Ukraine:
Providing Relief & Hope

UKRAINE UPDATE DECEMBER 2024

Conflicts Without, Fears Within

One thousand days, and counting. Since the beginning of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, over a thousand days have passed; days marked by the profound suffering and incredible resiliency of a people who refuse to give up their homeland. The humanitarian situation on the ground remains critical, with increasing conflict in frontline regions and the threat of a harsh winter ahead. Like the apostle Paul arriving in Macedonia, Ukrainians face “Conflicts without, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5b, NASB).

Maxym Oliferovski, director of Multiply Ukraine and founder of New Hope center in Zaporizhzhia, writes,

After almost three years, the high level of stress and fatigue on a physical and psychological level has led to the breakdown of health, relationships, and stamina. There are unanswerable questions: God, why did you let him suffer? Why did she have to die? Spiritual fatigue manifests itself in extremes—apathy on the one hand, excessive busyness on the other, as people try to distract themselves from the realities of war. Yet there is also hope, as we see so many drawn to pray as they have never prayed before, and extending themselves to help those in need.”

Emergency Aid

Despite the brokenness, churches doggedly persevere in offering both immediate and eternal hope, as prayer and practical aid are demonstrating the genuineness of the Gospel in the midst of suffering. Donations through Multiply continue to facilitate the purchase of products for food kits that are given to local MB churches for distribution among the displaced, the elderly, and families in crisis. As teams unite to assemble these kits, there is a deep sense of solidarity. “We cannot even imagine who will receive this or that food kit,” Makaiov writes, “but to everyone who might receive these kits, we say, ‘We don't know you, but we love you.’”

Ongoing power outages have become normative, and many are without any source of heating in their homes. With the onset of winter, providing warm clothes and blankets is essential. Teams from Germany have been bringing humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the form of 200 blankets and 400 school kits collected by Mennonitische Hilfswerke (Germany) and Doopgezing Wereldwerk (Netherlands). Through Multiply, these supplies were delivered to Ukraine and transported to different cities, then given to churches to help in their local ministry.

All hands are needed for this seemingly never-ending crisis. Pastor Sergey Ryadnov, together with a team from the MB Church of Novomoskovsk, is caring for refugees in their city, and Pastor Alexey Yuditsenko from Vinnitsa is taking teams to villages close to the front line to help families who continue to live there.

Some ask why people would choose to continue to live so close to the front line; why not escape to the relative safety of the western regions? “There is no single answer,” says pastor Oleksii. “Some simply have nowhere to go, knowing that the state can do little to help. Others do not want to part with the only property they have, the home they have built for themselves and their families. Others think, ‘Maybe tomorrow it will all end’. And many are simply very old people, and see no point in running anymore.”

As teams from the local churches go to these villages to deliver food and warm blankets, hope rekindles. For some, that means being convinced to leave the front line and find safer shelter. For others, that means digging down into some untapped resources and facing the winter with defiance and a renewed determination to survive.

For those being resettled, the local churches are stretched to capacity. Pastor Sergey Ryadnov from the Light of Life church in Novomoskovsk reports that, in the villages near the city of Dnipro, displaced families are forced to take shelter in empty, damaged houses and buildings. They have nothing with which to make repairs—no tools, no materials, and no morale—and rely upon the generosity of donations and the love and labor of teams in the local churches.

“War is a difficult and dangerous time,” pastor Oleksii Makaiov asserts, “but there is also great joy and honor in being able to participate in each other's lives, not only in the humanitarian sphere, but also in the spiritual. Everywhere we feel the Christian family, everywhere we pray for each other, encourage each other through the Word of God, and strive together to reach those who are still searching for the truth, and bring them the good news of our Savior.”

Maxym and the team at New Hope Center work hard to pass on the values of peace and reconciliation to the next generation. Their programs for families in crisis often involve teaching healthy strategies for conflict resolution, and the processing of grief and trauma through art and prayer.

Even while focusing on the healing of minds, hearts and relationships, there is a constant awareness of the need to be pragmatic and prepared. New Hope includes first aid training in their program, just in case. In partnership with the NGO Healthy Community, participants are not only taught life-saving skills, but also experience team formation and dynamics; in itself a potentially life-saving skill.  

Developing and strengthening teams is also a high priority for pastor Oleksii Makaiov. Together with Multiply Ukraine, the Ouddorp Church  of the Netherlands and pastors of the MB Ark Church of Kyiv, a two-day retreat was held outside of Kyiv church leaders and their teams.  Oleksii writes, “We aimed to grow the leaders through training, and to deepen the relationships between everyone in the team through dialogue, prayer, learning and rest. Like Paul in Ephesians 4:1-3, we want to live a life worthy of the calling we have received, being completely humble and gentle, patient and bearing with one another in love. As we learn to serve each other, we can better serve others and our Lord.”

Suffer the Children to Come to Me

What are the long-term effects of violence? An entire generation of children is growing up under unrelenting attack and oppression, potentially shaping their future as angry, hardened adults. Pastor Sergei Filippov of the Arch Church in Kiev recalls the night before school classes were to begin in the fall of this year. “It was night,” he writes, “and it should have been quiet, with children in bed eager for the first morning of school and happy with their new school supplies, supplied through Multiply and distributed through our churches. Then the explosions began…

“Children woke up, parents woke up, teachers woke up, everyone woke up, as Kyiv was attacked by more than twenty missiles, with educational institutions among the deliberate targets.”  Several school buildings were damaged or destroyed that night, and children faced the acute disappointment the next days and weeks, unable to go to school. “Despite these difficulties,” says Sergei, “we have One who is more powerful. We will not let them give up hope.”

Hope is kept alive through frequent interruptions of truth, kindness and beauty. The Word is proclaimed, the poor are fed, clothed and warmly welcomed into the community of a local church, and the traumatized are given opportunities to remember that there is still beauty in this world. One way that this happens is through Multiply Ukraine’s ongoing retreats in the Carpathian Mountains for families, providing a week of respite from bomb attacks and shelling. For those in need of immediate relief, staff at New Hope Center have also created a more accessible option. 

New Hope arranges excursions for families to a local botanic garden in Zaporizhzhia, where they can escape the cold landscape of rubble and bare trees and be among exotic plants and vibrant colors, experiencing a little of the joy and peace of God's creation. 

“When God created the first family,” writes Maxym, “he put them in a garden. Being in nature, enjoying God's creation, renews our souls.”

Insofar as it is Possible

The path to peace, of primary value to our MB family, presents ever-evolving challenges. Believers in Ukraine struggle to even conceptualize an end to this conflict, much less imagine a reconciliation with those who seem intent upon eradicating them as a people group. Maxym Oliferovski reflects,

“While I am grateful to God that he put me on the path of peace when I came to him, when I think about those who commit violence, kill and destroy, then we must ask whether they want peace, whether peace is possible if they continue to follow the path of evil… Romans 12:18 tells us, ‘If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’. Is this possible when there is such aggression? Our heavenly Father waits for repentance, offering the way of peace. His patience is long, very long, but not eternal. There will come a time when his justice takes place…”

While we all look toward a future where this war will end, we continue to pray for our weary brothers and sisters who are working for the kingdom of God, a kingdom where his kindness melts hearts and restores sanity. 

Surely, he will soon deliver those who fear him, for his glory will live in our land. Gracious love and truth meet; righteousness and peace kiss. ~ Psalm 85: 9-10.  

On May 25, air strikes on Kharkiv were carried out in four locations, including a shopping center and a dense residential area. One attack sparked a massive fire at a hardware store, where 120 people were trapped when the bombs struck. In these instances, the people of Ukraine continue to prove themselves to be outstanding in their resilience. Even so, it takes a supreme act of will to maintain any hope for justice and peace, as attacks like this continue to redefine normalcy for so many citizens.

One pastor comments, “Work is not decreasing. Besides distributing aid to military personnel on the frontlines, and transporting medicine for hospital and medical needs, our team tries to reach the villages that are most unvisited by other volunteers. This involves a completely off-road route, which makes the shipping of freight very difficult. And very often, even while we are doing this work, drones are flying right above our heads...”

Weary workers are further burdened by heavy news. Still mourning the loss of Andriy Shpak, (see A Builder of Lives) killed in action as a non-combatant, our brothers in Christ recently received news that chaplain Yaroslav and his twenty-three-year-old son, Victor, were involved in a serious accident.

Victor, who was preparing to be baptized at Heart of Christ MB Church, was killed. As of June 26, Yaroslav was still in a coma in intensive care. There is bleeding in the brain, and his kidneys are failing. The situation is getting worse every day. Pictured here are father and son before the accident, being prayed over by pastor Alexei.

As hope is strained to its limit by grieving families, others are preparing a means for that hope to be strengthened. Teams from the New Hope Center in Zaporizhzhya are working on the grounds of the retreat center in the Carpathian mountains, where traumatized families can find a brief respite from the constant dangers and hardships of this war.   

Oleksii Makaiov, who pastors MB churches in Molochansk and Dnipro, writes, “We have not stopped. We continue to serve the displaced families, war victims, military in rehab and soon we plan to serve children, teens and youth. Between the arrivals of people, we continue to work and make the grounds and houses as welcoming, cozy and comfortable as possible.”

At the New Hope Center itself, ongoing counseling and art therapy classes minister to countless victims. A recent women’s event took place entitled “Just a Woman”, an ironic commentary on the incalculable courage and stamina of the women of Ukraine. 

Directors Maxym and Anya Oliferovski write, “This gathering provided a wonderful opportunity for women to connect, share experiences, and–most importantly–support one another during this difficult time in our country.” 

Expressing their thanks for the ongoing prayers and financial support they are receiving, they add, “May our events continue to be a place where strength is renewed and inspiration is found!”  

Elsewhere, hopes were realized as the Ukraine MB Conference (AMBCU) celebrated the ordination of pastor Sergei Fiippov of the Small Ark MB Church in Kiev. Present were Pastor Oleksii Makaiov and Johann Matthies, Multiply’s Regional Team Leader for Europe and Central Asia.

Amid the ongoing challenges,  churches are quick to seize any opportunity to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation, and to nurture and cherish his creatures. Anastasiia Fiippov, wife of pastor Sergeii of the Small Ark MB church in Kiev, describes a recent event for children. She writes, “We spent a beautiful day with them in nature. We must never forget–children are our everything! By serving them, we make a serious contribution to the future of all of our lives!”

Pray for hope–eternal, unreasonable, and firmly anchored in Jesus–to flourish in Ukraine.

MARCH 2024

The war in Ukraine has entered its third year, and the people of this country are exhausted, their resources depleted and their pain beyond imagining. Besides the thousands of military personnel killed, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) estimates at least 10,000 civilians have been killed and over 20,000 injured, although they admit that the  real number is likely significantly higher. This war has cost Ukraine 30% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and 3.5 million jobs; five million Ukrainians have been internally displaced, and more than six million have fled the country as refugees.

Alexei Yuditsenko of the Heart of Christ MB Church in Vinnytsia, writes: “… February 24, 2022, was the date that turned everything upside down. Even now, as I drive through the front line areas, I constantly see terrible devastation: abandoned houses, gas stations, schools. Once, these boiled with life.  Seeing it all burned up, one might actually think that hell has come to earth.”

Despite discouraging statistics, there is no talk of defeat. Ukraine is fighting back. Our MB churches in Ukraine also continue to fight back; however, their weapon is the hope of the Gospel, wielded through sacrificial love. Churches continue to stretch themselves to the limit to provide humanitarian aid to those in greatest need. Some respond with relief and gratitude; increasingly, many are silent and grim as they receive the supplies that will allow them to survive a few more weeks. 

Alexei remarks, “You do not always see thankfulness, looking at their faces. What do we expect?  Imagine living in a village that is under fire constantly, half the homes destroyed, your relatives have fled, and you may die at any moment. These are not just words! Think about it! They expect to die. We do not oblige anyone to smile on the camera if they do not want to…” 

Whether or not they are able to evoke a smile, Alexei and his teams work tirelessly to bring hope—the hope of eternal life after death, and the hope of peace in this life, through Jesus

Pastors and volunteers try their best to lift the spirits of the people they visit, bringing practical relief in places like Kherson and Nonomoskovsk. Although to date tons of food supplies have been distributed among the displaced, tons more are still needed. “You give us a resource to continue,” Alexei says, “though the need never ends. Regardless of whether you are in here Ukraine or not, you are doing God's work on earth!”

Segey Ryadnov, pastor of the Novomoskovsk MB church in Dnipro, works hard to distribute the supplies delivered. He agrees with Alexei that the need seems endless, but he refuses to slacken the pace. “The war is ongoing,” he says, “but we must not put down our hands. We must thank God for strength and for every opportunity to help.” 

War conspires to undermine this resolute posture, as new attacks bring new devastation. On the night of March 2, Odessa suffered a massive drone attack, destroying multi-story residential buildings. Pastor Oleksii Makaiov of the MB church in Molochansk, reports on teams sorting through the rubble. Any survivors will have lost everything, including their homes. Oleksii grieves with them, having himself lost all of their family’s property and possessions in the last year. When workers uncovered the bodies of a mother and her three-month-old child, he said, “These emotions cannot be expressed in words.”

Equally painful has been the forced withdrawal of the Ukraine forces from the town of Avdiivka, in the Donbas region. Ukraine had been fighting for this town since 2014, and MB churches have been actively involved in caring for its residents for almost ten years. Oleksii describes the situation:

“Looking back at the countless trips to Avdiivka during these ten years of war, I think on all the good that was accomplished. Generators were set up to charge cell phones and flashlights, hot meals were served in each village, school programs were organized, repairs done on houses and apartments damaged by shelling, evacuation arranged for those who fled and basement shelters set up for those who remained. And then there were countless conversations about God.

“The defense of Avdiivka lasted for 3460 days,” he concludes. “Now, the city is crushed. We can only give thanks for all those who gave their lives.”

When the statistics of those displaced or dead can seem beyond comprehension, individual stories bring it all home. Multiply’s regional Team Leader for Europe, Johann Matthies, reports that during the devastating loss of Avdiivka, an urgent prayer request came from the New Hope Center in Zaporizhzhya. The husband of one of the counselors on staff, Andrey Shpak, went missing on February 16, while on a military mission as a conscripted soldier. On March 4, news of his death finally reached his family. “Andrey and his wife Antonia led youth ministries and took part in planting the MB church in Nikolai Pole,” Johann shares. “Please pray for this family.”

Along with Irina Chumachenko, Antonia is now the second worker on the New Hope team to have lost her husband in this war. Staff and volunteers rally around their bereaved coworkers, leaning into their calling to minister to these and other families in crisis. Maxym and Anya Oliferovski, directors of the center, minister to the countless number of families who have fled into Zaporizhzhia from neighboring regions. The majority of adults and children have nothing, and are starting their lives over. The New Hope team does everything possible to offer support, including offering temporary shelter, meals, various forms of therapy and, always, the hope of the Gospel.
  

In January, the New Hope team withdrew from active ministry for a staff retreat, to discuss issues related to the well-being of their countrymen and to strategize for the future. “We are learning as we go,” Max relates, “learning the difference between apathetic and depressive states, for example. Too many people are currently grappling with such mental conditions.” As the New Hope team is challenged to meet these needs, they ask for our prayers for the many Ukrainians who are struggling to keep from giving up.   

Combatting despair, the New Hope retreat center in the Carpathian Mountains continues to be a means of bringing respite and renewed hope to the traumatized. Recently, Vasily Shevchenko of the Molochansk MB church held a retreat for families from the MB church in Kherson. These families had not left their city for almost two years. Despite its liberation from the Russian occupation in 2022, drones and artillery continue to pound the city relentlessly, and they had been living with this unrelenting trauma.

Vasily says, “We were so happy to give families a chance to spend time in silence, without rockets and bombs. We were able to provide a place of peace, free from physical and mental burdens. As they renew their strength, both physically and spiritually, they are then able to return to continue serving the people in Kherson.” 

Another strategic retreat took place at the conference level, when members of the Ukraine MB conference, AMBCU, took time for a pastoral council retreat, also in the Transcarpathian region. This was the first such event since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The conference was attended by pastors, chaplains and ministry leaders from MB churches in Mukachevo, Vinnitsa, Novomoskovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Mirnograd. The main goal was to identify the experience and capabilities of each church, and to strategize for effective interactions and coordination between church communities.

Each participant was invited to present their ministry and offer their ideas for partnerships and interactions. In connection with the military mobilization in Ukraine, the issue of military service was discussed. Many young men in Ukraine are being unwillingly conscripted for military service, and the issue is a controversial one. Several AMBCU church leaders who also serve as military chaplains were invited to share their perspectives, highlighting the challenges of counseling and bringing the Gospel to military personnel who are serving on the front lines.

Ukraine MB conference leader Roman Rakhuba asks for ongoing prayer: “Friends and partners, your constant prayer has enabled our churches to maintain unity and serve thousands of Ukrainians whose lives have been crippled by this war.” 

Pray for ongoing unity between the MB churches in Ukraine, and for continued favor with governing officials. Pray for times of deep rest and recovery for those who are leading the various churches, ministries and humanitarian aid ventures. Pray for workable strategies for upcoming summer camp initiatives. Pray for the traumatized in need of emotional healing and a grounded hope. Pray for wounded hearts to somehow, against all odds, remain soft and open to the Good News of Jesus.

Pray for peace in Ukraine.

JANUARY 2024

As our brothers and sisters in Ukraine near the two-year anniversary of this war, we see them living out the challenge of Romans 5:4, where “… suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” 

In December, our MB churches in this country worked tirelessly to bring Christmas cheer to the most vulnerable in the frontline areas. Teams distributed presents—and the vital gift of “presence”—to those with disabilities, living in boarding houses, and especially to children. Pastor Alexei Yudisenko of the Heart of Christ MB Church writes, “Ukrainian children feel all the gravity of this war. They think of how much pain they saw, how scared they feel. And, unfortunately, they are getting used to this… Our children are our future; we must do everything we can to show them a better life.” 

Children are also a high priority for the Small Arch MB Church in Kiev, where pastor Sergei Filippov tells of the “great joy in giving smiles and presents to kids on Christmas. But the greatest joy is to tell them about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!”

Special efforts have been made to let soldiers who are defending Ukraine know that they are appreciated. These men, such as those stationed in Chernobyl, had no opportunity to celebrate the season in safe, warm houses, surrounded by loved ones.

Teams reached out to bring the miracle of the incarnation into their hearts, with tangible demonstrations of God’s love. “May God keep you and bless you,” one pastor prayed for the troops. “May he give peace in your hearts and peaceful skies over your heads.”

As God’s people work to keep hope alive, the brutality of this war continues. Alexei writes, “These are not just destroyed villages and cities, these are destroyed destinies. Those whose lives have not been taken will bear pain until the end of their lives… The main thing is to not forget that—whatever our situation is now—nothing is impossible, as long as we are alive. God is performing real miracles, by giving us the strength to hold on.”

At the New Hope Center in Zaporizhzhya, staff and volunteers continue to minister to families who have lost everything. New Hope offers  temporary accommodation meals for the displaced, as well as for families of military personnel who are in the city caring for loved ones in hospitals. Opportunities to process trauma and find a measure of healing continue, with art therapy for children and adults, parent support groups every Tuesday and Thursday, individual counseling consultations and group counseling. Directors Maxym and Anya Oliferovski write, “We are so grateful to those who help us fulfill this mission, including you who are reading this post. Thank you for your donations, and thank you for your prayers!”

Pastor Oleksii Makaiov of the MB churches in Dnipro and Molchansk tells of the now, fully functional retreat center in the Carpathian mountains, offering respite to traumatized families. He writes, “Our ‘Multiply House’ in the mountains is open! After months of construction work, the shipping containers have been transformed into furnished, cozy homes, surrounded by beautiful landscapes that add incredible impressions and emotions… families have already been here, recovering and experiencing true rest.

Oleksii goes on, “We are thankful to teams from the MB churches in Molochansk and Tokmak, who built all this with their own hands, and to all of you who in different ways support this project!”

The war is, of course, not over. The needs are staggering, and healing will take more than one lifetime. Pray for those who live in constant danger, whose future has been stolen, whose hopes are being dashed. At the New Hope Church in Zaporizhzhia, pastor Sergei Panasovich invites us to keep praying in earnest for perseverance to end in hope. 

“Life is a precious gift,” he writes. “We pray to be able to look up at the sky again, not always at the ground, in fear of taking a new step. We don't stop… even in the most hopeless, most desperate situations. Relentlessly and persistently we go on, step by step, even if each step is very small…”

Pray for strength to persevere. Pray for hope. Pray for peace in Ukraine.

November 2023

Pastor Alexei Y. of the Heart of Christ MB Church in Vinnytsia relates that humanitarian cargo and opportunities are significantly diminishing and support from all sides is decreasing. Despite this, he and his teams continue to bring resources and the hope of the Gospel to those in crisis. “I know from my experience,” he writes, “what it is to lose everything. We are thankful to Johann Matthies (Multiply Regional Team Leader for Europe and Central Asia) and MB pastor Oleksii M. for continuing to serve our people in their time of greatest need.” 

Alexei also reports on a thriving young adult ministry in the Vinnytsia church. “It is a special time every Friday evening,” he writes. “After a week on the front lines, with the sound of missiles and the earth trembling, it is wonderful to be with young people who want to know God. Pray for this generation to have a chance for a bright and peaceful future, with opportunities to influence their world.”

Young adults were among those baptized on October 15. “The most important decision of their lives!” Alexei enthused. “I ask everyone to support them in prayer, giving thanks for the firmness and strength of the decision made. And to you who made such a decision a long time ago, I want to say this: if anyone is tired, burnt out, cold, without hope—remember your covenant with God, and ignite from those who shine!”

All Ukrainians are increasingly concerned with the welfare of their youth and children, being raised as they are in a climate of danger, deprivation and grief. Reports of domestic violence continue to increase, as families struggle to cope with impossible stress levels. Alexei’s church, along with others, support the efforts of law enforcement officials and social service workers  entrusted with the oversight of child welfare. One cannot avoid sensing the irony—police officers warning Ukrainian parents of their responsibility to provide an adequate home environment for their children during a war. Alexei writes, “It is their job to check on compliance with legislation on proper parenting… but they also come with diapers, food, clothing, toys and medicine. None of us comes empty-handed.”

At New Hope Center in Zaporizhzhia, pastor and program director Maxym O. and his wife Anya are likewise invested in caring for children and families in crisis. With the average person having limited accessibility to professional counseling and rehabilitation, New Hope is dedicated to providing therapeutic sessions in art and, more recently, floral arrangement and gardening. In a country filled with destruction and chaos, volunteers encourage others to see the beauty of God’s natural world as a reflection of his love, and point them to Jesus. Max writes,

“Individuals here experience stress daily and have obsessive thoughts about the future. Unfortunately, we are now getting used to the normality of the abnormal… Art can restore the broken parts of the soul. Interacting with different colors, forms and textures, a person can express inner emotions. Another resource of strength and inspiration that we can use is that of nature itself. It remains the same. Simple floral arrangements, a miniature garden—these all can improve mental health and bring joy to our daily lives.”   

Pastor Oleksii M. of the Molochansk MB church in Dnipro continues to lead teams in bringing support to the military and to chaplains serving on the front lines, some of whom are members of MB churches. He entreats prayer on their behalf, writing,

“Since February of 2022, fighting countless battles—both external and internal—the lives of these men and women have been about waiting; waiting for spring, waiting for victory, waiting for a return to a normal family life. Please, my friends, stop for one minute and pray. Pray with all your power and possibilities! Pray for their protection. Pray for peace for our people.”

Sergey Rakhuba of Mission Eurasia also asks us to pray for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Near the end of September, six dedicated volunteers who were delivering essential humanitarian aid and evacuating people trapped in the city of Kupyansk tragically lost their lives. Despite their vehicle being properly marked as a humanitarian convoy, a Russian missile struck it directly, resulting in the complete destruction of the vehicle and the loss of all lives. Among the victims were four courageous men and two brave women.

Sergey writes, “These were selfless heroes who sacrificed their own lives to help others in need. Let us join together in prayer, asking for strength and comfort for the grieving families during their unimaginable time of loss. Pray for the safety of our leaders and teams of volunteers who are on the ground, tirelessly working to provide assistance and support to those affected.”

As the cold weather sets in, so does the reality of another winter of war. Many will again be without any source of heat or food, aside from what is delivered through emergency aid. Our MB churches, even while strategizing relief efforts to help families survive the harsh winter season, are also already busy planning for the next round of summer camps in the relative safety of the Carpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine. These camps offer critical relief for families who would otherwise endure unbroken months of intolerable stress.

Last year, eighty-six children and young adults heard the Gospel at the Vinnytsia church camp and eighty children attended the Novomoskovsk (Dnipro) church camp. Afterwards, many of the parents, having heard the Gospel from their children back at home, responded to the invitation to attend church services. With families urgently requesting for these camps to be offered more frequently, outside of the normal three-camp summer season, your donations to this project will help cover the cost of transportation and food. Please consider donating early towards summer camps in Ukraine, so that our churches there can begin planning even now for this next year. You can donate to this project here.

Pray for those who seek to bring hope and the peace of Jesus to a weary and wounded nation. Pray for peace in Ukraine.

Ukraine Update September 19, 2023

Multiply is thankful for your faithful prayers and support, which have helped our brothers and sisters in Ukraine to be the hands and feet of Jesus in practical ways, and to hold forth the eternal hope of the Gospel to a populace that is weary and wounded beyond imagining. 

Amid offensives, counter-offenses, bitter conflicts over land which is in turn occupied, liberated, and then bombed, the Kingdom of God continues to advance. It does so through the steadfast resolve of those who are committed to living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ through sacrificial love, forgiveness, the speaking of Truth to those in power and the pursuit of justice on behalf of the powerless. Your prayers and support are giving courage to those who are determined to walk in the ways of Jesus.

It is not easy.

August 24 marked over three decades of Ukraine independence, sovereignty, and democracy. It was a day to take pride in the remarkable resiliency of this country’s people, a day to celebrate their unique heritage and culture. This year, August 24 also marked one-and-a-half years since the launch of the full-scale Russian invasion. 

This year’s anniversary of Ukraine’s independence found Multiply’s Regional Team Leader over Europe, Johann Matthies, in Kiev. There he found a charred children’s bicycle amid the rubble of a burned-out house. The symbolism was poignant and painful for all yet inspired a fierce surge of pride and hope as well. Johann writes:

 “I am sad, but I also want to congratulate and celebrate together! Ukraine has been, and remains, spiritually vital and rich in hope. I believe we are about to witness the creation of a new European people and country. This achievement comes at the price of much blood and many tears. I invite everyone to continue to pray for this treacherously invaded country.”

At New Hope Center, the occasion was commemorated in ways designed to help bring healing through artistic expression. New Hope’s ongoing Art Therapy classes have been a powerful means of processing complex emotions and trauma. Director and pastor Maxym Oliferovski writes, 

“Art can restore the broken parts of the soul. We want to express our gratitude for your prayers. Our ministry would be impossible without you!”

Another source of therapeutic healing has come to Ukrainian families through the summer camp ministries. As the season changes, pastor Alexei Y. of the Heart of Christ MB Church plant in Vinnytsia reflected on the invaluable gift that a few days of safety in the beauty of the Carpathian mountains has been for many. He tells us:

“Our life rhythms are difficult, between thousand-mile trips to the frontlines, church services, and providing emergency relief to the displaced. Being in the mountains, conversations around an open fire–these things allow our hearts to open… Thank you for your support in holding these incredible events, especially life-changing for young people!“

Pastor Oleksii M. of the Molochansk church plant in Dnipro is grateful for the financial support that has allowed for the refurbishing of railway car containers to house families who attend these camps, as well as evacuees. Oleksii and his teams are working on furnishing more of these tiny homes with basics like beds, tables and chairs, refrigerators, wardrobes and more. He writes, 

“[Evacuees] have lost relatives and loved ones in the war; they live in a constant state of alarm… It is impossible to convey with words and photos all the horror people have experienced. Destruction, filth, stench, rotting food and vegetation, broken souls, hopelessness. We, as a church, as God's people, know where to find hope… [but] so many people are in need of rehabilitation, therapy, rest and peace.” 

His prayer is that these containers would become places of shelter and beauty for the traumatized.

Heart of Christ MB Church pastor Alexei Y. and New Hope Church pastor Sergei P. report on the relief provided through the ongoing partnership between the Ukraine MB Conference (AMBCU) churches and Mission Eurasia. One important ministry involves Bread of Life bakeries, which have sprung up over Ukraine and Moldova since the beginning of the war. Alexei writes, “The bakeries operate 24/7 to provide bread for our volunteers to deliver, along with a bible, to the displaced. This bread goes beyond mere sustenance. It is a symbol of life and hope…” 

Mission Eurasia is also partnering with the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine to provide Mobile Medical Clinics which travel to villages close to the front line where the lack of medical care and medicines, including basic painkillers, has added greatly to the suffering. 

With an entire generation growing up during this war, our churches are doing all that is possible to keep traumatized children and youth from becoming angry, bitter adults. Camps and art therapy classes are only a small part of their efforts to raise the next generation to love and follow Jesus, our Prince of Peace. 

Sergei F. is an army chaplain and pastor of the Small Arch MB Church in Kiev. Their church has a strong focus on children and student ministries. A recent church picnic was held in a park in Kyiv, offering parents and children from his congregation a welcome opportunity to forget, for a time, that their lives are in constant danger. Days after the picnic, the park was hit by Russian weapons. 

Sergei’s wife, Nastya, writes, 

“God protect our country and families! Children, adolescents, young people–they are not just the future of this country, but its present. In the future, we will reap what we have invested in them today!”

Another pastor, who is also an army chaplain, is Sergey R. As pastor of the Nonomoskavsk church in Dnipro, Sergey R. is also keenly aware of the need to nurture the children during wartime. He writes, “The difference between children and adults is that adults we adults are looking everywhere to find happiness, but children can find happiness in everything.” 

This innocence is fragile, however, and he acknowledges the need for tender hearts to be nurtured and guarded, if they are to stay soft. “Our children understand more than we think,” he comments. War does not allow for much of a childhood, but Jesus is calling the “little ones” to come to him, that they in turn might be powerful peacemakers as adults.

Pray for the children of Ukraine, that they would grow in wisdom and courage, and choose to follow Jesus. Pray for the volunteers that are daily risking their lives to feed the bodies and spirits of their countrymen. Pray for our churches to be places of refuge, hope, and kindness. 

Pray for peace in Ukraine. 

UKRAINE UPDATE: AUGUST 8, 2023

Life for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine is a blurring of both joy and grief in constant crisis. One recent story in particular, coming from pastor Alexei Y. of the Heart of Christ MB Church, illustrates this tension.

Alexei and his team have been helping those impacted by the flooding in Kherson, flooding that resulted from the June 6 bombing of the Kakhovka Dam. Many people are still unable to return to their homes, where walls made of clay brick have collapsed, yards are full of rubble and mud, and heavy rains impede workers from making headway. Some houses literally floated away. Team members have been working tirelessly to repair what they can of the broken homes, while gifts of household appliances and furniture from the Heart of Christ Church in Vinnytsia try to help repair broken hearts. Many victims have heard the hope of the Gospel and been touched by this tangible demonstration of its message.

While volunteers shovel the wreckage, however, there is constant shelling and drones flying overhead. On July 22, one team came perilously close to death. Alexei writes:

“I and my team experienced two miracles in a row. While we were working outside, a drone spotted us. It made three laps overhead and then dove down to attack, while we ran for cover. The drone hit one of our cars – but only with its wing, not the nose – so it did not detonate. As it lay there, we could see it was filled with explosives and hear that it was still active, but when nothing happened, we decided to go back to work. This is what we do: we pray, we work, we do what we can. Minutes later, a second drone attacked and landed next to the first one. The explosion damaged the cars, but we were not harmed, so we kept working. Later, as we were driving away, a third drone flew towards us. It missed the car and exploded in front of us, shattering the windshield. But the driver was not even scratched! We give thanks to God for his protection!”

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty... You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day… A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. ~ Psalm 91: 1, 5, 7

Alexei writes, “Life stopped here, but people returned to the infected area literally a few years after the accident and to this day continue to live there. They survived a terrible tragedy and, a year ago, a terrorist occupation…”

Old wounds as well as new ones are tended to by those who bring a helping hand and a message of hope and healing through Jesus Christ.

Returning to the relative safety of Vinnytsia, volunteers swing from high alert to joy as they engage with the Lord’s work in the Heart of Christ Church. There have been baptisms to celebrate, laughter is heard every Saturday during children’s events, and camps bring a welcome distraction from the harsh realities of daily life.

Alexei writes, “To see the faces of children happy, to share from the Bible, this is a great joy… These children come from the front lines. It is incredible to see how their eyes start to light up and they forget about the war and the shelling… We are thankful to Multiply Europe and to Regional Team Leader Johann Matthies for contributing to this work!”

Pastor Oleksii M. of the Molochansk MB Church in Dnipro is also engaged in relief efforts in Kherson as well as Zaporizhzhia. Their teams travel to the front lines to bring provision and the Gospel to those serving in the armed forces, as well humanitarian aid for civilians. In between these excursions, they take time to minister to young adults on short retreats in the Carpathian Mountains, where the peace and beauty of nature can do much to restore the soul and give opportunities to connect more deeply with the Lord.

Oleksii writes, “I have great hope that this time for young people is a time to pull away from the realities of wartime and breathe without constant anxiety, fears, longing and pain. Pray for God's mercy and God's peace to fill their lives daily.”

Elsewhere, it is harder to put the war out of one’s mind. On July 17, Moscow terminated an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export its grain from Black Sea ports, warning that any ship sailing those waters would be considered a military target. On the heels of that decision came relentless attacks on the port cities of Odessa and Mykolaiv. Pastor Oleg S. of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Odessa witnessed the shelling of the infrastructure of the Odessa port and grain storage, only a few blocks from his house. Pictured here is one of the craters from the ongoing bombing.

Oleg writes, “It was one of the worst nights ever. Such a scale of attack we do not recall from the beginning of the full-fledged invasion. But God is good!”

His last remark reflected the fact that, even as food is being weaponized by Russia during this war, God has resourced his people to meet the ever-increasing needs around them, providing emergency relief and provision of shelter and food. He says, “Our goal is to rescue people… and that people who come for bread also receive the Bread of Life!”
Pray that people who come for bread would also receive the Bread of Life New Hope Center, under Multiply workers Maxym and Anya Oliferovski, continues to minister to the traumatized as well, with ongoing Art Therapy classes. Some adults drop their children at class, then gather in another room with other parents to talk and process their experiences together. New Hope engages the services of a local psychologist to facilitate conversations on self-care and healing, and the importance of nurturing a positive environment for personal growth.

Art has become a means across the entire country for expressing national sentiment and promoting healing, and Max reports that well-known Ukrainian artists are creating illustrations that reflect the terrible tragedy that happened in the Kherson region. Pictured here is a work by Valentina Romanova, who is quoted in the Ukrainska Pravda about her recent work: “Kherson, 6 June 2023. The dam was blown up. My friend Ruslan is evacuating his grandma, Mariia Vasylivna, from her flooded home in Nova Kakhovka, where I spent two wonderful summers – in my past life.”


For the first time since the invasion, Max and his wife Anya, pictured here to the right of Johann and Hedi Matthies, were able to leave Ukraine for a time of rest and respite in Germany. They were warmly welcomed by Johann, Multiply’s Regional Team Leader in Europe and Central Asia. Johann writes, “Since Russia started the full scale war against Ukraine 500 days ago, this was the first time Max was able to leave his battered homeland. We admire such resolve and sacrificial service!”

This sentiment, applied to all of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, impels us to continue in praise and prayer. Pray for strength and stamina. Pray for healing from physical and emotional trauma. Pray for safety for all who seek to bring emergency