You Help Bring Winter Warmth and the Gospel to Needy Families

Each winter across the former Soviet Union presents its own challenges. While some regions are far more bitterly cold than others, even milder winters can still bring great deprivation and suffering to needy individuals and families.

Dima is an SGA-supported missionary pastor who has been deeply involved in aid distribution throughout the war in Ukraine. He shared about some of the fruitful, compassionate outreach you supported last winter, while looking ahead to the remainder of this cold season. He said:

“Thank you for your continued help in the ministry. Last winter, we bought groceries, 160 sets of blankets, and 300 sets of first aid kits for the elderly. We distributed it in the city aid center, and in the villages of Lemeshynske and Tavriyske. We work in villages where there are no churches or only missionary service, so 90 percent of people who receive help from us are people who do not yet believe.

With the help of the village administration, we invite either everyone or the most needy, then I always share simple Gospel truths, then I invite everyone to prayer. After the general service, I sometimes have the opportunity to talk with people personally. In the city help center, a person has 10-15 minutes to talk to our pastors, who write down testimonies and share the Gospel, then at the end they invite people to pray together, and to church for the service. Therefore, our ministry is always evangelization!

Lemeshynske is a village 18 miles from Zaporozhye, and it used to be a thriving village with a shop, a bus stop, young people, and life. Now only 46 people remain, including elderly people who are living out their lives and a few refugee families. With the support of SGA, we bought beautiful new blankets, first aid kits, and food packages, took spiritual literature, and went to them. It was cloudy and drizzling, but the whole village was already waiting for us on the main street. We greeted each other, talked, and passed on many greetings from our friends and dedicated Christians from SGA. Then, as always, we talked about Christ and His power in salvation. We wept a little about our circumstances, but rejoiced in the hope in Christ. Then, as always, we distributed aid. Thank you for your labor, your help to Ukraine, and your ministry!”

Please pray for continued SGA-supported outreaches throughout the winter, asking for God’s blessing and provision, and as always, for many to come to faith in Christ as they hear the Gospel.