MUSK SHUTS DOWN ABDUCTED CHILDREN TRACKING PROGRAM
How Much Is a Ukrainian Child Worth?
Children should never be weapons of war. Yet, in the 21st century, before the eyes of the entire world, Russia has systematically abducted more than 19,500 Ukrainian children (with some estimates as high as 700,000).
All have undergone the same process – forced name changes, new passports, and indoctrination into the “Russian world.” They are taught to forget the Ukrainian language. To despise the country they came from. To never learn the truth about their origins.
This is one of the most insidious war crimes of our time – the systematic theft of children, an act that amounts to nothing less than genocide.
On 17 March 2023, the ICC (International Criminal Court) issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, stating it an act of genocide.
However, while humanitarian organizations, led by our friends at “Save Ukraine”, and “Bring Kids Back”, are focused on locating and bringing back the stolen children, someone is now preventing them – Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has decided to defund these organizations.
Compounding the problem, the US Administration’s State Department has quietly terminated a contract that was in the process of transferring evidence of alleged Russian abductions of Ukrainian children—a potential war crime—to law enforcement officials in Europe.
It will now make it harder to track down the kidnapped Ukrainian kids and complicate the efforts to seek accountability for the abductions.
Jeremiah 22:3 – “This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed.” This biblical passage emphasizes the moral imperative to stand against oppression and injustice, which is precisely what is needed in response to Russia’s actions.
We are convinced that the vast majority of Americans are kind and compassionate people. That is why the lack of empathy for thousands of Ukrainian parents and their abducted children, by this US Administration, is truly astonishing.
Lets hope and pray the funding pause for these programs will be lifted as soon as possible. If you care to support Save Ukraine or Bring Kids Back – please donate below.
And please pray for a just peace for Ukraine.
HART PARTNER CHURCH
Ukrainian Bible Church of Lviv
Pastor Pavlo (Paul)
A Knock on the Church Door
Evening had fallen, and the workday at the humanitarian headquarters of the Ukrainian Bible Church in Lviv had ended.
However, Pastor Pavlo Tokarchuk stayed behind in his office, wrapping up some final tasks. His quiet solitude was soon interrupted by a persistent knock at the church’s entrance.
When he opened the door, he saw a young man in his twenties standing there – humble and a bit unsure of himself.
“Is this a church?” the young man asked.
“Yes, welcome. How can I help you?” the pastor responded.
“Tell me something about the church.”
The question caught Pastor Pavlo off guard. He was used to people coming to the church armed with specific needs—food, shelter, prayer—but this was different.
“What exactly are you interested in?”
“I don’t know…just tell me something.”
The young man introduced himself as Sasha. He had recently arrived in Lviv from Kharkiv. When the pastor asked if he had ever attended church before, Sasha shook his head. “No,” he admitted. He had never stepped inside an Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant church.
His mother, however, had earlier fled to Poland, where she received help from an evangelical church in Warsaw. She started attending services there, and when she found out that her son was in Lviv, she asked someone to recommend a church for him.
She gave him the address of the Ukrainian Bible Church and simply said, “Just go there.” Without fully understanding why, Sasha followed his mother’s advice.
Pastor Pavlo welcomed him, shared a little about the church, and invited him to a Sunday service. Sasha listened quietly, thanked him, and left. At that moment, the pastor assumed it was probably the first and last time he would see him.
But on Sunday, Sasha came back. Not only did he attend the service, but he also joined the church picnic afterward. He was reserved, staying on the sidelines, observing everything from a distance.
Sensing his hesitation, Pastor Pavlo invited Sasha to his home group for Bible study. To his surprise, Sasha agreed. At the first meeting, Sasha was direct, “I’m an atheist. I don’t believe in Jesus. But for some reason, I want to come.”
A year later, Sasha was baptized. “I watched how his story unfolded,” Pastor Pavlo recalls. “He had lost his brother before the war, leaving him with deep pain and unanswered questions about God. He felt lost. But then his mother found a church in Poland, someone there gave her our address in Lviv, and he found the courage to step through our doors. Each of those
small moments led him to a new life.”
Today, Sasha is an active member of the church. He serves in student ministry, volunteers, and has become a more open and joyful person. His transformation is a true miracle in the pastor’s eyes, as is the fact that he can see transformed lives and
the great impact of the church and its ministry on Ukraine.
HART’s impact on Paul’s church:
“The HART mission has been instrumental in strengthening people’s faith and empowering our church’s ministry. Through our collaboration, the Ukrainian Bible Church was able to organize camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which are more than just places for recreation and social connection – they offer a profound opportunity for people to realize that God is with them, even in their most difficult moments.
HART also has an education scholarship programs, investing in the future of Ukraine and its churches by helping young people grow in faith, get an education and become new leaders in their churches. “
Gratitude for Support
Paul also expressed deep admiration – for the generosity of HART supporters. “For many, this war could have remained a distant problem, something happening in another part of the world. Yet, they open their hearts. They give – whether large or small – so that someone here might find relief and God’s presence might be revealed to those in Ukraine.”
Mobile Home update
[Short note from Yevhen Taran, HART’s Director in Ukraine]
Thanks to all of you in HART’s community for supporting our Modular Home Project.
God is good! Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss this project with a Christian businessman from Rivne. He was so impressed with it that he decided to donate 96 large windows for our new modular homes.
A trucking company agreed to cover the transportation costs of delivering the windows to Kherson, 800 kilometers away.
When the owner of the trucking company delivered the windows and saw the project in action, they were so impacted they decided to donate 96 new mattresses for this project.
Next, I will soon be meeting with an old friend who owns a roofing company. Our goal is to negotiate a discounted price for the roofing material.
The brothers at our warehouse in Chornobaivka , a suburb of Kherson, have already started building new homes, and I am confident that these will be even better than before—now featuring high-quality, spacious windows to brighten up the houses.
Please keep this project in your prayers. There are so many people who are desperate to rebuild their destroyed homes but need one of our mobile homes to shelter in during their reconstruction period.
Yevhen Taran, HART Ukraine Director
PRAY
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.
