The people of Ukraine have been living in trauma in recent years due to ongoing war and internal conflicts fueled by centuries-old conflicts between people groups. Children and youth are thrown into situations they may find impossible to understand, while their parents struggle to make sense out of conflict that is increasingly hard to explain or endure. Only the God of the Bible can bring peace and hope through the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit. Your gifts in support of SGA ministry to people in crisis is used to help bring hope and peace from God.
When SGA began seeking support for our Crisis Evangelism Fund, the violence in Ukraine was only just beginning. Thanks to you, our partners, we were quickly able to begin equipping the evangelical churches with emergency funds to provide food parcels and other assistance to refugees from eastern Ukraine and the Crimea region.
As time went on and the fighting continued unabated in the east, SGA staff and UECB church leaders discreetly toured the combat zones to assess the local needs of SGA-sponsored missionary pastors and their congregations. The pastors and their families had significant needs themselves. But the opportunity for Gospel ministry had been granted by the Lord. Faithfully, they have seized it by taking the love of Christ to unbelieving families whose lives had been shattered.
SGA partners came through in a major way for the suffering people in Ukraine. We were able to step up the provision of food parcels, as well as mattresses and bed linens to help the churches house the many refugees. The food parcels contained evangelistic literature, and the Word of God was distributed to help bring comfort to hurting souls. Just as the Lord Jesus Himself observed in His earthly ministry, they were . . . distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Families were housed in private homes, church buildings, summer camps, and even in dormitory rooms at Vinnitsa Bible College, and Irpen Biblical Seminary.
Only eternity will reveal the impact of all the ministry that has taken place—and will continue to take place as long as the needs like this persist in our broken, fallen world.
