Lines at the border crossing into Poland are very long and slow, so many are now choosing to divert to the Moldovan-Romanian border. The city of Chernivtsi has a usual population of around 300,000 but has now almost doubled in a short period of time. Local believers located in Chernivtsi receive refugees as they move forward into Europe. Accommodation, basic supplies, food, and support are needed.
Speaking to a local Mission Possible partner this morning, we were told that over the weekend, the church rallied and provided 150 new blankets and pillows to incoming refugees. Today, Mission Possible ordered another 150 pillow and blanket sets ($23 per set) from a Moldovan factory. They will be delivered in the coming days. We are also monitoring the need for food aid and are ready to help.
Today we received updates from Odesa and Transnistria that our people are safe and are starting to see and help refugees. They are starting to put together a plan on getting into the villages where there will great need among the people. They hope to be able to visit the villages as soon as possible.
We will continue bringing you updated news from Ukraine; it will now be featured on our general News & Stories page. Thank you!
Feb 24th, 2023, marks one year since the war began in Ukraine. Mission Possible has been serving the people of Ukraine for over 30 years. Yes, this has been a very challenging year for our teams personally; however, it has also been one of those years with tremendous opportunities to share the message of hope in Christ and to support people's physical needs.
We hope you will join us in marking the war's first anniversary with prayer.
Mission Possible Ukraines impact this year:
PRAYER
Thank you again, and know that we are also praying for our friend and partners also!
Warmth and the Gospel for families
We visited Svetlana's home in a village in the Odessa region.
She has daughters aged 13 and 4. The older one has been attending our Bible club. The girl's schooling has been interrupted because the school is closed due to the lack of a bomb shelter.
The father, the breadwinner of the family, is at the front.
"I'm four years old," little Nika pointed her fingers. We also brought home warm clothes.
- If I had a job, I could earn a living. Now I don't always know how to feed the children, let alone buy wood," Svetlana sighed.
She was overjoyed to hear that we would provide her with firewood for the winter. We talked for a long time, encouraged her, told her about our faith, and prayed together. Svetlana wanted to accept Jesus into her life.
"I will tell daddy that we prayed and that God will protect him, and from now on I will always pray with mummy," the little Nika daughter said.
Distribution of firewood loads to families for the coldest months is underway.
Warmth in homes in the midst of war: Our work in Ukraine continues.
With your help, we have so far distributed more than 17 000 food packages in around 130 locations. A warm thank you to everyone for your support!
During the difficult winter months, we are concentrating our aid on 30 villages in the Odesa region. We will distribute 2-3 months of firewood kits to homes. We will also distribute food aid to families in the most difficult situations.
Odesa office writing a Blog Post
Our Odessa team members write about our office, lit by an oil lamp, using generator electricity:
"Citizens are urged to stock up on fuel, water, food, batteries - but with most barely enough money for food, the rest is a dream. The power cuts mean that bread disappears from the shelves of shops and drinking water from the pipes. At least rural villages have well water, and crops have been harvested from their own vegetable gardens. But there is a shortage of everything, and a cold winter is coming. Heating homes is the biggest problem for the coming months."
The trees are loaded in smaller loads from trucks to be delivered to villages and home gates. Residents chop the wood into piles and use it to heat their cold homes.
A load of firewood for one home costs €160, a pack of food €25.
Thank you very much for your help!
Families with children and elderly people in need have so far received 15,000 food boxes.
Our team in Odesa and the local churches we work with have taken aid and the Gospel to 140 villages and towns in this part of Ukraine so far. Several visits have been made to villages in the surrounding area.
Our team will focus on 30 villages in the Odesa region in the coming months to ensure that resources continue to be available to help families regularly, evangelize and have one-to-one conversations with residents.
There are approximately 2,000 families in these villages. Our team organizes children's Bible clubs in several villages.
A warm thank you for your support!
I am ashamed to post this request, sorry...
Our Odesa team writes:
We received this letter from a teacher in distress - and there are many like her. Several months' wages have not been paid, while prices have risen dramatically. We were glad to be able to help her.
"I was told that you help people. But don't think I'm expecting anything. I know that many people need help. I was just told that you could help.
I'm sorry if this is an inappropriate request, there are many people who need more help. I have always tried to help people myself. But it's just that I've been on unpaid leave for three months. And we're all out of everything at home - no food.
But if you can't help, I'll try to survive somehow. I just don't have the strength anymore. I'm sorry about this letter..."
We were able to help this teacher and many others just like her.
"We know the power of intercession."
Our team members tell us:
"We work with confidence. We pray before every trip, and we also feel that we are being prayed for and that God has watched over us."
"There have been many rocket attacks in the Odesa area. Rockets have hit close to the villages where we work, but mainly outside them. One rocket almost hit the club where we hold a Bible club for children, but there was a tall tree nearby, which the rocket hit first, changed course, and hit the side. In another village where we have a church connection, a rocket hit the home of a church family, but no one was home, and they were sheltering."
We have so far distributed help and the gospel to about 10,000 homes, and the work continues.
Our team has distributed about half of this amount in the outlying villages of the Odesa region, and the other half has been distributed through churches in various towns and villages. Each package contains about 8 kg of food.
We bring Bibles and spend time talking with people.
A poem inspired by the youth of Odesa serving with Mission Possible
If there was no hope
Fear would lock us behind the doors.
Depression would curl us around ourselves.
Despair would solidify us in our places to wait for the worst.
Darkness would turn off even the last ray of light.
Despair would make us give up and lose the fight.
---
But because there is hope
We get up and step out.
We look up and see those in need.
We will continue to work and give our strength to do good.
We see the darkness coming tomorrow and the light overcoming.
We will continue to fight until victory.
For we have God
---
Whose love banishes all fear.
Which encourages and invites us to serve.
Which gives future and hope.
Which is the light of the world.
Who has overcome death!
In villages close to Odesa, Ukraine, Mission possible teams meet families with children and the elderly.
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Daily life was a struggle before the war, and now have become more complicated, and many are living in fear.
An MP Odesa Team Member wrote to us today.
"Greetings from all of us! Thank God Odesa is pretty calm right now. Over the last week, we bought supplies and assembled and distributed food parcels. Distribution has been mainly through local churches, and our team has also been to the villages. The van broke down, but it is now repaired and on the road again. Yesterday we bought 1000 liters of cooking oil, and today we are still looking for supplies.
Volunteers help pack sugar, barley, oats, and rice into smaller bags every day. We are in a hurry to buy large quantities of supplies as the cost of goods continues to rise. "
A warm thank you to everyone for your help!
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Not sure how to pray for Ukraine or how to engage your kids or Grandkids. Here's a cool resource that was illustrated in Ukraine. It's an insight into the beautiful and rich Ukrainian culture. Can you find some hidden surprises in the picture, learn more about varenyki or borsht, and maybe even attempt to cook them for supper one day? Thank you for praying for Ukraine.
PRAY WITH US TODAY FOR UKRAINIANS LIVING IN THIS CONFLICT.
Lord God, we ask that you would work mightily for the spiritual and physical protection of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. We pray that you will keep Your people safe from harm. Where there is fear, bring Your comfort, Lord.
2 Cor 1:3-4
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those in any kind of affliction through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
God, You can supply every need; many Ukrainians need your provision today, Lord. Help Mission Possible be Your hands and feet as we find and take food supplies to the hungry.
Phil 4:19,
"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."
Even in the darkness of this war, Lord, send out your light and your truth; Strengthen your church and allow Ukrainian Christians to lead others to you.
Col 4:2-4
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”
THANK YOU!
Food and hygiene boxes were given to people living in villages around Odesa and the city of Mykolaiv.
This week, Mission Possible distributed food and hygiene boxes to people living in villages around Odessa. Most villagers have remained due to the lack of funds or connections outside Ukraine. Many are afraid to leave their homes and express that they see no way out; they are concerned about the future. More than half of the villagers have lost their jobs and, therefore, their income. Some have already run out of money and food supplies and are dependent on help.
The situation in Mykolaiv, a city about 80miles east of Odesa, is even worse. We received a request for help from a church there. Because the need was so great, Mission Possible team members Igor and Sasha immediately set off with a bus full of food and hygiene boxes. The trip to Mykolaiv is not without danger, as it is located on the front lines of the conflict.
Here is the message we received from MP team member Liliya last night:
Hello!
Yesterday, Igor and Sasha brought food and hygiene boxes to Mykolaiv. Some of the boxes they handed out themselves, and a large number were dropped off at a church. It is a sad sight: The houses have turned into complete ruins in some streets. People live together with other families in places that are still habitable. The city is constantly being shelled. Fortunately, Igor and Sasha returned safely.
God bless! Liliya
More help is needed!
We see the need only increasing. Our local led team is purchasing food and other necessary supplies through our contacts in Odesa. Supplies are not easy to find, but it's still possible at this time. Buying medicines is a big problem. We have connections with companies that will supply grain, then process it into flour. Volunteers are helping with the transportation and packing of the food and hygiene boxes. Distribution of the boxes in the city of Odesa and other close towns will occur via churches that collect the relief items from the Mission Possible center.
The crisis in Ukraine is changing day by day. The safety of our people comes first. They will assess the conditions daily and determine whether it is still responsible and safe to continue distribution or even stay in Odesa. They have our support and prayers for wisdom in these decisions. We hope and pray that the situation does not worsen.
Each food and hygiene box costs $30 to fill. We have determined that we can supply and deliver 1000 boxes per month for the next four months. In an upcoming post, we will be asking if you can support this effort; we invite you to start praying and consider joining us or encouraging others to get involved. Together we can do more!
If you have already given, thank you, we are grateful to you!
If you want to help out today, share this post with your friends and family, encourage them to get involved and keep praying for the people of
Ukraine, Russia, and us. These intense and critical days are turning into weeks and months.
THANK YOU!
Seniors Klara and Olena left their homes and fled the war.
When Russian troops seized Snake Island in the Odesa region's waters at the end of the first day of the war, the conflict came close to Kilija, the hometown of Klara and Olena. The fighting brought anxiety and a growing fear among the city's residents, causing people to leave their homes and leave the city one by one.
The elderly siblings Klara and Olena did not want to leave their country and small house.
"Where do you go when you're over 70, and it's dangerous to stay in your own home," Klara begins their story.
Her sister Olena continues emotionally:
"I was worried about how we would go into a foreign country whose language we don't know. But as soon as we crossed the border, we were able to see and experience that refugees were not being treated with indifference. Even though we are guests, we have received love and care throughout our evacuation journey."
Klara and Olena are very grateful for the practical help they have received. They have been cared for by local Christians, Klara has been a believer for a long time, but Olena only recently found faith in God.
God's love becomes visible and experienced through action. Everyone can help those in need through love. That is what God has all called us to do.
Thank you for your support in covering the accommodation and travel expenses of Klara and Olena and many other refugees who came to Romania!
People's names have been changed to protect their privacy.
In the midst of people fleeing war-torn Ukraine, MP continues our partnership with churches near the border, helping to house, feed, and transport refugees. We are committed to serving local believers and providing them with any additional things they need in order to serve their communities (Eph 4:12). This is integral to our mission.
We are doing our best to provide you with accurate and timely information and will be sharing more detailed and personal reports this week.
Together we can do more!
We have known Irina and her family for many years. Throughout her evacuation from home and family, Irina provided us with an insight into her experience through social media.
We want to share her story with you today, in her own words. #crisis #mystory
Irina's posts are in bold.
DEPARTURE
"I had always dreamed of traveling. Now I am traveling through three countries in just a few days, and I can't stop crying. I am not a tourist - I have escaped the war. My whole life is in one suitcase, and I am a refugee. My heart stays in Ukraine. I will take with me what is left of it."
On any other week, Irina is a typical 20-year-old college student. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed everything. Now she is one of the hundreds of thousands who have fled the raging war in her homeland.
To ensure her safety, her parents sent her on this journey. As Irina's mother said goodbye, she threaded her wedding ring onto Irina's finger with the words, "You will return it when we see each other again." Irina's parents and younger brother remained in Odessa. She was driven to the Moldovan border crossing by her father.
"Leaving home and family without knowing when I will return or even see them again is one of the worst feelings on earth" Irina knows what she's talking about!
AT THE BORDER
There's more than a mile-long wait to cross the border, and Irina's evacuation journey begins. She is alone in the sea of people. The night is dark. Irina's large suitcase has a broken handle, and she cannot pull it on the dirt road; she must carry the heavy bag.
"My hands shake, and tears roll down my cheeks. 'Now is not the time to freeze; get yourself together,' I give myself a pep talk. But tears come as I stand on the border with hundreds like me who have left their homes in hopes of finding refuge for their bodies and souls."
Irina is comforted by two other young women standing nearby. "Everything is going to be fine," they say. "You are no longer alone. You can come with us." The women are going to Greece and Irina Romania, but they can travel together on this first stage of their journey. The night is frigid."no one taught me how to pack to be a refugee" Irina is cold, but it seems like a minor problem compared to the horrible new reality.
The wait in line continues into the night, and the tears dry for a moment. "We stand for a long time. I won't cry anymore. We tell stupid jokes and laugh nervously. We try to stay positive." Eventually, they cross the border leaving behind their homeland and former lives.
MOLDOVA
"Moldovans are people with a big heart. I haven't spent even a cent in Moldova yet. Volunteers were waiting for us on the other side of the border and put us on a free shuttle bus to their capital city Chisinau. They provided blankets and warm clothes and gave us some food and drink. I could not refuse the nuts with condensed milk. It tasted like my childhood…."
The young women are grateful to receive the help and care shown to them. Before arriving in Chisinau, a volunteer gave Irina 400 leu (Moldovan currency) and her phone number: "If you need help, call me. You can call at any time." Irina will later use the money for a bus ticket to get from Chisinau to Bucharest. Miraculously, the ticket costs exactly 400 leu.
In Chisinau, a local aid organization receives the refugees, provides food, and makes sleeping arrangements. Irina and her new friends are taken to a small village, an hour and a half drive from Chisinau. Their driver is a father of two who has been transporting refugees to shelters in his car for three days. That night the young women slept in the home of a 75-year-old grandmother.
"Grandma doesn't know our language well, but like all grandmothers, she tries to pamper us with as much food and drink as possible."
The next day, they are taken to a new a family. "The family warmly welcomed the six of us into their home. They greet us with a table set like a banquet feast. We take showers and sleep in comfortable beds."
As the refugee evacuation continues, the family gives everyone a big food package for the trip. They take Irina to the bus station and send her on a journey accompanied by prayers.
"God bless these people and pay them back a thousand times over! Words are not enough to tell how moved I am about what they have done for me, a stranger. And they will continue to do so for every Ukrainian."
SAFE IN ROMANIA
When Irina arrived in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, six days after the start of the war, she made contact with friends. One of Mission Possible Ukraine's workers and her daughter is also a refugee in the city.
"Just six days ago, my biggest challenge was writing a graduation thesis and juggling university and work. Now I can't study, and I pray I can still finish my degree. Before I wanted to sleep for a long time and wake up without an alarm clock - now I barely sleep at all. I wanted to live alone - now I'm hundreds of miles from home. Alone. I have dreamt of living in another country. Now I change countries and cities as fast as I change socks. My dream came true, but I had thought of traveling on a student visa and not as a refugee. My wishes have come true, but in a very different way than I had thought. Nevertheless, I believe that God is turning everything for the better."
Irina is safe now. But worries about loved ones and friends. She is shocked at the outbreak of war and feels loss for her former life, her country, and the people left behind.
Mission Possible will help Ukraine. However, the Ukraine to which Irina and the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees will hopefully return has changed profoundly. But amid even the most shocking events, we have a God who will not be shaken. He is a God of comfort, peace, and love, power to heal broken hearts and give a future and hope.
Together we can help!
How can I PRAY over the Ukrainian Crisis?
PRAY for God’s Strength & Provision. During this difficult time, believers in Ukraine, believers in Russia, and believers who have become refugees are in need of the faith, strength, and provision God offers.
Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
PRAY for Peace and a swift end to all hostilities. Ask that God would impose His Spirit of peace onto the people and leaders of both Russia and Ukraine, and ask that peace and love would triumph over chaos and discord.
Proverbs 16:7: “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies be at peace with him.”
PRAY for God’s Goodness and Glory to be made known. God has demonstrated time and time again that any bad situation can be turned around for His good and the good of His people. Through this tragedy, we can believe that opportunities will arise for God’s goodness and the Gospel of Christ to be made known.
Romans 8:18: “I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is yet to be revealed to us.”
In Odessa, Ukraine, on the shores of the Black Sea, a Russian attack is expected at any time. The evacuation of women, children, the elderly, and the sick already began there last week. However, the evacuation is still happening, and there is a very long line to cross into Moldova.
Contrary to the plan we reported last week, our Mission Possible Director Oleg and his wife Elena have also had to leave. In addition to their biological children, they have been foster parents to several children in our shelter in Odessa over the years. One minor child still lives with them, and Oleg is their official guardian. Child Services have required the family to leave Odessa with the child.
Some of our workers and volunteers are still in Ukraine, but there is now an imminent threat to Odessa. We are preparing to start relief work in the Odessa region as soon as possible.
We continue to work with the Moldovan church to help refugees near the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. In Romania, we support our team member Lilia and her daughter, who has organized a group of families willing to house refugees. Lilia fled Odessa when a missile struck close to her house on the first night of the war. In Bulgaria's Mission Possible operations center, our team is prepared to receive refugees if the situation requires.
Pictured is a picture of Oleg and Elena and their children and foster children (photo is not current to protect children's privacy)
150 sets of mattresses, blankets, and pillows, purchased by Mission Possible, have been delivered to our contacts in Moldova. Local churches are helping the Ukrainian refugees by providing shelter, food, and support.
People are fleeing from Odesa, Ukraine, at an accelerated rate. The Mission Possible Team in Odesa is helping transport refugees to the Moldovan border crossing, where we have a convoy of 6 vehicles waiting. The picture is one of the groups evacuated yesterday. Lines for city trains and buses are long, fuel is proving challenging to find, and this help is critical. Supplies are short, and the needs are changing quickly. Our partners are also providing bedding, food, and spiritual and emotional support at the border. Churches in the opposing forces are less than 60 miles from Odesa, and it is feared that the city will soon be under attack.
The role of Eastern European Christians and church networks in helping Ukrainian refugees is significant. Congregations and families in Ukrainian border countries are offering temporary accommodation and other assistance to refugees on their journey to safety.
What can we do here in the west? We can pray, share (𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙋 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝), and give, (on your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page to give) and so many of you are doing that already.
The Mission Possible teams worldwide are receiving many messages of encouragement like the one below and our teams in Ukraine and Russia know you stand with them. There are many difficult decisions to make in the coming days. Pray, Pray, Pray!
Lines at the border crossing into Poland are very long and slow, so many are now choosing to divert to the Moldovan-Romanian border. The city of Chernivtsi has a usual population of around 300,000 but has now almost doubled in a short period of time. Local believers located in Chernivtsi receive refugees as they move forward into Europe. Accommodation, basic supplies, food, and support are needed.
Speaking to a local Mission Possible partner this morning, we were told that over the weekend, the church rallied and provided 150 new blankets and pillows to incoming refugees. Today, Mission Possible ordered another 150 pillow and blanket sets ($23 per set) from a Moldovan factory. They will be delivered in the coming days. We are also monitoring the need for food aid and are ready to help.
Today we received updates from Odesa and Transnistria that our people are safe and are starting to see and help refugees. They are starting to put together a plan on getting into the villages where there will great need among the people. They hope to be able to visit the villages as soon as possible.
Dear Friend of Mission Possible
In the early morning hours of February 24th, 2022, the Mission Possible Ukraine team in Odesa was woken by the sound of explosions. Missiles were targeting military facilities in their city; an MP team member lives close to this area; a rocket fell near her house.
The Ukrainian people, scarcely beginning to rise from the economic, social, and psychological turmoil caused by Covid, are now facing a new catastrophe - war. War is not a new thing in Ukraine – there have been military conflicts for the past eight years in the country's eastern regions. Before the attacks began on February 24th, the international rhetoric had caused panic in the Ukrainian people and negatively impacted the economy.
We communicate daily with Oleg Kaliakin, MP Ukraine director. He maintains contact with the churches in the region. Oleg says that the streets of Odesa are quiet, with no protests, looting, or rioting. There is, however, already a shortage of supplies, and fuel is not available. They have prepared by storing some necessities. The banking system is in distress; this emergency spans the entire country and also begins in Russia.
Many people have fled Odesa, but Oleg and his family have chosen to remain. Mission Possible's work will continue; they will stay at MP's activity center, serve their community and preach the Gospel, even if there is an invasion.
During conflicts, ordinary people, children, and the elderly suffer the most from government decisions; our teams are no exception. Despite all that, Mission Possible's commitment to being a locally-led ministry means that our workers in the Ukraine and Russia are prepared to continue serving their communities and to offer extra assistance where necessary. The situation is fluid, resources may be stretched, and our work will need to adapt quickly.
Your partnership with MP is essential!
Thank you for your continued interest in our work. We have been bringing help and the Gospel to the people of Eastern Europe for close to 50 years. The upcoming days and weeks are critical, and we need you.
