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Frontlines
Care for the Body & Soul
If you think accessing healthcare in the U.K. can sometimes be difficult, consider for a moment how much harder it is in a country like Ukraine where, alongside the consequences of a brutal war, people continue to suffer from all the everyday illnesses and medical problems that are still a part of life in times of peace.
SGA supports a team of Christian medics who give of their time to hold clinics for those whose health needs would not otherwise be met. Made up of both GPs and specialists in, for example, cardiology, paediatrics and ophthalmology, the team visits towns and villages across a large part of Ukraine, including those that are perilously close to the front line. Following consultations, they are then able to perform a number of near-patient blood tests, carry out ECGs, and undertake ultrasound examinations before, if necessary, providing free starter medication and advice about ongoing management of medical conditions.
Alongside the physical care provided for the tens of thousands of patients who have benefited from this ministry over the years, spiritual care is also available with SGA-supported pastor Sergey Shalinsky on hand to share the life-giving medicine of the Gospel.
Sergey tells of one lady attending a clinic held during a four-day trip. Mercifully, the weather was inclement, which hindered drone attacks and made other aerial assaults less numerous. On this occasion, Lidiya had only come to say thank you. Previously she had attended for a knee problem which left her barely able to walk. Having been successfully treated for her condition, she started attending church regularly only to find, when she started to read the Bible, that her vision wasn’t good enough for her to make out the individual words. So Sergey, who is himself medically trained and regularly holds Gospel meetings during which he undertakes simple eye assessments, provided Lidiya with free glasses enabling her then to read the Scriptures. It was through reading God’s Word and listening to sermons that Lidiya subsequently came to faith in Christ. Soon after she was baptised and, not long after that, her son accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour too.
Lidiya recognised how the medical team’s ministry was the means by which she was brought to God – not unlike the man born blind who, having first had his physical sight restored, then experienced an even greater miracle – the opening of his spiritual eyes, enabling him not only to see Jesus, but recognise and worship Him as Lord.
With the Gospel always at the centre of all that it seeks to do, SGA continues to sponsor the medical team’s ministry in Ukraine – both for the much-needed healthcare it delivers and for how, by demonstrating God’s love, it opens hearts to the Gospel. As well as providing an opportunity for that Good News of Jesus to be proclaimed, the team’s endeavours also support local believers by preparing the way for new church plants.
Please pray for the team – that the members would be kept safe and know the joy of seeing many ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven.