War Relief Updates - September 12, 2025

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

1. Lutsk is the location of one of our church plants in Western Ukraine. This church has been extremely active in providing BIEM war relief to that area. Recently, food packages were purchased for 80 families who suffered from Russian attacks on the city. In addition to material assistance, the brothers and sisters of the church personally met with these people, talked with them, handed out packages, prayed together, and invited them to join the daily community meetings. This was a good opportunity to share the Gospel and demonstrate the practical side of Christian love and support.

Also, the youth of this church organized a fair in the city park, where they sold homemade delicacies to passersby. The proceeds went toward purchasing a vehicle for a soldier they know who is serving at the front. Such activity showed that even the youngest members of the church can make a significant contribution to the common cause. Even the youth of the church can participate in sharing the love of God with others.

2. Ilya, the son of one of the families in the Kodra church, has been injured and is going through rehabilitation. He sends the following thank-you letter:

I would like to sincerely thank the BIEM mission for your support. I have received help from you on several occasions, and each time it has been very appropriate. Thanks to the allocated funds, I was able to buy a helmet, and there was also great support in collecting money for a car. Special thanks for the help with underwear for our guys – it may seem like a small thing at first glance, but such things are very valuable on the front. For us, your support is not only material assistance. It gives us the feeling that we are not left alone, that we have brothers and sisters behind us who pray and care. This gives us strength and motivates us to hold on even stronger. We also sincerely thank you from the entire brigade for your prayers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! May the Lord bless everyone involved in this endeavor.

3. When BIEM missionary Pasha Usach first visited the large tract of land for sale outside his city of Zdolbuniv, it was basically empty land. But Pasha envisioned a Christian campground. Today, that vision is coming true. Even though the facility isn’t yet completed, youth are coming for camping ministries here. Among those are young people from the battle-scarred region of Kherson, kids who had never prayed before. In this video, Pasha Usach tells how this camp touched hearts and transformed lives:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/hope

4. Vitaly Bilyak continues to faithfully share the Gospel with soldiers willing to listen. There are many of those since, under their circumstances, they cannot escape the reality of the uncertainty of life on earth. He sent us a short video of him meeting with other pastors in the same situation as he is in. No doubt, it helps him to know that he is not alone in such a difficult predicament. They pray together and encourage one another. Also, from the Bilyak family comes the tragic news that the youngest brother of Vitaly’s wife (Katya) was killed in battle while serving in a tank brigade. As some of you know, the parents were in the U.S. visiting Katya. We quickly changed their tickets to return to Ukraine early this week. Please pray for this family.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

September Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

Our BIEM summer camps are now over. The children received nourishing meals, played fun games, engaged in friendly competitions, sang Christian songs… But most importantly, they learned verses and truths from God’s Word, the Bible. Praise God, thousands attended these camps, and we are hearing many inspiring reports of children and teens accepting Christ!

Even though it’s now September, because the summer camps are such a valuable tool for evangelizing unbelievers and strengthening the faith of young believers, we want to feature camp again for our September video. We’re calling this one “Last Camp of 2025!” In it, some of our key workers from the camp hosted by the church in Bilogorodka share some of their personal impressions along with scenes from those blessed days. We hope you enjoy it!

Here’s the link: https://vimeo.com/user37287229/lastcamp

Blessings!
Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light: September 2025

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Vitaly Bilyak was enroute to the USA to speak in churches and promote the work of BIEM when he was spontaneously conscripted into the Ukrainian army. Although we would prefer Vitaly be allowed to return to his home and church for ministry, including war relief, he has had countless opportunities to share Christ with others conscripted at the same time. May God work in those men’s hearts! To receive weekly email updates on news related to BIEM’s War Relief, subscribe here:       

  https://www.baptistinternational.org/urgent-war-updates-sign-up

• The most recent container of war relief shipped by BIEM has now arrived at its destination in Desna, Ukraine. We praise God for this smooth delivery, which will help and bless so many!

• BIEM’s director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko, has received permission from Ukrainian authorities to temporarily exit the country with his family for the purpose of coming to BIEM and visiting churches on behalf of the ministry. We are thankful and praise the Lord for this development!

• Our last summer camps have now wrapped up. Many reports tell of youth who accepted Christ as Savior through the camp ministry. Praise God for working in hearts through these vital outreaches!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• While in Ukraine, Sam Slobodian met with a group of pastors who suggested two different locations as prime possibilities for new church start-ups. Exciting though church-planting is, please pray for wisdom and direction from the Lord as all of us consider these possibilities.

• Some time back, BIEM announced that a source has offered (for the second time!) to match funds for BIEM War Relief Fund up to $100,000 until December 31. Currently, we are at about $30,000 in donations, which have been matched up to $60,000. Would you join us in praying for the Lord to prompt others who are able to provide the other $70,000, which could also be matched?

• The Brotherhood of Independent Baptist Churches in Ukraine, along with BIEM, are pursuing legal efforts to get Vitaly Bilyak’s conscription reversed. His service in evangelism and war relief make him more valuable as a pastor than as a soldier. Pray that he will be exempted from military service.

• Although BIEM has shipped 2 weighty containers of war relief to Ukraine this year, the needs remain great. We would like to ship another one in October. Please pray for God’s people to donate much-needed items such as lightly used clothes & shoes, walkers, wheelchairs, canes, household items (blankets, towels, etc.) plus funds to transport these items overseas. Thanks for praying!

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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.

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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.

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