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.

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War Relief Updates - May 3, 2024

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

1. Greetings from Ukraine, where we are in the Kyiv area for the Spring session of our seminary along with two American pastors who are doing the teaching. We are thrilled that 40 students are in attendance, which is surprising considering the difficult obstacles caused by the war. Besides the blessing of intense Biblical teaching, the students enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie that always seem to develop lifelong ministry relationships. The moments when they blend their voices to praise God in song truly warm the heart. However, there was sad news yesterday—a couple of the students heard that Russia had just bombed their hometown. Before long, media broadcasts showed a video that broke their hearts. These events gave other students an opportunity to comfort them and give BIEM yet another avenue where we can glorify God by providing direct war relief. Please continue to pray that this war will end.

2. A couple of months ago, we posted a video about a proposed project to help the 8,000-12,000 refugees from Bahkmut that the Ukrainian government has evacuated to the Obolon district of Kyiv. In this district, the city administration approached Awakening Baptist Church (BIEM’s first church plant in Ukraine) and asked whether the church could help refugees in any way. After discussions, the church leaders and city administration developed a plan in which the city would bring about 100 refugees to the church every other week. There, the refugees would first hear a clear presentation of the Gospel and then would receive material aid. Today we attended one of these meetings and learned that the Lord has blessed them. Souls have come to Christ, and the church’s reputation has risen in the eyes of the community as it reflects God’s love in both word and deed. Currently, 5 of these new converts are regularly attending the services. Praise God!

3. In the city of Lviv, Ukraine, BIEM missionary Yura Levtseniuk, is laboring among locals and war refugees to enlarge the Kingdom of God by winning souls for Christ in his city. Listen to him share about God’s working here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/enlarginggodskingdom

4. Tomorrow (Saturday, May 4), spring classes at our seminary will end. Then, for the next few days, we will be visiting places and projects where BIEM’s war-relief efforts have been directed. One stop we plan to make is in the town of Smolin, which is right next to the Goncharovsk military base where Sasha Petrenko has established a church that reaches out to both the military base and the town of Smolin. Brother Sasha just received word that Julia—a daughter-in-law of one of their church members in Smolin and was serving in the Ukrainian military—was killed in action. Sasha has been reaching out to her husband Vadim, who is in shock and despair. Please pray for this heartbreaking situation, which is another opportunity to demonstrate the love of God through our war relief efforts.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

April Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

In every language on earth, the most glorious truth that believers in Christ can share is the wondrous News of His triumph over death and the grave: “Christ is risen!” On Resurrection Sunday in Eastern Europe, church services typically begin with the pastor or guest preacher repeating those words three times, with the congregation echoing each time, "Truly, He is risen!"

In this month’s video, we set aside thoughts of the war and invite you to gain a glimpse of how a church in Ukraine might commemorate Easter. No two churches will celebrate the resurrection of Christ in exactly the same way. However, as a rule (among Baptistic churches, at any rate) those joyous Sunday services—large or small—include a combination of congregational singing, prayer, preaching the Word, special music, poetry recitation, and an observance of the Lord’s Supper for all who believe.

For our April video, we invite you to enjoy this brief peek at Easter in Ukraine. As you do, perhaps these snippets will remind you afresh that people all around the world speak different languages, eat different foods, follow various cultures and lifestyles… But despite our differences, every person has a soul, and the Number 1 need of every soul is Jesus!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/easterinukraine

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

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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