“My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.” Psalm 7:11–12

On October 2-5, 2024, employees of our mission Vyacheslav Arterchuk and Arkady Slyoza made another trip to the Donetsk region. The brothers traveled about 2,500 km and visited the military in the cities of Pokrovsk, Dobropillia, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who joined in collecting supplies for the military and for prayers, especially when the brothers were there on the front lines.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and charitable organizations, in particular, the Hearts and Hands Foundation from the city of Khmelnytskyi, it was possible to provide the military with the necessary food products, such as fried potatoes, cabbage rolls and dumplings. Preparation and purchasing are important steps in this activity, which shows the cooperation and support of those on the frontline.

The beginning of the academic year in Ukrainian schools is marked by the active participation of children in making various crafts, writing letters and drawings for defenders. The military appreciate these gifts, which lift their spirits and motivate them to do everything for the future. Lyceum # 10 in the city of Khmelnytskyi also joins this cause, sending its defenders neat gifts created by the hands of children and teachers.

“Our first meeting with the military, brothers in Christ Taras and Petro, took place on the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where their units moved from Pokrovsk to avoid shelling. Thanks to modern technologies such as GoogleMaps and Waze, it was possible to find and bring them together. We brought children’s drawings for defenders to decorate the walls of their dorms, as well as camouflage nets, gifts and treats.

Getting into the Donetsk region turned out to be problematic due to intense hostilities in the direction of Pokrovsk. After finding out the number of units to which aid was being taken, and a promise not to enter Pokrovsk, our car was allowed to get through. Students of lyceums # 27 and # 19 in the city of Rivne also prepared drawings, products, food, and gifts, which, we hope, will cheer up our defenders. On the outskirts of the city, we met with artillerymen. This was the first meeting with these soldiers, and according to tradition, they could hear the gospel that was shown with an evangelistic cube. During the meeting, as usual, we listened to stories about the service, wounds and needs at the front, prayed and gave the New Testament.

On the way to Kramatorsk, we visited Dobropillya, where we met with volunteers who make protective nets. We prayed together and left their contacts in case of evacuation of people from this front-line city. Many people from Pokrovsk have moved to Dobropillya, but the city is subjected to constant shelling, forcing civilians to leave their homes. Changing the meeting place in Kramatorsk became necessary due to the danger from enemy drones.

The conditions of war make hygiene products such as “dry showers” and wet wipes to be in high demand among the military. Each of those who received supplies expressed their gratitude.

Representatives of four divisions came over to the meeting in Kramatorsk. Although one soldier from Dubno, our friend, Mykhailo, could not come due to circumstances, the rest of the soldiers, despite intense hostilities, were able to come, and as a result we prayed together.

Some people ask why guys from the central and western parts of Ukraine should fight in the east. However, according to observations, many local men are fighting in the east, every fourth soldier comes from Donetsk region or Luhansk region. Those who ask this question do not realize what a war in their homeland is like, and such thoughts can only exist as long as the central and western parts of Ukraine remain safe.

In the front-line city Druzhkivka, where street cars still run, is home to military personnel from the 93rd Brigade “Cold Ravine.” Our friendship with them has continued since August 2022, when we brought them food to a small village near Soledar, where they urgently needed help.

After a busy day, as it was getting dark, on the way out of Kostyantynivka, we were pulled over by the police because we were approaching the combat zone. Still, it was possible to get permission to travel a little further to the last checkpoint. There we had to call the chaplain’s assistant so that he would come over to meet us and take on the responsibility of escorting us to the location of the soldiers… But it was even better, since we had certain concerns about how to find our way in an unfamiliar area in complete darkness on our own.

During the meeting with the “aviators,” the drone operators, who carefully prepared to welcome the guests, setting a generous table, we felt awkward first because of the number of dishes prepared, and then because of the unexpected firing of an anti-aircraft gun at an enemy drone that appeared directly above us. Despite the danger, the military remained calm and, thank God, no one was hurt. When the threat was over, it was possible to share the gospel with the soldiers again with the help of an Evangelical Cube. The relationship with these guys is already at such a level that you can read passages from the Scriptures, preach briefly, and what is especially gratifying, everyone listened, without any interruptions or controversies…

Before the joint prayer, we took a picture of us next to the brigade flag. In this battalion, it is customary to always pray with the men by hugging, and even those who are meeting us for the first time do not refuse to pray in this way.

Here I first met Olga, who serves in this brigade as a combat medic and an evacuation driver. A woman had gone through the loss of her husband and son in the war in 2023. To preserve memory of them, she made a tattoo with her son’s portrait and his handwriting using computer technology, as she is unable to visit their graves.

We also saw how in their everyday life, the military hides everything they can from enemy drones under camouflage nets.

We stayed together with these soldiers for the night. At night, two guided aerial bombs flew into the village where we spent the night, I clearly heard the explosion of one, and the other exploded somewhere on the other side of the village… There are more and more destroyed houses every day, there is no point in going to the villages where we used to go, since everyone left there, including the military, and it is difficult to call the ruins made by the “Russian world” villages.

At the end of the trip, we were asked to evacuate a family with two children from Dobropillya to Dnipro, it is better to leave early than to stay in such a dangerous situation.

On behalf of ourselves and all the military, we express a big thank you to everyone who is helping! It is an honor for us to be together with you on the same team! We continue to pray for all our defenders. We strive to continue to do everything possible to support them and sow God’s Word among those who stand on the verge of life and death. Thanks a lot to everyone!”

Vyacheslav Arterchuk