*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:
August 2, 2022:
July 31, 2022:
April 7, 2022:
The United Nations General Assembly expelled Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council.
March 28, 2022:
March 25, 2022:
March 15, 2022:
February 24, 2022:
April 6, 2014:
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
Pastor Ron Garrison
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
Christ is Being Shared in Ukraine During War
By: Bob Cave, Regional Director for Eurasia & the Middle East
Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky shared at the General Conference last Thursday night.
Since December 1, 1991, Ukraine’s Independence day, there have been people praying for the salvation of the Ukrainian people. Yes, the country is religious, with 67% Orthodox, most of the rest Catholic, and 2% protestant. However, now, people are becoming serious about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Of course, in a time of war and distress, people want the “assurance” that only Christ can bring.
As we heard from Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky, God will bring the Ukrainians a “spiritual” victory, and we are praying for a physical victory as well. The prayer is for a cease-fire with the country left intact! We should pray the same for our countries! As we heard the Ukrainian bishop say, their biggest goal right now is to see souls saved, discipled, and new churches planted during this time of war.
That night, after Bishop Reshetinsky finished, Bishop Beacham made an appeal for U.S. churches and individuals to pledge $6,000 to plant a NEW Church in Ukraine or other European countries where Ukrainian refugees have fled. I don’t know how many stood to pledge and give over the next few months (Project: Ukraine Church Plants #41002P), but Bishop Reshetinsky and his staff will be pushing forward full speed carrying on what has already begun. Last month, a new plant with Ukrainian refugees began in Poland. This month, another church was planted in Germany, and several more are now ready to go. Wherever we can plant across Europe, our Nationals and Missionaries are ready!
Your $6,000 will pay an Eastern European pastor for approximately one year (most pastors are bi-vocational, but the war has wiped out millions of jobs). This usually pays for a rented location and buys Bibles for the new converts. In the last 30 years, over 225 churches have been planted, and most are in operation (of course, in some locations, heavy bombing has driven them somewhere else to worship) now. We need hundreds of new churches that will win hundreds of new converts, which will, in turn, win hundreds of souls to the Lord.
As long as the Ukrainians have the pressure of living through a war, our leaders see it as a time of immediate HARVEST!!
To give to the IPHC Ukrain Emergency Relief Fund, please visit:htthttps://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-church-plantsps://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 07/22/2022
REFUGEES
First, I want to say a BIG Thank you because our Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund has passed the $700,000 mark. This financial assistance has served as a huge support for all our IPHC Ukraine churches. However, there is still so much to do, and we need your continued support. I hope you will be able to hear Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky next Thursday night as he plans to travel from Kiev, Ukraine, to Poland by car and fly from Warsaw, Poland, to the U.S.
Meet Lesya Loiuk - Pictured Below:
Lesya is the IPHC Christian Hope Church in Kiev's music director. She is also the wife of Dima Loiuk, Humanitarian Director for all of our Ukrainian Emergency Relief and drug rehab centers. Dima will be at General Conference next week, along with Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky. Lesya will be looking after her three children at our refugee center, along with many others from CHC in the town of Novovolynsky, near the Polish border.
Lesya, Dima, and millions of fellow Ukrainians are refugees, migrants, and displaced persons, most of them, trapped within Ukraine. However, many are also sheltering in neighboring countries in Europe, as well as the U.S. and Canada. Their homes have been abandoned, bombed, or burned. Therefore many of them are in shelters, at friends' homes, staying with relatives, or are trying to establish a new life somewhere else. These are the people you have been helping with your donations to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund.
Below is a story that Lesya sent me that a fellow refugee wrote:
We Are Migrants
It seems you can't get rid of us, but it's hard to live with us. We really are going to be a serious problem for a very long time. This is what you usually say when we want to rent your apartment. You don't want to rent us out. You are not very happy to give us jobs, and some resumes even stop reading after the line "place of residence" or "work experience."
We are deprived of the most valuable thing we had, and that is why we hardly recognize ourselves in our reflection. We are not at home! When we realized this, something was broken in us, and that's why we now often look like walking misunderstandings. Somewhere they didn't hear, somewhere they misunderstood, we took the wrong turn, the right street was not found.
It's hard for us, but we don't know what to do now. We are strange, for we are lost. History has already had a lost generation, but we are not it. No, many of us already have/had homes, many of us have/had preserved possessions. You could see us weeping over old jackets and trousers that came in packed packages.
In our past life, we used to say, with our noses, that we would not wear winter jackets for more than one or so seasons, and in our new life, we unpack used clothing boxes with shaky hands and suddenly burst into tears as our stuff smells like home.
You can't imagine what it means to smell the aroma of the past that is no longer there. Even those who have everything settled in another place to live do not have the main things, the basics. We were uprooted from the old ground but forgot to transplant. We are like flowers for sale, and we are dug out stems with buds on which the earth is still stuck. They are usually put in a bag with water and left waiting for a new owner.
We appreciate your hospitality and concern. But the remains of our former land, clinging to our souls, prevent us from being happy in the new place because somehow, it turned out that we are not compatible with anything other than our native places.
It's hard for you to understand (and it's good that you can't be in our shoes!) what we are experiencing. Do you think we are stupid and capricious?
To give to the IPHC Ukrain Emergency Relief Fund, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 07/21/2022
Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky: Presenting the Gospel during the War
*Update 07/12/2022
Samaritan's Purse/Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Interview
Most North American Christians are familiar with The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's purse regarding what they are doing in the Ukrainian war effort. However, there are many other Christian outreaches who are making a difference in Ukraine as well. Our IPHC "tribe" is doing a great job of getting Humanitarian food, medicines, and clothes to our members there. We've supplied several vehicles, repaired shelled churches, and donations have come for bicycles (about $250) and garden supplies. We have also been able to meet some other miscellaneous needs.
I realize many of you may have seen the Fox News Interview, but for those who haven't, you can see it below!
FOX NEWS: EXCLUSIVE:
Rev. Franklin Graham Reveals War's Impact on Christians in Ukraine.
Excerpts From Rev. Graham's Interview with Fox News
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 138th day on July 11, 2022, many people have found themselves tuning out at this point to the seemingly endless tragedy, horror, and destruction in Ukraine.
Yet, many faith leaders and God-filled volunteers will never ignore the suffering of others.
They have seen the need — and have turned toward it bravely in order to lend a hand, give of their hearts, and spend precious time with fellow human beings who are suffering.
Christian evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association — plus others — are among those who have helped and are still helping the very needy of Ukraine.
"Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have been working in Ukraine for decades," Rev. Graham told Fox News Digital, sharing the larger context.
"My father, Billy Graham preached there during the Cold War," he said.
"And I had the privilege of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ in Lviv and Kyiv."
Rev. Graham told Fox News Digital about "a network of 3,200 Ukrainian churches that we have partnered with through the years for gospel outreaches and for the Operation Christmas Child project of Samaritan's Purse. These churches," he said, "are filled with incredible people who are continuing to serve God even now in the most difficult of times."
A local resident walks next to a house destroyed by Russian shelling in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 (Andriy Andriyenko)
He said that when Russia first attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, "we saw the churches immediately spring into action to minister to hurting people in their communities and beyond."
"As a Christian, I want to stay … to show people God's love.'"
"One church leader told us, 'It's important not to run. For me, I want to run — but as a Christian, I want to stay … to show people God's love.'"
Added Graham, "This is exactly what the church in Ukraine is doing, day in and day out, and I thank God for their steadfast witness."
"We are grateful to be working with the brave men and women who are caring for their communities and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ."
Rev. Graham said that since the crisis began, "We have helped more than 2 million people. And we are grateful to be working with the brave men and women who are caring for their communities and sharing the hope of Jesus Christ."
Rev. Franklin Graham is shown praying with a team of chaplains on the ground in Ukraine as they minister to those in need (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
To give to the IPHC Ukrain Emergency Relief Fund, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 07/08/2022
YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
IPHC UKRAINE has 150 pastors and many volunteers who have a special sense for helping each other get through each day. These volunteers provide hope that the war might end and that things may get back to what they call normal. This article is a little insight into our district pastor, Alexander, on the outskirts of Kiev, as he tries to keep things moving forward. The last time I was with him, we visited schools and elderly homes, and there was always a lot going on. Now, it is wartime, and the needs are overwhelming. Thank you for remembering Pastor Alexander and all of our other pastors who are on high alert in your prayers.
AN UPDATE FROM DISTRICT PASTOR ALEXANDER IN BORISPOL (JUST PAST THE KIEVE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT)
Pastor Alexander of Hope Church in Borispol has been an inspiration for many people in his community, as well as for the church leaders in Ukraine. His vision is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and help communities in his area. He remains with his people and serves refugees from various parts of Ukraine. He has planted five churches, and he regularly visits communities that have been under missile strikes by the Russian Army. He is taking food packets to villages, which has become his weekly ministry. On an average visit, 100-150 packets are distributed among families with children, seniors, and people who have lost their homes and means to survive.
Last week, we had a record number of people who came to receive food packets in one of the communities. 240 people came, and we had to divide the food bags in half to help everyone. We see increasing need as people's reserves are ending and their new harvests are not ready yet. However, it is a time for spiritual harvest for the Lord. The people are open to receiving salvation and are responding to the invitation to pray with great joy.
This month, we were able to install another greenhouse, purchase farming equipment, and buy bicycles for our ministers. As gasoline prices soar, we find new ways to continue to serve our Lord and the people of Ukraine. Some of our people have returned to work after being laid off for three months. They work three days for two hours a week. We pray for a good harvest this fall and for God's peace in this land.
Greenhouses are a great way to grow veggies to feed people in our church and community. We have been doing this for some time now and have seen great results. For the last three months, we have been using our own preserves from the last year's harvest to feed people. This year, we have increased our capacity. We are preparing for a difficult time in the fall. We don't make long term plans. We live one day at a time, and we thank God for your prayers and support.
We couldn't have done any of this without you. I thank you for helping us to feed our people and for standing with our nation at such a time as this.
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe,
PASTOR ALEXANDER, IN BORISPOL
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 07/01/2022
PRAYER IS THE ONLY SOLUTION
We, as Christ-followers, know that the battle is won on our knees, and HE that is in us is GREATER than he that is in the world. I urge you to keep on praying for our Christian brothers and sisters in Ukraine that God’s divine will may be done.
Today, July 1, Canada celebrates its Independence day (155). Monday, the U.S. celebrates its Independence day (246). Ukraine first celebrated its independence on August 24, 1991, so this war is an attack on a 31-year-old country. This weekend, we pray for a resolution and peace.
PRAYER IS THE ANSWER!
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 06/24/2022
Daily Reminder..... THE WAR GOES ON!
With a few clicks of the mouse, we can get up to the minute-by-hour updates on what is happening in the ongoing war in Ukraine. As we keep in touch constantly with our church leaders, we hear of their constant vigilance to keep their people as fed and safe as possible.
We are sending in emergency relief funds every week, and we are so thankful a number of Ukrainian banks are still functioning. This enables the aid to be distributed to the churches. Our humanitarian team is constantly delivering food around the country, along with many other humanitarian agencies.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED. IT IS MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE!
Below are just a few headlines and photos that give you a picture of what is going on, even though it is a long way from our own backyard.
Just a few News Bites
- Ukraine’s army said it had launched airstrikes on Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, causing “significant losses” to Russian forces. The military’s southern operational command said it had used “aimed strikes with the use of various forces” on the island. The military operation “continues,” they added.
- The military situation for Ukraine’s defenders in eastern Donbas is “extremely difficult,” officials say. Some 568 civilians are thought to be holed up in Sievierodonetsk’s Azot chemical plant as Russian attacks intensified in an effort to capture Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk. Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region, said Lysychansk was getting shelled “en masse.”
- Russian forces have captured several settlements near the embattled eastern cities of Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk. The head of the Sievierodonetsk district military administration, Roman Vlasenko, said the frontline village of Toshkivka had not been under Ukrainian control since Monday. Russian forces also reportedly captured Pidlisne and Mala Dolyna, located southwest of Sievierodonetsk, and saw success near the Hirske settlement in Luhansk.
- At least 15 civilians were killed in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region by Russian shelling on Tuesday, according to regional governor Oleh Synegubov.
Our Guys from our Rehab Center Constantly Delivering Aid
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 06/16/2022
Video Overview of the Past Few Months
Greetings All,
The video that you are about to watch is mostly comprised of our IPHC Ukrainian people. They are serving across the country to bring humanitarian aid that has been purchased with the funds you have sent.
We are able to wire the funds every week that the volunteers use to buy the needed medical supplies and food. You’ll see Bishop Valerii in a number of shots. Please know that he really is a hands-on leader. He just confirmed with me yesterday that, Lord willing, he and Dima (Humanitarian Director) will be at General Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.
As you view this video, you can see that there is going to be a major need to help our people find their life again after losing everything.
Blessings,
Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 06/15/2022
Humanitarian Mission/Chaplain Ministry of IPHC Christian Hope Church, Kiev
Please take a look at this two-minute video of the humanitarian outreach and chaplain ministry that is taking place daily across Ukraine. Please continue to lift our people up in prayer and may many new converts be won to Christ, and may new churches be planted.
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 06/14/2022
PASTORS' CONFERENCE IN KIEV: A GREAT SUCCESS
Last Thursday and Friday, June 9-10, IPHC Christian Hope Church held its bi-annual Pastors' Conference. The country is at war, and there is heavy fighting in pockets all over the country, especially in the East and South. When asked (through text messages to the pastors) about coming to the conference, all were in favor, and about 80% were able to make it to the capital, Kiev.
This event was a special time of worship, praise, teaching, and comradery. Below is a letter that Bishop Valerii sent me last Saturday after the meeting. He is very excited about planting new churches, even in a time of war. We can still plant a church there for about $6,000. This will rent a facility, pay a pastor for the first year, and buy Bibles. If you or your church would like to take this extra step over and above our humanitarian drive, you can give to the Ukraine Church Buildings #41002P at https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-church-building.
Thank you again for your continued Ukrainian outreach support.
Blessings,
Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
Bishop Valery Writes
My heart is filled with gratitude to the Lord for you and our IPHC friends. I believe that God will bless you even more than before. I pray for you, and I believe that you will prosper even more in the cause of God. Praise God for His mercy and faithfulness. Below is a three-minute video of all our pastors and leaders saying a heartfelt thank you to all of you who continue to make ministry possible during the horrific war in Ukraine.
I want to give a short report on our Pastors' Conference, which was called He who Overcomes, Inherits Everything! The conference was held in accordance with our annual plan for the UMC Union (IPHC Ukrainian Conference), June 9-10. About 150 people attended the conference from all over Ukraine. Some pastors came from under shelling through many checkpoints. There was a strong desire to meet everyone during the war, and there has never been such a strong level of anointing and evidence of God's presence during our previous conferences.
There were wonderful testimonies of the manifestation of God's glory and God's protection. I want to inform you that none of the members of our conference died, and everyone remains alive and well. While some of the pastors and their families lost their homes, and some became refugees, all of our ministers continue to have very anointed and active ministries.
We see our IPHC Ukrainian leaders engaging in powerful evangelism like never before, witnessing, helping people, praying, volunteering, and joining the battles. Many of our pastors are constantly on the front line under shelling, serving as chaplains.
During these 100 days of the war, the people have changed unusually. There is a great sense of unity and sacrifice. For example, Pastor Alexei Radchuk from Western Ukraine has friends who sent him $1,000 from Australia. He bought food with this money and, at the conference, he gave each pastor a bag of food.
For Pastor Andrey Mykytyshin, from Lviv, who has seven children, someone sent some money for his family from Latin America. He brought this money and shared it with the pastors at the conference.
One of our pastors brought help for military people, along with bulletproof vests and clothes. Another pastor printed excellent spiritual books with his money and gave them to everyone at the conference.
Our pastor in Kharkov, Moskalenko Vitaly, who serves under shelling, had his car smashed by a bombshell. There was nothing left to ride in to serve people in Kharkov and the surrounding areas. Therefore, our pastors themselves, despite the fact that they were in need, raised money and bought him a new car.
The next pastor is Vitaly Amosov, who serves in the city of Mirgorod in the Poltava region. This city is also often under enemy fire, and he serves in many villages. Our pastors, who are in need themselves, also gathered and bought him a car. There have been many testimonies of God's supernatural miracles of protection, healing, and support. Biblical miracles continue to repeat themselves.
IPHC Ukraine keeps the spiritual order. We also have pastors who were forced to leave their occupied territories. Therefore, they began new churches in other places. For example, pastor Vladimir Daniletsky, whom the Russian Orcs wanted to shoot, has now started a church in the Poltava region in the village of Sanzhary. Bishop Sergei Lyubchenko, who was evacuated from the Luhansk region, is now planning to start a church in the Ternopil region in the city of Berezhan. We are now planning to open a church in Poland near Poznan based on Gayanа's ministry and her family. We also plan to open a ministry in Berlin, where we plan to appoint Alexei Romanov as the pastor.
Pastor Anatoly Polishchuk has begun ministry with refugees in two more places in Germany. Our Bishop, Igor Agapov, began outreach ministry in Switzerland. We have collected information about the needs and vision of each church throughout Ukraine. As for the future, I will try to inform you and give you complete information in detail.
Our friend Paul Logan (director in charge of evangelism) also helps our churches very sacrificially. Now, we are processing lists of all the churches and will send you projects for planting new churches, which are now in the process of planting.
I also inform you that we have received from you a wire to Ivan's bank card for the Humanitarian supplies. On Monday, he will go to the bank and order cash withdrawals so that on Tuesday, he can withdraw money and give it to the accounting department of the church. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty and great help.
Dear Bob, I would like to ask you to now help Gayana Omelchenko, who is running our refugee center in Poland, financially. You know that she is in Poland now and her family is serving there. There are many children there who are now sick and need medicine.
The Polish government has reduced social support for Ukrainian refugees, and I would like to ask you, if possible, to send $5,000 to Gayana for the medical needs of the children. (See Ukraine Updates from April 19th and 25th for more about our IPHC ministry with Guyana).
This week, I will have a trip to visit new churches in Ukraine and abroad, and then I will return and give you a detailed report about the results of my trip.
I appreciate your prayers and hope to see my brothers and sisters at General Conference on July 27th.
With love and gratitude,
Valerii Reshetinsky
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 06/09/2022
UKRAINE UPDATE: FROM UKRAINIAN BISHOP, VALERII RESHETINSKY
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Bob Cave Reports: I talked to Bishop Valerii a few days ago as the Russian/Ukrainian war grinds on. He tells me that he is doing well and is very busy with all of the things within his own mother church in Kiev. He oversees his district conference superintendents, keeping track of the emergency needs of the over 200 churches and directing Dima Loiuk (humanitarian director) to those needs. This week, most of his pastors will try to get to Kiev for a pastors' conference. Can you imagine? Last week, Russians fired six to eight Missiles on Kiev after many weeks of staying out of the capital.
Ukrainian soldiers near Sievierodonetsk in the east
As we talked on our video call, Bishop Valerii said that he would talk to his pastors about where the pressing needs are for CHURCH PLANTS while the war is continuing... NOT! Let's wait for a nicer day when conditions are more favorable. There is an urgency to win the lost during this opportune time. Our IPHC family aims to bring them into a church to grow in Christ. All three of our churches were recently blown up in Mariupol. Thus, new locations will be used, which may occur while Russia still occupies that territory.
We discussed General Conference, and he and Dima hope to cross the border into Poland and fly to Jacksonville to see all of the brothers and sisters who have supported Ukraine during this crisis. When is this going to be over? We all follow the news and, at this point, ONLY God knows, and He calls for us to occupy until HE comes!
The needs are still great. As Bishop Valerii reported, we have several of our pastors who lost their cars due to war. They need some reliable transportation ($5,000 range). Some just need bicycles to make rounds in their towns or villages ($250). Others need food and medical supplies, which Dima and his team deliver to wherever they hear of a need. Thank you for your contributions.
Please Pray today and Friday for the Ukraine Pastors Conference in KIEV. Specifically, pray for safety, protection, and wisdom.
To give to this ministry, please visit:https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
*Update 06/02/2022
We want to share many stories during this war because your prayers are making a difference in individual lives. Of the 19,000 plus IPHC Ukraine members, the Lord cares for each of them as He does for each of us. As you read Anna Kurza telling the story below to our staff journalist at Christian Hope Church, Lilia Shvets, I encourage you to think of how wonderful it is that we, in U.S. and Canada, have not had a war on our land in our lifetimes.
Because we are so grateful, I urge you to keep praying for the brothers, sisters, and families who make up our churches in Ukraine. Reports today say 100 soldiers per day are being killed in battle, and there are around 500 wounded each day. Those numbers could include many who did not know Christ as their savior before they died. Our goals are to keep on evangelizing even in the midst of the war and to plant new churches as every opportunity arises.
Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
Anna Kurza of Kiev, Writes
Dear brothers and sisters, I want to share my joy with you. I am very grateful to God for saving my sister Natasha, her husband, Volodymyr, his parents, his sister, and her children. All of them had been in Vorzel under Russian occupation for two weeks. However, the Lord saved and brought them all out.
I remember how the war began. My mother and I were sleeping. At five o'clock in the morning, my sister Natasha called us: 'Mom, wake up! It's already started!' We didn't understand her words immediately: what started, where? However, after hearing explosions, we got the idea: the war had broken out. We began to pack our suitcases and documents. It was all so sudden. We didn't even realize what we were doing, but the Lord stopped us. My mother and I calmed down a bit and decided that we would not go anywhere: we did not have a car, and there was nowhere to go except to our sister in Vorzel, where she lives with her husband.
Natalochka and her husband, Volodymyr, were sure that Russian soldiers would pass by Vorzel, past Irpin, past Bucha, and go to Kyiv. They heard volleys and explosions near them. However, they were more worried about us because we were staying in Kyiv. The relatives were sure that we needed to hide, and the enemy would not stop in Vorzel. Everything turned out differently. Russian troops did stop in Vorzel. All of this happened very quickly. People didn't have time to react, and they didn't have time to leave. It was very scary.
Six months before the war, my sister and her husband moved from Bucha to Vorzel. It is by God's grace that they moved from Bucha (Remember, Bucha is the town where the Russian soldiers killed, raped, and pillaged before moving out. War crime and genocide charges are pending now). I can't imagine what would have happened to them if they had stayed there.
On the first days of the war, Russian troops entered Vorzel. My sister said that there were enemy tanks on their street. It was scary. Tanks were driving around the yards. Soldiers were shooting at the people coming out of houses, those who tried to make videos, and those who looked out of the windows. Several houses were demolished by the enemy. The locals were mostly sitting in their cellars and hiding in their houses and basements.
For two weeks, my pregnant sister (seven months pregnant) and her family (husband, his parents, his sister, and her children) had been sitting in the basement. However, the Lord's mercy was upon them. Thank God they had an undamaged car and a full tank of gasoline. My relatives were able to charge their mobile phones through the car, and we had contact with them. Almost all the time in Vorzel, there was no light or internet, but we could communicate through messages. This is the great grace of God! After all, my mother and I knew how our relatives were and what was happening to them every day.
All of our church family from Cristian Hope Church prayed, and brothers and sisters in Christ throughout Ukraine asked the Lord to bring people out of the cellars of Irpin, Vorzel, and Bucha. For my mother and me, those were terrible days full of daily worries. However, God did not leave us, and He did not leave our relatives. We saw and felt His hand over us.
When, with God's help, the green corridor was opened, my family had a question: Where could we get gasoline? By that time, the petrol had run out. Even in this difficult situation, the Lord helped. Several cars remained near their house because their owners had left the city on the first day of the war. Volodya was able to contact the neighbors and, with their permission, poured gasoline from their abandoned cars. Therefore, our relatives were able to leave Vorzel.
To this day, God's mercy is upon us. We are all alive. Before the war, the doctor warned my sister that complications could occur during her pregnancy and prescribed her medication, but God is our Healer! My sister is in her ninth month of pregnancy and is about to give birth.
I want to thank everyone who prayed. This is a great miracle of God! Thank God none of our relatives were injured during these terrible weeks under shelling in the basement of the house in Vorzel.
Volodya's parents have already returned home to Vorzel and, by the grace of God, they had a place to return. The Lord saved all of their possessions! Russian soldiers didn't enter their homes, didn't damage anything, didn't break windows, and didn't rob the house. This is also a great miracle. Thank you for praying for the Church. I am grateful to our Heavenly Father for everything because He continues to care for us and bless us! Now, my dad and mom don't have a job. However, God has blessed me with some online work, and with this money, we have an opportunity to eat and pay our bills. Praise our Lord for everything! In Him remains our peace and victory! Amen
Anna Kurza, (IPHC)Christian Hope Church, Kiev
To give to this relief fund, please click here!
*Update 05/28/2022
Our IPHC Ukraine Pastors Struggle for the Basics
I just had a video call with our Bishop in Ukraine, and he wanted to express his deepest thanks and appreciation to all of the IPHC family who has been praying for them in this horrendous war situation. He indicated that this has been a very difficult week of fierce fighting, especially in the Luhansk, Eastern region of Ukraine. Several of our churches in that area have been driven out of their locations and are looking for other places to assemble. Some cities have lots 90% of their housing. Other parts of the country are just trying to survive on a day-to-day basis. Bishop Valerii's most significant request is to 'PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!'
Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
Andrei Shander (Interpreter for Bishop Reshetinsky) Reports
I spoke to some pastors yesterday, and here is what they face on a day-to-day basis. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on Feb 24th, the gasoline prices in Kyiv have risen from $4.40 USD per gallon to $8.80 USD per gallon. These prices are even higher in the Western parts of the country. Due to attacks and missile strikes, Ukrainian oil refineries were destroyed. There is a countrywide shortage of gas at gas stations. In Kyiv, the average waiting time at a gas station is four to five hours, with a limit of two and a half gallons per car per day.
Buckwheat is one of the main staples in Ukraine, like rice in India. In the last three months, the price of buckwheat has risen from $2.24 USD per pound to $4.80 USD per pound.
The planting season has already begun. Some churches have community gardens and have been able to feed refugees and their communities. Now, their reserves are getting low, and their hope is to plant more. These churches grow tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, beets, etc. There is a need for greenhouses and garden tools. They are available but pricy. A greenhouse that is 16X20 feet costs about $1,200 USD.
More and more people are relying on bicycles as a reliable and affordable means of transportation. One of our Bishops has requested four bicycles for his ministers to be effective in their communities. Nothing can stop the gospel from spreading. Our brothers are willing to go; all they need is our prayers and help to get to people. There were two bicycle plants in Ukraine, one in Kharkiv and one in a big warehouse in Bucha. Both of them have been destroyed by the Russian military. The price for a bicycle is now about $250 USD. To put in a community garden is around $300 USD for seed, plants, and plowing.
Most people remain unemployed and struggle to feed their families. Food remains one of the primary needs in Ukraine, according to our leaders. Our average pastor/elder may earn $200 USD to $300 USD per month as long as he still has work.
Our leaders in Ukraine share their hope in Jesus with the people. Let's help them to be effectively equipped for ministry in this wartime. They are risking their lives to reach and help the lost.
Thank you for praying and for making a difference in Ukraine today.
Andrei
Can you help with any of these projects? Consider giving to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund at the link below.
https://give.iphc.org/project/ukraine-emergency-relief
If you have any questions, please reach out to Bob Cave at bcave@iphc.org or reach him at (210)929-9793.
*Update 05/24/2022
Constant Needs
The Ukraine war grinds on, and the basic needs of food, medicine, shelter, and safety have not changed. Our Ukrainian brothers and sisters still need our help today, just as when the war began on February 24. Below is another report from Dima Loiuk, director of IPHC Barnabas, who leads the humanitarian push to supply these needs. I spoke with him today. He and his team go back and forth across the Polish border, where they receive their best prices on supplies. Thank you for your continued financial help so we can purchase what is needed.
Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
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Greetings, dear Bob. Marina (Dima’s assistant in the IPHC Barnabas) received $5,000 from you wired yesterday, and Bishop Valerii received the $10,000 sent to the Kiev region for the humanitarian food and medicine. Thank you so much.
This week I was in the south of Ukraine on the territory of hostilities. I brought humanitarian aid in an armored vehicle as the military would not have let us go there in another car. We also need to be in bulletproof vests and helmets when entering this territory.
PHOTOS: Metro Station in Kharkiv (second largest city) used as a bomb shelter reopens. People still have no safe place to shelter because so many buildings have been destroyed.
While there, I visited Maxim Gagan and other brothers who are now fighting. We brought medicines to the military hospital, where the wounded are brought for treatment. The necessary items and food made it to them. We visited many local people and children, and we even managed to bring them bicycles that had just been released from the Russian military.
I am sending you a short video report. Today, after serving in Kyiv, I arrived at our base in Novololynsk and, tomorrow, I will go to Poland to buy food and medicines. Once again, many thanks for the financial support. May God bless and say hello to everyone from us.
I hug you tightly,
Dima and Team
*Update 05/17/2022
The following story was recounted to Lilia Shvets, who works in publishing at our IPHC Christian Hope Church (our mother church in Kiev), by Luibov Yermolenko, who leads our prayer ministry there. She tells of her 87-year-old mother's experience. This is one story of thousands that should urge us to pray that this war will end and that we all will be able to return to some form of peace. The goal is still to win the lost and plant churches.
By Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
Just One Family's Experience
Maria Kyrylivna age 87
Bullets flew over Vorzel like a midge in the summer. Sometimes it seemed that they expanded under our windows. We stayed in the house with my neighbor, and it was not so scary when we were together. From time to time, we had to run to the cellar to hide. All day and night: bullets, alarm, cellar, house, and then roll call.
My brother Serhiy, his family (wife, Lena, their son, Sasha), and our mother, Maria Kyrylivna, live in the village of Vorzel near Kyiv. From the first day of the war, they had been staying at home, and within a few days, it became impossible to leave. Missiles, bombs, daily firefights, looting, and destruction were all over. Russian tanks drove through the streets of the village. One of them stopped near my mother's house. The soldiers targeted the main gun directly at a large beautiful building across the street. They started shooting at it. It was terrifying! They destroyed it just because it was new and beautiful. There was a grandmother with two grandchildren in the cellar. It's a miracle that they survived. Their big house had burned down.
Russian soldiers also came into my mother's yard. They went around the yard, shot at the air a few times, and entered the outdoor kitchen. However, within a few minutes, they left by God's mercy! My family and I, along with our brothers and sisters in the church, had been praying to the Lord every day to protect my family. Only God could have closed the eyes of the enemy!
Later, the gas and electricity were turned off in the village. My brother took our mother to his house. Sometimes there were opportunities to cook soup on a fire, which they ate during those weeks. Every day, Sashenka (my nephew) walked around his grandmother's house and their own house. He anointed it with oil, blessed it, and prayed to the Lord to protect and defend the whole family. He would also pray the same protection over all the residents of Vorzel and their homes. Sashenka asked Christ to intercede and close the enemy's eyes so that they wouldn't see people and their properties. How adult our Sashenka became. He seemed to be the same boy, but he was our support. The Lord gave him strength and confidence.
When the green corridor was finally allowed to open, the occupiers banned the driving of cars. It was seven kilometers to the green corridor. Of course, my mother would not be able to cope with such a distance. My brother and his wife and son refused to leave her there alone. Therefore, they all stayed together. I knew and believed that Jesus would stay with them as well.
Of course, I was very worried. They had spent all these weeks in the cellar under daily bombardment. However, we continued to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to protect everyone!
One day, a sister in God from our church Lesya Hrushko and brother Maksym Smirnov called me and said that they were giving a green corridor for one more day. Our mother was very worried, and she cried that she did not want to and could not go. She wanted to die at home. However, I persuaded her on the phone, prayed with her, and cried with her. The Lord calmed my mother's heart, and she agreed to leave.
Within 15 minutes, my brother, his family, and our mother got together, got into the car, and left the village. Thirty-seven kilometers made up the distance they had to travel! Our volunteers and an ambulance were waiting for the people near Kyiv. The girls had baked fresh bread and cooked hot food. My mother said that when she had taken a slice of carefully baked bread, for the first time in her life she noticed how incredible the bread smelled. Living our daily life, we often do not notice and do not appreciate the grace that the Lord gives us from heaven every day. My mother was standing there in a dirty coat, sniffing this baked bread, and crying bitterly. She said that she had never eaten such good bread in her life.
It is even difficult to remember those first minutes of our meeting. My mother, my brother, his wife, and my nephew were standing there, gray and pale. During those weeks they had spent in the occupation, something had changed in them.
I took my mother to my home. Serhiy and his family went to our relatives. The first weeks were not easy. My mother listened to something all the time, she was afraid of every sharp sound, and sometimes she froze and started to sigh heavily. I tried to help her with everything. We constantly prayed together. Thank God my mother recovered and returned to her home. My brother and his family also returned. God saved the houses. Now, my mother is at home, planting her vegetable garden. Almost all the citizens have returned. They are planting vegetables and cultivating gardens.
Our people are strong despite everything, they have not fallen into depression, but they look to the future with hope. Our mother was born on August 1, 1935. She went through those difficult times of World War II, hunger, and perestroika. God saved my mother's life and guided her through those terrible times, and now Не continues to protect her. He hears His children and remains as their faithful, loving Father! He strengthens us, and He is our hope! My mother was very happy to return home as she exclaimed, 'This is my land. I have to plant everything already!' Our strength is in the Lord!
Brothers and sisters of different denominations are constantly helping. People are trying to help each other, be a comfort, and protect each other from terrible memories. The love of Christ unites all of us! Glory to the Lord of everything!
Ukraine, keep on praying! We know that the Lord is with us and will guide us through this difficult time. Our victory is with God!
Liubov Yermolenko, The leader of the praying group of Christian Hope Church
*Update 05/12/2022
Nothing is the same, except our Lord!!
We have all seen the images and videos of the devastation of a beautiful country in the last two and a half months. The complete flattening of the city of Mariupol, a city of 450,000 people, now contains less than 100,000 individuals, and at least 20,000 innocent civilians have been killed in all sorts of bombing and artillery attacks.
Our IPHC Ukraine churches there are in ashes. Back in pre-war/pre-Covid Ukraine, we had 225 churches with 19,500 members. Today, almost all of our churches are still operational. Praise the Lord! Our leadership, led by Bishop Valerii Reshetinsky, who is still living in his church office in Kiev, is constantly discussing planting new churches wherever the refugees may scatter. They will meet wherever they can gather two or three families. Many remember that this is how they began just after Communism fell in the early 90s, meeting in forests, community buildings, and homes. We are talking about resilient people with a strong spiritual focus.
In 2014, when Russia invaded for the first time and took over Crimea, we had 18 churches. Since then, they have operated under Russian rule and persecution. It is the same story in Luhansk and Donetsk, with at least 20 churches in that occupied territory. They’ve had eight years under Russian rule and bullying, but they are still a shining light in their villages and city communities.
We thank you so much for your generosity and prayers for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. We know that this is not going to be a quick fix, and as you see in the pictures below, many people are eventually going to return and have to start from scratch. Yet, they keep expressing how grateful they are and how they wish they could give you a big hug for your help.
By Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
*Update 05/10/2022
UKRAINE UPDATE FROM THE POLISH SIDE, by Harold Presley
Harold Presley, Regional Director of Northwest Europe, recently traveled to Poland along with new Missionary Trevor Clowers. Their mission was to meet Roman and Christina Danylyshyn, Ukrainians who moved to Poland five years ago to start a church there. Their God Story is taken from Harold's report, as follows.
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Here's a snippet of Roman and Christina Danylyshyn's story. How did this young Ukrainian family end up as permanent residents in Poland with their own law firm and church just in time for a war to break out in their home country? We must begin with a promise out of the oldest story of all.
"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." - Psalms 46:1 (NLT)
Roman and Christina Danylyshyn have been living in Poland as missionaries sent from their local congregation in Ternopil, Ukraine, since late 2017. Right before the lockdown in 2020, they found out they were pregnant. God gave Roman two tasks: first, become a qualified lawyer in Poland and, second, open a coffee shop ministry/business for-profit. Therefore, that's what they did, and Christina studied to become a paralegal.
Right before Covid hit, they separately heard the Holy Spirit urging them to sell the coffee shop. They were hesitant at first, thinking the other would not want to sell, not knowing both had heard the same thing. They waited a month or so, and the Holy Spirit prompted them again. This time they obeyed, and the day after they sold the business, the street in front of the coffee shop went under construction, ripping up the sidewalk. It shut down business for weeks. A loss they would not have survived. God's perfect timing and provision were realized.
They then focused on the church that had begun through the coffee shop. They preached in Polish and Ukrainian, reaching both nationalities. During this time, they were also able to work as lawyers helping Ukrainian people with their documents, visas, and other legal matters, as there were many Ukrainians immigrating to Kraków long before the invasion.
In February of 2020, Roman had to go to Ukraine for business. Whilst there, Covid broke out, and he was unable to cross the border into Poland to return to his pregnant wife and three kids.
Meanwhile, Christina had little money and no way for Roman to send her any because the money transfer stations were not functioning. However, Roman had stored up meat and frozen enough for them to live on, another prompting of the Lord that led to rescue and provision.
Christina tried to schedule an ultrasound as she was not feeling well, but it was a wait of six weeks. Sadly, when she was finally able to see the Doctor, the baby had already died. They informed her that the baby had been dead for about four weeks. She left her three kids home alone, the oldest being 12, to undergo the required medical procedure and a two-day hospitalization.
Upon receiving this news, Roman went to the border for a third time, trying to be with his wife and children. Upon arrival at the Ukrainian border, he was allowed through to the Polish border, where he pleaded his case to the officers. They told him that the person who made those decisions would not be on duty until the next day. When he drove back through the neutral zone to the Ukrainian border, they told him that because his car had a Polish registration, he was required to pay a 2,000 EURO ($2,200) fine. Therefore, he went back to the Polish border and spoke to the same officer who told him that if he was on duty, Roman could stay on their side of the neutral zone. By then, it was 4:00 PM, and Roman would soon learn that this officer's shift had ended.
The new officer did not want him to stay and levied an exorbitant parking fee. Other officers got involved, shifts changed with new authorities to appease, and an incredible drama carried on for nearly 36 hours. This included him being chased at gunpoint, reparking his car several times in and out of the neutral zone, being required to stay in his car overnight with the engine off, and a no-sleep policy strictly enforced as the temperature dropped to a bitter minus 17°. If the purpose of travel had not been so tragic, it would have been a comedy of errors par-excellence! Indeed, as Roman and Christina re-tell the story, they are most animated, and their narrative is peppered with both laughter and tears. Finally, he and his car survived the ordeal. One guard heard enough of the gospel from Roman's narratives to pray for salvation, and the family was reunited!
A few months later, Roman heard the Lord saying Russia would invade Ukraine, so he persuaded his parents to sell their home in Ternopil and move to Poland with them. They did, and they shared accommodations making living arrangements for two grandparents, two parents, and three kids in a two-bedroom apartment. The grandparents booked their bus tickets to travel into Poland on February 25, 2022, the day after Russia attacked Ukraine. The first bus was shot and destroyed before arriving to pick them up. Fortunately, they were able to get on the next bus and evacuate Ukraine.
Everything about Roman and Christina's story testifies that God has prepared, equipped, and positioned them for such a time as this through their obedience to His instruction.
Now, Roman and Christina are assisting 312 refugees in Kraków. Of these refugees, 176 are children. Of those children, 45 have pneumonia because of prolonged exposure to the dampness and cold while escaping.
As a certified lawyer in Poland, Roman knows how to fill in and process the required documents for these refugees. They are able to send food, medical supplies, generators, clothes, basic hygiene products, and toiletries by fronting their own funds and tapping into every form of favor and goodwill that is available.
As of May 1, 2022, they have acquired and distributed 630 tons of supplies within 65 days. The requests are pouring in from churches in Ukraine and from men fighting on the front line. Roman and Christina are doing all this work without personal compensation. They have been living on their savings and faith that "God will provide because He said He will." Another of their frequent exclamations is: "Today is a beautiful day!" They exemplify faith and God's goodness.
Although the Danylyshyns began by housing and feeding more than 1,000 women and children at the onset of this cruel invasion, their refugee friends were dispersed to various accommodations and now receive daily help from a variety of sources. In the first week of May, more than 60 children were being assisted directly. However, Christina was quick to say, "It could be 100 next week. We never know."
I personally met one couple who this dynamic duo helped in Kraków. They had escaped Ukraine with five orphans. The family of seven, including a two-year-old, now live in a make-shift apartment inside an industrial building. The father was able to get work on a construction site.
The Danylyshyn's law firm, "Get Legal," has not been practicing for profit since the invasion began. Their rented hall that was for church services has become a resource center and hub of activity, assisting the Ukrainians who are escaping the war and sending supplies into Ukraine to people who are otherwise starving. They receive donations from across Poland and Germany in every imaginable way, from bin-liners filled with used clothing, to neatly packed and labeled shoeboxes filled with personal hygiene products and, of course, money. Their ministry and church are named "New Life Ministries."
I have been praying for Poland for years. I've asked the Lord for the right timing and location to initiate ministry. I've prayed for local workers, evangelists, and church planters. It's just like the Lord to reveal all of these during a time of war.
As I write this, Pastors Tom and Mandy Polk, from North Carolina, are with Roman and Christina in Poland at the refugee camp with 75+ people. This camp is supervised by our faithful sister, Gayana Omelchenko, and her husband, Sasha. Dmitryi Loiuk, our humanitarian director, just escorted a group of "evacuees" from Novovolynsk to Berlin. Now, he will drive back to Długie, Poland, to be with Gayana, the Danylyshyns, and the Polks. The next plan is for Roman to supply two tons of food to fill Dmitryi's van as he drives back through Kraków to the refugee center in Novovolynsk.
The latter aspects of this plan are indeed needful for survival but also designed to bridge the gap between the Danylyshyns and our long-standing Ukrainian members. This kind of work is one of the Polk's fortė. They are a God-send. I look forward to more updates and insight from Tom and Mandy in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks goes to Trevor Clowers for accompanying me on my recent visit to Kraków. He ministered to the people with a keen sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. He also initiated and rolled up his sleeves to accomplish good productive labor in the piles of goods being prepped for shipping. It was Trevor's detailed daily journal that formed the draft of this report.
We believe this diaspora pouring out of Ukraine will become deposits of the life and love of Jesus across Europe. In these difficult situations, "forced movers" from Ukraine are vibrant carriers of salvation, healing, and reconciliation.
I pray along with the prophets, Isaiah and Habakkuk,
"Let the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." - Habakkuk 2:14
To give to this relief fund, please click here!
*Update 05/06/2022
THOUSANDS OF VILLAGES NEED HELP
Last week, there was more tragic news from Mariupol. A city with 450,000 people is now flattened, and around 100,000 of those people are still hiding out in burnt-out structures. Although some were evacuated, people are still held hostage in the city steel mill. Another humanitarian organization that I am acquainted with sent a three van convoy to Mariupol and attempted to make a food run to the desperate people left behind there. The drivers were Bible School students from L’viv. The food was from my home city in Edmonton, Canada, and it was flown in on a cargo plane that is making regular weekly runs. The Russians ambushed the trucks as they arrived in the city. Two young men were killed. One was able to turn his van around, and he escaped.
Please pray for our humanitarian workers and pastors who all stuck to their churches while bombs were falling. Pray for soldiers like pastor Max and especially Bishop Valery Reshetinsky, as he has been overseeing our operations from his church/office/refugee center since Feb 24.
There is still a building full of refugees housed and fed there. Services are held on Saturdays, with 500 Messianic Jews who rent our sanctuary. Additionally, our own services are held on Sundays.
I had a one-hour Zoom meeting with Rabbi Boris Grisenko this past Saturday. His congregation of 2,200 in several locations has scattered around Europe. He and Bishop Valerii see this as an excellent opportunity to plant new congregations wherever our people end up.
To give to this relief fund, please click here!
Blessings,
Bob Cave, Regional Director of
Eurasia and the Middle East
*Update 05/05/2022
UKRAINE UPDATE: HUMANITARIAN HAMPERS DELIVERED
As we continue to turn your Ukraine Relief funds into food, here are some of the faces that are benefiting. The whole food supply chain system is under heavy stress, and many areas are cut off completely. Dima Loiuk and his team try to get food to those who are most needy. There are some places where things seem almost normal in one part of a city, while others deal with chaos.
I spoke to our representative Andrey Zaremba, who was assessing the refugee situation in L’viv, and the section of the city that he was in was pretty much normal. However, Russia has fired cruise missiles at L’viv and the airport repeatedly. Our IPHC refugee center in Novovolynsky is just 70 miles North, so pray that the small city stays out of the line of fire. As Andrey, Dima, and Bishop Valery move around, they always have to be alert that death could be around any corner.
Of course, we are a long way away from this war and can become pretty comfortable if it’s not right here with us, so I very much appreciate that hundreds of our churches and individuals have been so generous to give to the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund, project number 41502P.
Dima and his team say a big thanks for the ability to deliver humanitarian aid on a new cargo bus. We continue preaching the gospel and sharing food products with people who are continuing on without their homes or any livelihood. For the majority of them, food baskets are the only opportunity to receive food.
To give to this relief fund, please click here!
Blessings,
Bob Cave, Regional Director of Eurasia and the Middle East
*Update 05/04/2022
WAR AND THE CHILDREN
War is a terrible thing for all at any time, and especially for children as nothing makes sense. Russia brought war to Ukraine on February 24 and, since that time, the UN says 153 innocent children have been killed. Forbes says that the number is 186 killed and 344 injured. In the first five weeks, 22 schools were attacked every day and, in the city of Mykolaiv, just recently the Children’s Hospital came under attack.
*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.
Ukrainian Refugees Doing School Work
Ukrainian Refugees Doing School Work
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.
Timur, who had to stay back in Ukraine
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.
Guyana and the four kids shortly after arriving in Poland from Kiev, Ukraine. (See story from April 19).
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 Still on the Ukrainian side of the Border Between Poland and Ukraine
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
