Thank you all for praying and for sending support for the needy in Ukraine. 100% of donations for Ukraine are reaching pastors we have developed relationships with over many years. Nothing is being lost in overhead. They are working in their communities and helping refugees within their cities or between cities. Thus far we have geared our support almost exclusively to the Pastors who remained in Kharkiv, Poltava, Donetsk (Ukraine side), Zaporizhia and Kherson. It means so much to those on the front lines. Here are the photos and videos we’ve received from them recently.
Note: Names have been excluded for their protection. The situation is fluid and some of what we describe may have changed by the time you read this.
KIEV – I will not mention much about Kiev as you see a lot of news coverage of this city. Some of the pastors left, some remain. Pray that necessary supplies will continue to reach them. Churches in the West of Ukraine have been bringing in food and supplies and taking refugees back.
KHARKIV – Heavily, heavily bombarded. Just heard again about the indiscriminate bombing in Kharkiv. A bomb missed hitting about 10,000 people at a train station. Pastor K and his pastoral team are continuing to minister to the people of the church and the community at large. They are feeding people and providing shelter in the basement of the large complex they utilize for church. Pray it does not get hit. At first they were only allowed limited usage to prepare food and feed people – who would run home to their apartments to shower, etc. This was dangerous due to continuous attacks. Most of the workers at the building facilities fled and now the Church is permitted to use the toilet and shower facilities on the premises as well as to walk around inside. The basement is unheated and damp so they are trying to make things more bearable. They have been rescuing elderly people who could not care for themselves and bringing them to their facility. They are distributing food to people in bomb shelters (some of them are simply building basements). Yesterday and today they sent many children and mothers to safer cities – Poltava being one of them.
Testimony from Kharkiv
Pastor K and Team went out to find food and supplies to care for the people in need. He heard a thud behind him and off to the sides. He later saw on his phone that these were mortar shells. Five fell near the the building the church uses- by a miracle of God not one exploded. There were many rockets fired in the area, the downtown is unrecognizable. Each day has been more difficult than the previous.
People are desperately trying to flee as seen in this video sent to us by our partners.
POLTAVA – Half-way between Kiev and Kharkiv is playing a pivotal role. A military airport in Mirhorod was initially bombed but they were spared most of the bombing thus far. Pray they don’t start bombing another military airport in town. Pastor P has been caring for people in the community and has housed some people in the church facilities. They are taking food supplies to Kharkiv and bringing back refugees. From there some of them move on to cities in the West, howbeit not through Kiev.
ZAPORIZHIA – was somewhat spared. The airport side of the cities was bombed in the earlier part of the war. Pastor Z is feeding the needy in town and providing shelter at the unfinished church building we helped him build. People even from church are afraid of sleeping in high rise apartments as many have been hit. Refugees from the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions come here on their way to the West as Martial Law prevents people form being out at night on the roads. Pastor Z has been feeding, lodging and fueling them up for their journey onward – many to Chernivtsy (by Romania). Pastor Z with the church people have been preparing food to feed almost 1000 persons. They were always concerned about the enormous dam and bridge over the Dnieper River which the divides the city in two. Even more so they were concerned about the Nuclear Power plant (largest in Europe) in Enerhograd just south of the city. It was attacked, taken over by Russian troops and the operators were running the place under gunpoint. We have unconfirmed reports that the Ukrainian Forces took it back.
DONETSK & LUGANSK REGIONS – Pastor D who overseas these 2 regions, rescued thousand of refugees in the 2014 war is again working hard to help refugees from the Eastern Corridor of Luhansk and Donetsk Regions along the de-facto border with the area under Separatist Control. They come to his city. He and this Church provide lodging, feed and send them on or take them to the train station in Kramatorsk (still functioning) with trains running toward the south west. The corridor along the de-facto border was heavily shelled for 5-6 days prior to the main assault on the country. The people were left without electricity, heat and water in many towns and villages. The town where Pastor D lives in has been relatively quiet except for bombing of Kramatorsk Military Airport. Just moments ago a missile hit a house 800 meters from Pastor D’s home but miraculously it did not explode.
MARIUPOL – Port city on the Azov Sea (Southern Donetsk Region) has seen very heavy fighting but Ukraine has been holding the city.
KHERSON – The city came under very heavy attack and were overwhelmed by the Russian forces that steamed from Crimea nearby. Nova Kahovka, nearby, was taken earlier and as the Russian forces took control of the power plant here and breached the dam that held water channeled to Crimea. People, especially elderly were stuck in bomb shelters for days. After 3 days they were out of food and water. One family with small children came out and were shot dead. In Kherson people are afraid to go outside fearing being killed or taken as human shields in busses to accompany Russian military convoys. The bodies of those who resisted the invasion were left purposely on the streets to put fear into the people and to stop potential resistance. Pastor K, with whom we are working, was shot at when he came across a Russian military convoy 3 miles from his home prior to the onslaught. God protected him. He, his wife and oldest daughter are safe. The younger ones left with many younger families of the church (about a 1000 total – prior to the occupation). They are staying put for now to minister to the people. Pastors were targeted in the 2014 war in the East. If it gets too dangerous the may have to flee. Today there was supposed to be a parade in the city organized by the Russians in support of their arrival. (invasion). The locals would not participate so they brought in outsiders from Crimea to give the appearance that they in fact were welcomed and the people were happy they came to “save them.” The people are resisting and, even though hungry, are refusing food offered to them by the occupiers. They are actively resisting and even holding a public rally.
NIKOLAEV – near Kherson has had fierce fighting as it has a strategic port. The picture at the top of this post from Pastor N shows much destruction.