War Relief Updates - July 31, 2026

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

1. At the time of this writing, Sam and Amy Slobodian have arrived in Poland and are heading toward Ukraine. They will be working in children’s camps, surveying various BIEM projects— including our war-relief efforts—and visiting our BIEM missionaries. Because Russia has not scaled back their missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, please pray for safety, for God’s blessings on the camps, and that they will be an encouragement to our Ukrainian coworkers and friends.

2. Last week we requested prayer for the Levtseniuk family in Lviv, Ukraine. Violetta had been rushed to the hospital for bleeding, and there was danger of her losing her baby. Although she was subsequently allowed to return home, she did lose the baby after all. Here is a message of condolence that we sent to them:

Dear Yura and Violetta,

We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of your little one. There are no words that can truly ease this pain, but please know that you are in our hearts and prayers during these difficult days.

Your baby was already very loved, and that love doesn't go away—it just changes form. We pray that God will surround you with His comfort, give you strength for each day, and remind you that you are not alone in this journey.

“For you created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb . . . and my bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret.”  —Psalm 139:13, 15

Please lean on God, on us, and on each other during these days. We are here for you, whatever you need.

With love and prayers,

The Slobodian family and everyone at BIEM Mission

3. In the Druzhba district of the city of Ternopil, Ukraine, Sergiy & Karina Koop (along with their two kids) continue all the various outreaches that go into starting and growing a new church. As many will recall, this church was born out of BIEM’s war-relief efforts. While ministering among the 30,000 refugees who settled in their city, Sergiy & Karina felt God’s calling to start a new church to reach them with the Gospel. In this video, Sam Slobodian interprets as Sergiy brings us up to date on their recent activities. Please watch, but also please keep the Koops in your prayers... Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/catchingup

4. In and around the eastern city of Sumy, Ukraine, in recent weeks, Russian attack drones have started targeting gas stations. (Evidently, this is a reaction to the fuel crisis that Ukraine has created all across Russia with its attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries.) To alleviate some of the need, local Ukrainian authorities have been rolling out mobile gas station/refueling units. This news is significant to BIEM because the Baptist church in Sumy is a key partner with BIEM. The pastor and church members depend on their vehicles for evangelistic and humanitarian-aid outreaches among their countrymen. Please uphold these brothers and sister in prayers as they remain in the dangerous eastern zones to perform ministry before the Lord.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

July 2026 Video Update

Dear Pastors and Friends,

On July 6, Russia once again bombarded Ukraine with a massive attack of missiles and drones, killing at least 26, injuring scores of others, and destroying homes. Kyiv was especially targeted. Our coworker Vitaly Yurchenko reported about 100 houses were destroyed in the vicinity of his own neighborhood. With his phone, he videoed part of the attack from his home, and we are sharing that footage here. Praise God, he and his family survived, and their home still stands.

Thank you for praying for the safety of BIEM personnel in Ukraine. Please keep praying now more than ever before since Russia has intensified its aerial barrages in Ukraine. We have a good supply of prayer reminders for Ukraine in bookmark and prayer-card form. Please let us know if you would like some for yourself or your group, and we will be glad to send them free of charge.

Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/hits

Blessings to you!

Sam & Amy Slobodian

BIEMs of Light: July 2026

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• Last month we mentioned that our Bible Institute in Central Asia needed at least $4,000 to operate through the next session. God heard our joint prayers and moved in hearts to supply funds to meet that need. May He be praised!

• As BIEM aims to ship another container of war-relief supplies to Ukraine, we thank the Lord and you friends for the many, many clothing donations we have received in recent weeks. We are also thankful for various groups who have come and donated time to sort, fold, and pack these donations!

• A Ukrainian congregation we call “the forest church” reached so many for Christ they outgrew their palatka (the light-frame meeting place). BIEM was able to help with an expansion project. About the same time the church requested help to buy chairs, a church in Wisconsin offered BIEM 150 auditorium seats. The thrilled forest church said they would accept all 150. Another praise—a Christian brother in Wisconsin volunteered to truck these chairs to BIEM for shipment! 

• One of the most-requested items from Ukrainian soldiers connected with our churches are tourniquets. These are life-saving devices every soldier should carry. Sadly, not all tourniquets are reliable. Soldiers regularly request those made in the USA. During the war, we have supplied over 1,000 high-quality tourniquets. Thanks to you donors, we recently were able to purchase 100 more!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• The first summer camps overseas have begun. Praise God, we have received most of the $77,000 goal for funding these camps in multiple countries. Will you say a prayer for the $3,000 still needed to reach our goal? Please also pray for young hearts to turn to the Lord through these summer camps.

  In Belarus, Valery Ryzhuk—the 49-year-old brother of BIEM church planter Nikolai Ryzhuk—has passed away from cancer. Because Valery greatly helped in ministry, his absence leaves a huge hole, both in the church and at home, with his wife and children. Please pray for all of them.

  Vitaly Bilyak, who was drafted into the Ukrainian army, received permission from his commanding officer to travel to the USA to be at his son’s wedding. However, Vitaly also needs a new visa and other documentation to exit Ukraine. Please pray the process goes smoothly so that he can travel.

  Our church planter Yura Levtseniuk in Lviv, Ukraine, suddenly has a heavy load of ministry. He was already in the middle of building program. Then his pregnant wife Violetta had a medical issue that put their baby’s life in danger. She’s now home, but on bedrest, so Yura must tend the house and kids. Plus, he’s supposed to minister in summer camp the first Monday in July. Please pray for all these responsibilities.

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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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