My name is Natalia, and my husband, our daughter, and I came from Volchansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. We left our occupied home into the unknown of western Ukraine, a place we had never been before. Here, we have to start life anew. It’s scary, everything is uncertain, what will happen next? By a twist of fate, we ended up at a shelter associated with the Lviv Church of the Disciples of Jesus Christ.
At first, it was difficult to adapt to this new life, a new city, and the fact that we no longer had our own home. We learned that the church was launching a program called “Soul Healing.” It piqued our interest, and my husband and I decided to participate. There were lectures about God, who He is, what the church is, and why there is evil in the world if God is good. This information answered questions that had been deep within me for a long time, but I had never had the time or inclination to delve into them. Thus, I learned about God. And I also got to know God because I decided to believe in Him and follow Him. In the program, we had meetings with a counselor in the “trust room,” which helped me work through my fears, anxieties, problems, understand myself, figure out what to do, and plan for the future.
We also went on excursions around this beautiful city, attended workshops, meetings, musical evenings, and home groups. It was a packed three months that brought color back to my life and showed me the right path. I went through preparation for baptism, and my husband and I fulfilled this commandment. My life changed, and I no longer fear for my future as I did before; I know that God takes care of me.
Thank you to everyone who supports and prays for our ministry in Ukraine!
I am very grateful for your prayers. Every day we witness miracles. We resemble the disciples of Jesus who saw 5000 people and didn’t know how to help them. And then Jesus performed a miracle.
We are a very small church. We have absolutely no resources, but over this year, we have fed and provided shelter for about 5000 people. It gives me goosebumps. It’s a real miracle. And you are part of this miracle. I am thankful to you for your support and participation. $2 a day is the cost to provide for one person, giving them a bed and food. And every donation, no matter how small, has immense significance.
Another great joy is seeing these people learn to pray. They join home groups (we have organized 7 groups). Additionally, half of the attendees in our Sunday services are refugees. We are grateful to God for this unique opportunity to serve! We have an abundance of gratitude and testimonies. I thought that if you are interested, I could send some testimonials and stories so that you can read them in your church and among your friends. So that people can understand and feel how important this ministry is. Blessings to you!
This week we had the graduation of our training course “Rehabilitation of War Victims.” It is a great joy to see the eyes of people filled with hope. Their lives were destroyed by war, and now they are beginning a new stage. It is a great joy that this is happening with our help. We also held two meetings for refugee children, with about 100 people in attendance. It is a unique opportunity to bring joy and love to the children and tell them about Jesus.
The sewing workshop renovation continues. There is a lot of work to do, and time is short. We are in a hurry. It is similar to how God’s kingdom in Ukraine is growing, becoming larger, and bearing fruit! This is possible thanks to your prayers and your support. We don’t stop! We keep running towards victory.
I am having back problems again. It is an issue with my discs. The pain is severe, and it is challenging to walk. Please pray for God to grant healing and the strength to continue the ministry. Please also pray for my brother-in-law. He is a great man of God, but his sufferings are terrible. His condition is not improving, and he is practically paralyzed. For my wife, this is a heavy trial, filled with much pain and tears. Please remember this in your prayers.
It is difficult to remain calm, as there are thousands of people around us who need our help. In the photo is one of the meetings for refugees. It is amazing. Hundreds of people are listening to the Gospel and accepting our help. I ask you to pray for these people. We have sown the seed. God will grant repentance.
There were incredibly busy days. We have many people and g problems with electricity and it’s becoming very cold, especially in Eastern Ukraine. Please pray that we can continue our ministry. The sewing workshop is under repair. We already have our first mentor and first sewing machine. Please pray that we can start our small project for shelters.
We had large special revival meetings with refugees. I had the privilege of preaching to the crowd. Please pray for their hearts. Almost our entire team got sick, including me. It’s a very hectic schedule. We started a training course in 3 more places where refugees live. We need strength to continue this ministry. Pray that God strengthens us to preach the gospel.
We have heavy snow and frost. Because of problems with electricity, many people are freezing. Pray that warmth returns soon, so we can survive this winter. This is our main request, and the most you can do right now is to pray for us.
God gives us strength to continue our ministry! Our team takes care of 3 refugee accommodation sites simultaneously. And our main task is to bring the gospel to these people. Therefore, we are developing a special course and training program. And pray for the people we preach the gospel to. I know – only Jesus can help these people. The sadness of war is God’s voice calling people to salvation. And we are microphones through which God’s voice sounds. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support.
I prayed with the man (in the photo). He’s a refugee from Soledar. He spoke about the horrible destruction and the many people killed, including his neighbors and close friends. This man miraculously survived. God gave him the opportunity to know Jesus and also gave me the privilege to preach the Gospel to him.
There are many people in our building. We provide lodging and also feed them three times a day. People are very open to God’s Word, and I am happy that I have the opportunity to preach the Gospel to them every day. I see amazing miracles because God changes people’s hearts. They cry, they fight against sin, they prepare to be baptized. It’s a great joy.
My plan, which I want you to know and pray for is: to open a small workshop where a few people can sew. The first step is that we plan to prepare and equip the room. The second step is that we will need to buy sewing machines. The third step is that we must train people. Through such work, people will be able to stop thinking about their troubles and through work, we can restore people’s dignity. They will be able to start earning on their own, which is very important for both them and us.
Organizing work for refugees is not an easy task. Please pray for this. I am very grateful for your prayers and support. Ukraine needs you very much.
This is a tragedy that the devil has created in Ukraine. This is spiritual warfare. But the blows of Jesus are stronger than the blows of Satan. When I preached this week, we saw a record number of repentances. In just one service, about 15 refugees believed in Jesus! I heard prayers. I saw tears. I see how life conquers death. This is the victory of Jesus Christ. This is our victory! Tell about it in church!
Rejoice and praise God! Also, please pray for us and the new believers. We are preparing for baptism, time flies very quickly. I find it hard to believe that we have been helping refugees for six months now. We have hosted and helped over 3,500 people. Our church has prepared and distributed over 43,000 meals. 70 refugees permanently live in the church. More than 100 people completed the training and process of rehabilitation. More than 3,000 people heard the gospel. We have witnessed a huge number of repentances. More than 300 people prayed the prayer of repentance alone with me. This is a miracle that God does. This is the awakening of Ukraine and a unique opportunity for our church to bevat the epicenter of this miracle. I am very grateful to you for your participation in the ministry of disciples in Lvov. We did it together!
