Thank you for your continuing prayers for people caught up in the ongoing violence in Ukraine.

Since our Easter update, we have heard from our people in mission Alison, Valery and Anya that they were able to travel back to near Kyiv in late April for a brief trip to assess both the damage done and people’s needs. They sent us some photos of what they saw.

Alison reported:

“It has been a very full and very emotional time visiting the areas that have been particularly destroyed. The first day we went round the villages in the area where we were first based, and really saw God’s hand of protection… Some of the villages are almost completely destroyed; even so we saw many older women, older people trying to pull their lives back together, getting rid of the rubbish and…getting what they could together to make repairs. Plastic on the roof and that sort of thing. Very, very sad.

“The government are promising some support but how soon it comes through is another matter. And we do need to pray that really it does get distributed appropriately. We’ve been praying a lot, exactly where God would have us to serve; we visited an area where Valery started a church ages ago, a block of flats really, sadly destroyed…. We have been looking for a base where we can be and set up to stay, to serve from in this area, praying that God will give us his wisdom and direction

“Last night we gathered together with people from Kyiv and had a lovely time in fellowship, and just as we were driving people home, we heard more explosions in Kyiv…so we can’t say that Kyiv is quiet and the war is over yet, but we do want to make sure we are not delaying [returning] any more than God wants us to.

“Praise God, he gave us many important interactions, which helped us understand how God is leading us. Our last afternoon in Kyiv, we were able to gather together with about 15 of our church members who have decided to say in Kyiv. It was really encouraging to join together again and share what God has been doing in us. Our return to where we are staying was delayed because we didn’t have enough diesel as all the garages had run out and curfew is at 10pm. Praise God for the church who took us in. We joined many others on the rows of mattresses in the large church hall.

“It was really good to be able to get back to the rest of the fellowship [in our current temporary location] and share our news. Thank you for your prayers for the timing, resources and the specific people who will be involved in different ways as we look to play our part in restoration.

“Please continue to stand with us. We do NOT have the strength…on our own.”

Please pray

…as plans continue to develop for providing practical and spiritual care for victims of violence. And of course pray for the violence to cease. Alison reports that rising inflation have made purchasing food, fuel and other goods vastly more expensive; please pray for God to provide.