Ukraine at War – Update 15, 2024

ANOTHER – SMALL STORY IN A BIG WAR

ANOTHER – SMALL STORY IN A BIG WAR

Valentyna’s Story … by Chaplain Hennadii Prosiankio

[Pictured above is Pastor Hennadii preaching and praying with locals who just received the aid he and his team brought them.]

Valentyna Bornikova’s story is one of selfless service in the face of adversity. Despite the ongoing conflict in her region, Valentyna chose to remain in her hometown of Krasnohorivka, in the Donetsk province of Ukraine. Hennadii would often state that the Lord had called her to serve long before she even accepted Him as her personal Savior.

For about ten years now, HART partner and military chaplain Hennadii Prosianko has regularly traveled to frontline towns to pray, preach, and provide aid to soldiers and civilians. It is a great privilege for HART to play an active role in this challenging but vital ministry. 

Chaplain Hennadii frequently visited the frontline town of Krasnohorivka. He and his team of ministers often brought food aid to this area because grocery stores were not regularly open, and many residents were too afraid to venture out, especially if the stores were far from home.

The demand for food packages was high, and supplies quickly ran out as more people came seeking help. It was particularly heartbreaking to turn away elderly and disabled individuals. Therefore, Hennadii promised to return soon with more aid, ensuring that everyone who had not received assistance would get it next time.

During one of his trips to the frontline area in 2015, Hennadii encountered a local woman named Valentyna. After delivering a sermon and praying, people approached the van to receive food packages.

The demand for food aid far exceeded the available supplies. Valentyna stepped forward to assist in distributing the packages, focusing on those with the greatest need. However, this task proved challenging, as many were reluctant to relinquish their long-awaited provisions to others.

As a local resident, Valentyna knew everyone well and could effectively argue why one person should receive a food package immediately while another could wait until the team’s next visit. She did this with such authority and confidence that almost no one disputed her decisions.

Hennadii and his team of ministers saw Valentyna as a blessing in their ministry in frontline Krasnohorivka. From that day forward, they conducted services and distributed humanitarian aid according to Valentyna’s prepared list.

Valentyna was not a believer, but Hennadii and his team were sure that the Lord had sent her to help organize their ministry effectively.

She regularly listened to their sermons and prayed with them. However, Hennadii sensed that something was holding Valentyna back from fully embracing faith and dedicating her life to Jesus Christ. While some people found faith after their first service at the front, others needed more time to understand the Gospel message and decide to believe in Jesus Christ.

The partnership with Valentyna lasted for nine years, during which she attentively listened to all the Gospel sermons delivered to the resilient residents of the frontline towns.

God’s Word, planted in Valentyna’s heart, eventually flourished: a few years later, she shared with Hennadii her personal faith in the Lord and her intimate relationship with the Savior. Hennadii and his team were overjoyed. Valentyna had transformed from being not only a divine gift for their effective ministry but also a fellow believer in Christ.

In February 2024, Hennadii and his team conducted a service at a private residence in Krasnohorivka. Following the service, they prayed and distributed food packages based on the lists meticulously prepared by Sister Valentyna.

After the service, they gave Valentyna a ride home in their van. She shared with the team the hardships of staying in her apartment during the bombings, describing the difficulty of getting up and running to the basement when the walls shook from the shells and debris flew into her home.

Hennadii and the team assured her that they would continue to pray for her, then returned to their own homes in safer areas where they could sleep relatively peacefully, free from heavy shelling.

As they reflected on the immense stress that people in frontline towns and villages had endured for ten years, they marveled at how these individuals managed to withstand such fears and anxieties. Two days after returning home from the front, they received a call from Valentyna’s friend, informing them that Valentyna had passed away. She had simply gone to bed and died quietly in her sleep.

The Lord called her home. Her heart could no longer endure the relentless strain of war. Hennadii wept and prayed, asking, “Why, God? Valentyna could have lived longer; we need her so much for our ministry.”

However, this marked Hennadii’s final trip to Krasnohorivka, as the town soon succumbed to the Russian occupation forces. He knows the residents endure severe hardships, trapped in basements without water or bread. He believes they are praying to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they came to know through his ministry. Hennadii holds faith that God will not abandon them.

Hennadii firmly believes that Valentyna is now with the Lord. She was buried in Kurakhove, a neighboring town where burials are still permitted. In Krasnohorivka, funerals are not allowed due to the frequent bombardments. No friends or relatives attended her funeral, but Hennadii is convinced that Valentyna was welcomed into heaven by the saints who came to faith through their ministry. He believes she was greeted by the Lord she served so faithfully. All glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear HART community, the Bible says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

Thank you for your participation in the Lord’s great work in the most dangerous places. May God bless you abundantly.

Pastor Hennadii