In our previous article, we shared a few stories of how God has used the 3000+ kg of aid Sally Hinzie and UBA partners send to Ukrainians in need. This article is a continuation of these stories.
We hope you’re encouraged as you see Ukrainian Christians use these gifts to show and share the love of Christ with others.
Neighbors by God’s Providence
Olga, her husband, and a young son are from Kharkiv. After they moved, their son started stuttering and didn’t want to speak at all. Olha and her family later met a Christian speech therapist on maternity leave who lived nearby. After becoming friends, the wife and speech therapist started reading the Bible together.
“Today, Christians are becoming a family for grieving people.”
In the grief of war, Olga’s husband started drinking, and they prayed for deliverance from this new addiction. As they struggled, the believing family helped the woman with food, money, and clothes.
When Olga received these boxes of aid, she was very touched and began to cry. She said that it was an answer to her and her husband's prayers because they really needed help.
Now, her husband has stopped drinking alcohol, and the relationship between the couple is improving. We believe God will change these hearts as they read the Bible and pray.
God’s Love to New Believers
Oleksandr Ishchenko, his wife Svitlana, their son, and their daughter fled the town of Druzhkivka during explosions and shelling. For some time, they hid from rockets, bombs, and aircraft in the basement, but the situation was getting worse every day. So, they traveled to the Dnipro region and settled in a crowded government center for refugees.
“The desire of my heart was that these would be unbelievers to whom could testify about Christ”
At the same time, a Christian family nearby prayed that God would use them to serve needy people around them. They had two spare rooms which could accommodate people in need. Between them, they hoped whoever came would be unbelievers they could share Christ with.
Frightened but very grateful, the Ishchenko family moved into their new home. When they learned the people they were living with were Christians, they were afraid that they’d be sectarians.
After living with the family for a few weeks, however, they saw their life and realized they believed in a living, powerful God. In time, they visited their house church and began studying the Bible together.
The believing family began to hold personal discipleship meetings with the Ishchenkos. When they read Isaiah 53, they repented. In the summer of 2022, the Ishchenko family was baptized, and each member is now growing, disciplining others, and serving.
But they were still in a difficult financial situation, living only on social benefits since Oleksandr could not find a job and his wife was disabled. The Ishchenko family is very grateful for the aid they received. For them, this help is a manifestation of God's love they’ve found.
A Father to the Fatherless
Local Ukrainian believers have known the Golyak family for a long time. The mother raises 13 children alongside her elderly grandmother. Before the war, Dmytro Melnyk and his wife would go to their house, read the Bible, and create Bible “homework” for the kids. The children who finished their homework were rewarded with movie tickets. In this way, they developed a relationship with this family, helped the mother raise her children, and fulfilled the Great Commission of Christ.
“This family has 13 children, and they live without a father.”
During the attack on Kyiv, the Golyaks escaped to Germany. The other two brothers, however, were not allowed to leave Ukraine. Instead, they served the military. The oldest brother, who was a father figure for the other children, was killed.
When the Golyaks later returned to Kyiv, Dmytro continued to help them. Through this series of events, one of the daughters recently finished reading the entire Bible and gave her life to Christ. She is being baptized this summer.
Leading the Next Generation
Andrii is a young soccer coach who joined other a soccer ministry before the war. He started soccer as a teenager. Later, he expressed a desire to be obedient to God and was baptized. Ukrainian leaders with Andrii, read the Bible with him, and discussed all the issues that interested him.
“The greatest value is when students become obedient to the Word...”
Through the soccer ministry, he decided to become a coach. Andrii is now continuing the work with 40 children as their soccer coach.
Andrii’s father died, leaving him and his two brothers alone at home with his mother. Now, Andrii is responsible for helping his mother while he works and cares for the kids he coaches. This packet of aid was so helpful for their family.
Thanks again for all the ways you have given to those in need. Pray for each of these people and for how God is at work through our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.
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May we take encouragement from Lough Ah Fook’s story. God can use whatever “small” thing you’re doing for the gospel today to make an impact you could never imagine.