It is hard to imagine that conditions in some of the frontline cities of Ukraine continue to deteriorate in a third year of war. SGA-supported Pastor Volodymyr admits that much has changed, as he writes in his ministry report below. “But the need of the displaced people for help and support has never disappeared,” he adds.

With the ongoing generosity and prayer support of partners like you, Volodymyr and other pastors and their congregations throughout Ukraine have not stopped reaching out with much-needed humanitarian aid and the hope of the Gospel.

Would you pray for believers who continue to faithfully serve in their war-torn communities? Ask God to strengthen them and help them persevere so they will always be ready to be the “urgent help” that their fellow Ukrainians who are hurting inside and out desperately need. Read more from Volodymyr . . .

Greetings in Jesus’ name, dear friends!

Our church has significantly decreased during the war because many members of the church fled abroad or to the western part of Ukraine. Those members who remained continue to actively serve our Lord and people. Many new people came to our church during the war. There are many IDPs. Every Sunday morning, about 50 to 80 unbelievers come to the service. Six people have received Christ in their hearts and want to be baptized. This is God’s mercy to such people! We thank you very much for your food aid, which allows us to witness unbelievers and support them.

Being an industrial city, it is often targeted by missile attacks. The most frequent targets are industrial facilities and factories. Historically, these factories are located within the city limits, in private sectors and next to high-rise buildings.

Testimonies

Natalia is a mother of a large family, who lives just in this part of the city. She is raising three children herself: Arthur, Maria, and the youngest is Maxim. With the beginning of the war, the woman lost her job and now it is difficult for her to feed her large family. Natalia is constantly in fear and worries because of the constant danger from rockets that explode not far away, and fear of how to feed the family, what to wear, and shoes for the children.

Meeting this family happened in our local church, where Natalia brought her son Maxim to a children’s Christian club one Saturday. “I really enjoyed playing there,” says the boy, about the day spent with other children. For him it is an opportunity to socialize with his peers, learn something new, develop, and have an exciting time.

Natalia also asked for food aid. They are in need of products and other necessities. And in two days the brothers from the church visited her family. She was very grateful for the help. After the fellowship, the woman also expressed her desire to attend the church service. Her children can find friends and fellowship with children like themselves and learn about Christ in the children’s Christian club, where Maxim wants to come again. Natalia is always welcomed in our church, where people who love the Lord are ready to share this love with those who need it.

Despite the difficult circumstances and the intimacy of war, many families like Natalia’s continue to live [here], unable or unwilling to leave the place they call “home.” They are waiting for a better time when something will change for the better, when peace will come and they will be able to sleep peacefully. In the meantime, they need help and support from people who care about them.

During the two and a half years of war in Ukraine, much has changed. Relatives with whom we lived on the same street now live in different parts of the world, with no hope of ever getting together again. The worries of the past seem insignificant. Others can’t accept the loss of a past life where they had everything. Some people just live in the here and now, hoping that they will never have to flee again. And people who have not known each other before, become close to each other. This is how people live in [our] frontline city.

Tetiana is a lady who is raising her 12-year-old daughter Victoria on her own. At the beginning of the war, Tetiana was undergoing treatment for cancer [here]. She was trying to go to her home in the village, which was already under occupation. At that time, her daughter Victoria stayed there with her grandmother. “I felt anxious about the fact that my little girl was there. I had to go and take her from there,” Tatyana shared. And now almost two years they have been living together [here], after fleeing the occupied village. For the woman, her daughter Victoria is the reason to keep on living: “She needs me! What will happen to her if I am gone?! She has no one else in this world.”

Tetiana’s eldest son is at war and has not been in touch with him for a long time. The second son lives in the occupied part of [this] region and there is no possibility to reunite with his family. She has no other relatives. And at this time, people who gave them shelter became very close to them.

A woman named Valentina is a very good-natured woman, who is 87 years old. Although she and her son Yuri live very poorly, they let Tetiana and Victoria live in their house and they shared a part of the house with a separate entrance. Although they didn’t know each other before, they have very good relations now. When we visited this family, we saw Tetiana chopping logs, or rather not logs, but branches cut from trees. It was the way she was preparing for the winter, for the cold season.

Tetiana is still unemployed, her sons are not living with them, and she has nowhere to go for help. She decided to come to the church for help and she remembered about Christians, whom she met six months ago. We responded immediately and brought them products and other necessities. Victoria discovered a whole bag of sweets in the bag and screamed: “Oh, I love sweets!” said the happy girl.

We gave Bibles to the adults and a children’s Bible to the girl. Victoria said she had never read such a book before. And since the children’s Bible has pictures, it makes it even more interesting. The girl comes to Sunday school, which is not far from them. Tetiana herself comes to the church from time to time.

During the two years of the war, much has changed. But the need of the displaced people for help and support has never disappeared. People still do not live in their homes. They still cannot go out to work while taking care of their children. They still have the majority of their income to pay for their housing and medical care. Because of this, we as Christians continue to be the “urgent help” for those who are not coping with this reality on their own. Also, we are always sharing God’s Word with those who don’t know Him yet, but are in great need!

Your brother in Christ,

Volodymyr

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, and hygiene supplies.