By the grace of God, the ministry to the Ukrainian military continues. The Lord protects our ministers until this day and also shows His mercy and concern in preparation for such trips. So far we have managed to make one trip a month, although the need for such trips is growing. In addition to brothers, Arkady, and Vyacheslav, three more people will take part in the trips as volunteer drivers.

During the last trip, God especially manifested His grace. It turned out that 20 km before the determined meeting place with representatives of several brigades, the car of our volunteers broke down and could not drive. They had to inform the military about the delay for an indefinite time. The soldiers were very upset because it was not easy for them to leave their positions to meet the volunteers. But only in 10 minutes, one of them called having the news that he managed to find a truck, which soon arrived at the scene of the incident and towed the van to a place where it could have been repaired. Soon it turned out that the broken part had to be ordered from another city and it would arrive no earlier than in a day. The military had already offered our brothers a place to stay overnight. But in another place (80 km away) they had scheduled meetings with representatives of other brigades! They were  stumped not knowing what to do. After a conversation on the phone, the military went to the home of a local mechanic. And it just so happened that he once had exactly the same minivan. But he sold it a long time ago, and the used part was lying around in the garage. Exactly the one that was needed! The military brought with them both the part and its owner so that he could replace it. After the repair, it became obvious that the old part was bent out of shape and twisted at an angle, and could not function properly. But if they had a washer of the appropriate thickness to put under it… And here in the toolbox of the driver of the van, along with various useful things, there was a single washer. The mechanic puts it on and – oh miracle! – the engine started and the brothers drove another 1500 km with this bent part. All the above-mentioned adventures happened within 4 hours. So our ministers, albeit somewhat late, were able to meet with the military at each determined place and successfully return to Rivne. With tears in their eyes, they shared about the care with which the military met them and how they tried to help everyone they could.

During the meetings with the soldiers, the brothers managed to share the gospel with them again, distribute the New Testament, chat, and meet new people. One brother in Christ, who is now serving in the army, managed to convince his commanders to let as many as five comrades go with him to meet the believers, while usually no more than 2-3 people are allowed to go from the front line. He was very concerned about his comrades to hear the gospel and get to know other believers.

Due to the delay, the brothers did not have time to unpack the gifts they brought in advance, so the military joined in unloading the van. New guys had arrived from two divisions, whom they met for the first time. At first, they watched what was happening with a little tension, but then they heard the Good News about Christ, saw the things sent to them by people from the non-combat areas who were praying for them, and their hearts were very touched. Nothing special, these were simple things that they needed for their daily life there: wet wipes to clean on the battlefield, sleeping bags to keep them warm on chilly nights, dry snacks, and bottles of water and juice to quench hunger on duty in the trenches, some fresh homemade pastries and dumplings, specially prepared by women before the trip, driver’s tools and some specific things ordered by the military. Fall is here, so there is another request for blankets, sleeping bags, and candles, and there is also a constant need for quality tourniquets to prevent bleeding.

Unfortunately, one of our military friends died this summer. Oleksandr was a relative of an employee of our mission. He is survived by his mother, wife, and two seven-year-old twin daughters. This was the first sad news about the loss of one of the soldiers we knew, who was regularly visited by our brothers, Arkady, and Vyacheslav, and who always listened attentively to the gospel message. We pray that the Lord Himself will comfort his relatives as they grieve.
Military Volodymyr shared his testimony of how God used him as a guardian angel for his comrade. When one soldier was about to leave after dinner, Volodymyr stopped him to treat him to juice. The guy lingered, and just at that time, a projectile flew to the place where he could have been, which only slightly scratched his hand. The man thanked Volodymyr for saving his life, to which Volodymyr confidently replied, “It wasn’t me who saved your life. It was the Lord! And I was just that person that God used to show His mercy on you. I just worked a little as His angel.”

Please continue to pray for the military – God works through our prayers; continue to volunteer to the best of your ability to serve our defenders. In addition to physical, moral, and psychological support, they have the opportunity to receive the most important thing – the Good News about our Savior Jesus Christ!