Ukraine (MNN) – As the war in Ukraine continues, electricity and heating shortages make winter even harder. Often electricity is available only two to four hours a day. Heat is unreliable and winter weather means most homes are only heated to an average of 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, for many Ukrainians these issues are just the most recent in a string of challenges due to the war.
Viktor’s Story
Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) shares updates from a partner who has seen firsthand the chaos of the war. After trusting Jesus and turning from a life of drugs, God gave Viktor a true zeal for the Gospel. He was being discipled by the pastor of his local church and even became an elder. As Russian armies made their way to Kyiv, he suddenly found himself in leadership.
“The pastor had just completed preaching his message. Then he said unexpectedly, looking at Viktor – he said to his church – Viktor, you are the new pastor. My car is outside, running with my family already loaded in. I am gone. I am leaving.
“You can imagine the shock of hearing those words. Viktor didn’t know what to think, and then everyone turned to him. So here you have a church where Viktor is suddenly thrust into being the pastor. A church which was probably 50% depleted as people would flee, that he had to gather together with at the advent of the Russian army invading toward the city limits.”
Marking Time by War Events
Despite his unexpected start in ministry God has given Viktor the joy and strength to lead his church. However, like everyone in the city, he is greatly impacted by war, including increasingly serious rolling blackouts and heating shortages.
(Representative photo courtesy of congerdesign via Pixabay)
“In a recent report from Viktor, he talked about setting his clock by the various different problems that he’s facing. Setting his clock by the air raid sirens going off in the middle of the night every night. Setting his clock by the sequence of rolling blackouts when the power would come on and off. And to be ready to charge phones and do whatever he needs to do, and actually for his wife to prepare some food while the electricity was on. Life changes, and it’s set, not by your clock, but it’s actually set by the series of difficulties that you’ll face during the day.”
This schedule of quickly working when you have power and sleeping wherever you can, is becoming normal. Even sleep is not governed by time of day.
“There are times that Viktor has told me that he went to a bomb shelter at one o’clock in the morning. He’s shown me pictures of he and his family trying to sleep on the floor of a bomb shelter with a couple of pillows. Then the all-clear siren signed off at 6 a.m., in which case he went home, threw some water in his face, and then went straight to the church to get ready to lead Sunday school and preach at the church.”
Hope through Prayer and Heat
In this setting, fear is commonplace. People need assurance and hope. SGA and its partners offer physical and spiritual aid through local churches.
(Photo courtesy of SGA)
Mock asks for prayer that God will continue to provide for the physical needs of those affected by the blackouts. He challenges Christians living in warm homes to pray for their brothers and sisters in Ukraine whenever they feel cold or turn up the heat in their own homes this winter.
While chaos seems to reign, God’s people know who is truly in control. Mock says, “Be reminded that the churches are exploding there. That often in what your listeners and myself may count as the worst of times, God could use those as the exact times to advance the Gospel to a great number of people. So be encouraged in the middle of discouraging times.”
If you want to help SGA provide generators, wood, coal, diesel fuel and more to churches through their Heat and Hope campaign, click here. You can also help provide more general aid through their Ukraine Aid program here.
Please pray that God would strengthen His Church and advance the Gospel in Ukraine as His people faithfully serve Him.
Representative photo courtesy of Katrina_S from Pixabay
