UKRAINE CRISIS . . .
WAYS OUR MISSIONARIES ARE HELPING:
Your gifts to FBA Global Missions helps our Faith Promise
Missionaries near the UKRAINE CRISIS! See updates below from:
Andrew Gorski, Sam Shaw and Linda Summer
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From ANDREW GORSKI, Poland, March 15, 2022
Dear Ones in Christ,
Just wanted to let you know, that thanks to your support 168
people will find safety in believers’ homes and churches in Switzerland.
Our brothers and sisters there, have set up a network of
churches and offer 1,600 places for refugees from Ukraine. Our hearts are full
and yours should be as well, because not only they will find a safe place, but
also some of them will experience God’s church at its very best and will
hopefully come to know Jesus personally!
Andrew - Evangelical Poland
Pray
for Andrew and Anna and their ministry as they turn toward ministering to
refugees from Ukraine who are fleeing their country. Believers in Poznan are
sharing information/needs and how they want to help. In three days an estimated
200,000 refugees came to Poland. They report that everyone is helping.There
has not been such unity in their country in 20 years!
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From SAM SHAW, Ireland, March 7, 2022
About 15-20 years
ago, I went to Ukraine every year, I have many friends there. We worked with
friends from Ukraine in Russia a couple of times and Moldova once. These past
weeks have been trying to track some of them down on social media. Some have
left their homes knowing they may never return. Some have taken their family to
safety and then had to return. It has been heartbreaking. One friend said, "Sam,
it's a catastrophe!" There had been a terrible battle in his city the day before
we talked, many Russians had died, and the Main Street was destroyed.
Thursday morning, I
finally got a message from a friend I had been trying to get in touch with. It
was an email asking me to call her, at the end of the conversation I had two
lists and a way we are trying to work out how to send funds. My friend's husband
is the Pastor (Minister) of a village church. We have worked with many people
in churches just like this over the years, they are being faced with serious
challenges.
The village my
friend's church is in, no longer has any men, the fathers are on the front
lines, the sons, in the citizens defense. Some have left as refugees.
Russian saboteurs
have tried to blow up a bridge to the west of the nearby city, so far, they
haven’t succeeded despite a couple of efforts. Pray they continue to fail in
their endeavors as this is the route to the village our stuff will take.
In Jesus, Sam, Silvana,
Aislinn and Seán Shaw
Update: Silvana was speaking with a friend, who lives in Poland. She is helping the displaced from the war in
Ukraine. These are mostly displaced Brazilians, Silvana asked “would I be of
help?" So, she flew out early Monday morning until Saturday to do whatever was
asked of her.
Linda
Summer's Agape Puppets helped fund Sam Shaw, their Irish director, and
his amazing trip to carry supplies to Vera on the Polish border. Linda
shared, "He and a friend loaded his puppet van and trailer, caught a
ferry, and sacrificially drove across Europe to help our Ukrainian
friends. Our friends in Ukraine that are staying to help those who
cannot flee are heroes! I think Sam is also a hero!"
Many of Shaw's friends across Ukraine have a history of suffering
for their faith during communism; many have a family history of this going back
generations. They hold onto their faith very strongly, while they fear the
Russian return. Please pray for them and for their faith to remain strong, and
for God to show them His mercy.
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Linda Summer, USA/Worldwide, March 2022
How
can I ever thank all of you who have given so generously to help my friends in
Ukraine! I have worked all over Ukraine and everyday, as I read the news, my
heart breaks. You have generously given $18,100 US dollars to this project! We
have already placed $12,000 in aid and cash with Christians in Ukraine, and are
about to send another $1000. We are working on a project for the remaining
funds that I will tell you about as soon as I have the details worked out.
I
spoke with my lead puppet director Vera and she sounds beyond tired, but still
full of hope. Amid a war, she and her husband are trusting in Jesus,
and sharing His love with so many.
Please ask the Lord to protect Vera and her family and their
church and all they serve. A missile from Belarus missed her home by only a few
hundred feet. None of the Ukrainians are safe. Please pray for them everyday
and ask God to have His angels shield them.
Danielle
also has friends in Ukraine, but from a region where I have not worked. The
reports she gets from her friends are disheartening and full of urgency for
prayer. Apartments, homes, even schools and hospitals are being destroyed. Her
pastor friend Vitaliy and his wife have stayed behind to encourage and assist
those around them who cannot leave Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians are still
trying to leave, and even more are unable to flee. Above you see a picture of
Danielle and her little friend Marina from her trip in 2018. Marina is like
many children whose lives have been destroyed by this war. Please pray that our
Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Christ do not lose hope, that they continue
to encourage one another, and find safety when it is available.
Please pray for Ukraine! Linda and her teams have done many
puppets shows in Ukraine over the years. Most of Ukraine does not have faith.
Many have been taught to trust in their own goodness. There are a significant
number of Ukrainians who believe in nothing, who deny God's existence. Terrible
times make people's hearts tender to the Gospel. Pray that the Lord would use this
war to call Ukraine to Himself.
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Prayer & Praise - March 30-April 12
3/30
J & P
Central
Africa
Pray
for new team members studying various languages and preparing to serve among
different people groups. Pray for these families as they begin to live in very
different places and settle into many new situations, some obviously
challenging at times. Pray that God’s grace covers them.
3/31
Larry & Peggy Anderson
Youth
Outreach United, USA
Pray
for the school children in their ministry outreach. Evil forces are attempting
to infiltrate the schools, offering satanic clubs, aimed at first through fifth
graders. Pray that their lives, hearts, minds, and souls will be protected by
Jesus Christ, our true and only Savior.
4/1 Andrew & Anna Gorski
In
Touch Mission International, Poland
Pray
for Andrew and Anna and their ministry as they turn toward ministering to
refugees from Ukraine who are fleeing their country. Believers in Poznan are
sharing information/needs and how they want to help. In three days an estimated
200,000 refugees came to Poland. They report that everyone is helping, there
has not been such unity in their country in 20 years!
4/2 Worldwide
Ramadan
for the year 2022 begins this evening, April 2, and continues 30 days, ending
at sundown on Sunday, May 1. Pray that
our "M" friends and neighbors would come to know the true source of
forgiveness and love in the grace of Jesus
Christ!
4/3 Bela & Ildiko Dobos
Word
of Life Hungary, Hungary
Pray
for elections today in Hungary. Every election is crucial. Pray for the
Missions Conference at WOL Hungary April 8-10. Pray
for Hungary. Forty-four
of the staff members and their families from WOL Ukraine (located close to
Kiev), arrived at WOL Hungary’s property in Toalmas. They are staying at WOL
Hungary until it is safe to return. Pray for all these families who are far
away from their home and separated from family members.
4/4 ANDREW & ALECIA TEEUWEN
Pioneers,
Greece
Pray for Pioneers Leadership Gathering today through April 9, for leaders
from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
4/5 FOTIS & MARY ROMEOS
AMG
International, Greece
Pray during April 4-14, as CMDE is hosting
300 Christian medical missionaries from many countries around the world, and pray
during April 18-21, for the Youth Eastern Camp at CVC.
4/6 Sam & Silvana Shaw
Presbyterian
Evangelistic Fellowship, Ireland/Worldwide
Many of their friends across Ukraine have a history of suffering
for their faith during communism; many have a family history of this going back
generations. They hold onto their faith very strongly, while they fear the
Russian return. Please pray for them and for their faith to remain strong, and
for God to show them His mercy.
4/7 Mark & Pat Terry
Cru,
USA
Pray
God redeems the situation in Ukraine by drawing many people to Himself. Pray
that Christians, especially the teachers who work with ISP (the International
School Project), will be bold and have opportunities to share the reason for
their hope and peace in this difficult time, and many Ukranians and Russians
will find Jesus to be the only true source of peace and safety.
Ethnos360,
USA/Asia
Following Oli’s
successful pacemaker surgery, pray it does what it is intended to do. Also pray
for Oli and Judy as they travel and spend the month of April in the
Philippines. Pray for wisdom, good connections with people that they might be a
blessing to the team, and safe travel.
4/9
LUC & SUZY SALSAC
VIANOVA,
Belgium
Pray as they
will hold the first wedding today in their community. It will be a joyful day
and full of opportunities to share their values with many non-believers who
will be present. Pray that hearts will open to hear the Good News of God’s
love.
4/10 Andrew & Inna Ryzhkov
Byelorussian
Mission, Inc., USA/Belarus/Israel
Please pray for Andrew who frequently travels to
Belarus. It’s very chaotic in Eastern Europe with Russia's aggression
and bombing in Ukraine. Pray for Byelorussian Mission to print 40k Bibles and
distribute to refugees and those who seek hope.
4/11 Don &
Susie Newby
Greater Europe Mission, USA/Germany
Pray for Don’s ministry trip to Germany today
through May 1. Ask the Lord to prepare hearts and provide travel safety all
along the journey.
4/12 Al Rhea
Cru,
USA/Southern & Eastern Africa
Pray
for God to bring godly people for their 2022 internship program. Please
pray for the welfare of their staff members and their ministry partners who are
still standing with them in this challenging period of economic crisis and
Covid-19 pandemic.
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“Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in
vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)
Our monthly Prayer &
Praise Calendar is also available on fba.org/globalmissions
