News > C.I.S

Podil UBF, Ukraine
June 3, 2014

Dear family and friends,

John and I and all of Podil UBF are so happy to have our daughter Christy with us. She has been a great blessing and tremendous help for our home and our ministry. On May 18 we had our Worship Service and special dinner for Ambassador Kim’s family. They have finished their diplomatic term of service. Christy made a presentation for their family which was like a history of Podil UBF. Their family joined us after six months of starting our ministry. They will be greatly missed.

We have been studying the book of Acts for Sunday Worship Service. I study the Bible with Lena (Ecclesiastes), Nataliia (Revelation), Yulia and Kate (Genesis). John studies with Nate who is married to Kate (Genesis). We have prayer meetings on Tuesday or Thursday. For SWS we have several teachers from John's school join us. They came to John asking where they could go to church. John told them where other teachers go and they asked where he went. Later they asked to join us. The teachers are Jim and Joyce who are Americans, Paul and Cynthia who are Canadians, and Philip who is Uzbekistan-American. They come once, or twice a month.

Relief work. Because of the political unrest in Ukraine there are many refugees from Crimea and Donetsk coming to Kyiv. We work closely with one Christian organization that are housing and feeding them. We have been supplying them with food, kitchenware and appliances. They now have 35 children in their facilities with a dozen adults. They are in need of meat, fish, cheese and milk. Christy and I bought them food and delivered it to their center. Last time we came, we met several ladies with their young children from Crimea. We wanted to take pictures but Father Nikolai forbade it for their safety. We also met a family from Donetsk who had ten children.

Also John and I were invited to meet one pastor Pastor Paul from a village close to Kyiv. He told us that the Ukrainian people are suffering physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. There is a mother in his church whose son is now studying in Russia. He told his mother he doesn't want anything to do with her because she is for Ukraine. Her son told to her that she is brain washed by Ukrainian propaganda. Pastor Paul was asked if his church needed some clothes or Bibles. He confessed that more than material help, they needed people who can come and show that they care about them. In the past they use to have Bible camps for four years but then it stopped two years ago. The children who attended the camps still remember the love and fellowship they had with the Bible camp staff.

We discussed this with our church members and we decided to go and lead a Saturday Bible camp day. We will go once in June with Christy and several of our members and then again in July with Maria Joy who will be visiting us at that time. We want to have messages, sports, arts and crafts, and fellowship. The village is a 2 and 1/2 hour drive from Kyiv. Because we are going with several people we need to take two cars. Our old car has a little problem so please pray that it may make the trip all the way in June and also in July.

Please pray for us to be Jesus' hands and feet and mouth (to proclaim the gospel) to the people of Ukraine. The need is great and the pain is deep. We thank God for electing a new president. May God give him wisdom and strength to do the right thing for his people. May he be a man who has the fear of God.

Thank you for all the support you have poured out on us. Because of it, we can continue to help our fellow Ukrainian brothers and sisters.

In Christ,
John and Maria Peace