Editor’s Note: The images below were provided by an SGA-supported church in Ukraine.

SGA-supported Pastor Vladechak has been behind the fighting lines for the last six weeks. He writes to us from relative freedom and tells his story. He is a true hero of faith. Read more about his first-hand experience with the war…

We greet you, dear brothers and sisters, with the love of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing you this letter with tears in my eyes.

On February 24, at four o’clock in the morning, our lives changed, our daughter said “Dad, please don’t worry, the war started”. I turned on the TV, and I heard this news. From the very beginning, rockets flew at civilians, in houses, hospitals, children’s boarding schools, bomb shelters where people hid, at railway stations, in columns of people who went to evacuate with a white flag.

They completely destroyed those villages and towns that were under the occupiers, they mocked people, raped women and children, cut off their limbs, burned their eyes and threw them on the ground or burned them.

My village was also occupied. They lived in our village, controlled the road to the capital of Kiev. Shops were bombed in our village; people were shot at. We had no bread, no food, we all hid and sat in the shelter, kneeling, and praying. My wife and I, who is currently sick, hid with our daughter and sat in the cellar. But when columns of military equipment started firing and passing through the streets, such as tanks, missiles, and many other equipment, we were forced to flee to our homes, taking our children and grandchildren.

In the first days of the war, we could not escape from our village. Many people left, but not all reached their destination. Because these racists killed these people. We did not have green corridors in [named region] region. Lived more than a month under occupation, we thank only one dear God that we are still alive on this earth.

Every morning, every evening and at night there were shellings of the village. We did not undress day or night, we were on our knees, crying, there was great pain in our hearts. We prayed to the Lord day and night.

When they fired, the houses shook, windows and doors flew out, and the gas exploded.

There was a fire on our street near my house that endangered my whole family. But prayer makes miracles. My wife and children and I all began to pray. And God turned the wind in the other direction and departed. My 7-year-old granddaughter was very scared all the time, she hid under the bed and prayed that we would all stay alive. And although we are not under the occupiers at the moment, the war continues, rockets are flying. And in the east and south there are fierce battles. And every day we look forward to the victory of our country. We pray to God that God will save our Ukraine.

Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us, for our Churches, our homes, children, our grandchildren, for us and my wife, that the Lord may give us the strength to endure all this grief, the pain in our souls remains.

May the Lord bless you all abundantly. Greetings to all from my family.

With love to you,

Your brother Pastor Vladechak

Pastor Vlad driving for the first time in six weeks through surrounding villages showing the current conditions after the attacks.

In a time of great uncertainty, God is bringing help, healing, and hope to the people of Ukraine through SGA-supported pastors, churches, a seminary, and SGA-sponsored Compassion Ministry. Be a part of God’s incredible work with your generosity and prayer support.

Your gift of compassion helps struggling people with emergency aid that generally includes Scripture materials, food, medicine, warm clothing, and shoes.