UKRAINE UPDATES

Update from MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

It’s hard to know what’s harder in this crisis, hearing the individual stories of suffering or seeing the scale that the suffering encompasses. Individual stories like the one our Ukrainian pastor in Mikolaev tells about water. Because of the war, the city of Mikolaev (population 500,000) has been cut off from water for over a month. The pastor’s wife and children evacuated to Romania, and he has been taking in displaced Ukrainians from the now-Russian-controlled areas and has been feeding and housing them on their way west. The last group he took into his home used almost all of his saved-up water, and as he told the story he said, “But it’s ok. God provided rain the next day and I filled up all my containers.” It’s an amazing story, but the hard part is that the scale of the war produces thousands of such stories, and hundreds of thousands of recounted instances of suffering.

By God’s grace, and through your gifts we’re able to provide water, to Mikolaev, along with food, medical supplies, shelter, fuel, and other greatly needed material goods that are saving lives all across the country of Ukraine.

Thank you for not forgetting the widows and children of Ukraine and for allowing us to empower our churches in Ukraine to respond with life-giving assistance within their communities, to their people in great crisis that this war is producing.

You can follow stories and news about our work at www.voice-of-ukraine.com.

From Dal Stanton, director of communications for the MTW Ukraine Crisis Response Team

Thank you on behalf of so, so, many for your gifts to the MTW Ukraine Crisis Fund. We want to share some of what your contributions are accomplishing in our ongoing efforts to care for displaced Ukrainian families and to bring much-needed supplies to those remaining in Ukraine.

Your gifts help with the short-term care of families at a 22-bed shelter in Krakow, Poland. When you read stories about the Help Center in Krakow on Voice of Ukraine, you can know your gifts help pay for everything we need to keep this facility running: rent and renovation, kitchen supplies and equipment, ongoing cleaning, food, shelving, furnishings, and paying local staff. This allows displaced families to have internet access, activities for children, and meals together as they regroup and recover while seeking to understand the next steps in their unplanned exodus from the traumas of war. We couldn’t do this without you!

As displaced Ukrainians are brought to Krakow in convoys of large nine-passenger vans, supplies you helped to purchase are also transported into Ukraine and distributed from our church in Lviv, and then to other pastors of churches who have remained. These pastors then distribute supplies to their communities. Vans and a car have been purchased for pastors in Kyiv, Lviv, Mycolaev, Odesa, and Kharkiv so that they can complete the critical final link of the supply chain—getting aid to those who are desperate for it. Your gifts enable this to happen day in and day out.

Your contribution to the MTW Ukraine Crisis Fund enables us to mobilize and respond effectively and decisively to the crisis. These funds are making a profound difference in the lives of Ukrainians and to lift up Christ to a watching world. Thank you.

Everyone who has been in a car accident, especially an accident that could have been much worse, is shaken. Usually for a time there is a shock that gives one perspective. These experiences involving death around us, or near death ourselves, have a deep and lasting impact on our lives that make us humbled before (or angry at) God, and change our perspective on everything in this world.

This is how I’ve felt in the days since Bucha. I know Bucha—I know it because I’ve been there many times, know people who live there, our kids went on field trips to a farm there—and we lived 10 miles away.

Bucha is now more of a war crime than a city. What happened there, 10 miles from where my children grew up, will be remembered and mourned for years to come. Seeing the atrocities—the man shot while riding his bike, the women naked and dead in the street, and the mass graves with hundreds of bodies—has been the hardest point for me in the war. It has been the perspective-changing event that has made me equal parts asking God how long, and why.   

It’s been painful because of what happened, and because of what could have happened.  

Bucha is just one city that has been liberated; other cites where Russian troops have been have seen similar barbarous acts, and there are still many cities that Russian troops currently occupy in Ukraine, and we will likely see similar pictures from those places.

As if what happened is not bad enough, what could have happened is much worse. If Russia would not have been stopped, and is not stopped, we would have seen similar, and may see worse images and stories coming out of many other cities. If the 10 miles from Kyiv had become seven, five, or zero, we would have seen our churches destroyed, seminaries ransacked, and, worst of all, more civilians, many more civilians, killed.

Seeing all this, we cry out how long, and have mercy. There is still a long way to go in this war, and one possible scenario is that it becomes a prolonged conflict that will last for a long time. Much suffering has taken place, and much more is to come.  

I heard from a friend in Kyiv who asked the question: “How can we live after Bucha?” It’s a question I’ve been asking myself. It reminds me of the Auden poem Funeral Blues, the last lines of which are: 

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

This is now how many of us feel. The lines of the Lord’s Prayer, a bit more famous than Auden, are both a comfort and a hope to me now. Your kingdom come and Your will be done. The comfort is that His good and perfect will, in the end, will be done. The hope is that His kingdom will come. A kingdom that judges those responsible for Bucha, and that will wipe away every tear from Ukraine. In the meantime, we have His comfort and grace.

It's been 50 days of this war in Ukraine now. Fifty days that have made us humbled before (or angry at) God. It's Easter season, where we celebrate the hope that the resurrection provides us. Pray that somehow Ukrainians could celebrate this hope and pray for His kingdom to come.

From MTW Country Director Jon Eide:

A few days ago there was a firefight between the Russian and Ukrainian army over the second largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Bullets and mortars landing near, and in some cases on, the nuclear plant itself. Anyone with an internet connection could watch a live feed from the power plant, the whole scene lit up by a fire burning in the background.  

CNN had access to this live event, one that had the potential to be a disaster worse than Chernobyl, the only catch was that to see the nuclear plant war you had to watch a 15 second Dominos pizza commercial. Breadsticks before disaster.  

For those in the West, this is life. So many distractions from so many disasters, and both can seem overwhelming.  

For all of us this war can seem surreal. Is this really happening, or is this a high definition video game? Unfortunately I can assure you, from dark circles under the eyes of those I see on video calls, from the bombs I can hear in the background on zoom interviews, and from the tears from people I have never seen cry, this war is real.  

Now, two weeks into this invasion turned war, the crisis is starting to slip from the front page and isn’t in every conversation; but I would urge you to continue to read, listen, and pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, still very much in harm’s way.

I fear that this invasion will continue, and I fear the capital will be especially hard hit in the coming weeks. There will be many more stories of displacement (the mayor of Kyiv estimated that half the city has fled), many more stories of civilian deaths (already indiscriminate bombing), and much more destruction (historic architecture dating back 500 years at risk).  

It’s too much to take in for any of us, myself included. When something this terrible and emotional is happening, the impulse can be to turn away. One way to engage is to listen to stories of individual people and then take the sadness and anger to God in prayer. Turn it into a plea for mercy like King David did.

Yesterday I interviewed Fedya and Luba, a couple who run a home for those fleeing the bombing—their “operation” is out of a two-bedroom apartment in a city near the EU border. They said that they’ve had 50 people through their apartment on their way to safety in the last two weeks (one night they had 12 people, a dog and a cat). Stories like theirs can make this big crisis a series of small realities of God’s provision and redemption.

All of these stories are unbelievable but we must try to believe, and engage as best we can. 

The outpouring of donations and housing from both the American and the European church has been beautiful to see—please continue to learn, listen, and pray. Ukraine needs us right now.

The story of Oskar Schindler personally protecting, and later moving to safety, over a thousand Jews from near certain death has come to mind frequently over the past week. 

Each of our pastors, team, and church members has their own list of people for whom we are working to provide safety. Each of us are on the phone checking in, tracking people’s progress west, and receiving gracious offers from churches and families in Europe who are willing to receive refugees.

The circumstances and consequences are very different but tragically, Oskar Schindler’s factory was in Kraków, Poland, where our refugee center is now located. 

The constant texts, phone calls, and updates from those on the road fleeing a city being bombed, and the arrangements being made on the other end, are hectic, stressful, and taxing. Many of us don’t know how long we can keep it up. 

But our fatigue pales in comparison to those on the road. Aside from the fact that these people have left cities being shelled, traveled with the sound of bombers flying overhead, and have been on the road for four or five days, they now have no guarantee of a certain future, or if they will ever return.

One church member from the city of Kherson left early this week, and their family has just recently arrived to safety. Kherson is now under full Russian control, TV channels have switched from Ukrainian to Russian, cell phones no longer work on local providers, and Russian soldiers patrol the streets.

They left everything behind and are unsure if they will ever return, either because of persecution for being in the church, or the questionable safety of their city. They may leave behind everything, as many did in eastern Ukraine eight years ago fleeing the persecution and danger when Russia took Crimea.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the health, rest, and ability to continue for those who are working with and making arrangements for refugees. It can feel like the future of each one of them is in your hands. 

Pray for those who have left everything behind, that they would find hope in an eternal kingdom when the earthly one has fallen apart.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

Each of the pastors of the churches in Ukraine has studied in our seminary to prepare for the ministry—a long education that prepares them to teach, preach, and serve the people in the church. Nowhere in the education is there a class called "How to evacuate your church in case of invasion."  That is, however, exactly what happened in Kharkiv a week ago when the first rockets hit the city, one of them nearby the pastor's house, waking their family up at 4 a.m.

This church in Kharkiv is 50 kilometers away from the Russian border, and it is the city that is being simply destroyed every night by missiles and shelling.

The pastor called all of the members, gathered himself and his family, took all the money the church had and organized a caravan headed west. For the next four days they travelled in traffic jams, stopping in each gas station to fill up to the five gallon limit per car. Two days ago they all made it to safety.

The pastor and his family are in Lviv, but the rest of the church is scattered in 12 different cities and five different countries. The city they left behind is now being pounded with bombs, leveling many historic buildings, with one bomb falling just two blocks from the church.

The future for the church in Kharkiv, as with all of the churches in the denomination, is very uncertain. We all want to think that Ukraine will stop the invasion and get their country back, but some are allowing themselves to think the unthinkable. They may never see their cities, their friends, their homes, and their church again. The small bag they took with them may be the only thing they own in this world as of today.

Note: Jon Eide will be hosting a live 20-minute Ukraine update Friday at 3pm ET interviewing a pastor in Kyiv life at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81929668482?fbclid=IwAR2N7yVymzu9ChReLulKZvrixQegtLnHekG1EI--tNeN7Dv0WVNAYVPubUM#success

Prayer Requests:

Pray that our brothers and sisters who have lost everything will cling to the community of believers, and ultimate hope in Christ.

To date, we have raised over $500,000 for the relief effort and longer-term rebuilding. Pray that we will be able to meet many needs, and be able to reach our 1 million dollar goal. More details on the fundraising and refugee work can be found at www.voice-of-ukraine.com.

Pray for the massive movement of people and the refugee work our teams are involved in focusing on Lviv and Krakow.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

I received a remarkable phone call this morning. There is a couple in our church in Kyiv who wanted to get married—today. They were looking for someone in our denomination who could conduct a wedding service on zoom from a bomb shelter.  The guy was going to serve in the military, and she was moving toward evacuation. They wanted to get married before both of those things happened.   

I talked to another pastor in our denomination today who spent the night in a bomb shelter in Mykolaiv. He had spent the day riding his bicycle around the city, while the curfew was lifted, giving church members who had not evacuated money from the church for supplies.

These are small stories that point to a larger tragedy. The attack and ensuing war has led to thousands of stories like this.  

As of today, Russia does not occupy any large cities in Ukraine, and has not taken over any major airports. Ukraine lives to see another day. Its people however have suffered greatly and there is no end in sight. 

Hundreds of thousands are moving through cities in the west. Our refugee response in the church in Lviv is so maxed out that our team members and church members are having people sleep on the floor in their apartments. 

The situation across the border in Poland, Romania, and Hungary is growing more dire. The country of Poland has made all public transportation free for anyone with a Ukrainian passport and Poland has also opened to up to 4 million refugees. We are now preparing our church in Kraków for huge numbers of refugees that would land in that city.

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray for our church members in a number of cities who are spending their fifth night in bomb shelters. For safety and hope.  

2. Pray for the refugee response that continues in Lviv, and now is moving further into Western Europe. For the European churches renting busses to go get people on the border.

3. Pray that in the midst of this terrible war, many would place their hope in Christ and his eternal kingdom.  

4. Pray for peace.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

The book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" begins with three children being sent to a distant relatives house because of air raids and bombing in London. I’ve always thought that odd—what circumstances would ever make someone do that? I have learned of five families in the past two days who have done exactly this. Sent kids or family members away to leave a city being bombed— and I have to ask myself, “What century are we living in?”

Each of the previous nights are important for Ukraine, and … tonight is especially important. Air raid sirens across the country, bombs pounding Kyiv and Kharkiv, many of our church members in those and other cites in bomb shelters trying to make it thorough the night. 

I talked to the pastor in Kyiv today—after last night’s bombing he didn’t get much sleep, but he was still preparing his sermon for church tomorrow. If the church is still standing, he plans to make his way there and hold services.

Traffic jams to the West are so bad that travel takes 10 times longer than usual, and Lviv and other cities in the West are preparing for a million or more refugees.

Many of the other churches around the country are housing people and sheltering and feeding people.

Pray for their safety and for the church to be sustained and move forward even in war. It would not be the first time in history when war would have actually advanced the gospel and the church. 

How can you help?

1. Pray—that the president of Ukraine would be alive tomorrow morning and Kyiv would not be taken. Christians will be persecuted, churches will be closed, and seminaries will stop teaching if Russia takes Ukraine.

2. Prepare—There will be—there is—a humanitarian crisis. We have a full response in the city of Lviv, and as the refugee crisis expands, so will our response. Please give to support this.

3. Pen—write or email to your U.S. representative expressing your support for Ukraine and specifically ask them to keep the focus on policies that get Russia out.

4. Post—social media. Like, share, and follow in support of the church and country. You can find some of those posts by following @mtwglobal. 

Sometimes it’s better to digest a big amount of information with a small story. Last night, Jon Eide, MTW Ukraine country director, currently in the U.S., got a call from friends living in his house in Kyiv.

“How do you turn out the outdoor light?” she asked. Jon replied that the light switch should work near the door, but asked why she needed to turn it out. She replied, “They have called for a blackout in Kyiv, for all residents to turn out all lights so that Russian bombers couldn’t see the city and I need to turn out all the lights.” We found a way to turn it out, and they survived the night, even though that day they had woken up to bombing and gone to sleep to bombing.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia continued today, and tonight the main concern is the capital Kyiv and the major city Kharkiv. Heavy bombing, tank attacks, and missiles shook the cities all day. The attack must be withheld for the cities and the country to be safe.

Many church members have left the fighting in other cities and are headed west in cars, busses, and trains. Most of the roads are packed with long traffic jams and gas shortages that make trips that usually take four hours take 48 hours.  

Some of our church members, especially those for whom travel is hard, are staying in their cities and sheltering, and those who have gone west are in need of food and shelter.

Most of our partner churches across Ukraine are being used as housing and bomb shelters for church and community members.  

The army reserve has been called up, and martial law has armed any Ukrainian citizen who wants to join.  

Prayer Requests:

Tonight will be a crucial, and likely very tragic night. Many will die, and many more will be wounded. Pray that the loss of life will be minimal. 

Pray for those who have decided to leave their cities and evacuate, many with no destination other than “away from the fighting,” that they would reach a safe destination.  

Pray for the refugee response by our team in Lviv and other churches in the surrounding areas. Currently there is a 48-hour wait at the Polish border to leave Ukraine, and many, many others in Lviv are in need of help.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

At 4 a.m. local time, Ukraine woke up to the sound of bombing: An invasion into the country has begun.  

Airports and military instillations were the initial target—likely the first steps of a full-scale invasion. 

Our team, partners, and church members are safe at this point.  

This is a tragic day. We trust God that He is and will be caring for His people and our team is working to do the same.

We don’t know exactly what will happen, but we are working to care for our team and Ukrainian brothers and sisters across the country.

Right now, a number of church members and pastors closest to the Russian border are getting in their cars and leaving in advance of ground troops. For now, communication remains open with our team and churches.

What we are expecting now is a flood of refugees to cities in the western portion of the country, and farther. Our team and church in Lviv is making plans for this flood as well as securing their own safety.

Prayer Request:

Pray for Ukraine to trust what is not changeable and to hope in what cannot be lost. May the Church in Ukraine be strengthened through this war.

Response:

In advance of the wave of refugees, we are accepting donations toward the many needs that will be seen. The team in Lviv is buying beds, generators, food, and renting buildings in preparation for the days to come.

We will post an update later today as the situation develops. 

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

Situation: Russia has moved its troops into the two Eastern districts of Ukraine.

The parliament in Ukraine voted to declare a 30-day state of emergency in the country giving the government powers to evacuate areas and use private buildings for hospitals and aid stations.

A cyber-attack has taken most of the Ukrainian government websites and computers offline today.

The number of contacts (shelling and fire) between Russian and Ukrainian troops at the frontline has increased greatly.

Church Response:

Our church and mission team in Lviv near the European Union border has been preparing for a disaster and refugee response. They have been getting three buildings ready to house, feed, and aid refugees.

Generous donations have allowed them to purchase generators, cots, and food for a response.

They currently are caring for a trickle of people who fled in advance of any conflict; the fear is that this trickle would become a flood.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the preparations in this city—that we would have the donations to scale up the church’s response should a war escalate.

Pray for those making the heartbreaking decision to leave their cities. Pray that they would find physical safety and hope in Christ.

Pray that war would be averted.

Pray that even in darkness, the gospel would go forward and provide an ultimate hope.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

Situation: A significant day

The shelling in the eastern part of Ukraine continues, accusations of provocations continue, and buildup of troops continue; but the most significant thing that happened today was a recognition by Russia of the eastern two states of Ukraine, Donetsk and Lugansk as "independent from Ukraine."

That, along with a speech by the Russian president saying that Ukraine is an artificial country with no right to exist, and that its creation was a mistake—strong words that at this point are the opposite of de-escalation.

Many, including Sergei Sudakov, the pastor whose letter we included in the 2/18 update, saw this as a pretext, if not a declaration of war.

What will happen in the coming days and weeks is very uncertain, but a dark picture is being painted.

Prayer Requests:

Many are as worried about the chaos that surrounds war as they are about a war itself. Please pray for the evacuation of those in our churches who will leave, and the protection of those who will stay.

Pray for the preparation being made in our churches and teams in the western portion of Ukraine for a possible incoming flood of refugees. Plans are being made with other organizations to work in cooperation to help house and feed those fleeing.

Pray for Sergei in Kharkiv from the last update, that the church would have the resources to respond to the need.

For today's update we are sharing a translated letter from the pastor of our church in Kharkiv:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you very much for your care, prayers, and readiness to support the church in Kharkiv! The situation in Kharkiv is very tense and disturbing. We hope for the best, but we have to prepare for the worst. Ukraine has already gone through the experience of evacuating churches from Crimea and Donbass. We understand that history is highly likely to repeat itself in Kharkiv.

Now we all remain in Kharkiv and continue to fully live, work, and serve.

We trust in God's care and rely on His sovereign grace. Therefore, we encourage and console those who are afraid and who are very worried.

We believe that God uses means to achieve His good ends, and therefore we must prepare for any scenario, including the worst.

In preparation, we are trying to:

(1) maintain all channels of communication between members of the community;
(2) help collect a minimum package of food and medicine for every member of the community who needs it;
(3) prepare possible routes out of the city and available transport for all those who cannot leave on their own.

In addition, we are aware that the "worst case scenario" may never occur, but may occur at any time, even after a few months. For this reason, ministers should not lose their vigilance and try to prepare a "Reserve Fund"—finances and material items (medicines, food, sleeping bags, etc.) that may be urgently needed in a critical situation.

Prayer Requests:

1. First of all, please support us in prayers for peace in Ukraine. Everything is in God's hands.

2. Pray for those who are afraid and worried in our church—that we would trust Christ first and foremost.

3. Pray for our creation of a "Reserve Fund" to be able to quickly provide material assistance to those who will need it in a critical situation, and also now to purchase a minimum set of medicines and products for those who may need them.

4. Pray for donors from our church and from abroad for our fund—that we would be able to purchase supplies, and transportation, should the worst happen. In the event of shelling, transport, including the railway, will be paralyzed (this was the case in 2014). It will be necessary to take out those who cannot get out of the city on their own, and for this the community does not have enough vehicles.

Thank you so much for your kindness!

With prayers for you,
[Kharkov pastor]

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

More troops have arrived at the Ukraine/Russia border, and the already existing war in the Donbass region has intensified. An elementary school was hit in the intensified shelling today; thankfully children were not in the school at the time.

The U.S. embassy has moved operations from the capital of Ukraine to Lviv, many other embassies have done the same.

Worryingly, there was troop buildup across the border from Khariv. I talked to the pastor of the Kharkiv church on his way to a prayer meeting today, and he said that one elderly woman has left the city already, but everyone else has stayed. The church has a plan to communicate and give relief in the event of a war in the city, and a plan to get those out who need to leave should the city be occupied. The church has started a fund to respond to these needs.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the churches in Kharkiv and Kherson, nearest to the current fighting that is escalating.

Pray for all of the other churches making plans for their people and their buildings in the event of a war.

Pray for our team and our churches, that we may trust Christ first and put our hope in Him.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

No news is good news in this case. Russia has withdrawn a few troops from Crimea, but added a few troops elsewhere so less a draw down, than a big shell game. Threat still exists.

Today is the day that the Biden administration suggested would be the (continued) invasion. To see it pass without further military activity is good news.  

Ukraine reported the largest cyber-attack ever on banks and financial transactions which lasted for most of the day yesterday. ATMs, payment, and money transfers were down in most of the country, but are operating today.  

Supermarkets are stocked, gas stations are operational, and online ordering continues as normal.  Somehow, there seem to be fewer supply chain issues in Ukraine than in the U.S.

Prayer Requests:

Invasion fatigue: The pastors our team has talked to this week have been reluctant to talk about the situation (but once you get them started ….). This has been an eight-year-long conflict—and most have had the "what-if" conversation 1000 times. Pray for a longing for the kingdom of heaven, but a perseverance to engage with earthly needs.

Team: Pray for our MTW Ukraine team members who are not in their homes and living in Airbnbs for who knows how long.

Plans: Pray for plans being made by team and churches for a worst case scenario. That we would be ready should the country be taken over.

From MTW Ukraine Country Director Jon Eide:

Our MTW Ukraine teams have relocated closer to the EU border. We have dozens of Ukrainian national partners in the denomination who are remaining in their cities. Some of the pastors near the Russia border are hoping to make their churches available for aid and shelter should there be military action. 

Prayer Requests:

Pray that this week would go by without a (continued) invasion that would lead to war.

Pray that the anxiety that Ukrainians have been feeling for the past few weeks, and the past eight years would be met with trust in our heavenly citizenship.

Pray that the local currency won’t devalue and cause Ukrainians more economic hardship.

Pray for the response (that hopefully won’t be needed) being prepared by the MTW Ukraine team and the Ukrainian church, that believers would be in a good position to serve.