Hope in the Midst of Pain—Ukraine Update
4.01.2022
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. —James 1:2-4, ESV
In the midst of so much heartbreak and devastation in Ukraine, this is an especially good day to read and meditate on James 1:2-4.
As you may have heard, Mission Eurasia’s field ministries headquarters in Irpin, Ukraine was recently destroyed by Russian troops. Russian troops also stormed our nearby warehouse and burned all of the Bibles and Christian literature they found within. In the process, they destroyed the nearby homes of our friends and neighbors, taking many innocent lives.
This evil assault is a devastating setback at a time when the people of Ukraine need to know about God’s great love for them more than ever before.
But God is great and often uses difficulties to draw people to Him, and we are already seeing a spiritual awakening among the Ukrainian people. That’s why Mission Eurasia and our ministry leaders on the ground are steadfastly committed to serving as the hands and feet of Jesus to help more suffering Ukrainian families within Ukraine and those refugees who have fled abroad for safety.
That’s why, in the midst of pain and loss, we are trusting God to:
- continue blessing our delivering of life-sustaining “I Care” food boxes. As of today, we have delivered more than 12,000 food packages filled with enough food to nourish a family for a week and a copy of Scripture to fill them with hope. These food boxes remain a lifeline to refugees and to Ukrainians who remain in-country, hiding in bomb shelters, or unable to evacuate. We are now planning to deliver thousands more food packages to continue bringing help and hope to mothers with children, the elderly and others in need.
- replenish our supplies of Bibles, New Testaments, children’s Bibles, prayer booklets, and other Christian literature that will equip us to continue sharing the hope of the gospel in any and every way possible with those who have yet to accept their Savior.
- expand the pastoral care component of our I Care-Ukraine refugee assistance ministry in order to provide Christian counseling and care for those traumatized by war, separated from their loved ones, and missing their homes. This weekend we will hold a special training session in western Ukraine for 100 young professionals in order to equip them to minister to refugees in despair.
We are so grateful for your prayers and support as we fight this spiritual war to win the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people. If you would like to give a gift today to provide urgently needed food, Scripture, and pastoral care to the suffering people of Ukraine, please click on the button below. We deeply appreciate your partnership to bring hope to the Ukrainian people in the midst of their pain.
Most gratefully in Him,
Sergey Rakhuba
President