Our country, and particularly eastern Ukraine, as you will know, is in turmoil. There is an endless stream of hatred, grief, despair, casualties and destruction. People are in fear and without any means of subsistence.
Houses of Prayer and the offices of Christian organisations have been occupied by militia and are often used to store weapons and all kinds of ammunition. Recently, the whole area of Donetsk Christian University was commandeered.
Evangelical Christians are hated and threatened. It is a very hard time for believers there, especially pastors and their families. They need assistance, prayer and God’s protection.
Brothers and sisters in Christ have evacuated from the combat zone, with their families, to us here in Rivne, western Ukraine. We have taken them into our homes and are caring for them. Some have come for temporary asylum; others want to stay longer, especially those with children.
Limited resources
Some of these refugees have joined us recently on our church camp. The Christians managed to encourage them with Christ’s love. After having gone through much fear, their faces have begun to shine with hope.
So far we have been able to look after them. We provide shelter and food and pay for their children to go to Christian camps. We try to find employment for them too. This is very difficult in a time of crisis.
Some of the refugees are able and ready to be useful as builders, business executives, workers in Christian churches and organisations. There’s much work to be undertaken, but unfortunately the ability to pay for their labour is limited.
Currently, we have seven such families that we are caring for, a total of 31 men with their families and many children. Among them are two Gypsy families from Lugansk, one being pastor of a small Gypsy church that has been scattered by the violence. In some of the invaded towns, Gypsies are persecuted.
If you are able to help by financial donation, please do so through ‘Hope to People’ at Rivne, Ukraine. We appreciate greatly your prayers.
Taras Prystupa and Yaroslav Denysuk
Hope to People
Editor’s note:
Hope to People is a responsible, evangelical mission organisation that has been serving Ukraine and the former Soviet Union for many years. Readers wanting to help should consult the website, www.hopetopeople.org/en (we regret donations cannot be forwarded through ET).
