Dear Church Family –
While the war rages on in Ukraine, and politicians wrangle, God is thrillingly at work!
I had the privilege Monday to be on a ZOOM call with our missionaries, Chad and Leanna Wiebe, who are currently in Kyiv. There was a crowd of people on the call, all eager to hear a first-hand report.
Last year, many of you contributed to an offering our church collected for Chad and Leanna to use to help the millions of people who have been displaced by the war. Here’s how it’s been used in the year that the war has been going on.
The monies are used to help Ukrainian churches and Christians help refugees and share the gospel and make disciples. The goal is to use the money to fund projects that not only help people with physical needs, but also help churches be empowered and resourced for their ministry to refugees.
4 million has been given by churches and Christians in the U.S. and Canada
Over 2 million of that has been disbursed
An average of $50,000 per week is being distributed
Distributions started a mere 11 days after the Russian Invasion
Churches with a particular ministry to refugees send in requests. The requests come daily! Chad and Leanna, along with a Ukrainian Pastor and 2 other missionaries with Send International, meet every week to decide which projects to fund. Here’s a sampling:
Fuel for trucks taking food into hard hit areas
Support for churches distributing food, and canning food to give away.
Food packages given out
Wood distributed for heating and cooking, because the power grid has been disrupted
Vans purchased for hauling food
Vans purchased for transporting refugees to safety
200,000 copies of Keys for Kids in the language given to refugee children
Hundreds of thousands of New Testaments given out
Church rooms turned into dormitories
Church rooms refurbished, with a wood stove and a generator, so that people can come there to get warm and charge their phone, and while they wait, someone from the church shares the gospel and teaches the Bible
Altogether, the Help Ukraine fund, to date, has purchased 28 vans for churches evacuating and delivering aid, 82 generators, 8 power stations, 218 food projects serving thousands, 113 shelter projects, 16 building repair projects. A total of 487 relief projects have been funded, and over 333,000 people have been helped.
Thrilling. Absolutely thrilling. God doesn’t stop working for war. He redeems the suffering. God’s people don’t stop for war. They are creative, and motivated to serve the Lord, and rise to the occasion to make the most of every opportunity (Eph 5:16).
We’d like to be part of God’s work and blessing in Ukraine. On March 19th we’d like to take another offering for Help Ukraine. It’s a special opportunity and we’re so thankful for Chad and Leanna to be able to be there personally aiding and encouraging and supporting Ukrainian churches and believers in their time of suffering and uncertainty and upheaval. We look forward to March 19 and a chance to give our offering to tangibly bless and help.
Thanks for giving and praying and rejoicing. I want to say to Ukrainian believers the words of 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4: “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”
For Christ and the Cross – Pastor Tim