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Strangers, Fatherless, and Widows
Serving the hurting in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has left many as “strangers, fatherless, and widows.” In these times of suffering, Christians are called to reflect Christ’s love by serving the most vulnerable. While all are spiritually in need of a Saviour, God has a special heart for the weak, destitute and hopeless.
Andrii
Strangers
For those displaced by war, the Church has become a new home. Pastor Volodymyr Semeniuk returned to Ukraine to minister in Boryspil, where he planted a church in 2022. Within a relatively short period of time, he was able to start services and report that over 50 people had come to faith in Christ.
Among them was Andrii, a man with a troubled past and four prison sentences. Invited by a friend, he came to a Sunday service, heard the Gospel and prayed for forgiveness. Though Volodymyr was unsure of his sincerity, Andrii returned the next Sunday – clean, eager, and transformed. As a new believer, he took on service roles within the fellowship and was one of the first to be baptised. His life is a testimony to God’s power to redeem.
Widows' group
Widows
Ministry to war widows and mothers of fallen soldiers is another response to God’s call to serve the weakest and most broken. Because of the delicate nature of this work, it requires the gift of a gentle and compassionate heart.
Aliona, who has this special gift, serves in the team Warm Embrace and shares about her ministry:
The Gospel touches, comforts, and heals. Through our presence and support, through the Church – God is at work. We see how, in just a year or two, God transforms these women: from a place of deep pain and isolation to strength, openness, and a readiness to comfort others, to serve, and to shine.
Fatherless
The war is also taking its toll on children. Many have lost their biological parents, been given up due to disability, or removed from abusive homes. Without state-run orphanages, children now rely on family-type foster or adoptive homes. Grace Shelter became a home for over 40 children. Most of them have physical, mental, or neurological needs. That’s why house parents must obtain special education in these areas to care for them. But their deepest need is to be loved – and through the love of their house parents, come to know the love of God, which can transform their lives.
Please keep praying for God’s people in Ukraine—that even in these dark times, they would share the Gospel and serve those in greatest need.