Pastor Yuri and his congregation are a wonderful example of how the generosity of friends like you can make a difference to reach people in desperate need in Ukraine. Despite the hardships of war, this SGA-supported church with only 11 members perseveres, and keeps extending the love of Christ and emergency aid! “By sharing food with those in need,” Yuri says, “we can hear what is on the hearts of many.”

Yuri recently shared with us how God has opened a door of faithto people in his community who have lost so much in the ongoing war in Ukraine—including an elderly woman named Alla. Read more from his report . . .

I greet you with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Times of war are always difficult, hard times. Sometimes we are not able to make the right decisions, our will is paralyzed. Of course, we do not see everything that is happening, the whole picture, but the Lord knows everything. Therefore, we can only thank Him that He helped us to live till today. Tomorrow is not ours! 

We are very thankful to the Lord for you friends, for your participation in helping to provide for the needs of the people who were in difficult circumstances during the war in our country.  

We are blessed to have such friends to share our experiences and stories with. Thank you for being with us and thank you for the help you offer. Praise the Lord for your hard work. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 . . .“Always in justice we ought to give thanks to God for you, brethren.”

In our rural church . . . there are only 11 members at the moment, but about 30 people always come to the church service. Mostly elderly people, because young families with children have fled the village and because we are very close to the war zone. There is constant shelling, explosions, and destruction. But God protects His children. Is it not a miracle?

Our church is actively involved in helping people. We distribute food packages and other necessary items to them. There have been people who came to the House of Prayer for the first time in their lives to receive some kind of help, but then began to be interested in the Word of God. The difficult circumstances were the reason people came to get help and to hear the Gospel of salvation.

We have families who fled from the occupied territory and have no home because their homes were destroyed. The belongings they took with them are a few bags of clothes and documents. 

Testimony of Alla

One day I asked a woman (her name is Alla) who comes to our church: “Please share. What do you think about most often now that you have lost everything you had? Do you think about your belongings, your values, your home that you have lost, that the war has destroyed?” She answered: “Everything that I and my family had, all that was temporary! Now, I know the Lord. I love God’s House. I love God’s children, and that is the greatest value for me. Now I think more about the Word of God and how to live to please God first.”

And when people share their heart condition and say they have been forsaken by God, we are saying that Jesus is with those who call on Him. After all, only knowing and relying on God renews our strength, helps us to go forward and not to lose heart.  We tell people not to let the “smoke” of war destroy their inner peace. Seeking God helps them to look at the period of life in the light of eternity and to have peace in their hearts. 

Therefore, by sharing food with those in need, we can hear what is on the hearts of many. Your help is very necessary and very invaluable to us in spreading God’s truth. As believers, we are touched by the pain of others. We take the grief of others intimately, so we support, approve, and protect each other. We know well that there is no such thing as other people’s grief.

 May God bless you all!

Yuri

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.