3.11.22
Ukrainian Baptist Union : There is a war in Ukraine. Day 16. We Pray, Act and Volunteer
1. People of Mariupol under siege A brother from Mariupol writes: I beg you to pray for us! You can't even imagine what's going on here... The city is simply wiped off the face of the earth. It is completely destroyed. There is no electricity, all the wires are on the ground. There is no gas, as the gas pipeline is blown up. We have a well in the church, but there is salty water in it, so we drink this salty water and salty tea. There are lots of people in the streets, they are hungry… Markets and shops are broken and plundered. Grads and cannons shoot, bombs and shells fall in a few meters from the church. Now the generators have been turned on, and we have charged the phones. For a short time there was a mobile network, and I try to write as fast as I can ... Entire porches are burned out, there are holes through and through in the houses, everything is broken. Dead bodies lie on the streets, and nobody can pick them up. Please pray for us! The Lord is with us, He is strong.
2. An 80-year-old surgeon from Nikopol was baptized at home in the bathroom Lauren worked as a surgeon all his life. He used to help a lot many people by making operations for free. When the war broke out, he accepted the Lord into his heart and immediately wanted to be baptized in water. The pastor of the local church Vitaly baptized him just in the bath. Lauren regrets not having done this before, but at the same time has a deep joy that he has come to the Lord now. Our brothers ministers testify of his sincere repentance and that he is a born-again person now.
3. A large flow of refugees have been receiving in Poltava all day and night All five churches in Poltava receive a large flow of refugees around the clock. Hundreds of internally displaced persons are housed in church building, in the believer’s homes, as well as in the Christian center and family-type orphanage. All buildings that are more or less suitable for living have been repurposed for temporary shelter for refugees. Poltava has become a kind of transit bridgehead for the people that leave from Kharkiv. The distance from Kharkiv to Poltava 140 km. People in Kharkiv run out of their homes in what they were wearing at home, and go to Poltava. Church buildings are open 24 hours a day. A gypsy camp of 45 people was recently received, the pastor said.
4. The Christians continue to pray for the cessation of the war in the central square of Kharkiv In the central square of Kharkiv, surrounded by damaged buildings, the prayer of many believers is still going on. They pray for peace and for the end of the war. Beside this churches have joined together for the evacuation of the people, preparing dinners, providing shelter to those who became homeless.
5 There is only road was left to take out refugees in Mykolaiv We have the only accessible road to take out refugees from Mykolaiv at the moment - the senior presbyter Victor Zolin says. - Fierce battles with the occupiers are going on all around. But the city remains under Ukrainian control. Yesterday the truck with humanitarian aid came to Mykolaiv. Volunteers from the churches form food kits, distribute them among all those who find themselves in difficult circumstances. Part of the cargo was donated to other churches in the region, for charitable work.
6. Life in the Kharkiv metro About 1,500 persons live at metro stations for several days in Kharkiv. The evangelical churches provide them with humanitarian aid using every opportunity and doing all they can. Part of the Kharkiv region is occupied, some towns are surrounded by Russian troops. No connection with Balakliya and Izyum cities. Many evangelical Christians bring food and necessities to church buildings.
7. First aid has finally arrived from the West of the country First aid has arrived from the West of the country, - Oleh Larkov, pastor of the Kyiv God's Design Church says. We are thankful for this help: we were able to give out more than 300 food kits to people here, telling them the Gospel. We also invited them to pray, and a third part of these people willingly prayed the prayer of repentance.
9. In occupied Kherson, four churches are still socially active In Kherson, the wholesale agricultural market is gradually resuming its work. People from churches buy vegetables and food there, and then form food kits for the people in need. The same situation in the small towns of the region. Meanwhile, Russian troops are doing something on the railway, and their armored train has arrived in Kherson.
10. Churches gather together for joint services in the occupied territories All around Zaporozhye region, even in the occupied territories, churches continue to gather for joint services.
11. Humanitarian aid was sent from L’viv Humanitarian aid was sent to Kharkiv, Buzivka, Slovyansk, Kremenchuk, Bila Tserkva, Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Vasylkiv from Lviv. Mainly clothes, hygiene products, medicines, food. A 20-ton truck with medicines also went to Kyiv.
12. The house of the Kyiv church pastor was burned out Thousands of private houses and apartment buildings were destroyed in Ukraine during last time. Many schools, kindergartens, hospitals, social institutions have been destroyed. Among other burned houses is the house of the Kyiv Temple of Peace Church’ pastor, Volodymyr Kondor lived with his family in Gostomel, working as an executive secretary in the ECB Union.
13. Five brothers from the churches of Mariupol died Russian troops drop 500-kilogram bombs on Mariupol. Among many victims are five brothers from Mariupol churches. The men were on the way to rake the ruins. One of the men was thrown out of the car, the other four were burned in the car. Please pray that God will comfort their families. We pray for the pastors, all the ministers who have remained there.
14. The Russian military captured two brothers in Mariupol On March 9, in Mariupol, the Russian military captured two brothers, Mikhail, a local church pastor, and brother Andrei. The latter raises ten foster children. In their church building live 250 people, whose homes were destroyed under Russian shelling. As supplies ran out, Pastor Michael and Andrew went for needed groceries. On the way, the men came across the Russian military, and were captured. It is known that Pastor Mykhailo is in the hospital in the occupied territory. And Andriy is being held in an enemy basement. We pray for our brothers.
15. More than 100 billboards have already been installed in ten cities and nine regions of Ukraine Oleksiy senior presbyter of Zaporizhia region, says that 20 billboards with Bible texts and calls to prayer and repentance are being prepared in Zaporizhia.
16. Kremenchug Evangelical Seminary actively supports the people of the East Cars with food are delivered to Kharkiv, and on the way back they take away refugees, and provided them with housing in Poltava and Kremenchug. The Rector of Kremenchug Seminary, says: What I saw breaks my heart. People sit in the shelters or cellars all the time, because the city is almost constantly on the alert. It is almost impossible to get food. Kharkiv people cannot get out of distant areas because there is no one to take them out.
Chernihiv region Church members in the towns of Sosnytsia and Mena (Chernihiv region) buy flour and pasta at their own expense and distribute to those who does need help. There is nothing more to buy in shops and markets at the moment. Humanitarian aid cannot be brought here right now. Hospitals are in dire need of medication. Especially surgical sutures. Therefore, doctors appeal to pastors for help. In addition to social services, pastors of local churches Anatoly and Igor hold weekly meetings with non-church men to study the Bible.
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