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Ukraine at War – Update 17, 2024

Reflections From the War Zone

Returning to Ukraine for the first time since the war began in 2022 revealed a stark transformation in the country. Several things hit home for me.

First, While the physical destruction is staggering, it is the human cost – the disruption of millions of lives, the constant missile threats and the invisible wounds of war – that represents the true scale of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Addressing both the immediate needs and long-term psychosocial impacts will be a huge challenge as the country looks toward recovery and healing.

Second, I was struck by the resolve and resilience of Ukrainians amidst these challenges. It was deeply moving. Reading about how Ukrainian people respond to these challenges is informative, however, witnessing their responses and hearing their stories firsthand was awe-inspiring. This is particularly evident in the Evangelical churches HART partners with, whose unwavering commitment to serving their communities in the face of adversity is remarkable.

For me, these observations reinforced the gravity of the situation and the importance of continued international support for Ukraine and continued support of the local Evangelical churches.

Here are some additional insights or stories that impacted me during my time in Ukraine…

A Miracle Escape From Prison

Pastor Serhey told us about a harrowing ordeal with Russian military interrogators that tested his faith and resolve. After being arrested while delivering food to those in need in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, he was blindfolded and taken to a facility where he feared for his life and expected to face severe torture.

The interrogators attempted to coerce Serhey into cooperating, trying to convince him that Putin would change their lives for the better, that he would build more roads, and that he loved Baptists.

Despite these efforts, Serhey steadfastly refused to comply even though knowing that his cell phone contained incriminating evidence of his collaboration with Ukrainian forces, including social media posts documenting Russian atrocities during the occupation. He knew his fate would be torture and death.

In a remarkable, unexpected turn of events, the interrogators neither checked his phone nor subjected him to torture. Instead, they drove him home and even apologized for the inconvenience!

This surprising outcome was seen as nothing short of miraculous by Serhey’s congregation, who likened it to the biblical account of Apostle Peter’s miraculous escape from prison. God is good!

A Desperate Escape in the Middle of the Night

HART’s director, Yevhen, recounted the harrowing morning of February 22, 2022, near Kherson. He and his family were jolted awake by explosions just kilometers away, the sky ablaze with fire and missile strikes. Within 15 minutes, still in their pajamas, they hastily gathered a few crucial items, got into their car, and fled to the safety of Western Ukraine.

As a chaplain with deep ties to the Ukrainian military, Yevhen faced grave danger if captured. He risked severe beatings, torture, or even execution at the hands of Russian forces. Their escape was timely, as Russian soldiers soon occupied their home. The newly constructed church where Yevhen had served was swiftly repurposed into a military command post by the invading forces.

Air Raid Sirens – Incoming Missiles – Then Death

During our visit, Lviv experienced air raid sirens on three separate nights. Initially, the blaring sound felt surreal, almost like special effects in a movie. However, the gravity of the situation quickly became apparent—this was no film but a harsh reality of life in Ukraine.

Air raid sirens carry a chilling message: missiles were inbound – lives were potentially at risk – get to a bomb shelter ASAP. As a local pastor aptly described it, life in Ukraine has become a lottery, with the constant threat of enemy missiles striking anywhere at any time.

Fortunately, during our stay, Lviv suffered only minor damage without casualties. However, the day after my departure for Canada, a Russian missile attack claimed seven lives, including a mother and her three young daughters. This tragedy underscores the deadly seriousness of these warnings.

Those who have witnessed missile destruction firsthand or felt the force of an explosion describe how it fundamentally alters one’s perception of air raid sirens. The sound becomes a visceral and terrifying reminder of imminent danger, forever changing how one responds to these warnings.

The psychological impact of living under such constant threat is profound, especially considering that millions of Ukrainian children are growing up in this kind of environment.

The Significance of an Angel’s Question

Pastor Gennady’s account of how the war has transformed his approach to preaching is both poignant and revealing.

Faced with the harsh realities of conflict, he found himself unable to promise soldiers that if they prayed to God, His divine protection would always save them. Instead, he developed a concise, powerful message tailored for soldiers facing the constant threat of death.

His new approach to sharing the gospel focuses on the eternal consequences of faith rather than promising earthly safety. The message he now shares with soldiers is as follows: “When your life ends on the battlefield, an Angel of the Lord will ask you, ‘Where shall I take you?’ If you answer, ‘I don’t know,’ you’ll be on your way to hell.

However, if you say, ‘You should take me to heaven,’ the Angel will challenge you: ‘Are you so good that I should take you to heaven?’ Your response should be, ‘No, I am not so good, but I believe in Jesus, who died for me and is waiting for me in Heaven.’ Then the Angel will escort you to heaven.”

Chaplain Gennady says he has witnessed this simple story saving many soldiers’ lives for time and eternity.

Front Row Seat To Your Generosity

I’ve often said that we at HART have a front-row seat to the events unfolding in Ukraine based on daily communications with our office there and reports from partner churches and pastors.

However, my recent visit to Ukraine provided me with three important insights regarding our work in Ukraine:

Firstly, I witnessed firsthand the remarkable work our church partners are undertaking in all parts of the country. Their stories of resilience and faith left me in awe. Several pastors recounted life under Russian occupation, describing how they fearlessly served their suffering communities despite the constant threat of violence, persecution, and even death.

One pastor shared that when he said ‘goodbye’ to his wife each day, they both knew it could be the last time they saw each other on earth.

Secondly, while their eyes reflected exhaustion, their hearts, and spirits radiated with excitement as our partner pastors and their wives shared stories of God’s transformative work through their churches. It is imperative that we continue to support our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

Thirdly, I had a front-row seat to your generosity. On your behalf, I experienced overwhelming gratitude from the churches and ministries you support. I was deeply moved by countless heartfelt “THANK YOUs” and tears of gratitude from courageous Ukrainian pastors.

It was profoundly humbling to hear these true heroes of the faith expressing their gratitude to HART for our support during this horrific period in their lives. Their courage, dedication, and unwavering faith in the face of such adversity were truly inspiring.

Your prayers and financial support have an impact far beyond what you might imagine. They touch countless lives and bring light to some of Ukraine’s darkest moments.

Thank you to everyone in our HART community in Canada and the USA for helping us change the world—one heart at a time!

Lloyd Cenaiko

President

LEADERSHIP OF THE BAPTIST UNION OF UKRAINE

HART’s team was warmly greeted in Kyiv by Valeriy Antoniuk, the President of the Baptist Union of Ukraine. Valeriy and Ihor Bandura (Senior VP) thanked the “HART” mission for 28 years of service in Ukraine.

VIDEO: CSP Trauma Healing Conference

When serving children, CSP caseworkers face challenges requiring more psychology knowledge than ever. Besides the usual complex problems of poverty-stricken families like alcohol, drug abuse, parental neglect, violence, etc., they now have to deal with additional problems caused by the war, such as high levels of anxiety, stress, and trauma, caused by the disruptions in their normal lives, loss of loved ones, their homes, loss of a sense of security, etc.

These are difficult and complex issues facing children and their caseworkers, therefore, the key focus of this conference was also on ultimately introducing the children to Jesus, who has the power to save, heal, and restore.

Watch and listen to the testimonies of those who attended this conference, thanks to your support.

CSP Story: Two Little Evangelists

When serving children, CSP caseworkers face challenges requiring more psychology knowledge than ever. Besides the usual complex problems of poverty-stricken families like alcohol, drug abuse, parental neglect, violence, etc., they now have to deal with additional problems caused by the war, such as high levels of anxiety, stress, and trauma, caused by the disruptions in their normal lives, loss of loved ones, their homes, loss of a sense of security, etc.

These are difficult and complex issues facing children and their caseworkers, therefore, the key focus of this conference was also on ultimately introducing the children to Jesus, who has the power to save, heal, and restore.

Watch and listen to the testimonies of those who attended this conference, thanks to your support.

VIDEO – A New Home for Ihor & Krystyna

This home renovation project was a typical HART venture. We elicited the support of a local evangelical church to cover about half of the costs to upgrade this home, and YOU, HART supporters, contributed the other half.

This is how we envision the Body of Christ working together in partnership—including being sensitive not to rob the local church of the pride and blessings they receive for contributing to projects like this. They get the credit, and God gets the glory.

I had the privilege and honor of visiting Ihor and Krystyna a couple of weeks ago and hearing their heartfelt thank you to all HART supporters for their new home.

Ihor also expressed his gratitude for receiving a HART scholarship and is beginning his second year working toward a Law Degree.

VIDEO: Camps in the Carpathian Mountains

SEPTEMBER IS THE MONTH FOR SHARING

At HART, we know we are blessed with the greatest supporters we could hope for – people like you who are passionate and committed to helping those in need in Ukraine.

And we know there are more people like you out there. Would you help us find them?

This September, we are asking all our supporters to share this email update with at least one person and/or invite at least one person to check out HART’s website.

If everyone who receives this update did that, we could see over 3,200 people introduced to the work of HART. And that could mean thousands of more people joining in the life-saving work that HART is doing.

Please make this September the month you share the word – and help save a life!

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.