As many in our Central community know, our church has a long history of ministry in Ukraine. In fact, last year marked the 30th anniversary of Central’s involvement there. From Bible camps for children to helping train pastors and church leaders, many Central members have traveled to Ukraine over the years. Even for those who have not had the opportunity to go on a mission trip yet may have met Lena and Igor Yaremchuk, missionaries in Ukraine that are supported by Central, and who have visited our church several times.

Since the Russian assault on Ukraine began, your prayers have been with our many friends in Ukraine. Thanks to your generosity, some $14,000 has been given so far to help the people of Ukraine. Pastor Randy Mayfield may have retired, but has hardly been inactive. Randy has been in touch with his many friends there, and has helped keep Central’s Missions Team and leadership appraised of where help is needed. Leveraging existing, long-term relationships with trusted brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been able to direct funds directly to those in dire need:

Pastor Jacob and Viktor and Benjamin 

Jacob, Viktor, and Benjamin are Lena Yaremchuk’s brothers. In addition to Jacob being a local pastor, Viktor and Benjamin are also local church leaders. They are currently caring for more than 100 people in a church basement, providing food and shelter, supplies, and a place to sleep. The local seminary has been destroyed, and they are caring for many that were part of the seminary community. Your support is helping to provide food, water, and more, including hopefully a generator.

Slavic

Well-known to those who have made the trip to Ukraine, Slavic is a local chef and has cooked many meals for the visiting missions teams.  Currently, Slavic is feeding upwards of 500 people a day! Here are a couple recent text messages Randy received from Slavic. May we all have faith like him!

S.>Today is the 21st day I work in a closed area. Today they gave the Internet and I can call my family, see their faces, as well as the faces of friends. I have a lot of work. I wake up very early in the morning at 4:00 and start work. At 12:00 I give ready-made food 400-500 servings of lunch to military people. Hard. But I can handle. Lord bless your people! Give Peace! Amen!

S. > Dear Randy! Thank God for a new day! The night has passed. I can again start working for the benefit of the people of Ukraine! Glorious nerves, but I try to restrain myself from weakness, from tears. Thank you for supporting me! Now there are few such people. Many people have left. But as long as the Lord gives strength, I will work. I know my work is useful before the Lord! God bless friends, people around! Amen! Slavic

Pastor Adam

Pastor Adam is a Hungarian Pastor who graduated from Covenant Seminary. He is currently helping Ukrainian refugees that have fled to Hungary and taking aid to people still in Ukraine. Here are a few stories in Pastor Adam’s own words from a recent email that provide a glimpse into the situation there.

“On Friday we took aid to the Western part of Ukraine (near the Hungarian border). It took us long hours to cross the border in freezing cold below -10 Celsius. It reminded me of WWII movies taking place in the Soviet Union. It was a strange feeling to give my passport to a soldier whose country is in war with one of the strongest armies in the world. The Ukrainian army has to right to confiscate any item on the list of our cargo. There were several checkpoints. When we unloaded the seven vans in Beregszász (Beregovo) and other villages, I had a chance to talk to people who live there. I met a Ukrainian man who had fled from Kyiv with his family. They had been hiding in a basement for two days before they could get in the car and leave the area. They lived very close to the frontline in a relatively big apartment, and fled while the war was raging around them. A family from the Hungarian Baptist Church near the Hungarian border accepted them in their home. Now they live in one single room and have no idea what to do. The man was not enlisted in the army yet, but he cannot leave the Ukraine. If his wife goes on to Hungary with the children, they might never see each other again. If they stay, they are in danger. But what will he do in order to provide for his family? There are many-many stories like this.”

“Last week, as I was volunteering again at the Ukrainian border, I stopped a car to give them food and water and ask them if they needed help. A mother and two children got out of the car. They told me that it was a foreigner's car who picked them up at the Ukrainian side of the border. Another foreigner had driven them to the border, who turned out to be a Christian man. This mother had been on the road since 24 February (!). With two beautiful children. They had a plane ticket to Italy where her high school friend was waiting for them. They had to somehow get to Budapest that evening, but had no idea how. My friend and I gave them a ride. My mother cooked dinner for them (Hungarian gulyás) so they can rest a little bit. They were from Ivano-Frankivsk, the city that was bombed three days ago. The father had to stay there, and they don't know when (and if) they will meet again. The mother and the children are safe in Napoli now, thankful for their lives but longing to go back to their home. This is also a typical story.”

“In the last ten days I talked to literally hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing from the war. I talked to a family with sixteen (!) children. They had a Bible at the windshield. Many cars have a sign (дети) which means "children" in Russian so they are not shooted (sic) at. They come from long distances. Most of them from Kyiv, but I met many coming from Kharkiv, Mariupol, Odessa, Dnipro. Long distances. They tell us horrific stories. I am exhausted emotionally. I feel guilty that I cannot do more. I cannot rest when I am at home. The size of the need is overwhelming. Dóra and I plan to go back to the border tomorrow. My son Bálint helped take a bus-load of refugees from the border to Budapest last Wednesday. My heart aches when I think of these people. Please, pray for them, and pray for us, too, so we can have strength. We feel the constraining love of Christ, but we are weak.  Blessings, Ádám”

Mission Eurasia

Central has also given to the Christian organization Mission Eurasia (missioneurasia.org) The director, Sergey Rakhuba, is a pastor now living here in the US. His brother Alexander, was the senior pastor at a church in Zaporozhye, Ukraine. Alexander is also now in Sacramento, CA.  They send humanitarian aid into Ukraine. Cash is a scarce resource for many in Ukraine, and Sergey and Alexander have been able to get funds in despite banking interruptions and other obstacles.  You can read much more about this organization on their website. 

Giving to Ukraine

If you feel led to give financially towards the ministry in Ukraine, please call the church office at 314-727-2777, or give online to missioneurasia.org.

Thank you for your generosity and prayers. Please continue to pray for the Brynzas, Slavic, Pastor Adam, and Mission Eurasia, as well as the many others serving the people of Ukraine. Continue to pray for refuge, those in authority, and most of all, peace.