Ukraine Pastoral Family Conference
We are still processing our time in Ukraine. It is hard to explain the convergence one feels of both deep sadness and inspirational faith that permeates through the lives of Christ followers in a country fighting for survival. We are so thankful for their examples of courage, faithfulness and devotion to God’s Kingdom.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
I Peter 1:6-7
We rejoice in God’s presence and provision in our travels, in the unity of our team, in the fellowship we shared with the 50 families who came, and in the joy studying God’s Word and worshipping together. Because of your generous giving, we were able to distribute over 140 audio Bibles to be given out to soldiers, and for the special treat of being able to give several of them to the hardworking Ukrainian border guards as we entered and exited the country. We were inspired by the lives of each ministry family and we heard their stories of God’s faithfulness in the midst of the hardships that they face. Here are two of them.
Ukrainian Life Stories
A Divine Inconvenience – One of our worship leaders shared that they were delayed in leaving home to attend the conference. This meant that they would have to drive the entire distance in one day instead of spending the night at a favorite spot along the way. They wondered why God would allow such an inconvenience when they were going to serve Him. The next day they learned that the place where they had planned on spending the night was targeted by drones and missiles the previous evening and if they had followed their original plans, they would have been right in the middle of it. The clear lesson that they learned was that sometimes we don’t understand why things are happening, but God has His plan and He is carrying out for our good.
Pressing On – Another family told us the amazing story of how they had had gone to Bakmut years earlier to plant a church. Bakmut was the scene of some of the most intensive fighting in the defense of Ukraine. After months of heroic fighting, the near constant artillery shelling from advancing foreign forces destroyed most of the city and made it impossible for the residents to remain. They were forced to flee, not knowing what would become of their home.
Sometime later, a Ukrainian man who was struggling to escape the city sought refuge in the remains of their home. While he was there, he stumbled upon a Bible that the family had left behind in their hurry to evacuate. He found their names written in the Bible and tracked them down on instagram so he could send them a video of their house. Although it was greatly damage, they were encouraged to know that it had provided him with temporary shelter and that he had found their Bible.
The family now lives in western Ukraine where they press on to make Christ known and plant a new church there. It was joy to have them participate in our conference and get some needed rest and encouragement with others who have faithfully persevered through the suffering of this unjust war.
Ways you can pray!
- Thank God with us for His provision and protection in the lives of the faithful men and women serving His Kingdom mission throughout Ukraine. Many still experience near daily missile and drone attacks. May they continue to demonstrate a love for Jesus and His Gospel message even as their lives and families are at risk!
- Pray for God to bring in His harvest throughout Ukraine and for a just and definitive end to the war.
- Pray with us for the pastoral couples of the Balkans and for the Lord to powerfully speak through His presence, the Word and our fellowship together as we meet next week. May the Lord tear down dividing walls of denominations and unite His Kingdom shepherds as a witness to the world around them.
Our hearts are filled with tremendous gratitude for you. Your prayers sustain us and your gifts bless others.
Thank you!
