It is said that battle plans always change once you are in the battle. Ukraine’s churches and believers are now in battle different to what we expected. In my last blog I wrote about Caleb’s family getting out of Odessa after rockets started hitting the city. They were not the only ones to leave. The highways were packed and traffic eventually came to a crawl. It took about 22 hours to drive the 60 miles to Moldova where a missionary family has put them up. As soon as they made it they began helping other people from their new church that followed them there. They had a church service Sunday and there were more in attendance then they had in Ukraine. PTL
Then a group of 40+ young Indian students called for help too. What a gospel opportunity? Caleb, although exhausted from just getting his family out, is now helping theses refugees also in Moldova. So far 360,000 refugees who have fled the war in Ukraine.
But there are still believers back in Ukraine like our beloved associates Vladimir and Maria Sagadeyev who are the parents to our daughter-in-law. One young pastor friend and his family in country had to shelter in the basement of their old apartment building to protect them. Not a nice place. We heard they got out. But many more are sheltering anywhere they can since more attacks are expected. Pray!
A Pastor friend and his family in basement bomb shelter near Kiev.
Some of our flock has asked about helping. Prayer is always first. Pray for peace and safety. Pray for the Ukrainian army to hold of the new attacks that are coming. Pray for the many families who have lost loved ones. Pray for our grandchildren who are in tears wanting to go home (to Ukraine). I feel emotional as well. Pray for wisdom about where to go next. Pray for the many churches affected there. Pray for Vladimir Putin to stop attacking. Pray for the Russian people.
In Ukraine there will be financial needs for simple basics like food, clothing, bedding, medical, transportation, fuel etc..There will also be opportunities to share God’s love through the eternal comfort of the Gospel of Christ (Mat. 28:19-20). Ukrainian pastors and our missionaries will have lots of ministry to do.
Their mission agency, www.abwe.org, has a Ukraine Crisis Fund to help. My two missionary kids have been serving in Ukraine, Mike & Rachel (Suko) Gustafson and Caleb & Christina Suko are administering this fund. About $30,000+ has been given. You can give to the Ukraine Crisis Fund either at our offering box at church or our online page at https://www.discoverybaptist.org/give or www.abwe.org. Be sure to mark it for the Ukraine Crisis Fund in either case.
Stay tuned for my next blog on the subject. Note also Sunday Mar. 13th I’ll be reporting on this and preaching in both services at Discovery.
Pastor Mark
PS
Guys don’t forget that Saturday . . . .
Men’s Discipleship Breakfast is this Saturday March 5th from 8 to 9:15 am.
All church work party. Work starts after breakfast. Help is needed as we begin to prepare outside for landscaping.