Reports from our partners about the church in Ukraine are encouraging, inspiring, but also deeply challenging. They continue to minister with even greater zeal and courage despite the difficult life circumstances.
They are facing almost insurmountable opposition in harsh conditions, yet their Gospel focus is not diminished or distracted. Our partners in mission sent the following report.
Believers in Ukraine are convinced that the snowdrifts, worsening or absence of mobile communication, and electricity are not real obstacles for the ministry. As for now, their [Russian] missiles and drones have damaged several hundred vital infrastructure objects. We are trying hard to save electricity whenever possible, which is currently supplied a few hours each day. Power plants, enterprises, and residential buildings were hit, but we are still alive and can work with incredible gratefulness to the Lord for every day we have.
Churches becoming winter ‘Community Hubs’
It is wonderful that the Church in the UK and Ireland can stand by its brothers and sisters in Ukraine, supporting them with essential funding. Recently, SGA’s partners in Ukraine requested help with three pressing needs.
1. Four months funding for 315 pastors. Pastor Igor Bandura, Baptist Union Senior Vice President, explained that it takes years to prepare a pastor but in a war the church could lose him in a moment. Funds are needed to sustain pastors and their families.
2. Families caring for over 640 children. Through the churches, 130 foster families and carers required funding to help care for vulnerable war impacted children.
3. Generators for 242 churches. Our partners want to provide generators for churches so that they can become ‘community hubs’, providing a place for people to stay warm, cook meals and have meaningful conversations.
Praise God, that with your help, we were able to offer funding for 108 pastors for four months and for families who are caring for over 640 suffering needy children. We are also working closely with Igor about the logistics of supplying generators. Already, UK churches and individuals have expressed their desire to help.
Praise God that 60,000 Bibles sets [adult and children’s Bibles] have been printed in partnership with our partners – 45,000 in Ukrainian and 15,000 in Russian. Currently, 70% have already been sent to the field while the other 30% will be sent soon.
Also, a Christian literature factory in west Ukraine [supported by SGA UK] has, in the last 6 months, printed 100,000 New Testaments for adults, 100,000 New Testaments for children, and 300,000 various pieces of Christian literature. 50,000 pocket sized Gospel booklets have been prepared for distribution to the Ukrainian military.
Together with the Lord’s help, we can bring comfort and help to the people of Ukraine.