Photo: One of the Family Buckets was distributed in a village in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. These buckets have made a phenomenal impact. In fact, the full impact is indescribable. The contents of the buckets are critically needed but the compassion personified in the buckets is a source of comfort to those struggling with the evils of this world. We are constantly asked for “more buckets”!
The invasion of Russian oppression began in 2014. The full-scale invasion and conquest of the nation began in February 2022. The response to the suffering has been overwhelming. The gratitude of those whose lives have been destroyed, is often expressed with tears, sobs, and hugs. Millions of lives have been changed and will never return to “normal.” The operations, actions and missions of the work, that many of you reading this have significantly revealed the compassion of the Lord’s Church. THANK YOU for being this “light, salt, and leaven”!
Once again…we hear constant pleas for “more buckets.” Will you help coordinate the collection of more buckets?
From Ivan Skoleba
Greetings, our dear brothers and sisters. We thank our Heavenly Father for another month of our lives. We are also thankful to our Christian brethren 9in the USA, Poland, Germany and many other locations) for the prayers and support you have kindly given to my family and the Church in Ivano-Frankivsk.
On Sundays, we assemble together for worship services. In the middle of the week, we teach Wednesday Bible class. We have completed the Book of Exodus and are in Leviticus now. We also study the New Testament and are in Matthew 24 now.
We support and encourage the Church in Zelena. We have Bible classes together and fellowship. From time to time, Galyna and Bogdan join us in Ivano-Frankivsk. We preach the Gospel and help those who are displaced because they flee the war. We help them as much as we can. We pray together and ask the Lord to show His mercy to us and stop the war. People have different stories but all of them dream about going home and repairing their houses.
We are getting ready to received our American brothers – John, Perry, Giff, Jared and Whitney. We plan to do a lot of good work which should be beneficial to the Church and should provide opportunities to meet new people and encourage those we already have assembling. It was good to seen John Durham and Gary Jerkins in recent days.
Brethren, your courage to come here is amazing. Your visit is of a great importance to us as it encourages us in fellowship and we are able to hear God’s Word from your lips. Now, we need it more than ever before. We appreciate it very much and we understand traveling to be very expensive. We ask the Lord to bless you with such an opportunity so that we will serve Him together.
We love you. We look forward to seeing you.
Ivan, Svitlana and Anna
Construction
In spite of the war, we continue with our construction of the church building. The invasion and war caused the goals of occupancy to be moved. While we are able to use the building under emergency approval we have not been given certified occupancy. If things go well, we should get occupancy this year. For this, we need to complete certain works both inside and outside on the plot.
Ivan
From Ruslan Skoleba
Dear brothers and sisters! First of all, big thanks to you for prayers! We do feel your support. We look forward to having John and others here. They always refresh and inspire us. I would like to let you know that we continue working at our normal pace. Studying the Word of God helps us face such difficult times and encourage others. Thank you for standing with us at this horrible time. May God bless you hundredfold. Please find the financial record through March attached.
Ruslan
SHIPMENTS
We continue receiving donations to ship into Ukraine. Our shipping has slowed from last year due to the available funds. We still receive funds but not on the level as last year. The media seems to have “forgotten” the suffering and vulnerable of war, and that silence has impacted donations.
I continue to be amazed at the offerings we receive. Here is one that brother Ron Moreton (CURE, Ft Smith, AR) sent me yesterday: “PPE Global LLC in Memphis has four containers of medical grade gloves. They are the long type that goes back to the wrist. They bought them during COVID. EPA told them they didn’t need to use them any longer. They would be glad to donate some or all to a nonprofit. If you’re interested let me know. Ron M”
Our efforts to assist with the rehabilitation therapy centers continue to develop. I am looking forward to seeing how the clinic in Ivano-Frankivsk has developed with the items we shipped. Hopefully I will be able to conduct some Bible classes with those receiving therapy. I will also be meeting with various Ministries and points of contact to continue developments. At this point I am asking for therapists to be thinking of going and assisting operations at these to-be-established clinics and carry the good news of God’s compassion to those struggling with the horrors of evil. I am seeking physical, vocational, psychological, family, and children’s therapists. The training and professionalism of those in these positions are greatly needed and will make an amazing impact for the Lord’s Church!
How can you help?
There are two urgent needs that our combined energy can satisfy:
- MORE Family Buckets—Begin another collection and packing project!
- FUNDS for shipping—the cost of transportation has doubled and we are limited by this factor.
Several of us will be traveling from Montgomery into Ivano-Frankivsk in the near future. Perry Baker and I will go first. Then Andrew “Gif” Gifford, and Jared & Whitney Kelly will be following us at a later time. As usual I will be sending trip reports from Ivano-Frankivsk and my reports will be supplemented with those traveling with me.
Pray that our efforts will further God’s purposes. I am eager to return to operations in Ukraine and see the progress that continues to be made. As a friend says when prepping for a mission, “I’m game-on!” Let’s see what is waiting!
John L. Kachelman, Jr. Montgomery, AL
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