Eric Mock
SGA Senior Vice President of Ministry Operations
You might recall, as part of SGA’s Heat and Hope campaign, that we partnered with SonSet Solutions to provide Solar Power Survival Systems to front-line churches in Ukraine. Two of them went to the city of Avdeevka and were used there until extreme bombardment and shelling destroyed a large part of the city.
Vlad, who rescued many from that city and distributed much SGA-provided aid, sent a brief update on the use of the systems.
“Greetings to you! Since I am constantly on the road, I am sending an audio recording. We delivered one of the solar systems to the church in Avdeevka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Thanks to this solar panel, people could come and recharge their phones and power banks. The system could serve about 50 people at a time. This is a very worthwhile cause. Also, the panel was a blessing for the church itself, where people would come and not only could recharge their phones, but also at the same time hear about Christ and salvation in Him. So it’s a great thing to see how a church can witness with a solar panel.
We installed another solar panel in an Avdeevka bomb shelter, where many people also came and could use the panel to charge their devices. Here too, we had a good testimony for the people who came. We told them that the church does all this for them in the name of Jesus Christ. Also at this bomb shelter, the church provided people with Christian literature. This is also a testimony to them, because there has been no electricity in Avdeevka for a long time. Unfortunately, now all this is destroyed, as it was before. Even the bomb shelter has been destroyed, and the churches have been destroyed. Only one battery is left of everything we had there. The people who stayed there used it, and now it is an occupied territory.
The solar panel project was very necessary! What benefits did it bring? The people in Avdeevka not only charged their devices, but Christians had the opportunity to witness to them about Christ and preach the Gospel. The Christians who were there told people that the solar panel that provides them with light and electricity is an illustration that Christ is the light of the world and salvation for people.”
With bombardment from the Russian military increasing day by day across Ukraine, the need for Compassion Ministry like this is certain to increase. Please pray for Vlad and his fellow church workers as they deliver aid in very dangerous conditions, and model Christ’s love through ongoing Compassion Ministry and the life-changing Gospel.