War forces Ukrainian families to spend Christmas apart
Greetings! With Russia’s war still raging, countless Ukrainian families faced the pain of spending the Christmas season apart. This was the case for the millions of Ukrainians who fled their homeland this year and left behind loved ones.
One young lady (a refugee now living in France) put it this way, “My family and friends in Ukraine say that for Christmas, they don’t want much, just if there is no bombing, that would be great. The best gift for them would be if there’s electricity and heating.”
This is a terrible time for the people of Ukraine. Still, amid this suffering and horror, an army of Christian volunteers is meeting the needs of people impacted by the war and demonstrating God’s love in a myriad of practical ways. THANK YOU for partnering with HART as we continue to assist National churches with the resources they require to serve those in need.
If you have already taken advantage of this MATCHING opportunity – our sincere THANKS! If not – this is a friendly reminder that there are four days left to make a year-end tax-deductible donation, which will bring help and hope to thousands of refugees in Ukraine.
A Moonlight Night
One of the most beautiful Ukrainian Songs
VIDEO: The Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra and Choir (from Slovenia) “dedicates this beautiful love song to all the brave Ukrainian people, who are suffering under the brutal Russian invasion, and who will never surrender.
Their freedom is our freedom. Their lives are our lives!”
SINCERE THANKS FROM A PASTOR
Greetings, dear brothers and sisters at HART, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayer and financial support of me and my ministry. Since February, we have been under occupation, but you did not stop helping us in such harsh conditions. Thus, we were able to support the hungry and sick people who gathered in and around our church. After our city was liberated, we continued our ministry, to which the Lord called us. Every day we work with refugees along the front lines, and we also have a military chaplaincy ministry, giving support and spiritual help to our soldiers.
And now that our native Kherson has been liberated, this work has even doubled. Therefore, our needs are related to the first necessities in winter: fuel, firewood, heaters, clothing, thermal underwear, medicines, food, generators, power banks, torches, etc. We will be very grateful if you can continue to help cover some of the costs of this ministry.
Thank you very much for everything! God bless you!
-Pastor Yevhen, Kherson Province
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
…from UETS Theological Seminary in Kyiv)
Dear friends at HART!
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
(John 1:5)
This Christmas is different from any other Christmas we have ever had.
We call it Christmas amid ruins and have a number of reasons to do that.
To say the least, the time when Jesus was born was also rather unfavorable… He knows very well what it means to be homeless, poor, chased after by evil people, and a refugee in another country…
So, He is able to sympathize with those going through a similar experience. Currently, it is true that millions of Ukrainians have lost their relatives, friends, homes, property, jobs, possibility to enjoy basic utilities such as electricity, heating, water…
However, the birth of Jesus laid the foundation for the greatest victory of all, resulting from His death and resurrection. In the same way, though there is still plenty of darkness ahead of us, we believe the bleak and dreary days will soon be over.
This is because the inevitable change has already taken place, and with every passing moment, through our faith, we are approaching much brighter days.
We strongly believe that God – Immanuel – is with us among all the suffering, in particular, through our partners and friends who are standing with us, unceasingly praying, supporting, and sharing the pain…
For this reason, no matter how hard it may seem, we are still celebrating, and the major thing we are celebrating is hope; hope which comes with the birth of Jesus in our hearts, leading to the major revival and restoration!
May the Lord richly bless all of you this holiday season!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
-UETS faculty, staff, and students
THE ULTIMATE COST OF WAR
Yuriy, Kateryna, and their family moved to the Ternopil region (western Ukraine) from the Donetsk area after the war started there in 2014. When his family was finally settled into their new environment, Yuriy left to serve in the army in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Their eldest son, who was 24, went to serve there as well. At the beginning of the current Russian invasion, their youngest son (20) also went to war.
The oldest daughter, Maria, was helped by HART supporters through the Education Scholarship Fund. She finished her university studies and is now working as an English teacher. There are five children in the family.
Maria also has two younger sisters who are still in elementary school.
Recently, the family was informed that Maria’s father was killed in action in the Zaporizhzhia region. Please pray for this family and the protection and safety of Maria’s brothers still fighting on the front lines.
[Note: We provided some financial support for Maria’s family. If you would like to help this family, please call the office at 888-788-3880]
PRAYER POINTS
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 and ask to see God’s glory amid this great struggle. God often uses dire situations to draw people to himself. Pray that He would be glorified through the people of Ukraine who are following him.
- Pray for God’s peace to be a source of strength for the thousands of Ukrainian workers/volunteers who will have opportunities to share with others about God’s love.
- Pray for God’s protection over Christian volunteers. Ask God for their physical and spiritual protection — ask Him to help people seek the truth during the conflict.
- Ask God for comfort. Many families lost fathers, sons, and loved ones during this tragic war. Millions have been uprooted from their homes. Their world has been turned upside down.
- Ask God to intervene. Pray for wisdom for world leaders. Pray that God would move in their hearts and guide their steps and plans.
- Pray for 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 that refugees are fleeing to due to this conflict.
