s mayor urged residents to prepare for a worst-case scenario by making emergency plans to leave the city and stay with friends or family. Vitali Klitschko urged residents to “consider everything”, including loss of power and water. “If you have extended family or friends outside Kyiv, where there is autonomous water supply, an oven, heating, please keep in mind the possibility of staying there for a certain amount of time.” ( The Guardian, International Addition)

* Find this excerpt and more recent updates on The Guardian's Ukraine War - Live.

*Update 10/24/2022

No Letup in Sight

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

It seems that so far in October there has not been much good news with the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine getting hammered along with much of the country’s infrastructure. Electrical stations and substations, water resources, railways, etc., are getting hit daily. I was talking to Olga Bobkaova, our IPHC Bishop Valerii’s assistant, and, as she and her husband Olek looked out their apartment window in Kyiv, they saw the central heating system for their area hit by a bombing. “There goes the heating for the entire community,” she said, “but we still have electricity.

The countries that surround Ukraine are helping some, but hesitate to plunge in completely due to fear of the big “bear”.

Nevertheless, our IPHC churches and individuals continue to send aid in the form of cash on a weekly basis (thankfully banks are open). This is going to be a very difficult winter and we want to get as many supplies to the four regional zones and 225 churches as possible. Unfortunately sending funds is our most efficient way to accomplish this goal. Our humanitarian team collects the funds, buys supplies, and distributes them as fast as possible.

Thank you for your generosity, and please keep praying!

Recent News from The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian army general staff says there is a heightened chance that Russian forces could launch an attack from Belarus to cut off supply routes for Western weapons and military equipment.

Oleksei Hromov, a deputy chief of the general staff’s main operational department, said Thursday that Russia was deploying aircraft and troops to air bases and military infrastructure facilities in Belarus.

“This time, the direction of the offensive may be changed to the west of the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to cut the main logistical arteries of the supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine from partner countries,” Hromov said.

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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine has launched a power-saving campaign following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

Starting Thursday, Ukrainians are being asked to reduce power usage from 7 a.m.-11 a.m..

Rolling blackouts may also occur as the country tries to response to an increasing number of repairs needed to power stations and other facilities damaged by Russian shelling.

___

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities say at least three civilians were killed and 14 wounded overnight in shelling across the country.

The Russian military overnight fired drones and missiles at eight regions in the southeastern part of the country, the president’s office said.

* Find these articles and more recent updates on the AP's Live Updates|Russia-Ukraine War.

 

*Update 10/07/2022

Ukraine Updates, Ministry Carries On

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Every headline affects our 225 IPHC Churches in Ukraine and we fervently pray this “war” will be over soon. Even thinking back to 2014, before Russia invaded to capture Crimea and the other territories, we had 18 vibrant Churches in Crimea alone. Over a very short period, there was a sham referendum and now they are all part of Russia, and our pastors were/are persecuted and labeled fascist. So, under very difficult circumstances, they carry on and try to stay out of the political mix.

Today, October 2022, how does one sort out the mess and carry on in ministry? Well, the key is: Carry on the ministry. Our pastors, leaders, and congregations are helping the fearful, the wounded, the homeless, the hungry, and the hopeless because, in all this mess, this can be the Church’s (the body of Christ’s) finest hour. And because this is a religious country (74% Orthodox), many know of God but have missed having a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, making opportunities to share the gospel plentiful.  Many are coming to Christ and New Churches are being planted.

News Briefs:

Zelensky's Troops Set to Recapture Crimea as Putin Fails to Block Offensive

Ukraine could take back the annexed region of Crimea if it continues to recapture land at its current rate, senior U.S. military officials have said. Western officials had previously considered Ukraine taking Crimea by force impossible, but that has changed since Vladimir Putin acknowledged battle setbacks for the first time and Ukraine undertook a successful counter-offensive to recapture some areas of Luhansk. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and would likely see any attempt to recapture it as a major escalation of the war.

One U.S. official reported to The Telegraph saying, "It is clear that Russia no longer has the ability or willpower to defend key positions, and if the Ukrainians succeed in their goal of recapturing Kherson, then there is a very real possibility that it will ultimately be able to recapture Crimea."

Who is Vladimir Putin?

Vladimir Putin has been the President of Russia since 2012.

He previously held this position from 2000-2008 and was Russia's Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000, and again from 2008 to 2012.

Before his career in politics, he was a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years.

Truss Says U.K. Will Work With France Against Putin

The U.K.’s Prime Minister Liz Truss said in early October, "I work very, very closely with President Macron and the French Government and what we’re talking about is how the U.K. and France can work more closely together to build more nuclear power stations and to make sure that both countries have energy security in the future.”

She added, “We’re both very clear the foe is Vladimir Putin, who has through his appalling war in Ukraine threatened freedom and democracy in Europe and pushed up energy prices which we’re now all having to deal with.”

Refugees Stopped From Fleeing Russia

More than 1,000 Ukrainian refugees attempting to flee to Estonia from Russia have been stopped and taken to an unknown location.

Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets was reported by news networks to say, "Trucks came, they were put in trucks, and taken away or were driven away. Where they went, where they are, we don't know. The police and board guard is working to gather that information at the moment.”

What does it look like on the ground where our people live?

Below are just a few of the thousands of buildings that have been destroyed in Ukraine. It is still too early to assess just how we are going to be able to help our people that have lost everything. In the United States, most disasters have some kind of insurance or government help. Here in Ukraine, most are on their own, so we will help all we can.

Until we know what we can do, please pray for their safety to make it through the war and to be able to return home.

Thank you to all who have helped by giving to the “Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund # 41502P.” What a difference your donation has made so far!

*Update 09/27/2022

Russia Blows a lot of Smoke

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Our church family (200 plus IPHC churches) remains calm despite all that is being threatened by the Russian invaders with weapons of mass destruction this week.

You’ve heard all the news, and if it were happening in our country, we would be on high alert. I talked to Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky a couple of days ago, and he honestly seemed peaceful. Please keep praying that our church members staying put will continue to be safe and have a dynamic witness to their neighbors who don’t know Christ and are operating in fear.

Thank you for your continued financial support to the “Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund #41502P”. It is making a difference to our people and their communities across the country.

Below are some writings from the journal of 17-year-old Karina Omelchenko. Her family is running one of our main refugee centers in Poland, as referenced in previous posts. She has finished her high school work and sat for the Polish University entrance exam and was accepted. Her first language is Ukrainian, of course, and she had one month to get proficient enough in Polish to be accepted.

Here’s what she wrote in her journal:

February 24: It was early morning, so I wanted to sleep longer because it seemed that a busy day was ahead: school, circles, shopping, meeting friends, and a thousand other small everyday things, but suddenly a terrible explosion ... It seemed that the heart would fly out. Another explosion and another explosion. I looked at my watch - 5 am. The whole family didn't sleep. We could not believe that the war had begun. But why? We don't want to fight; we don't want to take anything from someone else, and we don't want to hurt anyone. We want to live and enjoy life, love and give love to others, and dream and help fulfill the dreams of others. But all of a sudden, all life in one moment was divided into two periods: life before the war and during the war.

We understood that we needed to leave Kyiv and take the most important things with us. At that moment, I was taking the most difficult exam of my life; what is the most important thing for me? I looked at the things that had once been of such great value to me before the war and put aside my suitcase, bag, and backpack. Why do I need all this when people die, and houses collapse? I put the Bible in one pocket and the watercolors in the other pocket. I hugged my grandmother, took the hands of my sisters and younger brother, and told my parents, "I'm ready to go. I took the most important thing." This is how you live, dream, plan, and then suddenly, an explosion of bombs, the howling of sirens, the smell of death.

And, it turns out that everything you need in life can be put in a bag, backpack, or pocket, even in the palm of your hand. You take the hand of those you love and pray to God for protection, and it turns out that all you need in life is life.

Life is the greatest gift given by God. Take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones, take care of life, and thank God for life!

Karina Omelchenko, 17 years old

Letter to God

I'm sitting on a bench at the exit of a big polish store where you can buy anything you want for the house. My younger sisters, seven-year-old brother, David, grandmother, mother, and father are sitting with me. We look at people who are leaving the store with purchases and think about how happy they are. Here is a woman who bought a huge lamp. A young couple is pushing a packed table on a cart. A mom and daughter bought a computer chair and a beautiful bedspread. The man admires his new vase and candlesticks. They all are buying something because they have their own houses or apartments. They are happy.

Yes, once, our family loved to shop. Once, we lived in our apartment in Kyiv. And now, we are far from our home. We are called military settlers, refugees. My God, these are such terrible names. And only one thing reassures me that your mercy is always with us, and you call us your children.

If someone can separate us from our home, then no one can separate us from your love. I looked at my family and thought, “God, I'm wrong; we are the happiest people on earth because we have you!” At this time, dad bought us all ice cream and, as if he read my thoughts, said, “A house is not chairs with a table; it's not doors, cabinets, and beds. This is the place where you are expected, loved, hoped, and forgiven. My home is you, my family."

God, thank you for my family!

Your daughter - Karina Omelchenko, Age 17

*Update 09/13/2022

A LITTLE EXTRA HELP IS NEEDED!

 

A Letter from Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky is below about our complex in Kiev. In the complex, which is 120,000 square feet, is a large Auditorium that has never been finished. As you can see in the photos in the section below, this has been turned into a humanitarian storage center, which Bishop Valerii explains in his letter.

 

By Bob Cave; Regional director Eurasia & the Middle East

Letter from Bishop Reshetinsky

Dear Bob,

 

Greetings, my dear brother.

 

As I informed you earlier, a large humanitarian aid hub has been formed on the base of our church complex. There are food, clothing aid, and building materials available here. From this place, through our churches, this humanitarian aid is distributed to many regions in Ukraine.

 

We stockpile in fairly large volumes, so there is an urgent need to purchase a special car loader with a powerful gasoline engine. This will allow us to quickly reload large loads directly from pallets. We also need this car loader for construction at our complex. There are people who are ready to sell us this loader for $8,000. It is in good technical condition and almost new. Please, if you are able to help us with finances for the purchase of this car loader, you can kindly send any contributions to our Barnabas Ministries via Marina Didyk. 

 

(Bob Here: WMM has advanced these funds now so that they can keep doing outreach efficiently).   

 

 

Photos: Unused Auditorium in our Complex in Kiev

 

News from Dima Loiuk, Humanitarian Director

 

Dima and his wife, Lesya, are in Berlin, Germany, at our Treffpunkt Church to show their gratitude to our German brothers and sisters for all their assistance to the Ukrainians. Dima and his team make many trips to Poland and Germany for Humanitarian supplies. It is our hope that there will be churches planted in Germany by Ukrainian Refugees who remain there for now.

 

Note from Dima

 

Greetings, Bob, and thank you.

 

Our humanitarian team organized a Ukrainian evening in Germany as a token of gratitude. God blessed and helped us! We were given a hall for the meeting, and we were able to introduce a few people to Ukraine. This involved cooking and treating those in attendance to Ukrainian cuisine, and most importantly, we were able to thank them for their help and support to the efforts in Ukraine.

 

Let God bless you all and reward you!

Dima

Videos from Appreciation Dinner 

https://youtube.com/shorts/SBVfazfySg4?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/R64U9P_Dvx4?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZLKEGNToo7o?feature=share

*Update 09/01/2022

Today's Conversation with Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky 

By Bob Cave; Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

Today, I had a video conference with Bishop Valerii, and thank the Lord; he was sitting in his office in Kiev and rejoicing that the Church had been spared from bombing and hundreds of refugees and emergency workers could shelter there. Last week, Bishop called another three-day fast that the Lord would break them free from the bondage of war. They have passed the six-month mark, and there are more deaths and suffering every day. He was also praising the Lord that they saw the first signs of Ukraine on the offensive and Russia in a few precarious situations. Of course, they are praying they can retake their occupied land and drive the enemy back across their borders. Independence Day, last week, just reinforced their memories of when they, at last, broke free of the Soviet Union's gripe in 1991, and they are not going back under that rule.

Bishop Valerii reported recent church planting progress in neighboring countries and their determination to keep winning souls for Christ and planting new churches. One of his right-hand men from Kiev went to Switzerland at the beginning of the war and is now reporting to starting four new church plants with the Ukrainian refugees who have fled there. Also, he mentioned new church plants in Germany, Poland, and Riga, Latvia.

He was hoping to get someone he met from North Carolina, while attending General Conference, who teaches on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to speak with our pastors. Thousands of people have encountered massive shocks and traumas because of the war. You've read of the unimaginable things people have gone through. So much ministry is needed as soon as possible.

After an hour, as we wound up our conversation, we zeroed in on his MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY: PRAYER. "Bob, please ask our IPHC U.S./Canadian churches to keep praying for Ukraine."

Pray That: 

• This horrible war will end, and the enemy will leave the land.
• We may have Peace.
• The Lord will protect our IPHC churches, the body of Christ as a whole, and our church and private properties.
• Our scattered refugees will find favor where they temporarily reside.
• New churches will be planted all across Ukraine and neighboring European countries.

"Bob, tell the people, 'thank you for ALL your prayers and financial support.' We feel the closeness."

News Events 

Putin's army was hit by a Ukrainian counterattack 'under-manned' and relying on 'fragile supply lines,' says U.K.

Most of Vladimir Putin's military units facing a major Ukrainian counterattack are "under-manned" and rely on "fragile supply lines" by ferry and makeshift bridges, British defense chiefs said on Tuesday.

They stressed that Russia had made "significant efforts" to build up its forces on the western bank of the Dnipro River around the occupied southern city of Kherson.

This may have been done partly to simplify its command structures which were partly to blame for the "poor performance" at the start of Mr. Putin's invasion, which was launched on February 24, they added.

If Russia's "untested" new military organization in southern Ukraine is overpowered by the counterattack, they stressed, it will "likely be a key factor" in whether the Kremlin can hold onto the occupied territory in this part of the country.

Ukrainian forces began the counter-offensive to retake the Russian-occupied territory of Kherson, the military command announced earlier.

Meanwhile, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is set to visit Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant this week after months of growing international alarm over the fighting surrounding the facility, which has been occupied by Russian forces since March.

Russian forces continued to shell military and civilian infrastructure in the eastern Donetsk region, killing civilians overnight, the regional governor said.

*Update 08/22/2022

Church Plants Now, Even During the War

 

By Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia/Middle East

 

The latest news is still NOT good coming out of Ukraine. Last week, the added worry was the Nuclear Power plant at Zaporizhzhia, which is occupied by the Russians who are firing artillery from that location. This could be a disaster in the making. A few years ago, I visited the Chernobyl disaster site that exploded in 1986 and saw the devastation. Ever since there has been a no-living 50-kilometer zone around that sight, and the ground will be uninhabitable for another couple of hundred years.

 

On top of the Zaporizhzhia threat, is constant daily death and destruction. The UN estimates 70,000 plus Russian troops killed and the same on the Ukrainian side, not counting civilians.

 

War Images: Tell the Story

 

As I mentioned in the August 2nd post, now is the time for soul harvest. If this war were in your state, province, or country, you would be doing more than casual praying. Ukraine is hearing the gospel from the sold-out Christians who are everywhere. The country is religious, but today they are open to hearing about Christ as Savior, Redeemer, and Peacemaker.

 

Our brothers and sisters are on high alert, praying and helping their neighbors. Bishop Valerii and his leaders are planting new churches wherever there is an opportunity, even in countries where many refugees have fled. Families have lost everything and only escaped with a suitcase. We haven’t addressed how to help them settle in another location yet, but we want to be there to help.

 

For now, If you or your church would like to plant a church in Ukraine or another Eastern European country, one can be started for $6,000. This pays something to the church leader/pastor, helps them rent a hall when they grow out of the home, and buys Bibles. They can usually self-support after the first year as they gather new converts. Let us know if this is something you would like to be a part of over the next six months.

 

Church plant funds can be given to your local IPHC church. Please earmark your contribution as: “Ukraine Church Plants #41002P.” You can also give online at https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-church-plants

 

You can give to the emergency relief fund for Ukraine online at https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief

 

A BIG THANKS for your great response to these funds!  

 

YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!

*Update 08/15/2022

JESUS CHRIST; HOPE FOR UKRAINE

 

Here are some highlights from the latest news reports, which are all pretty negative. However, the good news is that many are coming to know Christ as their Savior daily throughout Ukraine. 

 

Our Christian brothers and sisters are sharing the "Good News" among an audience who is willing to hear. Wow, what will it take in the USA/Canada, Western Europe, and so many other "peaceful" countries of the world? As you read the story of Bogdan and Natalie Kuntiy from the post from August 10, you can imagine most of their country is ready to listen. 

 

When our Ukrainian Bishop, Valerii Reshetinsky, spoke at General Conference, our denomination stood and said, we'll help you evangelize and plant new churches even while the war continues because they're listening right now! Bishop Valery told me he was quite overwhelmed with the response. He and his district leaders will be moving full speed ahead into the fall to plant new churches.

 

Give to Ukraine Church Plants Here: Ukraine Church Plants #410002P

 

If you missed his strong video testimony of what the Lord is doing on the ground, please watch the link here and share it with your churches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFy5sWS29SU 

 

Bob Cave 

Regional Director of Eurasia & the Middle East

 

Chronological News:

 

August 4, 2022:

North Macedonia has said that it will donate 4 Su-25s to Ukraine, jets that Ukraine sold to the country in 2001.

 

August 2, 2022:

The first ship with Ukrainian grain has arrived in Turkey, with more to follow according to the Ukrainian government.

 

July 31, 2022:

Russia has accused Ukraine of a drone strike on the H.Q. of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, injuring five and cancelling Navy Day celebrations.

 

April 7, 2022:

The United Nations General Assembly expelled Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council.

 

March 28, 2022:

The Battle of Kyiv is a military battle that began as part of the Kyiv offensive in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine.

 

March 25, 2022:

The Russian defense ministry stated that Russia is prepared to enter the second phase of military operations in seeking to occupy major Ukrainian cities in Eastern Ukraine.

 

March 15, 2022:

President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not join NATO any time soon, and "it's a truth and it must be recognized".

 

February 24, 2022:

Putin announced that he had made the decision to launch a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine.

 

April 6, 2014:

The War in Donbas, which started in April with the creation of the Russia-backed quasi-states of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.

 

August 24, 1991:

Ukraine officially became an independent state following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

 

 Latest News as of August 11:

 

Burial services were recently held for 11 more unidentified bodies found in Bucha, the town outside the Ukrainian capital that saw hundreds of people slaughtered under Russian occupation early in the war.      

 

The governments of Ukraine and Russia traded more accusations over which side was responsible for shelling the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.      

   

The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Moscow and Kyiv to stop military action around Europe's largest nuclear plant to avoid a catastrophe.

 

The E.U.'s ban on coal imports from Russia took effect following a long phase-in that started in April. 

 

In perhaps the most symbolic example of give and take on Thursday, McDonald's announced plans to start reopening some of its restaurants in Ukraine in the coming months.

 

Looking beyond a hoped-for return to peace, Scholz said Germany was working with the E.U. to develop plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

 

The "Children of War" state portal says a total of 203 children have been reported missing since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as of August 12, 2022.

 

 Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of more than 300 children, according to Ukrainian authorities.

*Update 08/10/2022

THE LORD IS THE EYES OF THE BLIND!

Read the remarkable stories from Bogdan and Natalie Kuntiy from Christian Hope Church(CHC), where Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky pastors. Bogdan and Natalie are both totally blind, and the Lord is their eyes. As you read their stories, you can imagine how you might react in a war situation, but now put yourself in the position of total dependence on others and the mighty hand of God.

This story was written by Lilia Shvets, CHC journalist. Her father is the deacon mentioned, Ivan Shvets, who has stayed by Bishop Reshetinsky's side since the beginning of the war.

You have been following, through the media, the daily grind as the Russian forces continue to shoot rockets and missiles and attack the streets of Ukraine.

Again, we call for prayer to keep our thousands of brothers and sisters like Bogdan and Natalie, their son Pavlo, Ivan Shvets, and countless others safe until a cease-fire is agreed upon, or until the Lord Jesus comes back for All of us.

Thank you for you giving to the "Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund #41502P" IT IS MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE in buying food, medicines, and emergency repairs.

Bob Cave; Regional Directo of Eurasia & Middle East

Bogdan's Story

On February 24, around five o'clock in the morning, we were woken up by a phone call. Our son Pavlo called. He reported that the war had begun. This news stunned us. We didn't have an emergency backpack. We were not ready for such events. My wife, Natalie, and I hastily put together these backpacks. But we didn't know what to do next, where to go. Later, our brother in Christ, Peter Gerashchenko, called us and offered dor us to go with him to his village, Kuhari. But we had no desire in our hearts to leave. So, we prayed and made the decision to stay at home. But the Lord foresaw everything and already placed His protection around us and sent His angels to help us.

Of course, it was not easy. On the first days of the war, I was feeling a kind of apathy. I lost my appetite, and I was only drinking water. I am grateful to God for my wife. She was always by my side and supported me a lot those days. God gave strength to Natalie. But the Lord gave His calm to me. And in the following days, I supported Natalya because my wife started worrying and got nervous. We live near Irpen, Buchya, (note; terrible Russian atrocities were being committed), and going through that time was very difficult. Every minute, every five minutes, for fifteen minutes, there had been shots, bomb attacks, air defense was working, and we constantly felt the smell of fire. I cannot put into words the terrible hours we spent under shelling. But the Lord gave us strength to go through these hard days. We are unspeakably grateful to God because if He had not helped us and cared for us, it would have been difficult to survive and endure all this.

In the first days of the war, bishop Valery Reshetinsky called us. It turned out that he was standing near our tent: he came to support us with a kind word and brought us groceries. We are very grateful to God for His Church and for the mercy, He has given us. The bishop visited us many times, often to the sound of explosions and alarms. Sometimes he would jump out of the car and run into our house, but plaster was falling from the explosions in our corridor, and the house was shaking from the blows. We also felt support from our senior deacon, Ivan Shvets, district pastor Kostyantyn Piskov, and pastor Oleksandr Filonenko. My wife and I do not stop thanking God for such colossal help in a difficult time. The Lord arranged everything: we always had water, electricity, and gas. The Lord took care of our existence in the conditions in which we found ourselves.

Much more can be said about this terrible time, full of constant anxiety and explosions. But I would not like to say much about it. I want to tell you about something good. We have hope in God that good times will come, and all the bad things will be behind us. I thank God for His support and help to resist in a difficult time.

I don't know enough words to say how grateful I am to the Lord. We are extremely grateful to God for the Christian Hope Church. The Church is a huge support in our life. We are grateful to all the caring people, caring brothers and sisters of our church, and all good people. God's abundant blessings to everyone!

Bogdan Kuntiy

Natalie's Story

For us the war started back in 2014 when our son went to the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone). All these years, we were keeping an eye on the events that were happening in Donetsk and Lugansk. On February 24, when my son called and said that the war had started, we didn't take it very seriously. We thought that Russian troops would not reach Kiev quickly (everyone assumed their attack from eastern Ukraine) and that our soldiers would defend us and not allow the attacks to reach us. No one expected that Russian soldiers were already here in Kiev, fighting in the neighboring streets.

In the first days, our brother Petro Gerashchenko called us and suggested to leave Kiev with him. We had to make an urgent decision. But God thought of everything and gave us wisdom: Bogdan and I refused to go. As it turned out later, that was the right decision. A couple of days later, the occupationists took over that village. It would have been very difficult for us there, considering that Bogdan and I are blind persons. And, of course, we didn't want to leave our son Pavel alone in Kiev (nowadays, he serves in our territorial defense).

It was very scary. A few hours later, as the war was declared, there was heavy shooting in a nearby street. The roads were blocked everywhere, gunshots and explosions could be heard, and our son could not drive to our house to take us to the shelter if necessary. We couldn't understand what was going on outside. We couldn't look out the window (we couldn't see anything - both of us are blind), and no one could tell us anything (my husband and I live alone, and there were no sighted people in the house). 

Thank God our neighbor called. It is God miracle because we hadn't spoken with her for two years. She was nearby and would be able to take us to the shelter. She called every half an hour, commenting on the situation, where and what was flying. There were a lot of drones flying over the village and armored personnel carriers on our streets. But the Lord calmed us down and gave us someone nearby who could see and tell us what was going on.

Yes, we had a cellar in our house. But it wasn't meant to be a shelter from bombs and missiles. It wasn't deep. Bogdan and I decided not to go down there; indeed, our cellar would not protect us. All that time, we were hiding in the hallway or in the pantry.

The scariest week was when the Ukrainian military put combat guns next to our street. They worked very loudly, firing off Russian attacks. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night: there were constant alarms, the house was constantly shaking, you could constantly hear rockets, shells, explosions... All those days we spent in prayer. I practically never left the pantry, and my husband Bogdan walked the corridors of the house and loudly proclaimed God's protection over us. On one of those days, the Russians hit a nearby village. The neighbors had their roofs blown off, windows broken, and several people injured, cut by shrapnel. But not a hair had fallen from our heads. We remained unharmed.

I remember a moment: I was sitting in a room in a chair when a rocket flew over. It exploded nearby. At that moment, the windows rang, everything seemed to shake, and I was pulled along with the chair like I was being pulled into the sea by a wave. At first, I didn't even realize what it was, but then I understood - it was a shockwave. But God is great! Our windows were still whole there. Bogdan and I didn't even tape them shut. Our neighbors in our village had taped the windows of their houses and apartments and hung blankets over the windows. Maybe it was careless of us, or maybe we just wanted to trust in God. But I know that the Lord has kept us safe and continues to keep us safe.

Over time, everyone got used to constant anxiety, stopped hiding, and stayed at home. And we, of course, felt better morally. Sirens are still howling, and rockets are still arriving, but God is still watching over us. We were never taken to a bomb shelter. God kept us safe. Not a single rocket or shrapnel hit our house. It was just very scary.

We are very grateful to Bishop Valery Reshetinsky for his open heart. He could have easily left, and he would have been released. But he and Deacon Ivan Shvets stayed here to help people who needed support and help. We personally really needed their help, not even as much in food, although that too, because the first time there was no food supply. We also needed the help of friends like our pastor and deacon. We are very grateful to pastors Sasha Filonenko and Konstantin Piskov, who always kept in touch with us. You just can't imagine how important it is for us to feel that support, to know that we are not alone. Thank you, everyone! May God bless everyone who called us, who helped, who supported us! And blessings to every member of our Christian Hope Church!

Natasha Kuntiy

*Update 08/05/2022

A MESSAGE PREACHED 30 YEARS AGO STILL AFFECTS A TOWN TODAY!

I met Pastor Ron Garrison several years ago in Kiev, as he and I were attending the 20th anniversary of Hope Christian Church. Ron has had a long-term relationship (30 years) with Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky, and his ministry has helped their pastors and the needy across the country over the years. We never know when we go on a mission trip the significance it could have years into the future.

There is a small town of about 1,200 residents on the southern coast of Ukraine called Mayaky. The name Mayaky means “Lighthouse” in English. This town is about 45 minutes from the port city of Odessa.

In May of 1992, soon after the fall of communism, PAOC pastor Ron Garrison from Ontario, Canada, preached at an open-air outreach in the Mayaky community. The whole community came to hear the gospel for the first time. For pastor Ron, it was the first time preaching and ministering into the night.

Here are some of Pastor Ron’s thoughts as he wrote in his journal about this 1992 outreach crusade:

People came from as far as 1,000 km away. Of course, I had no way of knowing that this two-day event would be so large. Friday night, it was pouring rain. The only time it stopped was when I was preaching. It was a miracle. The anointing I felt surpassed anything I’ve ever experienced in my ministry before. I preached about the open door that God showed me in a vision. The power of God was with me as I shared.

When I finished preaching, I gave the invitation for those to accept Christ. I could not count the number of people that came forward. Later, we went down to pray for the sick and to cast out demons. There were so many people that wanted prayer. People were literally grabbing my hand and putting it on their heads, begging me to pray for them. I was in a crush of people for over three hours. This all happened in the dark, in a crowd where I did not speak the language. God’s favour cannot be explained in words.

There was a massive outpouring of God’s massive love, healing, and deliverance in Mayaky that weekend. Pastor Ron wanted to tell everyone about Jesus, and he did it with all of his heart and strength. When I was in Mayaky in late 2000, there were churches everywhere, and the presence of Christians was obvious. This small town was a place where a spiritual revival broke out and spread across the region and the country.

Recently, comments were heard that over 60 houses in Mayaky were fully destroyed by Russian missile strikes. However, God’s hand has been on the town of Mayaky since that night in 1992. What is amazing is that the people survived the bombings. Some were led by the Holy Spirit to leave their homes that night.

Here are some of the comments from the townspeople after the Russian bombings:

From a Man Cleaning the Rubble and What’s Left of His House

Praise God everyone is alive. Our house is gone after the Russian missile hit the house. Sixty-five houses have been destroyed. Every family has children. The windows, doors, and roofs were shattered and blown off, and it is a miracle that everyone has survived. Everyone here says it was God who saved us. There is no other explanation. The night our house was blown up, my sister and her daughter visited a friend in another town, and my Mom went to sleep in the summer kitchen building at the back of the property. We are all alive today, thanks to God. We all thank Him and praise Him because only God can save us!

A Woman from the Village Says

My three-year-old daughter and four-month-old son are alive today. I thank God for keeping us safe. Our house is destroyed, but we are not.

A Pastor in Mayaky Commented

It is not safe to sleep at night in Ukraine today. Any moment your house can turn into ruins. Give your heart to God, for He alone can give you peace and save you today as He did for the people in Mayaky.

A Resident of the Village Shares

We will rebuild our homes and our community. We have greenhouses here, and we belong here. We thank God for Mayaky, and we will continue to be the light in these dark times.

There are thousands of stories like this across Ukraine, and we want to keep reminding you to pray that the Name of Jesus will be proclaimed in the villages, towns, and cities all over the country and on the highways and byways that the refugees have fled to. Today, because war still rages, people are seeking security and peace, which is only found in Christ!  

*Update 08/04/2022

A Harbinger of Hope for an American Christ Awakening

The press is reporting only one aspect of the Ukrainian war, focusing on the Ukrainian people's struggle, suffering, and sacrifice amid a brutal and bloody invasion by Russian aggressors.

Thus, we read statements like this from a USA soldier at the frontlines (quoted by NBC news): "Relentless Russian bombings were 'the closest thing I've ever seen to hell,' an American who served several tours of the Middle East said."

However, another story is unfolding behind the headlines, which is glorious! This story should increase our expectations for a God-given Christ awakening in our own nation. In this brief report, I want to share with you the extraordinary spiritual revolution taking place in Ukraine at this very moment.

The fact is that for many weeks now, we have been witnessing an extraordinary spiritual explosion taking place in many parts of Ukraine. I've been receiving daily reports of what's unfolding, joining in prayer with my friends in Ukraine that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will only intensify there in the coming days.

This may be how the war in Ukraine is ultimately won—by spiritual weapons. Actually, this may be why God is allowing the war to continue—as traumatic as it is for everyone—because it is driving many to Christ for the first time and believers into a much deeper walk with Him. Among people who are primarily Ukrainian Orthodox in their Christian traditions, there is a genuine Christ awakening breaking upon them.

Here's just one report from my dear friend Rich Correll, founder of Church Planters Training International. He has been serving Christ among Ukrainian Christians for 25 years. Every day since the war began, Rich has sent updates on the remarkable ways Christ's kingdom is advancing, despite all the bloodshed.

He signs off each day's overview with "CHRIST IS ALL." For Rich, not only does that phrase mark the passion of his life, but it also defines the direction of the awakening that's taking hold among thousands there. For more and more Ukrainians, Christ is becoming their "all"—all they need, all they want, all they have. This phenomenon grows daily.

One of his Reports from this Week

It is truly our high honor to be able to come alongside our incredible partners who are ministering in the center of this suffering-inspired spiritual awakening to Christ.

Yesterday and today, we were able to Zoom with three partners. Every conversation was very similar: Numbers of refugee housing projects are well underway, as is the bakery project to supply food.

In all the activities, many are coming to Christ daily. Receptiveness to the gospel seems to be increasing as our humanitarian work faithfully continues. Honestly, we are seeing a direct connection to the making of disciples through building personal relations and investing in practical services.

The churches are packed out every time believers gather, which has never happened like this before. Already, there are many being prepared for baptism. In fact, nine new churches I know of are being formed right now with recently converted Ukrainian disciples: five churches in Ukraine plus four in Germany!

Each of the leaders I talked with expressed the need for prayers so that the movement toward Christ might continue and spread—praying especially that the Russian forces in the East would be stopped and that Belarus's army would not attack from the north.

Of course, fear is a daily companion, even as the awakening grows, which makes this miracle all the more amazing!

Based on their faithfulness to execute their ministries and their can-do attitudes in the face of such challenges, I am asking four of our Ukrainian partners to send us a list of the next projects we need to launch in order to expand the gospel work beyond what they are currently doing. What vision they have for the glory of Jesus!

Finally, let me share with you one outcome that was unexpected. It's the way this awakening among Ukrainians is actually pushing both German and Polish churches to wake up to Christ and get moving as missional churches themselves.

Do you see why this one report gives HOPE to the multitude of us believers across this country who have been praying for an American CHRIST Awakening for many years?

In addition, the scriptures are clear: We read that "God is no respecter of persons." This means what He has done and is doing for others to advance Christ's kingdom, He is willing, able, and ready to do for any of us.

What He's doing in Ukraine, in other words, is a "harbinger of hope" for all of us who are seeking a similar Christ-exalting revival in our own land. Therefore, we must not stop praying about, preparing for, and promoting the kind of vision toward which everything at CHRISTNOW.COM is focused day after day.

In fact, what Ukraine is beginning to experience is simply a replication of what God did in Thessalonica in the first century—and what He has done innumerable times since. The Jesus-driven transformation that took place in that ancient city embodies his promise to Jesus followers in America today. Consider Paul's observations of this work of grace only six months after the gospel came to that city, recorded in 1 Thessalonians 1:

"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope—all of this in response to our Lord Jesus Christ . . ."

"The good news about God's Son came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction . . . So, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit—even in the midst of severe suffering."

"As a result, you became a model to all the believers . . . The Lord's message rang out from you . . . your faith in God has become known everywhere."

This is the drama unfolding in Ukraine. This is the hope that lies before God's people in America. To this revolution, we must give ourselves heart and soul without delay. The Father is ready to act.

David Bryant

Over the past 45 years, David Bryant has been defined by many as a "messenger of hope" and a "Christ proclaimer" to the Church throughout the world. Formerly a minister-at-large with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, president of Concerts of Prayer International (COPI), and chairman of America's National Prayer Committee, David now provides leadership to ChristNow.com and Proclaim Hope!, whose mission is to foster and serve Christ Awakening movements. Order his widely read books at DavidBryantBooks.com.

*Update 08/02/2022

*Update 05/02/2022

Greetings, dear Bishop Doug Beacham, Bishop Talmadge Gardner, and Bob Cave!

Thank God! It is so wonderful that during our great trials, we have real friends who truly share our pain and problems.

Thank God for you, and thank you very much for your faithfulness, friendship, and help! May God bless you abundantly and reward you because you are helping IPHC Ukraine continue to live and win!

I would like to inform you that all of our churches are in touch, hold a spiritual position, and are working for the glory of God!

We have completely reorganized into a military regime: an intense prayer life, constant evangelism, and helping thousands of people with food, medicine, and clothing. We are also delivering spiritual and humanitarian assistance to the military, many refugees, and evangelistic convoys in the west of Ukraine.

We are still expanding our base near Lviv, where the responsible leader is pastor Dmitry Loyuk. We are also expanding the base for refugees in Poland, where the responsible leader is Gayane Omelchenko. We are now working with the churches in the liberated territories, which basically includes the Kyiv region. Some prayer houses need to be repaired because they were shelled. 

I would like to share a good testimony:

The letter to the Hebrews says: "By faith... turned to flight armies of aliens." (Hebrew 11:34).

In March, we announced a three-day fast, as Queen Esther had, for the salvation of Ukraine and Kyiv. By the end of this fast, the 35,000-strong group of troops, which sought to take Kyiv and included several thousand tanks and armored vehicles, suddenly, unexpectedly, in fear, and hastily fled from Kyiv, and four regions of Ukraine were immediately liberated: Kyiv, Zhitomir, Chernihiv, and Sumy. This is a real biblical miracle! God is fighting with us for Ukraine! 

In April, we again declared a three-day fast as Queen Esther had since a big offensive of the enemy was planned in the East and South of Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin sаid: "We are ready to turn heaven and earth and do everything so that Ukraine wins this war!"Thank God! These are words on the level of a biblical miracle! 

As a result of this fasting and prayer, the U.S. adopted the Lend-Lease law, which means that Ukraine will urgently receive the most modern weapons from the U.S. and other countries without restrictions or any conditions!

I know that the IPHC from all over the world prayed for Ukraine. Thank you! Pass on this testimony and gratitude to all IPHC churches! This is truly an example of divine intervention! 

We understood and believed that we could and must move mountains! Our Lord is Great! The prayers of saints have the power to transform the world. Prayers penetrate and reach even the Pentagon, the Bundestag, and the parliaments of many countries of the world!

On May 8, we again announce the World Prayer Viche for repentance and the conversion to God of the entire people of Ukraine and the complete liberation of Ukraine from the Russian occupiers. 

Never believe one word of Putin and his team! The UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with Putin and arrived in Kyiv the next day. Putin launched five ballistic missiles at Kyiv after him during his stay in Kyiv!

We have already started new ministries in Berlin and Poland! Also, almost every day, we send humanitarian convoys to different regions of Ukraine.

Thank God for you! Please pray for Ukraine!

With love and gratitude.

Yours faithfully,

Bishop Valerii Reshetinskyi

To give to this relief fund, please click here! 

*Update 04/29/2022

UKRAINIAN UPDATE: HUMANITARIAN OUTREACH

Our Ukraine humanitarian director, Dima Loiuk, is happier today because of you, IPHC churches and individuals, for donations to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund that enabled him to purchase a used cargo van. His team of about 30 volunteers from our drug rehab centers are crisscrossing the country with our two vans. These volunteers distribute tons of food and supplies to some of our 225 churches.

Our second large van can also be used as a bus, and refugees are being transported out of the dangerous areas and brought to safer places. In Kiev, we have Krushinka, a 40-bed drug rehab center, and from there, they can be taken to Novovolynsky, 20 miles from the Polish border. They are driven across the Polish border if they are ready to vacate the country altogether.

In Krakow, Poland is Pastor Roman Danylyshyn and his wife, Cristina. They have a refugee center that is processing families and finding housing for them. Several properties down from there is our IPHC Polish refugee center, run by Guyana Omelchenko. There, Guyana, who is our Children’s Director from Kiev, has taken over a fairly modern summer camp on a lake with 150 beds.

Again, there is a lot of thankfulness coming from thousands of Ukrainian brothers and sisters. As we can all see, this is not ending quickly, and all is back to normal. Hundreds of thousands of homes, lives, and jobs have been lost, and we hope to stay with them all the way through this mess. Thank you!!

Dima says; “Greetings, 

We want to express our deep gratitude to the whole IPHC family for the financial help in buying a freight bus. Thanks to this transportation, we can buy food, diapers, and things needed in Poland. We are also able to deliver other humanitarian aid from Europe to Ukraine, then distribute it to people in need.

 To give to this relief fund, please click here! 

*Update 04/28/2022

UKRAINE UPDATE FROM MISSION/REFUGEE BASE IN TURKEY

Since the beginning of the Ukraine/Russia war, refugees have been coming to our IPHC Base in Kusadasi, Turkey. As was mentioned in our April 4 post, when we featured our Ukrainian national missionaries, Igor and Lena Lavrischev, their driving trip from Kiev to Turkey took eight days. Now that they are there, they've set things in motion to accept other fleeing refugees. Some of the main themes are to keep children's schooling going and keep them occupied, whether they are a refugee or still stuck in Ukraine.

Igor and Lena have lived frugally as IPHC national missionaries for over 20 years. They are worthy of your support. If you or your church can help, it would be much appreciated; Project #43301P Turkey Lavrischev Igor.

You can give directly to this project at https://give.iphc.org/project/turkey-lavrischev-igor

 Blessings,

Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East

LENA, MOTHER AND TEACHER, SENDS THIS REPORT

We felt led to organize a children's program, so we began gathering kids together to do things like soccer, English, arts, and ministry time to make them feel at home, loved, and cared for. 

They have also resumed lessons with our Kyiv school online. Our children are now scattered across Europe, in Sri Lanka, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey.

Some kids stayed back in Kyiv, and it was very important to reach out to them daily and help them study. I will tell you about a 10-year-old boy named Andrey. His family did not leave because he has elderly grandparents. Throughout the days of the war, Andrey has been sleeping in the bathtub.

There have been a few more of our school kids who stayed back with their families as well, living in homes with their windows covered with blankets and pillows. Our teachers would teach with breaks for sirenes.

We have also been in touch with our brothers in Christ who stayed back. In Ukraine, in one of our churches near our parents' village, the pastor, who is also our coworker in ministry in Turkey, has signed up for the local Militia Defensive Unit. This pastor called me and asked for support in buying a thermal imager so they could see who was coming to attack them in the dark. It was a matter of safety for our brothers from the church. It is a sum of $1,500. I prayed, feeling so weak but then the Lord spoke to me to call a brother from Russia who we baptized in Turkey in 2001! He got married to a Ukrainian and is living in Kyiv. HE PROVIDED THE WHOLE SUM OF MONEY. It was a big and fast miracle.

We have been supporting people to evacuate their children out of the war zones. Sometimes it has been days of writing back and forth before they decided to leave their homes and venture into the unknown. 

At the same time, we would go out for pro-Ukrainian protests here in Turkey and keep all the local ministries going because we are the only missionaries to many. Our kids are needed to lead worship almost every other day of the week.

*Update 04/25/2022

GUYANA IS A FORCE TO BEHOLD

 

Our Ukraine Children’s Director, Guyana Omelchenko, continues to care for children after her husband, Sasha, and four children arrived from Kiev, Ukraine, to a small village near Poznan, Poland. The location is at a summer campground that was given over to the refugees who put Gayana in charge.

 

 

I first met Guyana years ago as she served as the Ukraine Children’s Director with Bishop Valerii in our mother church in Kiev, Ukraine. She oversaw many local outreaches, with ongoing classes inside and outside the church. Some of these included classes in the church for disabled children every day after school, as well as classes at the orphanage for kids that were not as mobile. Guyana is always a bundle of energy who is able to encourage everyone to become involved in ministry with her.

 

Now, she is running our refugee camp in Poland. This is approximately a three-hour drive from Berlin, Germany. There are 150 beds in the camp, and 75 of these beds are filled with IPHC refugees from our mother church in Kiev. Being that it is an evangelistic camp, there are great opportunities to share the gospel with non-believers that get assigned to this location.

 

***BIG NEED: Sasha and Guyana’s vehicle is totaled and pronounced unrepairable. We want to help them replace it with a dependable used Van, especially since their car was the only vehicle in the center.

 

Our IPHC church in Berlin is trying to find a replacement. If you could help financially, please let Harold Presley, our IPHC missionary in London, know, and he will provide you with the appropriate project number hpresley@iphc.org. 

 

Blessings, 

Bob Cave, Region Director of Eurasia and the Middle East

*Update 04/21/2022

AN IPHC UKRAINIAN PASTOR WRITES FROM HIS HEART

 

*** Pastor Alexander is one of our IPHC Ukraine pastors who is located about 12 miles outside of Kiev. He has also planted and oversees a district of churches in the Boryspil area, near the international airport. Phillip Gschwend participated a few years ago in planting another daughter church there, and they have stayed in touch ever since. Phillip asked him what he would say to the church in the U.S. at this time. His response is as follows. 

 

I am writing on April 14, 2022, the 50th day of the war that Russia has waged against Ukraine.

 

First of all, we want to thank all of the Christians in the U.S. and worldwide for many years of prayers for the church of Ukraine, especially when we lived in the USSR under the Iron Curtain. For the last 30 years of Ukraine's independence, you have not only prayed for us, but you have also helped develop Ukraine spiritually. Sermons, seminars, evangelism, charitable assistance and, of course, the opening of many new churches have radically changed our persecuted Ukrainian church of the former USSR and our entire country. With your help, we have gained religious freedom.

 

As the IPHC Ukrainian church of Jesus Christ, we want to declare that the war unleashed by Russia is a genocide of the Ukrainian people. The Kremlin hates the evangelical church of Ukraine, which preaches the gospel of God's grace. We have experienced this hatred in the destruction of houses of prayer, the murder of our Christians, and the burning of Christian literature and thousands of Bibles.

 

During this war, many Christians have been forced to leave their villages and cities and move to safer places and countries. I think that many Christians will not return to Ukraine, and that will certainly affect our quantitative and qualitative staff.

 

The church of Ukraine continues to serve people by assisting in the evacuation of women, children, and the elderly to safe places. The church is also providing shelter for refugees from hot areas and cooking for soldiers, refugees, and the needy, as people have been left without work and livelihoods. Most of the people are unemployed because their businesses are not working. We have a long and extensive work to do in healing the souls of people who experienced the hell of this war, who were raped, beaten, and robbed by Russian soldiers.

 

We began to understand the Bible in a different way through the prism of suffering and imminent death. Today, because businesses are not working, we have been able to meet for 50 days every day in the church and through the Zoom program. We have become content with our food and clothing.

 

God did not leave Ukraine. He is with us in basements, bomb shelters, under fire, in danger, and at worship services. He has very serious conversations with us. He purifies and brings us closer to Himself. Most importantly, He prepares us for the time when all Christians, all over the world, will be persecuted, hated by all nations, and killed for the name of Jesus Christ. The time is near for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for the Church.

 

Pastor Alexander, IPHC Ukrainian Pastor

 To give to this relief fund, please click here! 

*Update 04/20/2022

PASTOR MAX'S STORY

Maxim Ganan was a Kiev police captain, a drug addict, and is now our drug rehab director at our largest rehab center located in Krushinka (about 20 miles outside Kiev). Today, he is also a Soldier in the Ukrainian Military. I met Max about five to six years ago when we were going to plant a new church in the town of Krushinka. 

The IPHC Ukraine has a drug rehab center there, and we wanted to plant a church in the same area. Pastor Max shared his story with me about how he had a pretty good job as a police captain on the Kiev police force. However, he said, "I went astray and let the position of power and drugs bring me down." Fired from his job and addicted to drugs, Max hit rock bottom and ended up in one of our drug rehab centers, found Christ as his personal Savior, and started serving Christ and other rehabilitated drug addicts at the Center.

By the time I met Max, he had gone to Bible school and had been licensed as a pastor assigned to the Krushinka church plant. Plus, he was now the director of the Krushinka Rehab Center. I watched him not only serve the men that were in rehab, but I also saw him go out and serve the local community. I spent a number of days with Max as he interacted with the poor of the town. He didn't just simply drop food hampers at the doors of the needy. He took the time to build relationships with the families.

Today, Pastor Max is back in uniform. This time, of course, with the Ukraine Military, and he hopes he can shed that soon and get back to his town, wife and two children, and the people he loves in Krushinka. In the meantime, he is a born-again, on-fire believer who is receiving many evangelistic opportunities among his comrades.

The hope now, with the dispersion of the millions of Ukrainians across Europe, is that many others will also be carrying the gospel of Christ. For years, our missions school in Kiev trained leaders and pastors in the hope that they might evangelize across Europe. Some did, but most planted churches in Ukraine. Now, many are rooted out of Ukraine and are scattered across Europe. May there be a mighty harvest in the wake of this dispersion.

 To give to this relief fund, please click here! 

Blessings, 

Bob Cave, Region Director of Eurasia and the Middle East

*Update 04/19/2022

UKRAINE UPDATE THROUGH A 16-YEAR-OLD'S EYES

Below is an account of a 16-year-old's, Karina Omelchenko, view of the war. She is Gayana's (our Kiev Ukraine children's director) daughter. Gayana and her husband, Sasha, and their family have been running a refugee camp in Poland since they fled Kiev.

Blessings, 

Bob Cave, Region Director of Eurasia and the Middle East

On February 24 at 5:00 am, our whole family was awakened by a terrible noise. We realized that a black cloud hung over our country, our city, and our family. We realized that Russian bombs were falling somewhere very close to us. My 7-year-old brother David asked me, "Karina, is this all true, or did we get into the movies? How could war come to our house?" 

I cried and did not know how to answer him. He was one of our entire family who dared to admit that the war had come. My younger sisters, Dayana and Sophia, were trembling with shock. David ran to the window and called out to us, "Girls, look at the real rocket!!!"

We all hid under the bed out of fear. Our parents didn't know what to do. They sat as if petrified, and suddenly our younger brother shouted with a confident voice, "Pack up, we have to go somewhere!! I don't want us to sit in the basement during the bombing! I've only seen this in scary war films." 

We realized that we must obey Davidik. Dad went to a gas station, where he stood in line for four hours to fill up 20 liters of diesel. My mother ran to the store to buy bread and other products. She stood in line for three hours, but she could not buy bread. We all packed our backpacks in a hurry. Dad asked us to take only the essentials because we are a big family: mom, dad, grandmother, four children, and three dogs. There is not much space in the car. To the sound of a siren and the sound of bombing, we stuffed anything into our backpacks that we could because everyone was nervous, and everything felt out of our hands. 

At that time, David burst into tears, "I Can't Find My Lolo"! Lolo is David's friend, a small, soft penguin toy that was presented to his brother for his birthday when he was one year old. "I will not leave without Lolo. I will not leave him alone. He is still very small, and he is a year younger than me. He is only six years old."  

The whole family, instead of collecting documents and other important things, rushed in search of the toy. It seemed that the penguin hid on purpose and did not want to leave his native apartment. After two hours, the search was successful. We all got into the car and drove off without knowing where we were going. 

There were endless traffic jams on the roads. Bridges were closed. Panic. Fear. Uncertainty. Miraculously, we managed to leave Kyiv. By narrow country roads, bypassing the areas that were bombed by Russian fascists, we were heading west. In four days, we got to the Polish border, and all this time, we stared intently out the windows of the car and prayed to God to save us from rockets, bombardments, shelling, and Russian tanks. 

We were without bread because it could not be bought anywhere. We slept right in the car because the hotels were all full. When we finally arrived at the Polish border, we realized that to cross it, we would have to stand in line for a day or two. I looked out the window and saw thousands of cars and buses where children and women were sitting. The faces of all of the people were frightened and unhappy and, in their eyes, I saw hopelessness and uncertainty. 

To my right, I saw a little boy saying goodbye to his father at the border. The son did not want to let go of his father's hands, and he held them tightly and shouted that he would never leave without his father. That scream still rings in my ears. At this time, a Polish border guard approached us. He smiled at David and our penguin, Lolo, and said, "Everything will be fine, baby. Welcome to Poland. We are your brothers. We will not leave you in trouble."

 To give to this relief fund, please click here! 

*Update 04/15/2022

UPDATE FROM DIMA LOIUK, HUMANITARIAN DIRECTOR, UKRAINE

  

Dear Bob, 

 

Thank you so much for everything you and our IPHC friends are doing for Ukraine and for full victory. Thank you for the prayers and finances to buy the cargo truck/van. Tomorrow, I am going to Ivankov near Chernobyl to deliver humanitarian aid. Today I bought two generators, and I will take them to the local church and organize the feeding of people there so that people can charge their phones and communicate with relatives. 

 

On Sunday, I preach in Kyiv in the church and, after the service, I will go to the south of Ukraine to the soldiers. I will bring them canned food and a lot of other food as well. On Monday, I will evacuate people to our base in Western Ukraine, and then I will take them to Europe. Part of my team went to different European countries, and we will open new IPHC churches there. In Berlin, we began evangelization for Ukrainian refugees in a Catholic church and have already opened the first homegroup. 

 

** Updated Communication from Dima to Bob, Pertaining to the Message Above

 

Dear Bob,

 

Thank you, we received the finances for the Cargo Van!

 

God blessed us, and yesterday humanitarian aid was loaded, and some of the brothers went to the cities and villages that suffered from the invaders.

 

Some of the products and things will be taken to Ivankov (Zhmeevka), where our church and center were, which were occupied by the Russians. I was there, and there were people without the necessary supplies, food, and even electricity. We bought a generator from the ministry, and the brothers will take it there along with food and supplies. Some people will go there to serve in order to restore the Drug Rehab Center and help local residents. Those places have suffered greatly.

 Some of our humanitarian team are also going to go to the war zone in the southern region of Ukraine. We will send you a photo from there in the next few days. We pray to God to protect and bless them and all who are there.

 

We also continue to serve those people who were evacuated and are in this Western city at the base. We have delivered to them food, essentials, and we have sown the Word of God into their lives.

 

We continue to deliver and send humanitarian aid to people in need in different parts of Ukraine.

 Thank you all, and God bless all of you for your essential prayers and financial help. 

Love,

Dima Loiuk, Humanitarian Director, Ukraine 

 

A Call to Fast and Pray, Bishop Reshetinsky

First of all, thanks to the hundreds of individuals and churches for your continued financial generosity to our IPHC brothers and sisters in Ukraine. The thousands of pictures and TV images have painted a very sad scenario of day-to-day life. It’s hard to imagine if we compare it to one of our U.S. states being invaded, while the rest of the states wouldn’t/couldn’t help.

Our leader in Ukraine, Bishop Reshetinsky, who has been headquartered out of the mother church since February 24, is praying that the Lord will not only bring this war to an end but that THOUSANDS will come to Christ in the process.

Bishop Reshetinsky and I have talked for years about how to send many Ukrainians across Europe and the whole ex-soviet union to share Christ and, yes, we’ve sent national missionary workers to many countries and locations. We even have a unit in Moscow that has planted several daughter churches. Now, in one act of war by the Russians, millions of Ukrainians are dispersed, and many have the true gospel of Christ in their hearts to take with them.

As I mentioned, in 2014, when Russia last invaded a limited territory of East Ukraine, there was great fear in the land and our churches mounted up to do compassionate evangelism, where they led thousands to Christ across Ukraine. There has always been a “religious” spirit there but not all have heard a true presentation of the gospel of Jesus. Therefore, it is a fairly open door when a religious person meets an on-fire born again believer in the middle of chaos. Please pray for these refugee evangelists as they are dispersed around Europe and beyond.

The needs are great and we are sending $10,000 - $20,000 a week by bank wire transfer. We are so thankful that there are some banks open. These funds are for buying food, water, and fuel to help transport the food and rescue people stuck in unhabitable locations. We need a cargo van for food transport, and we are currently using any cars that are available. They just need $15,000 to purchase the needed van. We will wire that today, and we hope to continue with further donations. Once again, a big thanks to all for the prayers and finances for Ukraine.

Bishop Reshetinsky asked me today if I would invite our people of the IPHC Churches in North America to join him and his people in a three-day fast and prayer for the situation and opportunities in Ukraine from April 18-20.

To give to this relief fund, please click here! 

Blessings, 

Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East

*Update 04/12/2022

Our Bishop in Ukraine Brings Latest Update from Kiev, Ukraine

Bishop Valerii Reshetinskyi has been holed up in the mother church in Kiev since Feb 24, when the war with Russia began. His wife, grown daughter, and granddaughter were sent to stay with friends in Norway. The church is housing refugees and emergency city workers. Please continue to pray and give to the “Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund #41502P”

Thanks,

Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East

Greetings to our dear brothers, IPHC leaders, General Superintendent Bishop Doug Beachem, Executive Director of World Missions Bishop Talmadge Gardner, and our Regional Director and trusted friend Bob Cave! I apologize for not being able to respond to emails promptly for a while.

With the beginning of the war in Ukraine, many were forced to become refugees. One of my secretaries ended up in Switzerland, and the other one in Lithuania. Now, communication has been established and I am able to be constantly in touch with you.

First of all, from the bottom of my heart, I am thankful to you all for the great help, support, and prayers that we feel and always see from you! We are very grateful to God for having you with us! The IPHC is truly a spiritual miracle, brotherhood, and family on this planet! I thank God so much for you!

Let me share a little about our circumstances. Back in November 2021, at night, I heard a loud voice: “There will be war!” I shared this with all the pastors, and we began to prepare so that each of our churches and each prayer house would become a place of survival and help for the people around.

We thank you for sending us $60,000 through Bob Cave. This is money that we have distributed throughout Ukraine between our churches. This money was used to buy food and fuel. When the troops arrived, our churches were already prepared: clear communication and coordination between the churches and members had been established.

We were forced to evacuate some churches from the east and south of Ukraine since the Russian army immediately entered these regions. The Russian occupiers have been instructed to destroy all evangelical churches, as they are considered American spies. The occupiers are especially preying on pastors and chaplains.

Back in 2014, in the east of Ukraine, occupiers from the Russian federation shot four pastors. Russia's aggression began on February 24 at 4:00 am, simultaneously in the north, east, and south of Ukraine. This occurred exactly according to Hitler's script.

Putin was sure that in 72 hours Ukraine would fall. The West and all Western intelligence services were convinced of this. Everyone counted the number of tanks, missiles, planes, guns, and soldiers. However, they did not take into account that there are hundreds of living evangelical churches in Ukraine, which unanimously immediately opened a prayer front. An unprecedented and miraculous touch from the Spirit of God was given to the entire people of Ukraine! Ukraine has become a big, united family!

Crime almost stopped and hundreds of thousands of volunteers came to the defense of their country. I am writing you the truth. Putin has unequivocally stated that his ultimate goal is the total extermination of Ukraine, as he failed to bring it back under Russian control.

The war began unexpectedly with a widespread rocket attack on the entire territory of Ukraine. The entire infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, railway stations, chemical and food industries, as well as other important objects of the country's life were destroyed.

However, this “blitzkrieg” plan failed. Ukraine, to the surprise of Putin and the whole world, withstood and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Today is the 42nd day of the war. Russia has already lost about 160 of the latest aircraft, almost 150 helicopters, almost 60 of the latest tanks, about 19,000 military dead, and several types of other armored vehicles have been stopped. Putin is furious! Seven of his best generals were killed during the war.

Five days ago, the Russian horde moved away from Kyiv and left all the northern regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr regions. I don't know what information you have about this war, but I want you to know the whole truth! In the liberated territories, everyone saw the atrocities unprecedented in the history of mankind that the Russian army committed! There were thousands of tortured civilian people, and hundreds of corpses lay on the streets. Women and underage girls were raped. There were assassins, beasts, and marauders!

People were thrown into wells, crushed by tanks, and safaris were organized for all people who came across their path. On this, they did not stop. This Russian horde robbed abandoned houses. Even the pots and pans were taken out of the houses. It was many times worse than what we know was under Hitler. Even secular politicians were forced to admit that this was not an army, but rather a bunch of demons who had escaped from hell!

Putin is furious at the defeat and now wants to strike at the south and east of Ukraine, threatening to use nuclear weapons as well. Dozens of villages and towns in Ukraine have already been leveled by Putin. However, Ukraine does not give up and we believe in VICTORY! None of the members of our churches were hurt, everyone is alive and in safe places.

Since the first days of the war, I have been in the church complex in Kyiv all the time. We accept refugees, and we have opened a food and medical center. We deliver food and necessary supplies for children, the disabled, and the elderly. We help the military and, from the first day of the war, we have fed one of the military fire departments, which puts out fires after shellings. We also help other churches throughout the territory of Ukraine.

We organized the evacuation of a large number of people with our transport, about 15 convoys to the west of Ukraine. Near Lvov city (this is on the border with Poland), we justified a reception center for refugees. There, the leader is pastor Dmitry Loyuk. We also opened a refugee reception center in Poland (near the city of Poznan). Our sister, Gayana Omelchenko, leads there.

We constantly have services and prayers, and other churches come join us. We are mastering a new strategy for evangelism in times of war, and we pray that the spiritual uplift of the Ukrainian people will be further transformed into the spiritual and moral awakening of all of Ukraine. We are planning to open new churches from our refugees in Europe. This is how we live.

On March 18, 2022, the greatest miracle happened that we did not think about! Bishop Talmadge Gardner informed us that IPHC World Missions Ministries decided to completely pay off our loan and our debts to the IPHC! We wept with joy! We bow down to you and sincerely thank you all for such a gift! There are no words to express all our feelings!

May God reward this ministry 100,000 times! We also thank our brother, Donavan NG, from Hong Kong. We used the released finances from the payment of the loan to help people. I pray that the Lord will give us something to do that is useful and good for the IPHC! We extend heartfelt gratitude to you for the financial support of our current expenses!

We thank the Lord for our friend, Bob Cave, who helped us cover all of our utility expenses during the winter, and we also received six wire transfers of $9,900 from him during the war. Thank you very much!

PS: On April 10, after our morning church ministry, I personally visited the city of Bucha (20 km from Kyiv) with the chaplain and with the Ukrainian military. We distributed food, medicines, and other humanitarian aid to people. We met and talked with many people who lived on the territory for 40 days under the occupation of the Russian army.

They all cried and told me about all the atrocities and the genocide of the Ukrainian people. Murders, robberies, looting, and rapes of small children were reported! It's true! People are buried all over the city. Now, they are being dug up, identified, and buried again. This week, we again want to send a humanitarian convoy.

With love and gratitude,

Bishop Valerii Reshetinskyi

*Update 04/06/2022

As you may know, the members of our team recently traveled to different cities in Western Ukraine. Every day is a search for seeking God's face and His guidance. We are grateful to have a chance to be together at this moment. The Lord takes care of us every day, and we are exceedingly grateful to Him for everyone who prays and supports us.

Now, we are in one of the western cities of Ukraine (Novovolinsk), which is located 20 km away from the Polish border. We visited the local church here and offered them our help. God blessed us with the opportunity to serve Him and the people around us. One of the opportunities we have received here is to help organize a shelter for refugees.

Below are photos of the buildings that can accommodate about 500 people. There are some necessary tasks that needed to be finished to make these places livable, such as water heaters being installed, conducting electricity, installing batteries, finishing shower rooms, organizing a cooking area, making repairs in some of the rooms, buying some of the stuff that refugees need, etc. Our brothers, who work in the construction industry, have made a list of goods that should be provided. The ministry allocated finances for purchasing all of the building materials, boilers, plumbing fixtures, fittings, etc.

The work has recently been finished in one of the buildings. Approximately 70 people can be accommodated there. We used to be in that position and we know what it means to be in the shoes of refugees. The construction continues in other buildings.

We also keep sending small buses with humanitarian aid to places affected by the war. The buses are being sent to Kyiv and other places with people who have suffered from hostilities, where there is a shortage of food and essentials. For instance, there is still a great need for baby food, diapers, medicines, etc.

A small number of the people from our  Mother Church led by Bishop Valerii Reshetinsk stayed to serve in Kyiv and the region. They take people in who need shelter, food, medicine, and other necessary things. They also take in a humanitarian convoy to distribute food and things to those in need, and they deliver to people who are limited in movement. Our brothers carry on a humanitarian convoy to other cities every 3-4 days.

A passenger minibus that was used to transfer humanitarian aid to Kyiv was also able to pick up and evacuate 18 people on the way back. They had been running through the forest all night from the Russian-occupied village of Zhmeevka, where our church and one of our drug rehab centers were located. 

The evacuation of the population is carrying on. We helped some people to cross the border. On the other side, they are being met by volunteers from Europe. Some people remain to be migrants in the western part of Ukraine. Now, we are looking for an opportunity to purchase a cargo bus to increase the amount of assistance for other cities and villages.

Amid this challenging time, the hearts of many unbelievers are open to hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people who received help with food and other things heard about Jesus and His Church. It is amazing to see the active power of the Holy Spirit through the word of God being preached in the lives of those who are ready to accept Jesus as their personal Savior.

May God's blessings be upon you!

Sincerely,

Dmitry Loiuk and the IPHC Barnabas team ministry

*Update 04/04/2022

Turkey/Ukraine Connection: 

Igor and Lena Lavrischev are our National Missionaries from Kiev, Ukraine, and they had lived in Southern Turkey since 2002 until their visas ran out. Now, they shuttle back and forth from our missionary base in the Izmir area.

Unfortunately, they were all back in Kiev when the war broke out, and they needed to get out of “dodge.” They split up the family and started driving their old car to Turkey. They traveled through Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and finally into Turkey. With breakdowns and lots of hospitality toward “Refugees” along the way, they made it in 10 days. Usually, this is only a two-hour airplane flight.

Igor and Lena have a wide ministry in the southern Turkish region, especially among the Kurdish and Russian-speaking Turks. They also run an effective training base in both Turkey and Ukraine.

We pray that the Lord will continue to use their gifted family there in Turkey where they all speak the language. Thank the Lord for watching over them all as they made the trek.

*Update 03/29/2022

Orphans from Ukraine to Poland

Many of the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees pouring across the border into Poland are children, some without parents. Pastor Roman and Christina Danylyshyn are originally from Kiev and were sent out three years ago by Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky to Krakow Poland to plant a church. Now it has turned into a large refugee center with hundreds of families fleeing the war with no place to go.

Of course, now, Roman and Christina have many orphan children to look after. They are putting five to six children and two women in small houses that they can find so that they are not alone in a big crowded facility. Our European churches are sending as much help to Krakow as they can, but they need your help as well. The group photo below is of kids on the Ukrainian side waiting to be escorted into Poland. The individual kids are now in Poland and just received some new shoes.

We are collecting funds from our churches and individuals and wiring them to the need as quickly as possible.

Can you help? Thank you so much!

Ukrainian Orphans Receive New Shoes in our Polish Refugee Center

*Update 03/28/2022

THE STORY CONTINUES………

Matt and Femke Helland (our IPHC missionaries in Amsterdam) are good friends of Willem and Vera, and he has been given a second car to drive with Willem and give over to Pastor Roman’s ministry.

How can we in America help? GIVE A CAR!!

Many have a spare car that they are not really using. Give it to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund #41502P.

First of all, sell it and make that your “I gave my car to the Ukraine gift”!  OR, maybe you would sell something else of value that you are not using and covert that to cash.

We have over 19,000 IPHC members in Ukraine alone. They could use your help.

Thanks so much,

Bob Cave, Willem Fiege, and many others

View the update from 3/23/2022 to view the full story.

*Update 03/25/2022

We wanted to inform you about our latest events.

The village of Zhmeevka, where our church and center were located, was completely occupied by the Russian military. Everything that was there was captured and looted.

Yesterday, the people who lived in this village fled from the invaders through the forest and mined fields all night.

In the morning, our brothers were able to pick up 18 people by bus, and in the evening, they deliver them here to the city of Novovolinsk. Thank God, we were able to receive them and place them, provide assistance, feed, and give them everything they needed. We want to get these people to safety in Europe.

We hope to evacuate about 100 more people in the near future in order to try to send them to Europe, where they can also receive assistance in safety if God allows.

Thank you very much for your prayers and support.

Blessings

Ukraine IPHC

*Update 03/24/2022

*Update 03/23/2022

Wednesday morning Willem woke up with the impression that the Holy Spirit whispered: "Give your car to Roman from Krakow." Roman is a Ukrainian pastor who was sent out by a large church in Kyiv to plant a church on the Polish border some time ago. 

His ministry is flooded with requests for help from the roughly 500 refugees who have poured into the city. The situation is bad. There are traumatized orphan kids who need love and shelter. There are the penniless and homeless who need supplies. There are the wounded and sick who need treatment and medicine.

Trying to meet the needs, Pastor Roman was racing around in his car to transport refugees, goods, and medicine. However, a few days ago his car broke down and there was no way to replace or fix it. We received a message with a request for financial help to rent a car so his much-needed work could continue. 

When we contacted him on Wednesday morning to offer him our own car, we received the following reply: "I apologize, but my wife and I both rejoice and cry and thank God for His mercy!" That's when tears came to our eyes too. Our plan is now to drive to Krakow in Poland next Wednesday to hand over our car. We also want to pack the car with supplies that are in high demand among the refugees as there are shortages of baby food, bandages, and medicine. Help is welcome!

PLEASE PRAY

- For the provision of the needed medical supplies 
- For a safe journey to and from the Ukrainian border
- For a smooth transition of the car and all documents
- For a mighty impact of Roman's ministry

Thank you for your involvement in our ministry.

We are thrilled to work together with you to exalt the name of Jesus!

Much love,

Willem & Vera Fiege

*Update 03/17/2022

Update from Bishop Valery Reshetinsky

*Update 03/03/2022

The Lord gave me a prayer for the Ukrainian people today from Psalm 31:14-22 (NIV), and verse 24 (The Message). Will you please pray this prayer for the people of Ukraine and pass it on to as many friends as you can?

Psalm 31:14-22 (NIV), and verse 24 (The Message)

"But I trust in you, Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.

Praise be to the Lord, for He showed me the wonders of His love when I was in a city under siege. In my alarm I said, 'I am cut off from Your sight!' Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help.

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon."

Thank you for your prayers. Much can be accomplished when we pray in agreement for the people of Ukraine.

John Hedgepeth

Pastor of Northwood Temple Church

*Update 02/28/2022

Dear Bishop Gardner and our IPHC Family:

Greetings to you from Bishop Valery at Christian Hope Church Kiev, Ukraine.

It has been four days since the Russian Army invaded our country on three fronts from Crimea in the South, Russia in the East, and Belarus in the North. Our God did not leave us unprepared or unaware of the imminent military aggression. He put a desire in the hearts of people like Bob Cave, our faithful friends and church leaders, businesspeople, and the PH churches to send support for us, that we would be prepared for such time as this.

I thank them all for doing their part and for their obedience to the Lord, under your leadership, to make our churches across Ukraine into storehouses of food, medicine, warm clothing, blankets, fuel, electric heaters, and water. We did not think we would need it, but we are grateful for it. Two weeks before the military operation in Donbas started, we had received $60,000 USD from World Mission’s Ministries/IPHC. We were very excited about that. It was a very generous amount. It came as a Ukraine Relief Fund. We distributed it among thirty-eight churches in all regions of Ukraine. Our Pastors came to our head office in Kiev, and I explained to them what this fund is for and what they needed to do to be prepared in case of war.

They were very grateful and purchased food and other items on the list. After all the churches stockpiled food and other supplies, the war broke out. We are prepared to serve, minister, and meet people’s needs. Our church in Kiev City, from Day one, has been taking families with children and pregnant women, providing them with room, food, water, heat, and spiritual, psychological, and physical support.

Many people are afraid and cannot cope on their own. The guest rooms at the mother church, the drug rehab facility, and offices are occupied with people who choose Christian Hope Church as the safest place in the midst of war. They are receiving help and being saved thanks to our God and your help. Praise the Lord!

Some of the pastors in our IPHC Network Ukrainian Missionary Church have joined Territorial Defense Forces to protect their communities. Some have joined the Army as chaplains to provide spiritual assistance as needed. This is the time for the Church in Ukraine to do great exploits for the Kingdom and the glory of God. We feel your prayers and support in the Spirit. The nation is united in one attempt to fight for freedom and independence. All our churches remain open and provide prayer support, shelter, humanitarian aid, food, and serve as Places of Hope.

Our churches in the East of Ukraine report that they are under heavy shelling. People are staying in bomb shelters. It is not safe to get out or travel. The fighting has intensified. It is a very similar situation in all major cities.

On Monday, reps from both sides will meet. Many people have left our cities and fled to the West. In many communities, there is a shortage of food supplies; stores are closed; there is no ATM service, no transit service, and no fuel.

Our hearts grieve with those who have lost their loved ones. We pray for this madness to stop and lives to be saved. Our IPHC churches in Bulgaria have aided those in need of refuge. Our hope is in Christ, and we remain committed to serving our people.

Thank you, our brothers, for supporting our hands and hearts and for fighting with us against principalities, the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12).

Pray and fast with us for spiritual freedom to remain and doors for the gospel to remain open in our country. Please pray for the war to end and the peace of God to reign.

Amen!

Andrei Shander

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Thank you for giving generously to WMM’s Ukrainian Emergency Relief Fund. As you read - $60,000 USD was sent to Ukraine prior to the start of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Bob Cave will coordinate the details of moving additional relief monies to Ukraine in consultation with Bishop Reshetinsky and his leadership team.

Please designate your contribution as follows: “UKRAINE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND #41502P.”

Or you may give online at: https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief

Dr. Hugh Morgan commissioned the following prayer from Mary Anne Shropshire Weeks for the Christians and Citizens of Ukraine. I invite you to pray this prayer with us as we interceded for the Nation of Ukraine and our Ukrainian family members.

Bishop Talmadge Gardner

Executive Director,

World Missions Ministries

A Prayer for the Christians and Citizens of Ukraine

Author: Mary Anne Shropshire Weeks, Richmond, VA

"Heavenly Father, we come before You on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well for all of the citizens of Ukraine. We ask for mercy and that your Holy Spirit will be poured out on this nation. We thank You that Your heavenly hosts stand guard and protect Your people from harm. We ask for wisdom and divine strategies to turn this situation around for good. We are confident that You hear our prayers and that Your righteousness will shine forth in this nation for the good of the Kingdom of God, in Jesus' Name. Amen."

* Prayer used by permission of Dr. Hugh Morgan