This past winter, SGA-supported Pastor Ruslan sent the following report from a frontline city in Ukraine. He described the toll of near-weekly drone attacks on his city and the churches he serves.

The season has since changed, but some of the needs he described from the coldest months of the year have not: SGA-supported churches across Ukraine continue to provide food, water, and hygiene supplies to families in crisis today—and, most importantly, the hope of the Gospel.

As you read Ruslan’s report from earlier this year, please pray for that God would provide for the critical, ongoing needs of suffering people in Ukraine.

From Ruslan . . .

Dear friends, we greet you and want to share how [our community] has been living lately—and how, despite everything, we continue to serve the people.

The last two months have been very difficult for our city. Since November, we have been experiencing almost weekly attacks. These are mostly Shahed drones, which fly mostly at night, although there are also daytime attacks. [The invaders are] purposefully striking critical infrastructure—power plants, ports, logistics facilities, warehouses, as well as residential buildings.

We are already used to waking up to explosions and sirens. But every time it hurts. Especially when you see destroyed houses, injured people, tears of children who do not understand why their home has disappeared.

In December, there were mass blackouts in the city. Light, water, heat—everything disappeared at the same time. People warmed themselves as best they could. In many houses, the temperature dropped to street level. It was especially difficult for families with children, the elderly, and displaced people. At that time, a significant part of [our city] was left without electricity for several days in a row.

One night in mid-January, [we] woke up again to explosions. At about four in the morning, an air raid alert began, and soon the first strike was heard. [The invaders attacked] again with kamikaze drones. One of them hit a residential area. One house was completely destroyed; several others were badly damaged. People ran out into the street barefoot, with children in their arms, in the middle of the night, scared. There are injured.

A critical infrastructure facility was also damaged. Because of this, part of the city was left without electricity again. We felt it ourselves—the day before, when we returned home, there was no electricity. And after the night shelling, we were again sitting without electricity. The temperature in the city that day was -7°C (about 19°F). Darkness, cold and silence—this was [our city] at dawn. In some homes, especially old ones, the temperature inside was almost the same as outside.

But despite all these challenges, we continue to serve, and this has become possible thanks to God’s grace and your support. Thanks to you, we have generators, inverters, fuel, gas heaters. We were able to provide churches with constant light even when it is dark around. Gas heaters allow us to maintain heat in the halls when there is no heating. Generators and inverters turn on every time the electricity goes out—they power equipment, charge phones, and support the ministry.

What is most impressive is how your help inspires not only us, but also those who come to church. People come in, see light, warmth, receive a cup of tea, and feel cared for. They ask in amazement: “How is this possible?” We answer: “Because we have the Lord—and friends who do not forget about us.”

Thank you very much. Thanks to your love and support, we can remain a place where the light never goes out, either physically or spiritually. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for your support.

With great gratitude from our entire community, the ministers of the new churches of [our community].

The blackouts and drone strikes Ruslan describes have continued this year. SGA-supported churches across Ukraine also continue to provide food, water, and hygiene supplies to families still recovering from war, displacement, and hardship. Through every act of compassion, they have not stopped sharing the hope of the Gospel with suffering and searching people.

Your gift today can help SGA-supported pastors like Ruslan keep meeting urgent needs in the days ahead—and keep pointing hurting people to Christ.