Catastrophic Consequences of Two Years of War
February 2024 commemorates two years since the beginning of the full-scale attack on Ukraine. The new reality in Ukraine is heartbreaking: the number of widows and orphans grows daily; families are grappling with the profound loss of loved ones who gave their lives at the front; newly disabled young individuals are driven to the depths of despair. Tears, pain, bitterness, depression… And the nightmare has not ended yet.
In January of 2024, a small team of ministers from the U.S.A. (Ministry president Peter Radchuk, Sergey Poonka and Dmitry Kishko) participated in a densely packed program of spiritual care: conversations; guidance; sermons; special prayers for the sick, disabled, emotionally broken, and those experiencing a crisis of faith. The brothers felt God’s blessing and saw wonderful results of God’s power at work among people.
In many cities, churches were overcrowded. People accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts, tears of joy flowing down their cheeks. After prayer services, many were spiritually renewed and received healing. People need Jesus! Only He can fully heal a broken heart! He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
The team also visited widows, disabled and sick people in their homes. Brothers brought food bags and prayed for them. Visitations usually took place during the day, and church services in the evening. They also distributed humanitarian aid in different villages.
The team visited Volyn, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.
Trip Report by President Peter Radchuk
January 9-29, 2024
With God’s help and the blessing and cooperation of Ukrainian churches, our team, consisting of three ministers from America, participated in 28 services in six different regions of Ukraine, starting with the city of Lutsk, Volyn region (northwest) and ending in the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, Odessa region (south).
The Lord protected us everywhere we went, and we experienced the wonderful presence of God’s grace while participating in many church services. At almost every meeting, whether it was inside a church building or an outreach event elsewhere, we made two altar calls: the first – to repentance, the second – to a prayer for healing.
It is impossible not to notice the effects of the prolonged war in Ukraine. People are tired. They are traumatized. Many who lost their loved ones in the war live with the pain of loss and are suffering deeply.
We noticed that in all Ukrainian churches, in every service, people cry out to God for the war to end.
In the Kherson region, believers and new converts gather for services in damaged church buildings, because there are very few churches that remain whole. The brothers and sisters sincerely thanked the Lord for our visit and practical aid. Our hearts broke listening to the terrible stories of people who were under occupation. Their stories were always accompanied by tears in their eyes, and pain in their gaze.
Ladies from our partner office “Good Samaritan Mission” in Rivne, as well as from other local churches, baked more than three thousand pastries, bread, and various types of baked goods. They also prepared canned meat, which we distributed in the affected regions along with other humanitarian aid. (We covered the costs for ingredients). Residents of places located close to the war zone gratefully accepted the goods.
For three weeks, in between services, we visited widows, orphans and disabled people in their homes, and witnessed much worry and suffering. We listened, comforted, prayed and provided financial assistance to such families.
We were pleasantly impressed by how much Christians in Ukraine are doing to help refugees and people in need, as well as soldiers on the front line. Many chaplains and volunteers risk their lives to go into dangerous places to help those in desperate situations.
Dear friends, thank you for your support for this trip and our ministry. Please pray for the people of Ukraine and for this senseless war to end. God bless you all!
