Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People
1. On October 20, our most recent shipment of war relief departed BIEM on its way to Ukraine. But before shipping, each container loading requires volunteers to help load it. Once again, God provided healthy volunteers with strong backs, including several brethren from the Slavic Baptist Church in Elkhart, Indiana. They not only helped load but brought a van and trailer loaded with boxes of winter clothing, which we loaded onto the container. This cold-weather gear is very timely it should arrive before the severest cold of winter hits. The Slavic church was especially motivated to help since many of them come from the area in Western Ukraine where this container is headed. They personally know friends and loved ones there who are in need and will benefit from this shipment.
2. Here’s a special blessing concerning the container shipment mentioned above. Because we shipped a container of humanitarian aid less than a month ago, coming up with another $8500 for container shipping costs so quickly would normally be a challenge. However, when we shared about needing to ship another container before winter, the Lord prompted a generous friend of BIEM to underwrite the whole $8500 needed for this shipment. Praise God!
3. When several military chaplains approached BIEM church planter Yura Levtseniuk about a chance to minister to disabled veterans, he and his wife jumped at the opportunity. In addition to sending BIEM a compilation of video clips from that retreat, Yura recorded a verbal description, which Sam Slobodian interprets for our English-speaking friends. Please pray for the souls of these and other veterans who became disabled in the defense of their country. Here’s the link:
https://vimeo.com/user37287229/retreat
4. One more interesting detail about this week’s container: Just in time for shipping, we received an unusual donation—5 large boxes of excellent-condition communion sets! These will be a wonderful blessing to new churches in Ukraine that cannot afford such items and often resort to sharing or borrowing. Incidentally, God has blessed us with people who have studied and mastered the complex requirements for qualifying church items as humanitarian aid. This ability has enabled us to ship all kinds of church-related items like pews, chairs, musical instruments, sports equipment, tables, and numerous church furnishings to Ukraine duty free. Now they will have the task of clearing these communion sets as humanitarian aid. Praise God!
Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM