Ukraine (MNN) — World leaders meeting in Paris pledged over a billion dollars to help Ukrainians survive the winter. Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure has come under heavy bombardment from Russian missiles.
Pastor Dima, a partner with the Slavic Gospel Association, recently visited the Kherson region with food and warm blankets. Eric Mock says, “Most of us can’t imagine what it would be like to walk down a street littered with burned-out hulks of vehicles, passing by yard fences completely obliterated from shrapnel. And the houses, most of them don’t have roofs on them because they’ve been shot up.”
“And to see people that are going on as if this was a normal life.”
Meanwhile, Mock says the region has a foot of snow on the ground. “The average temp in those homes is 40 to 45 degrees [Fahrenheit] as they try to get an element of warmth to sleep through the night.”
Pastor Dima has distributed aid in war-torn regions of Ukraine since fighting broke out in 2014. Read more about his ministry here.
Impact of local churches
As they distribute aid through local churches, people are showing much interest in the story of Jesus.
Many once-empty churches are now full. Mock says, “There are people that would have never considered walking through the door of a church nor listening to the message of the Gospel, who with a deep hunger in their stomachs and in their hearts are coming to churches trying to find answers. And they are finding faithful believers suffering themselves who are tending to the suffering.”
Pray many Ukrainians will be drawn to the love of Jesus reflected in His people. Pray also for an end to the Russian invasion. Mock says, “They, more than anything, simply asked, ‘Do not forget about us.’ They’re very aware that the conflict in Ukraine is, in a sense, old news. But it’s current news for them.”
The header photo shows Ukrainian Christians distributing aid. (Photo courtesy of the Slavic Gospel Association)
