That's why God sent me back to Ukraine

This story is not from Ukraine. It’s from Moldova where I went for a couple of days while serving in Ukraine.

In the very South of Moldova, there is a Hope Center where Moldovan doctors have been providing treatment for alcohol addicts. Today, there areUkrainian doctors serving here too, most of them escaped Odessa and want to be helpful and useful in the country which received them so well. The local believers opened the doors of the Hope Center for refugees from Ukraine. They can stay here for a couple of days, receive help and health care before they go to other places in Moldova or to Europe. About 150 refugees are living there right now.

One of them is Alyona and her 11-year-old son Maxim. They were about to leave the Hope Center after three days, and Alyona told me: I just can’t understand this. Why do these Moldovan people do all of this for us? They received us with so much love, sharing all they have with us, knowing that we don’t have anything to ever reimburse them. I’m just shocked. Overwhelmed. I’ve been doing business all my life. I wanted to provide for my son, to guarantee for a good future for him, and to provide for my mother. She stayed back in Odessa, she didn’t want to leave. I escaped for the sake of my son. Being here for three days, I thought about my life, about the fact that everything we own and we achieved - everything can just be lost and gone in an instant. What I was living for seems to be so meaningless now. And I remember our neighbors. They were believers with a lot of children. How often had they invited us to church, to Christmas programs, they gave us the Gospel and had us over for tea... wonderful people. They were always happy although they were much poorer than we were. I haven’t stopped thinking about all of this since I’ve been here. And it’s believers like them who serve us here, embracing us with love and care. My son was invited to a camp this summer, and I really want him to be there, I want him to be among the believers to learn from them.

I prayed for Alyona and Maxim before they left. And I thanked God for the testimony ofHis love that we are allowed to share with people by helping them in their need. Thank you for your prayers and your part in this ministry!

This is what God made possible:

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Immediate refugee care (providing shelter, food, clothes, hygiene supplies):

The most reliable way to care for refugees is through our network of over 500 churches in Ukraine and Moldova, and by helping people in need through the Local Churches and Hope Centers.

We’ve established three hubs (2 in Ukraine and 1 in Moldova) to distribute relief supplies to the churches and to refugee families, and also to those still living in the hot spots and being in great need.

Sharing the Message of Hope - the Gospel:

I’ve met hundreds, thousands of people who were lost, disappointed, and in despair.Spoken or unspoken - all of them, believers and non-believers, had this one question: Why? Why us?

Having preached the Gospel for over 44 years (beginning at the age of 14), I can say that I’ve never met listeners as attentive and longing for the Word of Hope as these refugees - believers and non-believers, young and old, men and women.

Within the first 10 days of our relief effort in Eastern Europe, God allowed us to deliver and distribute 200 tons of relief supplies to the local churches.

With eachKilogram of help given away, we could also share Living Hope in the Living God by sharing the Living Gospel.

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All I can say is thank you for your help, for your partnership - all to the glory of God!

Please continue to pray as we enter week 3 of our relief campaign for Eastern Europe.

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Yours gratefully in Him,
Paul H. / Field Director