UKRAINE UPDATE
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For continuing updates as the crisis unfolds, visit here – we’d appreciate your prayers!
We continue to be amazed, humbled and inspired by the daily efforts of our ministry partners in Eastern Europe to endure, be courageous and minister to others amid the winds of war.
One of the team members of our partner in Ukraine continues working in the Kyiv area to help people who need to be evacuated. We’ve touched on his efforts in previous reports, noting that the circumstances faced by this man we’ll call Peter are frequently life-threatening.
We received word that as he was helping evacuees, it suddenly dawned on him that he hadn’t heard from or seen an old friend for two years. He managed to contact the man in Kharkiv, a city that has been under near-constant attack since the war began. The man was distraught, saying he was ready to die with his family and just “be over with it.”
Seriously concerned, Peter promptly made the dangerous trip to Kharkiv to reunite with his friend and bring the family to an area that is safer though still part of the war zone. In recent years, the friend said, he had grown away from the Lord. Now, he could see Peter’s presence and eagerness to rescue the family was like God shining a ray of light into the nightmare that has descended on his homeland.
Like other TWR partners and the Eastern European countries where they minister, our national partner in Romania has commendably stepped up to the challenges of war. Bordering Ukraine, Romania has already taken in roughly half a million refugees.
TWR Romania director Mihai Papuc said his team has committed itself to providing media coverage of the incoming refugees and how churches and pastors are rushing to identify host families, assist with government paperwork and provide practical help in any way possible. Papuc said the response by local churches has been “exemplary.”
That description seems to apply to the TWR Romania staff members, as well, who have distributed food to refugees along with gospel literature, Bible readings offering spiritual comfort and devotional materials in Ukrainian. TWR Women of Hope’s Romanian team produced a 28-minute video focusing on the crisis.
Refugee family reaches destination
Let’s close with another ray of light amid so much gloom. If you’ve been following these updates, you probably remember the saga of the family that finally made it to safety in a neighbouring country after a weeklong journey from Kharkiv. After several days of welcome and care by TWR staff members, including replenishing their clothing supply and getting their overtaxed car repaired by a generous Christian volunteer, the family has been able to move on to another country farther west.
The father, who is a studio technician with TWR’s partner ministry in Ukraine, and his wife, who has provided voicing on radio programs, are eager to continue working to produce and polish content. The plan is for that new content to be broadcast back into Ukraine one day very soon. They are a part of a major initiative in which TWR Europe and TWR International are moving rapidly to develop special programming geared to meet the spiritual, emotional and informational needs of listeners in the war zone.
As you can imagine, providing resources so TWR can respond quickly and effectively to the constantly changing situation in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus can be challenging. Many supporters like you have already asked how you can help or have donated to our Ukraine-Russia Crisis fund. We are profoundly grateful to you for standing with us through your finances and prayer.
Please join us in prayer
- The political situation and great uncertainty remain a major source of anxiety for all of TWR’s ministry contacts in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Please pray for the Lord to supernaturally gift our staff with his peace, which they can then convey to their listenership. Pray for the upcoming important ministry-related travels of TWR’s ministry contact in Russia.
- Praise God that the studio technician and his family from Ukraine have finally reached a location in Central Europe where we hope they will be able settle down. As we marked World Down Syndrome Day 2022 this week, please especially give thanks for the life of their daughter, who has this condition and needs special care.
- During a relative lull in fighting during the past weekend in their areas, our Ukrainian partners worked zealously to create as much content as possible. We praise the Lord for keeping them all safe and for their incredible devotion to serving their audience.
