Ukraine (MNN) — In Ukraine, a Bible translation team is staying put despite Russian attacks on their city. We won’t name the team’s exact location for security purposes, but they are in the line of fire.
“They’re motivated to continue, even while they’re trying to [find] supplies daily,” Arne* with unfoldingWord says.
“I don’t know the circumstances around how or when they can get together, but they are attempting to continue the translation work; right now, [they are] working on the Open Bible Story set.”
The personal impact of this war is heartbreaking. The team’s leader told Eric in a recent update:
“Today, my father turns 70 years old. I really wanted to hug him, because he lives with me in the same city. But I couldn’t do it because of the war… My father is already weak, and that’s why he said that he might not live to see the end of the war in Ukraine. My mother was also unable to be near her husband because the curfew does not allow movement in the city.
“Today, my mother and I were looking for drinking water because the stores had already run out of drinking water. My mother and I walked three miles to bring drinking water for the family because it is dangerous to go out alone.
Every day the Russian army drops missiles and bombs on us. My family is far away from me now. It is very painful and sad.
There are up to three million people in our city. There is no bread in the stores, no drinking water, no eggs, no milk, no sausages, no rice, and no buckwheat. God told me to buy groceries before the war, so I have groceries. Now five times a day, I pray for victory for Ukraine. I ask you to pray for me and Ukraine.”
Russian military weapons destroyed and seized by the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Bucha on March 1, 2022.
(Wikimedia Commons/Facebook)
The World Food Program began “ramping up” its assistance to Ukraine on Friday. People stuck inside the country report “severe shortages,” and UN officials say the ongoing violence could devastate the global food supply.
Arne says unfoldingWord’s partners are prepared – at least for now. “Several of them procured supplies before the invasion, so they have some capacity to withstand the shortages, but I don’t know how much,” he explains.
Keep praying for peace in Ukraine and for the war to end. Get prayer updates from unfoldingWord here.
“As the Russian military makes up its mind about what it wants to do here, one of the possible courses it could take is a [heavier] bombardment of major cities. That, of course, would be a major concern to our team, and it would exacerbate the present problems,” Arne says.
“We haven’t heard of any injuries or [deaths] related to the team or the church that we’re presently working with, but it is a possibility.”
*Pseudonym
Header image depicts Ukrainians fleeing to Poland on February 27, 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)
