Kherson was occupied by Russian military from the beginning of the war.
The senior pastor of the Kherson region, Pavlo, has already visited the churches of the city three times since it was liberated on 11th November. He finds this a difficult task due to curfews still in place from 5 pm to 8 am.
Furthermore, gas and water supplies were significantly damaged, and much of the city’s infrastructure and buildings were mined.
Pavlo reports that most of the members of the churches became displaced people. However, he is grateful that many new people began to attend these churches. Even though light and water are absent, and a shortage of food creates a crisis, the life of the churches continues. People thank God for everything!
The Russian military took three Baptist church buildings in the Kherson region at the end of October, converting two of them into military bases [barracks]. We have been informed that village church buildings have suffered severe damage too.
Pastor Serhiy Kostin explains the current situation in the village church in Novovorontsivka.
The windows were blown out, but the church is still meeting, and unbelievers are coming too. The population lives in severe poverty. There is no natural gas supply, so people are looking for firewood to heat their homes. We are trying to help people somehow survive through the winter. I saw a 20-year-old girl last Sunday who became an orphan during this war. Her house is broken, and the roof leaks. These people turn to the church for help.
This pastor travels to hold meetings in two villages. There are huge challenges and extremely difficult circumstances for Serhiy to deal with, but he says: ‘We are not getting discouraged because we are with the Lord.’
Pastor Igor Bandura expressed his concern about the winter approaching. With limited power supplies and food shortages, the winter will be long and difficult. He is grateful for SGA Widows’ Project which is providing for a growing number of widows.
With your funding and the combined efforts of volunteers, the Christian Literature Factory in west Ukraine has assembled more than 20,000 food boxes and delivered them all over the country. With the Lord’s help we will continue to provide for this ministry.