Of all the war crimes being committed by Russia in its brutal war on Ukraine, the mass deportation of children so they can be re-educated and raised as Russians stands out as one of the
clearest crimes against humanity.
Russian children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova (right) has said that more than 700,000 Ukrainian children have been taken from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of
Ukraine. She said the vast majority of those children came to Russia accompanied by parents and relatives.
However, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova. They were charged with being responsible for the deportation of
Ukrainian children to Russia — a war crime under international legislation.
Read the following inspiring stories of children separated from their parents, not knowing if they would ever see them again.
Russian children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova (right) has said that more than 700,000 Ukrainian children have been taken from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. She said the vast majority of those children came to Russia accompanied by parents and relatives.
However, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova. They were charged with being responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia — a war crime under international legislation.
Read the following inspiring stories of children separated from their parents, not knowing if they would ever see them again.
A Christmas Miracle
A mother’s journey to save her son.
HART reunites a mother with her son, who was trapped in Russianoccupied territory only 126 km from their family’s home. Read about this mom’s 2-year, 5,500km journey to bring her son home.
Abducted By Russia
Ukrainian Teen Finds His Way Home A Year Later
Denys Berezhniy was a student in Kherson, living with his hearingimpaired and mute parents while the Ukrainian city was under Russian occupation. Then he was taken away.
Thank You, HART Community!
From Pastor Dema and the ‘First Responders Team’ in Kharkiv
We’ve had the honor and privilege of partnering with Pastor Dema from the very beginning of this war. He is a remarkable Christian leader who came from a druggie background as a young man to become another “Hero Among Us” during this war.
His passion is to save lives, spiritually and physically. He travels into areas where others won’t. We’ve seen video footage of Dema being shot at by Russian snipers while evacuating a van full of elderly people from a war zone.
Dema is the founder and director of five rehab centers for alcohol and drug addicts. He’s recruited men from these facilities and has developed an effective food distribution, rescue, and renovation ministry called “I AM SAVED’, which has been recognized by the mayor of Kharkiv, who has given them awards for their service.
Dema shared with us that these men, who not so long ago were a burden to their families, bringing them grief, trouble, and pain – but now are true HEROES! At a food distribution center, one woman came up to a member of Dema’s team and said, “I recognize you! Recently, you scammed me out of money, but today, you are helping me!! Praise God.”
Dema says, “Thanks to HART supporters – starting in 2022, we have been able to distribute aid to more than 50,000 civilians.”
“We are also grateful to HART for helping us purchase a cargo van and a truck, which we have equipped with special technical means and tools. This allows us to quickly respond to calls from the city and region’s municipal and emergency services. Our team of 12 people travels to the affected areas of the city and region almost every day to help clear the rubble and at least partially restore residential and non-residential buildings.
Over the past two years, thanks to your help with vehicles, we have already evacuated more than 22,000 people from the de-occupied territories and frontline cities and towns of the Kharkiv region, most of whom also received relief aid supplies.”
“We have already sealed up to 1,500 windows and restored more than 350 houses (roofs, windows, doors) in de-occupied villages.”
“Providing important assistance to people, like boarding up the windows, repairing their roofs, or providing them with food and water, opens the door for these people to know God and to have a living faith. Evidence of this – is that our churches are full!”
Dear HART, our organization is deeply grateful to you! May God bless you! May He give you thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold for every seed that you have sown! Thanks to your generosity so many people are able to survive! Thank you so much! God be with you!
Pastor Dema
Ministry Needs:
We asked Dema what were the most pressing needs for his ministry at this time. This was his reply:
A small salary ($200/mo) for each man on his Response Team would be a big blessing.
Due to the significant amount of driving they do, Dema says a huge help would be funds to purchase fuel so they can continue to help evacuate people to safer territory. ($500-1,000/mo.)
Please consider supporting Dema and his Rapid Response Team.
Any amount will be appreciated.
Thank you for supporting churches across Ukraine!
Bring light, even when the clouds and darkness thicken.
The following note is from Pastor Maxin, who has a dynamic ministry in Ukraine and is a HART partner. Despite the war, the Evangelical churches are not taking their eyes off the goal – to point people to Jesus. Please continue to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters across Ukraine, who are navigating through this deadly conflict one day at a time.
Dear friends, We do not know what will happen tomorrow. Disturbing news from the front lines and fears that Ukraine will not be helped with weapons for defense – this is the context in which we live today.
On top of that, winter and the lack of sunshine affect our moods. But it is written four times in the Bible that the righteous shall live by their faith! We live by faith and serve God by faith today, not knowing what the coming day has in store for us.
Our perspective is the Lord’s, and our assignment is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. To bring light, even when the clouds and darkness thicken. For the darker the darkness, the more precious and bright the light!
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5
Maxim Mamakin, Pastor of Makarov Christian Church
God Will Give You Peace!
Dr. David Jeremiah: “Encouraging Words for Discouraging Times”.
As we look at our world today, what we see is anything but peace. And if we are honest, we can easily become discouraged when we see so little peace in our world and in our hearts. Thankfully, we have Jesus – the One who satisfies the deepest longings for peace in our hearts.
Pray for Ukraine, Pray for Peace
Here are specific prayer points that can help guide our prayers for the situation in Ukraine. Please share these with your friends and family:
- Pray for the physical protection and provision for Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, and especially children in harm’s way. Supernaturally and otherwise, minimize the suffering and loss of life. Pray for children who see things no child’s eye should ever see. Pray for God to protect their hearts and minds.
- Pray for and ask to see God’s glory amid this great struggle. Pray that He would continue to be glorified through the Christians in Ukraine who are being his hands and feet during this tragedy.
- Pray for God’s peace to strengthen and encourage the thousands of Ukrainian workers/volunteers serving refugees, and the poor in their communities, who need to hear of God’s love for them through these Christian workers.
- Pray for the wounded soldiers returning from the war with missing limbs and suffering from PTSD. Pray that they receive the proper medical care and that they will hear the message of God’s love through local church volunteers who visit them in hospitals.
- Pray for the residents of cities and towns who are under heavy, indiscriminate shelling and have lost their homes and livelihoods.
- Pray for countless civilian and military prisoners of war who are subject to torture and death at the hands of their captors.
- Ask God to comfort the families that have lost mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters during this conflict.
- Pray for God to give justice and peace to all those who have been cruelly and unfairly treated by their fellow man.
- Ask God to intervene. Pray that God would give wisdom and move in the hearts of world leaders and guide their plans to end this war.
- Pray for the President (Zelensky) and the leaders of Ukraine to know God’s truth and peace and be transformed by his Holy Spirit so that they would seek to lead their country in the way of peace.
- Ask that this conflict would open doors of opportunities for the gospel. Pray that He would make his name known across Ukraine, Russia, and all the European countries refugees have fled to.
