War Relief Updates - May 17, 2024

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Early in the war we shared the story of how we evacuated a family from the Bucha area in one of our most dramatic videos.  Here is this video:

https://vimeo.com/687675622?share=copy

Since I had an opportunity to see this family on my recent trip to Ukraine, here is an encouraging update: They have returned to their home in Bucha and are very active in their local church. After spending a few months in Germany as war refugees, God clearly directed them to return. They told me they realized that since God preserved their home intact this was a sign from the Lord that they should return. They explained to me that during Russia’s brutal occupation many buildings and homes were destroyed. Therefore, many who fled have nothing to return to. They are certain that God preserved their home for them to continue to serve Him there.

2. In our updates, we have sometimes mentioned Misha, a young Ukrainian soldier who is a nephew of the Smiths, one of our missionary couples. Many of you prayed for this Christian soldier, who has survived some intense battles even though he was wounded and has been home recovering. Now comes this new request concerning Misha:

Please pray for Misha, he was sent to the front regardless of his broken ribs, on the way in they hit a mine! Another passenger landed on him after the explosion. He is in the hospital with bad shell-shock, broken ribs and extreme headache. He is on an IV but stable.

3. In the following video, Seminary student Sergei discusses the challenges and opportunities for a church in Sumy, which is extremely close to the Russian border. He also thanks BIEM and all of you donors for the aid that makes the church’s outreach to others possible. Difficulties abound, but Sergei concludes that they can still see God’s hand at work, both in and through the church. The church and people of Sumy need prayer as there is growing concern that the Russian army will try to occupy it once again since there are significant numbers of Russian troops gathering nearby.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/godshand

4. BIEM church planter Vitaly Bilyak arrives today at our headquarters in Indiana, where he will be staying during the next few weeks as he is scheduled to speak in churches in Kentucky, Indiana, and Minnesota. He has much to share since he has made 17 trips to the war front delivering aid to civilians and soldiers. During his last trip he was targeted by a grenade-dropping Russian drone. We shared a video about this event in one of our recent updates. Praise God, Vitaly was uninjured. Please pray that the Lord would bless these meetings.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

May Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

When you plant an acorn and water it, you don’t know for sure how fast it will sprout, how tall the tree will grow, or whether that acorn will grow at all. But what a joy to return years later and discover that the thimble-sized acorn has grown into a healthy tree that is now providing protective shade and new acorns of its own! Similarly, when BIEM missionaries plant a new church, they trust and pray that the Lord will magnify their efforts and establish a thriving, new ministry where unbelievers find Christ and believers grow in grace and knowledge of the Word of God.

In our monthly video for May, we take you back to Borschiv, Ukraine, where some years ago BIEM purchased a large, unfinished house to plant a church in an area where there wasn’t one. The building needed much work, both to finish it and to correct some construction flaws. The property needed a lot of work, too, before it could be used for outreach. However, the Lord has steadily provided the funds and muscles that have been needed. He also has been blessing this ministry with fresh fruit for the Kingdom of God.

As you watch the following video, we invite you to join us in praising God as church planter Sergei Skripnik reviews many of the blessings that the Lord has showered on this church since the purchase of the property.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/farther

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light: May 2024

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• On May 5, we received news from Central Asia: “Big praise, we had 10 more Afghanis come to faith in Jesus Christ this week, and they were all in the services today.” On May 6, this arrived: “Praising God, one of our Afghani girls just led a Tajik university student to faith in Christ!”

• Update! Our container of humanitarian aid did arrive in Poland. Today it left the port aboard a truck and is expected at its Ukrainian destination on May 8. We praise the Lord for the relatively quick transport of this shipment compared to some past delivery delays.  

• On Sunday, May 5, the large Temple of Salvation Baptist Church ordained 9 new deacons. One of those 9 was Misha Buyko, the son of BIEM’s director in Ukraine, Eugene Buyko. Praise God for youth who grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord and accept leadership roles!

• In Kyiv, Ukraine, we are thrilled that 40 students have been able to attend the spring session of the seminary despite the difficulties caused by the war. May every student benefit from the blessing of intense Biblical teaching but also from the fellowship and camaraderie that develops lifelong ministry relationships!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• During the seminary session mentioned above, two students received word that Russia had bombed their hometown near Kharkiv. Civilians suffered. Via those students, BIEM passed along funds for their home church to assist victims. Please pray for an end to such bombings.

• Starting in mid-May, BIEM has scheduled our missionary Vitaly Bilyak to be in the U.S., where he will be speaking in churches and assisting us with war relief items. Please pray for safe travels with no obstructions at the Ukrainian border or elsewhere.

• June will kick off our summer camp season in various lands of Eastern Europe. We are so thankful for the $19,900 BIEM has received so far for camps. However, our goal of $50,000 for camps remains beyond our reach. We don’t know how the Lord might provide, but we know our God is able. Would you join us in praying for funds for these evangelistic summer camps?

• Ukraine is reportedly seeking another 250,000 men for its military. This could affect BIEM in multiple ways. Under new guidelines, younger men and even men with disabilities can be conscripted. Military personnel are showing up at construction sites and conscripting workers. Please pray that our people will be allowed to continue their ministries.

• Click here for a printer-friendly version.

March Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Although the war in Eastern and Southeastern Ukraine continues to wipe out businesses, homes, and lives, for the March video we want to turn your attention elsewhere, to something more uplifting. Years ago, the mayor of a town in Ukraine visited the church where BIEM’s Anatoly Kosyanchuk preaches. At the conclusion of the service, that mayor approached Anatoly with an unexpected proposal: “If you start another Baptist church on the opposite side of town, I’ll give you the land to build on!” 

In the years following that surprise offer, God has taken the Second Baptist Church in Bilogorodka from a mere idea, to an empty plot of ground, to a construction project, to a thriving congregation. Now the Lord has blessed that growing group of believers with an ordination service—one assistant pastor and four deacons! Two of those deacons are neighbors who live within eyesight of the church. Both were unsaved when the church’s construction began. But through this ministry, God has drawn them and other residents of that neighborhood to Himself!

Our latest issue of our Challenger newsletter features an article about this same special ordination service. But for our March video, we decided to let Pastor Buyko and his new assistant pastor, Roman, tell more about God’s blessing that day. You can view that video here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/morehands

Thank you for your prayers!

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light: September 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Our new missionaries in Ukraine, the Koops, operated a 3-day children’s camp in Druzhba, which they have targeted for a new church. The first day, 65 attended; the 2nd day up to 85, and the third day over 100 participated, including about 20 mothers who were asking, “Where is the church?” When those moms heard that church services will be starting soon, some replied they will come.

• Praise God, attacks from Russia on Ukraine’s Independence Day were not as bad as some feared. Although Russian rockets and missiles hit 58 cities and communities on that day, the next day there was only one. Since then, it seems things have died down.

• In Ukraine, the Slobodians report a wonderful baptism at the new church in Bilogorodka. Nine adults were baptized. Praise God for souls being accepting Christ in this time of war. Previously, the Russian army had come within a few miles of Bilogorodka, which is in the Bucha area.

• Praise God for a fruitful trip Vitaly Bilyak took to the military front in Donbas area with a trailer full of aid. He and those with him helped civilians, wounded ones in a hospital, plus soldier friends for whom he brought much-needed supplies and requested items. Vitaly plans two more such trips in September. Pray for safety. His videos from the front include sounds of artillery and explosions.

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Sources predict that the next week will be an especially dangerous time for the military cities of Desna and Goncharovsk, where BIEM missionaries have planted two churches. Both towns have already suffered attacks by missiles, rockets, and planes. More attacks are expected. Please pray for our missionaries, the churches, and the community, that lives would be spared.

• Pasha Usach conducted a special one-day event for mothers and wives who had lost sons and husbands in the war. Over 50 attended. The event was a huge blessing and provided a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel, so much so that Pavel is planning another such an event. Pray that God will use these outreaches to draw souls to Christ, the source of the greatest comfort.

• Plans are underway to bring the Buyko family to the United States, where they will visit churches for one month. Sophia and the three girls have already received visas; now we are working on getting the special permission needed for Eugene to temporarily exit Ukraine during wartime. Please pray that this permission will be granted, just as it was for Vitaly Yurchenko.

• Some of our contacts are witnessing of Christ to Muslims in Afghanistan. Please pray for God to open eyes and illumine hearts with the Gospel.

Click here for a printer friendly version.

BIEMs of Light: August 2022

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Praise God, our personnel in Ukraine have received another 40-ft. container of humanitarian aid from us here in the United States! This is the 7th container our dedicated Ukrainians are distributing to needy places. This one went to the city administration of a region that contains several settlements that were occupied by Russian forces, so these goods will reach some of the neediest recipients.

• BIEM president Sam Slobodian heads back to Ukraine on August 2. The main focus of this trip will be humanitarian aid, but praise the Lord, he will also participate in a baptism and an ordination!

• Today BIEM personnel drove another 5 tons of food from Poland into Ukraine, this time for the Kharkiv region. We praise God for thoughtful donors and for those driving and distributing.

• So far, we are receiving reports of young people coming to Christ in BIEM-sponsored camps in Estonia, Ukraine, and Russia. Although the Lord touches hearts in a special way through such camps every summer, we never take that blessing for granted. To God be the glory!

Prayer - Pray with us!

• Despite the war in Ukraine, one of our seminary graduates is deeply burdened for a particular district in a large city in Western Ukraine that has been flooded with refugees. Many of them plan to stay. This brother has recruited others to help start a new church, and they are praying and fasting every Friday for God’s direction and provision for that goal. Please join them in praying.

• A pastor named Aleksander emailed us today from the Intensive Care section of a hospital in central Russia. He has a weak heart, and their summer camps and other ministries may have taxed him too much. Let’s uphold this worthy servant of the Lord with our prayers.

• In Central Asia, the manager of our Christian shelter for hurting women is named Julie. She is a big blessing—talented, yet with a servant’s heart and love for Jesus. She devotes herself to running the shelter and ministering to these women and their children. It’s a big job. Please pray for her.

• In another nation of Central Asia, one church recently baptized 9 former Muslims who had put their faith in Christ. Please pray that more hearts in those regions will soften and consider their need of the Savior.

Click here for a printer friendly version.