Photo: A number of villages in the eastern regions have been relentlessly bombed. This is a typical photo of what you see in the villages. Within bombed out houses are people who cannot evacuate and are forced to remain. These are living in ruins. Their food supply has been exhausted. Their water supply is only from wells that have not been destroyed. When they tried to plant gardens, the Russians bombed them again. Thankfully the good Lord has opened a door by which we are now transporting food and other critical commodities into these areas.
Thank You For Your Concern!
Thursday evening Chip McEwen attended the Rockford, Alabama gospel meeting. There he met brethren from Sylacauga and Lincoln who brought items for our container loading. He also met Perry & Rob Baker! Chip brought back two truckloads of supplies to be loaded into a container this coming Wednesday (13 September). Here are photos of the items donated to help stuff the next container.
“For I was hungry…”
The shocking reports of those in Oblast Kharkiv and other eastern regions was horrible. I received the below communication after describing villages that have not received any relief supplies and their food supplies are exhausted. We have been able to secure a delivery network and the Ivano-Frankivsk congregation has been sending in small shipments of food parcels. This week we are loading 40,000 lbs out of Oklahoma that will be sent and distributed to critical areas throughout Ukraine.
“John, I am so thankful for your reports even though in reading of the terrible hunger and the desperate attempts to find something to eat, I immediately become sick at my stomach. I cannot believe that this war has affected so many people in such ways. This is horrible but am so thankful that Ivan continues to find ways to do God’s work and bring the glory to Him. May God bless you and all those working in the field to help bring assistance to those suffering in Ukraine.”
IVAN’S REPORT
Greetings, dear brother John! Love and greetings to our dear brothers and sisters in Christ! August flew by like one day, and we are now one more month closer to our meetings with the Heavenly Father. Life flies by and we fail to do a lot of things. That’s because our plans are bigger than our lifespan. The month of August was very stressful with constant air raids and news on loses, counteroffensive, hot battles broadcast by all channels. Such things make people lose heart, and it is only in the church that the Lord fills us with His peace and hope that it won’t drag like that forever.
Now, we need your support and prayers more than ever. All churches of Christ in Ukraine are thankful to our American brethren for their support.
We go on with life and pray zealously, study the Bible and do good to people around us supporting needy, widows and orphaned children. The number of these has grown way too much.
All assemblies take place in our new church building. On Sunday, we have worship from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with fellowship afterwards. At this time there’s a greater need for people to come to church, which contributes so much to the unity. On Wednesday, we have our Bible class from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and again we stay behind for fellowship and tea. At present we study we Book of Ruth on Wednesdays.
Construction is going on – work is being done inside as well as in the courtyard.
We look forward to having our American brethren here. Together we will visit places and teach the Bible to our friends and acquaintances.
We sent a lot of humanitarian aid to people that still live in the middle of fighting and are shelled from both sides with rockets and bombs. There’s no free access to those places. You have to have a special pass to even take food there. We also sent Bible and letters of encouragement to them. Those people are either disabled or elderly that don’t have a family. Due to a heavy flow of displaced people such are really having a hard time to go somewhere where they could stay. There have been many instances when those who dared to leave, passed away as they were trying to flee the dangerous area. Thus, out of fear to die on the way, many prefer to live out their lives where they are in the houses destroyed by bombs. War is a horrible thing that messes up all aspects of human life. It is a horrible trial and time to reconceptualize our priorities in life and awareness.
Protect your country and take care of it, dear brethren. Pray and don’t be afraid of humans. We need to be more concerned about the wrath of God, which is poured out on the disobedient.
May the Lord protect all of you. Heartfelt regards and love to all of you! We love you,
Ivan and Svitlana
Ruslan’s Monthly Report
Dear brothers and sisters! Greetings to you on behalf of our church family. With God’s grace, we continue assembling in our church building both on Sundays and Wednesdays. Construction is going on. Our humanitarian work never stops. As God tells us, we keep praying not only for the end of the war in this country, but we also pray for our enemies. We look forward to having John, Perry, Gif and Chip who soon will be here. May God bless you in everything. Brother John! This container arrived tonight at 7:00. We are unloading it at this point. Military guys are helping us. Their commander is sending big thanks to all American Christians for help. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your great support. GLORY TO GOD AND OUR LORD! THANK YOU!!
Ruslan
Paziy Family Report
Several days in this summer’s camp brought special relations we have in God’s Family. More than 260 people assembled with one goal: “Glory our God,” it is a big event for Ukraine. Unique of this camp was psychological help from professional psychologists Becky Kelly, Karen Entrekin, Sandra Daneri who representative the Madison Church of Christ. Their work told us information through the lecture and they also worked with people needing help. Like always, Bible lessons, several baptisms, fellowship, and great atmosphere what we can take with us until next year. Huge thanks to Jeff Abrams for 21 years of his fundraiser work, his leadership and his love to Ukraine. Thanks for great teams what he brought every year. The subject for camp this year was “Victory,” this is what we need in our spiritually and real life.
Rehabilitation center in Ivano Frankivsk. On George Spurlock’s last visit to Ivano-Frankivsk, we made plans that after camp we would like to work with local rehab center and help them to help people with recovery what they can need during the war. Becky, Karen and Sandra spend two full workdays with local psychologists, doctors and physiotherapists who are working in this center. They explain how they can help people who had war syndrome not only in lectures, but also work individual. It was first time for workers when they had opportunity hear new achievements in this area from American professional. It was education for all participants and what was great we did it as representatives from Church of Christ. We started with prayer and finished with small lessons what is Church of Christ. We made plans for next visits and work like that. Svetlana (director of rehab center) was very interested in this help, she has a lot of contacts with different rehab center who need same help.
After our work in Ukraine, we made the long trip to Warsaw. It was my first time to visit Poland. We had another camp there and it was a great opportunity to see all our brothers and sisters who had fled the war in Ukraine. In Warsaw. After camp we spend 2,5 weeks with local Church in “big house” (this is the name of house where about 50 people live). It was interesting time, because in Ivano we did not have a lot of fellowship with Christians, but here we lived with Christians in one big house. Most of Christians are members from the Kramatorsk Church and Lyman Church. Before war our congregation help with Bible classes and Sunday worships in Lyman. It was for us a reunion with old life where there was no war, we live in our homes, no sirens, no missile strike and no one dies because the war. It was a great time. Also, our kids went to one more camp with congregation in Warsaw. I had opportunity to present several Bible lessons and plus help local congregation work with refuges. I would like to say thanks for finance help from Eastern Meadows Church and Madison Church, because insurances, gasoline and other expenses cost a lot for us it that journey. Thanks!
Now we are in Ukraine, and we have our regular meeting in our apartment on Lord’s Day. Our daughter Rita tries to be ready for second course in her medical University. Our Son Dima is waiting for result of admission to the institute. He will be study computer technology online. Oksana works hard with English school. One of the main subjects in school for now “Bible thought the sciences” and we do have good American preachers who help us in this. I am trying to be ready to teach two subjects in this autumn: “How we got the Bible” and “Christian evidence” and plus for spring book of Revelation. Big study for sort period…
Kramatorsk Church of Christ. Since the beginning of the war, our Church has been scattered all over the world. Despite this, we are in constant contact with each other. Every evening at 9 pm, the men of the church hold a joint prayer. Me and Vitaliy run online classes Monday through Friday. Denis Sopelnik Taras Danilenko, Kostya Kislenko every 4-6 weeks bring humanitarian aid and help not only Church members, but also carry out evangelism, helping hundreds of people. I would like to say thanks Terry Harmony and his congregation for help with wood for wintertime. We do help 10 families, 3 of them are not a Christian and they are thankful for that work Church does. We can help only those who live in private house. We were also approached by a local humanitarian organization that helps with food for the refugees. They asked us to supplement their meal with canned meat or fish. We helped 200 sets. Basically, this is help for people who have moved to Kramatorsk from the places where the fighting is going on. Each grocery set was supplemented with information about the Church of Christ, indicating meeting places and telephone numbers. Eastern Meadows Church of Christ provide this help.
Vladimir Paziy
I close this update with words from a previous post— The images of those receiving the supplies sent by the Lord’s Church are indelibly etched into our souls. THANK YOU to all who continue to fund and offer support in this mission. Rest assured that the words spoken to Habakkuk so long ago, echo in our ears, “I am accomplishing a work in your days—You would not believe it even if you were told!” (1:5).
John L. Kachelman, Jr. Ukraine Missions, P. O. Box 3085 (send mail here), 3740 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36109
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