April 20, 2022 News Update
20 April 2022
Dear Friends,
Below is a letter from Vasily Munko (nickname Vasya). He was one of the first graduates of our Bible College in Kyiv and has been a pastor in Lviv for more than 15 years. He is a faithful servant of the Lord and a very capable Bible teacher. He has been working tirelessly since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, housing 8 refugees in his home on a permanent basis, putting up a couple dozen people at the church every night, feeding them and providing transportation to the border. He is one of several people who we are supporting financially who are using that to provide support for the refugees.
Hello Mr Myers. Thank you very much for your prayers and financial support.
Yes, our enemy has resumed missile attacks on Lviv. Unfortunately, eight people died as a result of this. We are all right, thank God for that. We continue to serve the refugees as before. But besides this, I help financially different refugee families in different places in Ukraine.
I have attached some photos to the letter. In photo 1, the family of Sergei and Oksana who were forced to leave Kyiv. In the photo is Oksana, their youngest son Sasha and their daughter Ira. Sergei and their eldest son Andrei remained in Kyiv. They fought for the city in the ranks of the army, and now they are fighting for our country. Pray for this family, Oksana is a believer, but the rest have not yet been reconciled with the Lord
Photo 1: The family of Sergei and Oksana
In photo 2, the family of Yura and Lena and Lena's mother, Galya. This is a believing family that was also forced to leave Kyiv. Yura once worked in an orphanage. There he and his wife adopted two children. Because of the war, Lena and Yura were left without work.
Photo 2: The family of Yura and Lena and Lena's mother, Galya
In photo 3, Vitali, Olya and their daughter Vitalina. I met this family in the Kherson region in September 2019 when we held a seminar on the letter to the Galatians. In 2014, they were forced to flee the Donetsk region, when Russian troops invaded. They started a new life in the Kherson region, but now they were forced to flee again. And for the second time they were left with nothing. Vitalik himself wrote to me and asked for help....
Unfortunately, not everyone managed to escape from the occupied Kherson regions and some Christians who attended our seminar became hostages of enemy forces. They especially need our prayers.
Here is the message received from them: “We have worse than hell here, Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol are all the same here as Russians purposefully destroy the population. Almost 20 shells flew into our homes, but we miraculously survived. It is impossible to leave, the light and gas have been turned off for more than a month. No food. There is no medicine. No connection. There is no hope of deliverance. The village is under continuous shelling. There are no places left for people to hide from the shelling.”
Please pray for these people and for pastor Sasha, who is with them in these difficult times ....
Photo 3: Vitali, Olya and their daughter Vitalina
In photo 4 is Maryana. This is a woman from our church. She is a journalist who has been constantly helping our soldiers since 2014. Now, because of the war, she has lost her job, and there is no one to help her except us. She lives alone. She is going through the war with great difficulty as she has already lost several of her military friends from Lviv. They gave their lives to protect us.
From Vasya
Photo 4: Maryana
The war is fierce and devastating, and in some places the situation is desperate for those under attack as they have little hope of surviving. Yet we know that God has a plan for each one, and He is able to do that which is beyond our ability to even imagine.
Please pray for victory in Ukraine, that God will deliver them from the enemy, and that peace may come to that land once again.
By grace alone,
Jim
April 18, 2022 News Update
18 April 2022
Dear Friends,
The war in Ukraine has gone on for almost 8 weeks. Russian attacks in the north around Kyiv were repelled, but with much destruction and many deaths. When the Russian troops withdrew, there was a great reduction in the number of missiles and artillery being shot into that area. There were some strikes in the city of Kyiv over the weekend. We praise God that again our people have been spared.
On Easter Sunday Russian missiles targeted the city of Lviv in western Ukraine. This city has been relatively safe, and several million people have gone there, either to find a place to live or as the port city into Poland. The Russians would like to see that city destroyed because it is a major conduit for supplies from the west to enter Ukraine. As of now the most Russia can do is to bomb the city because they don’t have troops in that region to attack it. Many of our people are in Lviv and its environs. Please be in prayer for Vasily Munko, pastor of Grace Bible Church and Misha Grishenko, pastor of Greater Grace Church in Lviv. Luda Ugrimova is in a nearby town. These are heroes of faith, in my opinion, for their ministry among the refugees.
We just received a text from Ukraine saying they think that the war in the Donbas region is about to be a full-scale invasion. The big city of Kharkiv has been under constant bombardment since the beginning, but apparently the attacks are about to intensify. There are several cities in that area where I have taught in the past. Pray for the believers there that the biblical truths they learned will sustain them, that their faith will be a great testimony to the grace of God, and that they will redeem the time by spreading the gospel.
Word of God Church met on Resurrection Day for worship and praise to Almighty God who raised His Son from the dead in a powerful acclamation that He has accepted the work of Christ on the cross as the payment for all sins. What a great God! What a wonderful savior!
Pray also for Sasha Petrenko and his wife Ira who live in the Chernigiv area. This city was also devastated by missiles and Russian troops. Sasha sent some photos. What do you do if your church building is destroyed? Preach in the open air.
Sasha and Ira ministering to the troops, providing food and clothing along with spiritual food:
Sasha providing some essentials to a man who has lost everything.
We are so grateful for all of you who are supporting our ministry. Thank you for your prayers and notes of encouragement.
All by grace,
Jim
April 10, 2022 News Update
10 April 2022
Dear Friends,
Phyllis and I are on the road again, speaking in churches. If you would like to see a recent report that I gave, click on this link:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TYHeimPVZds
Some people have asked me if there are websites they can go to for good assessments of thee current situation in Ukraine. Here a few that you check out:
I have had a few people make comments along the way about the corruption of the Ukrainian people, indicating that in their opinion we should not be helping them or promoting them because they are just as bad as the Russians. Others have expressed their idea that the Ukrainians and Russians are both the same and that what is happening is just like the Civil War between the north and the south in this country, and that we should just let them fight it out.
I find this wrong on so many levels. And because I have been confronted with this several times, I would surmise that this idea is coming from some common source, namely, the main-stream media. I will excerpt portions of a recent letter written by Dr. Robby Dean in response to comments made on a recent interview program:
First, the Ukrainian people are more united in their patriotism then ever before. I have read of estimates up to 400,000 Ukrainian ex-pat males who have returned to Ukraine to fight for their homes, families, and the future of Ukraine.
Second, they are not fighting to defend a corrupt government or corruption in general. Ukraine is well known for the level of corruption there, but so now is the United States, as well as Nigeria, Brazil, China, Syria, Jordan, the Philippines and a host of other nations in the world. Corruption is endemic today.
Ukraine was viciously attacked with no provocation on Feb 24. The claim that the Ukrainians are at fault because they wanted to be aligned with NATO is delusion… Blame the rape victim, not the rapist, is the same mentality. Putin has been trying to dominate Ukraine and Ukraine politics for a couple of decades
But ... it has been clear that the Ukrainian people do not want corruption, they do not want to be under the authority of Moscow, they hate the Russians with a historic hatred that goes back centuries. Ukrainians have their own language, culture, music, and government and they do not want to be governed by Russia. The vast majority are freedom loving.
Ukraine has the highest level of religious freedom of any nation in the Western world. Over the last 25 years tens if not hundreds of thousands have been saved. Numerous solid grace-gospel ministries have been planted ….
The Ukrainians are fighting and dying for freedom. They are seeking to destroy the barbaric Russians who are raping, torturing, beheading the Ukrainian civilian population and seeking to erase the Ukrainian people from the face of the earth.
To say that we Americans should not pray for victory in Ukraine because they have a corrupt government is ludicrous. If America comes under attack should we refuse to fight for freedom because we have a corrupt government?
Of course not all Russians are “bad” people. There are many who are decent, moral, law-abiding people who are hard working and honest. But when I see the unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the senseless bombing of homes, churches, hospitals, and refugee centers in Ukraine, the horrific murders, brutal rapes, and the pillaging of homes, I believe it is altogether right for us to pray for victory over the invaders and for destruction of their army.
I beseech you, do not stop praying for the freedom of Ukraine, for peace in that land, and for those people we have come to love so dearly.
All by grace,
Jim
April 4, 2022 News Update
4 April 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Oh, how it breaks our hearts to watch the videos of the barbaric butchery of people in Bucha, a city just to the north of Kyiv. It is adjacent to Irpin. This was one of the first cities occupied by the Russians when the war began. There has been extensive destruction of buildings, homes, and infrastructure there. But even worse is the slaughter of hundreds of people and reports of rape of many women and even little girls. Evil without restraints! Hundreds dead, buried in mass graves, unknown but to God.
I thought about inserting a link showing graphic photos of some who were killed, hands tied behind their backs and then executed. But you may have seen videos on the news and you don’t need to see more. I had a conversation a number of years ago with the American ambassador to Georgia. He told me that when the Russians left after invading that country in 2008, they raped and pillaged with wanton disregard for the senseless brutality. The pattern repeats itself in Ukraine.
But, the good news is that the Ukrainian forces have driven the Russian forces out of that area. However, the Russians have left many booby traps and land mines, some of which are in playgrounds, entrances to apartment buildings, and even some under dead bodies. So it will take some time to clear the area of danger. We have church members from both Bucha and Irpin who, while themselves are safe, have suffered loss from the bombing.
Word of God Church continues to minister to the congregation. The few who are still in Kyiv met yesterday for a worship service while most of the others were able to join online from safe havens in western Ukraine and from several foreign countries. The Word of God is not bound. We continue to have daily prayer meetings online and weekly Bible studies as well. Below is a photo of the church service, with Pastor Oleg teaching the Word. The man in the foreground is Vova, Oleg’s brother. He is with the territorial defense unit and will be deployed to the east this week. Pray for him and our other men who are defending their nation by serving in the military.
We receive reports from our people in Ukraine and Poland who are using this time as ambassadors for Christ, preaching the gospel and ministering to refugees, demonstrating the love of God and their steadfast faith based on the assurance that comes from knowledge of the Word of God.
The war continues, but let it not become old news and something to be disregarded because it is far away. May it serve as a warning of what may come to our shores in the future. May it spur us to make spiritual preparation now so that we will also be able to persevere in our faith when the time of severe testing comes to us.
God has a purpose for us and His plan is moving forward. Will we fulfill His purpose or will we be casualties in the spiritual conflict? Thank you for praying. Thank you for your notes of encouragement and support.
Psalm 37:35-40,
“35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.”
Stand fast,
Jim
April 1, 2022 News Update
1 April 2022
Dear Servants of the Most High God,
Psalm 144:3, “LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?”
We are so pitiful, so insignificant, and yet we can approach the very God of the universe. In this verse David expresses his amazement that God knows us. The word “man” occurs two times in the this verse. The first time it is the generic word for a person, a member of the human race. God knows the individual human. The second time the word “man” is used is a different word, emphasizing the frailty of man. In spite of this, God is “mindful of him," that is to say, God has a plan for him. Think of it! And because of this I can bring my petitions, my supplications, my heart’s desire to the Lord.
I had a marvelous time today teaching an online Bible class to our Ukrainian Christians. The class lasted almost two hours because of the Q&A session that followed the lesson on Psalm 144.
Question: what if Russian Christians are praying for victory?
My family in Russia tells me that we should just give up and submit. What do I tell them?
I am from Belarus and my family wants me to fight against Ukraine.
The last two questions were prefaced by remarks that their families have been bombarded with constant propaganda from the Russian media which paints Ukraine as the aggressor, the evil nation that desires to commit genocide against the Russian people. Ah, the media. What a powerful force – for good or for ill.
Psalm 144:11, “Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood--”
They say one thing but do another. They speak peace and then bomb your houses. They speak of cease fire while increasing their missile attacks.
It is good news that the Russian forces are withdrawing from the Kyiv region. But they continue to point their missiles at the city. Even though they have left Irpin, just to the north of Kyiv, they leave behind destruction, and they have also left behind land mines which can kill and injure anyone who might step on them—children in playgrounds, entrances to businesses.
Irpin Bible Seminary – After and Before
I have a new prayer request. The report today is that Americans in Russia are now being sought out and detained. Those who have made it to the Russian border are being taken into custody. Why? They have done nothing illegal and the US is not at war with Russia. Also, the Americans in Russia are in a tight spot because they have no access to their bank accounts and cannot use their credit cards because of sanctions against Russia. I ask you to pray for Steve, a long time missionary in Russia. There are others, too.
Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, your support.
By grace alone,
Jim
March 30, 2022 News Update
30 March 2022
Dear friends,
“The enemy has demonstrated its ‘decrease in activity’ in the Chernihiv region with strikes on Nizhyn (a town 90 km southeast of Chernihiv), including airstrikes. Chernihiv was shelled all night,” the regional governor reported.
AFP reporters also heard explosions around the Kyiv suburb of Irpin. Our pastor in Kyiv told me today that even though the Russians said that they were pulling back their troops, explosions from missles continue almost around the clock.
The good news is that our people have again been spared. Our village, although it hears sounds afar off, has not had enemy activity for a couple of days.
Do not cease in your prayers for Ukraine, for protection, for provision, for the furtherance of the gospel, for the witness of the saints to those who are fearful.
Psalm 62:5–12,
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.
Here is a short video that is instructive.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=334907762030028
How much we appreciate all you who are standing with us and our loved ones in Ukraine and those who have been driven from their homes.
Only by grace,
Jim
March 28, 2022 News Update
28 March 2022
Dear Friends,
I cannot thank you enough for your prayers for Ukraine and our loved ones there. We also give thanks to our heavenly Father who is supplying abundant grace through you to help with relief of people suffering the ravages of the war. Your gifts are causing much praise to the Lord from our Ukrainian friends. One hundred percent of donations will be used for this ministry; there are no “administrative fees” being taken out.
Russian navy, air, and ground forces continued to launch missiles and rockets at both cilivian and military targets over the weekend. These targets are located all over the country, from the far east to cities in the west, from Kyiv in the north to cities on the Black Sea. We received a report of large explosions in the southern part of Kyiv. It is now forbidden for civilians or journalists to give details about strikes or to post photos or videos of attacks because the enemy can use this information for their own purposes. The good news today is that all of our people are safe. We are not consumed because of the Lord’s mercies. Praise Him!
Our church met online yesterday. What amazing fellowship, love, and compassion for one another. And what praise to our sovereign Lord who rules over all. There is no complaining or whining or self pity. It is marvelous to behold.
I received a note from Denis, our student who fled to Poland with his wife and son. His orientation is not toward personal comfort, but toward the Lord. My heart was made glad by his news:
Mr. Myers, hello. Today we were in church. We have rented an apartment next to it, and after the service we stayed for fellowship. We took an unbelieving woman from Kyiv with us and I was able to tell her the gospel. She is very interested. We also gave her the Gospel of John to read. We will take her every Sunday with us to church. Her mother is disabled, and she was able to bring her here. Pray that God will work in her heart.
Thank you for teaching us how to give the gospel so it is understandable. We plan to go with the church to refugee centers to help them and to give the gospel. Pray about it.
We are able to do this because we know Russian and can help the [Polish speaking] church here. We are very glad that God allows us to serve here. That's why we went to college. Thanks to you. Thanks to God!
So Putin meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20), for now the gospel is being spread not only in Ukraine but in at least five other countries where our “missionaries” have been scattered by the war. The Word of God is not bound.
Psalm 128:6-9, “Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. 8 The LORD is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed. 9 Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.”
By His grace,
Jim
Loving the Battle: Extraction from Kyiv
Jim has given permission for the presentation he made with Robby Dean about their adventure getting out of Ukraine to be hosted on this website.
This was presented on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at the 2022 Chafer Pastors' Conference - about a week after they returned to the USA from Ukraine.
What an adventure! And, what wonderful promises our gracious God has given us so that we can “Love the Battle.”
March 26, 2022 News Update
26 March 2022
To my fellow soldiers in the spiritual battle:
Stand firm. Be alert. Continue earnestly in prayer. Your role as prayer warriors is vital. As you pray without ceasing you are functioning as a priest, representing others before our heavenly Father. This is a privilege and an obligation. Remember how on the night before the cross when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him? He desired that they spend time in intercessory prayer for Him. We have loved ones in dire circumstances, and how much they need our intercession. Prayer can be very hard work. Will you not labor with me this day on behalf of our loved ones in Ukraine?
I talked with a man today who is involved in helping Americans to get out of Ukraine and who is trying to get needed things into Ukraine. He reports that there is a lot of donated material on the borders of Ukraine, but not very much is actually getting in. What a shame that bureaucracy and politics would hinder the distribution of food, blankets, clothing, and medical supplies to people who need them desperately.
The reports we see on the news is very confusing. On the one hand they speak of the Russian offensive being stalled, and yet the bombs and missiles continue to fall in many cities. The news channels tell us that the Russians are focused on cities in the east and the south, and yet there was increased bombing of Lviv in far western Ukraine. A message I received was that they heard bomb blasts all day long in Kyiv. Let us not grow weary in our prayers.
3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
I truly understand what John meant when he penned these words. As I hear from our people from our church in Ukraine, I am overjoyed at their display of faith in the face of disaster. Here is a letter from a great saint of God, a sister in the faith:
Jim, thank you for the lesson yesterday [taught online].
I wanted to encourage you that all that work of teaching for years in our church and college was really effective. I talk to the people of our church and they really have peace in their hearts regardless of what is going on in their lives. I noticed they quote scripture to me, they remember lots of your sermons, they see God acting in their lives and trust Him strongly. Lucia told me that now she understands what you meant when you said we should use this time of freedom to serve the Lord because if we don't, God can take it from us. I can say God prepared us very well through you for this time of distress. May God bless you and give you many more years to continue to teach and to build up this church in free Ukraine.
Knowing the Word of God, believing it, and acting on it is the key to joy, confidence, and tranquility of soul, no matter what.
Proverbs 6:22, “When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.”
Thank you for your prayers, your notes of encouragement, your support. You have had a great ministry to us and to those in Ukraine.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Jim
March 25, 2022 News Update
25 March 2022
Dear Friends,
We are so thankful for all you who draw near the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The Father has indeed been hearing your prayers, your intercessions, and your praises.
Apparently the enemy is being pushed back in several places in Ukraine, which is very good news. But the war continues. The missiles continue to be sent against buildings housing civilians: apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, theaters and others places where there might be people taking shelter in basements or bomb shelters. It is evident that these are deliberate targets and not inadvertent accidents.
According to one source who has contact with the military Russia is expected to send paratroopers into Kyiv, special forces units, with the intent of taking out communications and other things vital for the defense of the city. Many Russian saboteurs have been caught, but probably not all. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been taken captive and are being deported to Russia. I don’t know why. Perhaps they will be used in prisoner exchanges; perhaps they will be forced to work for Russia against Ukraine; perhaps they will just become slaves. Many of these are children. Horrible!
The high power lines that run through our village have been taken out, so now they have no electricity or internet. In some cities they have been without electricity, water, gas or heat. In some instances they have also run out of food. This is a desperate situation.
But our people are standing strong in faith. What a testimony to the grace of God and the power of His Word. So many have expressed their gratitude for having grown in their spiritual understanding, which enables them to face this crisis with peace and confidence.
I was able to teach an online Bible class with them today. What a joy! I was able to see faces and hear familiar voices. I will include a screenshot of the more than 40 people who opened the Word of God together today.
Psalm 27:13, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”
Jim
More...
March 23, 2022 News Update
23 March 2022
Dear Stalwarts in the Spiritual Fray,
I received a text about an immediate prayer alert. Vova is on patrol in the area of our village. He sends a short message to his wife. Pray. Danger. His wife, Natalie begins to hear gunfire not far from the house. A half hour later I received another text. All are safe, but the enemy has escaped. The danger is ubiquitous, the danger is imminent.
Someone sent me the following poem. I am sorry that I don’t know the poet or I would acknowledge him.
Pray for Ukraine
I woke up warm and safe in my bed
While someone else heard bombs overhead.
I jumped into a nice hot shower
While someone else has lost all power.
I hugged my family, we were altogether,
While others said good-bye, perhaps forever.
While I fear the money I will spend,
Others fear losing the country they defend.
In the time it took me to write this post
Many have lost the things they love most.
So when I bitch and want to complain,
I will stop myself and pray for Ukraine.
We are thankful to each of you standing with us in prayer. As we receive news we will keep you informed.
Only by grace,
Jim
March 22, 2022 News Update
22 March 2022
Dear Friends,
I was able to teach a Bible class for the church from Kyiv. Of course, most of them are no longer at home. Many are in western Ukraine, but others are in other countries – we had people in the Bible study from five different countries. It was a time of joy as we prayed together and praised God for His mercy and abundant grace. What an incredible testimony of how the Word of God can sustain the believer in the midst of great pressure. As the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
Below is the text I just received from Denis Shamrov, the student I told you about in a previous letter. He and his wife and son are now in Poland. His nationality is Belarusian, but he doesn’t want to return there for fear that he would be conscripted and forced to fight against Ukraine. So he is seeking to be granted official status by the Polish government to be able to stay there and work there.
Mr. Jim, we thank you for your financial help. This will help us now while we are not working. We are very grateful to you. We have good news - Paul Miles helped us find a biblical church here. The pastor of the church knows Russian and studied in Kyiv at the Bible Institute. He understands the gospel very well. We are now praying that we will have the opportunity to minister to unbelieving refugees from Ukraine. The pastor wants to receive them whenever possible. We can help them in this ministry as we know Ukrainian and Russian. Pray for our opportunity to serve.
Thank you for teaching us the pure gospel, free and unconditional. It changed me a lot. If not for college, I would have gone in a different direction. but you showed me what the scripture says about salvation. I am grateful to you for this. I saw the truly great grace of God.
Thank you very much for your concern. Now our greatest need is for the Lord to help us serve here. Pray that we can obtain documents and be able to work in the church and for people so they can continue to study His word and come to know God. Both I and my wife want to devote our whole lives to serving Christ. Pray that we have this opportunity. Thank you. We love you and look forward to seeing you in the future.
So we see that the Word of God is not bound. Even though driven from their homes, we now have Ukrainian missionaries in several countries in Europe. They have been equipped for the work of the ministry and are serving the Lord where they are. What a blessing to see this in action!
The suffering of being displaced and losing almost all material things, and the grief of families being separated is great. Please pray for these wonderful saints of God, that they will be sustained by His grace and mercy, that they might have that perfect peace that comes from having a mind focused on the Lord (Isaiah 26:3-4).
Pray for the peace of Ukraine,
Jim
March 21, 2022 News Update
21 March 2022
Dear Friends,
The war continues. It may seem far from America, but how it grieves me to see videos of the destruction of places I know very well, places where I have stood. Just this morning I was talking with Oleg when he said suddenly, “I have to go, the air raid sirens have started.” Earlier in the conversation he said that there were no places that can be considered safe because the Russians may target any building, be it a hospital, a church, a residence.
There seems to be s little bit of a lull in the Russian offensive around Kyiv right now. We don’t know why: supply problems? tactical problems? But we are sure that the heavy offense will begin again soon.
One of the couples from our church are part of the territorial guard or militia for their village. The Ukrainians are taking advantage of the lull to train these volunteers. She wrote that she and her husband were involved in training yesterday with amachine gun and grenade launcher. He he did great with both weapons. Her hands were too weak to handle the grenade launcher, but she did fine with the machine gun.
Learning to use a weapon when there is no live person in front of you is one thing, but having to use it in the life and death horror of combat is another. Can you imagine your wife training to mow down the enemy with a machine gun? The stark reality is that the enemy may soon be in their own front yard. When I think of who she was and what her life was like a little over a month ago, there has been such an incredible transition. War rapidly and radically changes everything. But it is do or die; fight or become a slave. I am so proud of the courage they are demonstrating — courage that stems from their relationship with God and His Word.
This woman has a sister who had been living in Mariupol, a city in southern Ukraine which has endured horrible bombing over the past few weeks. Almost 90% of it buildings have been destroyed. Her sister has been “relocated” to Russia by Russian soldiers, her passport confiscated, and she was told that she had to stay there for the next three years. She also reported that more than 2,000 children have been taken from Mariupol by the Russians, snatched from their parents. What will become of them?
I just heard from an American friend, a missionary who has been working in Russia for the past 25 years. He and I worked together in Belarus for 3 years when I first went to the mission field. Please pray for Steve and his wife, Natalie. Because of sanctions against Russia, he cannot use credit or debit cards, he cannot receive money from any bank, and the ruble has no value. He can’t leave, either, because he must care for her aged parents who cannot travel.
I am blessed that so many of you have written of your unflagging prayers for Ukraine and our people there. Please, labor intensely in intercession.
Because of the multitude of tender mercies,
Jim
March 20, 2022 News Update
20 March 2022
The word from Kyiv this morning is that all of our people have once again been spared by the tender mercies of the Lord. Word of God Church met online. Most of our congregation was able to join, along with numerous visitors. What a blessing that they still have access to the internet! Pray that the Lord will keep this connection intact.
The wanton destruction, especially in southern Ukraine and around Kyiv continues unabated. I pray that God will bring a swift end to this horrible war, that He will drive out the enemy, that He will give victory to those whose homeland has been invaded without cause. Please stand with us in prayer.
Luda, a single woman, one of our ladies from Kiev, a warrior for Christ, a heroine of the faith in my estimation, posted photos of the shelter being provided by a church in a village close to Lviv. It is just space on the floor for sleeping, often with people you do not know, but who are in the same situation with you: homeless, alone, without any material things left in the world.
Putting the shelter in place.
She writes:
How much does it hurt!? How can I handle it all, Lord?
A grandmother who was left alone without a home, and even without her city because Volnovakh doesn't exist anymore.
A boy student who saw how Russians shoot their own because they want to go home. "You have a bullet to one end!” are the words of the shooter. “They are murderers, they were sent to us to die, they don't need their homeland.”
And who are we? We can only make a drop in this sea of suffering: to listen, to give shelter in a warm place, to warm your arms, to pray. They left us with these words: "We will stop in on you on the way back, very soon, after victory."
I pray to God not to despair of this pain and not to become indifferent. Suffering together with my people and rejoicing in our victories. Just a little longer, let's hold on!
We are supporting Luda and others who are providing shelter for as many as they can. The numbers are staggering. Millions have been displaced, fleeing for their lives because of the destruction that rains down on their cities, on their homes. We pray that God will bring people to her who will be open to the gospel. She is a wonderful evangelist. We pray that she will be able to offer comfort from the Word of God to those believers whose faith needs bolstering.
We have others around Ukraine who are ministering in this same way. Not only that, but we also have our people ministering the Word in at least 5 other countries, having been scattered there by the winds of war. May the seeds of the gospel find much fertile soil in all these places.
Psalm 37:37–40
37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.
Jim