Update #14:
8th & 15th July |
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You can find all the information about our appeal, the work being done, articles and video updates on the Ukraine Appeal section of our website here. |
If you don't already receive these updates directly, and would like to, please click here. |
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Thank you again to everyone who has been praying for Vitalii & Liudmyla Mariash, after Vitalii was asked to report to the military office, with the likelihood of a call-up to the army in some capacity. The medical tests he underwent indicated a possible cancer, which cause a lot of concern for the family. But earlier this week, he was informed that the growth wasn't cancerous. Now he's waiting for the next update from the military on 18th July. |
Please do pray for Vitalii, and also for Liudmyla who has been working tirelessly in support of refugees both in Chernivtsi and Kyiv, and feels exhausted. She is travelling to Italy on 19th July with the children to spend some time with her 2 sisters. Please do pray for rest and recuperation. |
| Vitalii & Liudmyla Mariash, Marianna and Mark |
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Thank you also to the many people who have been praying for Andrii & Yolanta Kaustov, who travelled over to Belfast on 8th June, hosted by Ron & Joy McCormick. It took nearly 2 months, and a lot of persistence from Ron & Joy as well as help from others to get Yolanta's visa and bring them to the UK. They were quickly enrolled with the NHS and have both been having tests to enable the doctors to plan their cancer treatment. Please do spend a few minutes listening to this update from Andrii, and his prayer requests.
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The missile attack on 14th July on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, south west of Kyiv (see picture below), is a solemn reminder that 'safe' places do not really exist in the country. Volodia Kostyshyn wrote to explain that it looks like Ternopil could be the missiles' second target. Five missiles were fired from a Russian submarine in the Black sea, two of them shot down by Ukrainian SAM.
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In other areas, particularly the Donbas, the constant shelling is a daily reality, with the seemingly incessant brutality shown by the aggressors in the war, and to quote the most recent UNHCR report, "Many people who are trapped are unable to meet their basic needs including for food, water and medicines. The delivery of life-saving aid remains challenging, with a lack of safe humanitarian access in areas where intense fighting is ongoing."
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| Of all the areas of suffering in Ukraine, perhaps the greatest concern we hear from workers in the country is for the people trapped within Russian-occupied territories. |
Earlier in the week we asked Pastor Benjamin Morrison, of Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk and a friend of Volodia Kostyshyn, for his view of the situation. As he shared his prayer requests, he commented: 'You have heard and seen about Bucha. There are a thousand Buchas right now in Ukraine.' Like a multitude of other congregations across Ukraine the fellowship set about providing food, shelter, medical aid, a listening ear, and, as Benjamin emphasises, hope.
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Especially the hope given by the Gospel. To date, they have housed around 350 refugees in the church, evacuated over 200 out of hot spots, and are feeding 2,000 people a month. You can read a full article about Benjamin and the Calvary Chapel here. |
It shouldn't be a surprise to see still more people fleeing from the east and even from the occupied areas. These were densely populated areas, and many people have remained as long as they could bear. |
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Church service at Vitalii Mariash's church in Kyiv (normal congregation would be less than 40 people) |
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Vitalii Mariash's church in Kyiv along with many churches in Ukraine are continuing to see large numbers of displaced people coming to the church for support and aid, and Vitalii and others from the church spend a long time listening to their stories, and bringing comfort. |
Vitalii described the plight of one family, with 2 small children, who had recently escaped from occupied Kherson, through multiple checkpoints. |
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At one checkpoint, the Russian soldiers had pointed machine guns directly at them, and demanded everything they had. They lost everything, but managed to get away alive, with their car. Now they are hoping and praying that their parents will be allowed to follow them, after Russian soldiers forced them to leave the road, and they had to spend the night in a nearby village. |
Please continue to pray for an end to the war, for evangelical Christians working on the front line, and for the work of the gospel in the midst of the suffering. Pray particularly for pastors and other workers who are called day after day to support deeply traumatised people. |
| Vitalii leading a baptismal class of new believers. |
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£965,000 has been received since the start of the appeal. |
£789,000 has been disbursed since the start of the appeal.
68% to Ukraine 21% to Moldova 6% to Poland
4% to Romania 1% for across Italy, Hungary, Spain and literature from UK (This week, there is a level of estimation in the figures, with latest figures unavailable for a few days).
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Last week our long-awaited shipment of clothing arrived in Moldova from Thessaloniki, to support Mihai Chisari's church in Chisinau. The shipment was brought together by EMF Missionary Antonis Topaloglou and his family in support of the Ukrainian refugees. |
As described in previous reports, we're planning to send fewer shipments in the near future, so that we can continue to support as many churches as possible in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and Romania, for as long as possible with direct payments, whereby they can buy local supplies. |
We're continuing to pursue getting large quantities of New Testaments and other Christian literature in Ukrainian with the continuing urgent need for this, with churches running out of supplies to give to people. |
For more details of how we are working, to make effective use of the generous donations entrusted to us, please click here. |
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| Vitaliy and Tanya Prokopenko are a Ukrainian couple with three children: Ilya (16), Dasha (13) and Bodgan (10), originally from the Cherkasy region. |
In this short video, Vitaliy describes what it was like as the Russian threat grew up to the invasion, and during the days after the 24th February. They decided to travel to the Polish border, through long queues at all of the checkpoints, and were taken in by a kind Polish family. Vitaliy had been allowed to leave the country, as the rules permitted fathers with three or more children to leave. |
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Whilst in Poland, they applied via our Cross Connect Ukraine Scheme to come to the UK in April, and we linked them to a Christian family in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
They arrived via Poland on 21st June, and are very happily sharing a home with their caring hosts. They were kind enough to film this video during their journey, and allow us to share it with you. |
| The Prokopenko family's Story |
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Phil Dunn (EMF Northern Ireland Representative) |
| Martin Tatham (EMF Church Partnership Coordinator) |
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