Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People
1. On April 17, around 9:00 a.m. local time, the city of Chernihiv, Ukraine, was pummeled by multiple Russian missiles. According to CNN, buildings that were struck included a hospital, a hotel, and an institute of higher education. Reports indicate at least 18 were killed and 78 others injured. Chernihiv is the capital of the Chernihiv region, where BIEM has church planters who are shepherding ministries on two key military bases. These men and their churches request prayer—their military contacts state that more attacks on the region are being planned, some targeting their locales. Please uphold our brethren in Chernihiv with prayers for God’s protection.
2. In October 2023, a BIEM shipment of war-relief items included over 10,000 cans of powdered baby formula, a commodity that is in great demand in Ukraine but is extremely expensive there. That shipment continues to bear fruit. People who hear of our shipment are contacting our missionaries for help. These connections provide many opportunities to share the Gospel. For example, Vitaly Yurchenko in Chervona Sloboda reports that a family with an infant that recently fled from their home near the war front to the Kyiv area contacted him based on information the family had gleaned in a chat group. As Vitaly worked out the details of providing them with baby formula, he found them very open to the Gospel, too. One big factor in their openness is the fact that, immediately after they evacuated, a bomb exploded in their garden, destroying much of their home. Had they not fled when they did, they would’ve been killed. These parents see God’s mercy in this and are now attending church. Some members of that family have put their faith in Christ!
3. It would be impossible for BIEM to share details of every Ukrainian death caused by the Russian war on Ukraine. However, here’s a glimpse into a very special one: Anna Gaidarzhi—a wife, mom, and daughter of a pastor in Odesa, Ukraine. Because she served as a volunteer at BIEM’s annual Bible Quests, Anna was known and loved in churches all over Ukraine... Please watch this touching video, “Papa Survived the Bombing. Mama Didn’t.”
https://vimeo.com/user37287229/papasurvived
4. Our container of war-relief supplies and ministry items for churches that we shipped on March 21 is scheduled to arrive in the Polish seaport of Gdynia on Monday, April 22. Then begins the huge challenge of transporting it into Ukraine. Please pray that our Ukrainian brethren can work out all the transportation details quickly to avoid the storage fees that occur when containers remain in the port beyond a few days.
In Christ,
Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM