War Relief Updates Email - March 22, 2022

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

Dear Friends of BIEM,

1. Keep praying for the families of our Ukrainian missionaries who are waiting in Poland and Western Ukraine hoping to get visas to come to the United States. So far there are no emergency visas available. They are hoping that this will change when President Biden visits Poland on the 25th. They base this on the fact that when Canada's Prime Minister visited Poland, the government there quickly persuaded him to open Canada to Ukrainian war refugees. He did so, and so quickly that Canada was receiving Ukrainian war refugees in just 3 days! Pray that our government will do the same.
   

   2. We have more and more people taking trips from western Ukraine, where they buy food, medicine, and supplies, to the war-torn areas in Central and Eastern Ukraine. They return with their cars, vans, and buses full of refugees fleeing the war.
   

   3. Once again we are glad to report that none of our folks have been injured and none of the church buildings we have built have been hit. However, a bomb last night landed within 100 feet of the home of one of our families in Kyiv. An empty rocket shell landed in the neighbor’s garden. Please continue to pray for their safety.
   

   4. Last night one of our families received 37 refugees from Chernihiv who came in four vehicles. One vehicle broke down and they had to tow it which slowed them down so much that they did not arrive until 1 AM - well past the curfew. This band of refugees does not want to go to the west. They want to stay nearby so we are finding Christian homes willing to take them in that are not that far from Chernihiv but still considered safer.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

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Additional email Newsletters if you aren’t already receiving them:

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BIEM's of Light: Monthly Prayer and Praise sheet

Video Updates: Monthly Ministry Updates  from Sam Slobodian

Pray for Urgent Needs: Urgent Prayer Needs

We also post many written and video updates on our BIEM Facebook Page. Please feel free to visit, like and share to stay up-to-date on how BIEM Missionaries are doing.

War Relief Updates Email - March 17, 2022

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

Dear Friends of BIEM,

1. Right now we have one of our former national missionaries who is fluent in Polish, English and Ukrainian working with the US Consulate in Krakow where we have about 20 family members (women and children) of our missionaries waiting to get visas. There are others from war areas under attack who have been evacuated to Western Ukraine that may join them if these 20 succeed in getting visas. Initially we thought that we would get some of these refugees into the US within a couple of weeks. However, our people working with the US consulate in Krakow have been informed that the Biden administration abruptly ended the emergency visa program for Ukrainians almost as soon as it started. The press release about Biden opening his arms for Ukrainian refugees is simply not true. Our people in Poland waiting for visas have been told that their only options are the standard B1 & B2 visas which will take much longer. The best we could hope for is the end of April. We just don't know. Once they get an appointment at the Consulate we will know more. Currently all are waiting for appointments. Please pray that they will get appointments soon.

2. Most of our national Ukrainian missionaries with young families have been able to get their families made up of women and children to Western Ukraine or Europe with most in Poland. The men all remain in Ukraine where most of their churches serve as bomb shelters where they provide food and lodging along with prayer and sharing of the Gospel. Many are being saved.

3. The areas where 3 of our churches are, have come under such heavy attack that the focus is on evacuation.

4. Several of our men are making dangerous trips from the south and west into Kyiv and north of Kyiv to bring in badly needed food, supplies and medicine. Check the War Video Updates section of our Website to view some of their efforts.

Sam Slobodian
President - BIEM

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Additional email Newsletters if you aren’t already receiving them:

(Click to Subscribe)

BIEM's of Light: Monthly Prayer and Praise sheet

Video Updates: Monthly Ministry Updates  from Sam Slobodian

Pray for Urgent Needs: Urgent Prayer Needs

We also post many written and video updates on our BIEM Facebook Page. Please feel free to visit, like and share to stay up-to-date on how BIEM Missionaries are doing.