Both the Natalchenko family and the Feytser family had to flee their homes as the war in Ukraine intensified. They had almost nothing but the clothes on their backs when they arrived in SGA-supported Pastor Mykola’s community. But there they have experienced the power of God at work in their lives.

“We realize that we are not left behind,” the Natalchenkos share after receiving food packages—provided through the generosity of friends like you—and spiritual care from Mykola’s church. “God cares about our family and other refugees through hearts.” The Feytsers have also seen His hand in their lives. “There was gratitude that somewhere overseas there are people who think about us and sympathize with us,” the family says. “And gratitude that we are not forgotten, that God cares about us as refugees.”

Read more from Mykola’s report and from the testimonies of two displaced families . . .

Many greetings from western part of Ukraine!

We, as the Power of Faith Bible Church, would like to thank Slavic Gospel Association for the support they have provided to serve refugees who have moved [here]. We feel with all our hearts that only God’s love can work with your hearts like this! We would also like to note that thanks to the ministry of food aid and distribution of food packages, we were able to share the Good News of the Savior Jesus Christ and the Word of God with dozens of Ukrainians. The church realizes all these needs and tries to serve people through charity to show God’s care, and especially through the Word of God to convey that God is not somewhere in the sky, but here among people. He is a living God, taking care of them. Since the military invasion, we have organized a shelter for refugees, evacuated people from the war zones, as well as evacuated them abroad and prepared hot meals for those in need. To this day, our church distributes food packages. In addition, we also hold various events to provide spiritual and moral support to refugees, and we have Bible study groups.

With prayer and gratitude,
Mykola
Pastor of the Power of Faith Bible Church

Now the stories of two displaced families and how God worked in their lives.

The Natalchenko family from Bakhmut. 

During the war, we realized that we do not depend on ourselves! In one moment, we lost absolutely everything. We can no longer live the life we had before the war. For a long time, we lived and served about one mile from the front line, so the sounds of explosions were already usual for us. On February 24, 2022, these sounds became so different, we realized that we had to leave immediately. When your home disappears, your surroundings disappear, and you can no longer live that life, you realize that you are completely dependent on God. When we get help from the church or just from strangers, we realize that we are not left behind, that God cares about our family and other refugees through good hearts.

The Feytser family from the Lugansk region.

Before the full-scale invasion began, we lived in the city of Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region. When the shelling started, the windows in our apartment were blown out, and we had to hide in the basement of the church. But [the invaders] were getting closer, so we decided to flee to the western part of Ukraine. Now we have lost everything, we left only with a bag and documents. Through the war we see that God has not abandoned us. This is a visible miracle in our family. With the help of the church and friends, we are able to cope with the challenges that have fallen on us. 

God takes away material things, but He has brought us closer to Himself. When evil comes, some people are disappointed and upset, while others are inspired to serve others. Do what God expects from us! Now we are very grateful to God that we are alive, that God cares for us through His faithful and committed children.

The war affected, manifested and showed in different ways what was important in this life for people. For some, when they lost their normal life, they began to think about how valuable earthly things were to them! For others, the fact that their lives are filled with the pain of loss, grief and fear—they are offended at God, how could He allow this grief in their lives?

Accepting help from strangers is strange, on the one hand, because we are used to always giving something to someone else. But at the same time, there was gratitude that somewhere overseas there are people who think about us and sympathize with us. And gratitude that we are not forgotten, that God cares about us as refugees.

In a time of great uncertainty, God is bringing help, healing, and hope to the people of Ukraine through SGA-supported pastors, churches, a seminary, and SGA-supported Compassion Ministry. Be a part of God’s incredible work with your generosity and prayer support.  

Your gift of compassion helps struggling people with emergency aid that generally includes Scripture materials, food, medicine, warm clothing, and shoes.