It is impossible to convey the suffering and pain that the people of Ukraine have endured over the past two and a half years. Millions of lives and families shattered, hundreds of thousands dead, and every day, innocent civilians perish as homes are destroyed. The devil, in his great wrath, is celebrating an infernal sabbath. We are about to face the most challenging winter, and we don’t know what lies ahead. As long as we are alive, we want to survive and endure these terrible trials.
We desperately need your prayerful and tangible financial support. The needs are vast and constantly increasing. I live and serve in Ukraine and also need support! There are constant bombings throughout Ukraine targeting heat and power plants, and critical infrastructure is being deliberately destroyed, making survival impossible without heating and electricity. We need to prepare for winter. We need to purchase gas cylinders, burners, heaters, and candles that burn for 120 hours each. This requires funds!
We also need a 3-ton cargo truck, which can provide 5-6 times more support than the one we currently have. The price is $15,000. We also need funds for fuel, which costs $100 per trip.
For more than half a year, 18 people have been living in our house. Due to the ongoing bombings, three families will be staying with us this winter. Falling rocket debris and blast waves are destroying homes and apartments that need repairs, including replacing windows and doors, and fixing roofs. We pray that God will move your hearts toward generosity. God has much more than we ask for or need to meet these urgent needs in these difficult times of trials and suffering. God has blessed you abundantly and brought you to a prosperous country, just as He brought Esther to the king’s palace.
The Scripture says, “Rescue those being led away to death!” Dear brothers and sisters, your brothers and sisters in Ukraine need you desperately! May God abundantly bless you and move your hearts!
The situation with electricity is becoming more and more difficult. In eastern Ukraine, there has been no electricity for several days. Russia continues to bomb power stations in our region. Because of this, we experience daily power outages for several hours. Many people are suffering due to this, especially hospitals that cannot perform scheduled surgeries and treatments without power.
The situation for men is also very challenging. The actions of the Ukrainian government are increasingly coercive. Men are being abducted off the streets and then sent to the front lines. Most have no combat training, gear, or weapons to defend themselves. Many men are trying to flee the country, but it is dangerous and very difficult.
It is hard for me to describe this horror and despair. I have turned from a pastor into a psychologist and psychotherapist, as fear and panic have caused many people to develop mental illnesses and disorders. Our government has lost its sense of reason, and democracy is turning into dictatorship. Today, we are dedicating all our efforts to discipleship, and I ask you to pray for this. Thank you for thinking of us, praying for us, and supporting us.
I am very grateful for your prayers, which are desperately needed during this terrible time. In the photo, you see our brother Ruslan, a young man who came to believe in God at our refugee shelter. He was baptized, and we witnessed his active spiritual growth with great joy. Afterward, he became a soldier. This week, we received the heartbreaking news that Ruslan has died. It is incredibly painful to realize that so many young people are losing their lives in the war.
As a pastor, I am also facing a new challenge: a significant number of young people are experiencing severe psychological issues. These include the fear of war, the fear of dying, anxiety, and depression. I ask you to pray for wisdom so that we can help those who are deeply suffering emotionally.
I also want to share some joy with you. I am working on a discipleship book for the elderly. This book is special because each chapter will include a link to a sermon on the topic covered. I was searching for someone with great authority, experience, knowledge, and renown, whose insights could help readers better understand God. I found such a person and had an amazing interview. It is Grigory Komendant. I am very excited to present his thoughts to all Christians in Ukraine!
2 years of war – 2 years of destruction. The situation in Lviv is stable. Air raids occur on average 2-3 times a week. The most difficult situation is in Dnipro and Odessa. There are frequent rocket attacks and explosions in the city. My family and church are fine. There’s a lot of work, but that’s good. There’s no time to be bored. Our work with people started with social assistance, but now there are more and more spiritual matters, prayers, mentoring. We see significant spiritual progress. Oksana is treating her shoulder joint. It’s painful, but we hope the treatment will help.
There’s also a lot of work in the church community. We serve refugees, visit hospitals, and assist wounded soldiers. The construction of bomb shelters continues. The work is progressing faster than I can gather funds. I’m glad to see the changes. Another payment is due in 3 weeks. I believe that God sends us everything we need at the right time. It calms me and brings peace to my heart. Please pray that we can start planning a new ministry. It’s a children’s educational center. We plan to provide education for children and teach them the Bible, drawing, art, and foreign languages.
This ministry is a marathon. It’s a race without an end. The war doesn’t end. It’s a big disappointment. But we continue to fight. And the next 3 days our church will fast and pray for peace for Ukraine. Please remember us in your prayers. Also, people who need our help don’t end. It’s very cold -17 degrees Celsius (1 Fahrenheit) at night. And so people really appreciate the warmth of our church building. Please pray for our ability to continue to accept people. The payment for heating and electricity has significantly increased. And we feel this pressure. And of course, we continue to build a bomb shelter. We have prepared a room of about 40 square meters. And now we are installing metal structures.
Please pray that God gives wisdom and help in this responsible work. As I said: our ministry is a marathon. Thank you for running this marathon with us. I am very grateful for your support! It is so necessary and so valuable! Thank you for being present and participating in our ministry. Running alone is hard. Running a marathon together is joyful.
Please pray for us.
Pray for my health. Apparently, fatigue, stress, and of course, the virus want to stop me and the ministry. Due to illness, I sleep poorly and feel very weak.
This is the most unusual Christmas in my life. There are 50 refugees living in my church. Every day we dig a bomb shelter. 8 million Ukrainian refugees have left the country, including many of my friends. More than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers (young men) have died. My heart is filled with pain. There is no light ahead, and my hope is like a small candle in the darkness. My team is exhausted and tired from constant service. And our resources for buying food are running out. It seems like a sad situation. But that’s not the case. I am happier than ever. Because no one appreciates the light like those who are in the dark. No one appreciates food like those who are hungry. No one appreciates warmth like those who are freezing. Christmas is proof that God is light, warmth, bread, and hope for me. Jesus is a gift that is always with me. He is Emmanuel. He chose to be with me. And friendship with Jesus makes me happy. Merry Christmas. With love from Ukraine! Before the new year, more than 100 rockets were launched at Lviv! About 30 people were injured. Several hundred apartments were damaged by explosions! People in the church are scared and very tired. Pray for us! We really need your support!
