<![CDATA[Discipling Ministries International - Ministry Reports & Updates]]>

<![CDATA[Discipling Ministries International - Ministry Reports & Updates]]>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 20:15:18 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[August 2025 Update]]>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/august-2025-update

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August 2025 Newsletter
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]]><![CDATA[July 2025 Update]]>Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/july-2025-updateThe name "Jesus" comes from the Hebrew name Yehoshua ( יהושע) or its shortened form Yeshua (ישוע), which means: "Yahweh saves" or "The Lord is salvation." The two news items below reflect this most vivid manifestation of God’s grace—to save. The Lord saves our bodies and saves our souls. One news item concerns the salvation of souls: five people have entered into a covenant with God (bringing the total to 12 this year). And the second is that God saves us during shelling. Is it not God’s salvation that 15 minutes before the missiles hit, everyone left their homes as if on cue?

Dear friends and partners! Let us thank God together for saving us—every day, in different places, in various ways, for the glory of His majesty! All glory to Him!

Maxim Mamakin,
Pastor of Makarov Christian Church

New Believers & Baptism

Summer for the Makarov Christian Church began with a pleasant and significant event. The feast of water baptism is always a bright and vital occasion for the whole church to gather.

Five new members joined the church through the holy sacrament of water. Four sisters and one brother. Among them are two rehabilitation graduates, a mother of a large family of immigrants, and a member of the #Our_Club teen club. God uses different ways to touch people’s hearts and bring them to Himself, and each way is unique. Sometimes, people turn to God when they face difficulties, loss, or pain. Suffering can be a catalyst for seeking meaning in life and a genuine relationship with Christ.

Some people feel an inner drawing to God and begin a conscious search for spirituality. They may read the Word of God, pray, attend meetings, or interact with believers.

Some people sense God’s presence in the beauty of nature, in the grandeur of the cosmos, or works of art. This vision reflects God’s creation and His greatness. The celebration was attended by many guests, including relatives of the individuals being baptized and members of the church. The vast number attending showed support for those participating in the event. A delicious picnic and a program with contests and prizes, as usual, added color to the celebration.

Please pray with us for the new church members that they may truly become God’s light on their journey, for their families and friends, in their ministries, and their daily lives.

Ministry Updates

We want to share some good news from our rehabilitation centers. We continue to accept people for free rehabilitation: men in three rehabilitation homes and women in one house. Some are finishing their rehabilitation and returning home, while others wish to remain with the church here in Makarov. They are moving on to the second stage of adaptation, being baptized, and joining various ministries within the church. Renovation work is also actively underway in the adaptation house. After the destruction during the occupation, we are still gradually restoring everything, both externally (the roof, foundation, insulation) and internally (repairs in the rooms, bathrooms, and corridor on the second floor).

However, the news is not very pleasant, although it is one of our most incredible
testimonies to date – how the Lord has once again shown us His care for the
rehabilitation ministry and saved the women and families of ministers during the
recent heavy shelling of Makarov

In the last week of May, at night, after two very close drone strikes (500 meters away), everyone currently living in the women’s rehabilitation house managed to move to a shelter quickly, and 15 minutes later, three missiles struck the same place.

Thank God that everyone is alive and that our house was not destroyed, like most of the houses on the neighboring street. Five windows and one glass door were completely blown out on the side where the drones landed, the roof was riddled with shrapnel, and cracks appeared in all the walls in the middle of the house. On the same day, after the morning meeting with the brothers, everyone did their best to pack, tape, and cover everything.

Now, we are waiting for the commission to assess all the damage and plan for its restoration. The house has been tidied up, and we have resumed living and serving there. During this time, two women have already arrived for free rehabilitation. We praise Christ for leading us in this ministry and protecting us every day! We plan to quickly restore the house to its former state shortly and welcome even more people whom we are ready to bring to the true victorious faith and introduce them to God, who can change their lives even in times of destruction and grief.

Prayer Needs Of The MCC That The Lord Will Bless:

the entire ministry of the church and the building of the House of Prayer;
the filling of houses of rehabilitation and the growth of new ministers;
our country with peace and the end of war

]]><![CDATA[Makarov Church Baptisms]]>Fri, 28 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/makarov-church-baptisms

Baptism is a consolation in the midst of war, when the temporal turns into the eternal. We hasten to share with you the joy of the Lord that seven more souls have entered into a covenant with the Lord. This was an unscheduled additional baptism, as we usually have not baptized people in the winter for a long time. We remain faithful to our calling to make disciples, and you are faithful to us!

Those being baptized are immigrants. These people become part of the church, and our family grows. May God bless you for the labor you do in praying for us and helping us in every way possible. Share our joy in this labor as it is your fruit as well. You sow, we reap, but we rejoice together.

The new year, 2025, began for our community with a festive and important event for every church: - water baptism. Four sisters and three brothers made a covenant with God. It is interesting that all these people at different times in the last two years, after Makarov was liberated from the Russian army, came as immigrants from the eastern regions of our country. Leaving their homes, their relatives and everything they and their families had received throughout their lives - came here to find something much more valuable and important here - a new family, church, support and a real relationship with Christ.

The ages of the newly baptized range from fourteen to seventy-four. Among them there are a mother and daughter, the son of one of our rehabilitants, the husband of a wife who had been baptized before, and the fiancée of a man who had long ago made a covenant with God while still living in the Donetsk region.

Such different ages and status of our new church members encourages and calls us to serve different people, in different directions, in different areas and unites us around Christ. The Lord is always looking for faithful people who are ready to go and spread the Good News. Pray for us to be attentive to the call of God, to go and serve those people whom the Lord has already prepared for Himself. Pray for those who have been baptized, that they may be fully joined to our family, and that in this fellowship they may be able to be comforted in all their sorrows. Pray for those who are contemplating baptism, that their hearts would be open and willing to choose Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Ministry

The war continues. We pray for peace and victory, but now the Lord is leading our country even more so. More of our brothers are joining the military and going to defend us, our homes, our lives. Three people, Ilya (a member of our church), Vitaly and Igor (relatives of our church members) have been missing for a long time. We pray for any news about them, pray for their families and trust God in everything.

More and more villages and towns continue to be captured by the enemy in eastern Ukraine. More and more people are fleeing the war and coming to us in Makarov and neighboring villages. Our brothers are actively involved in the evacuation of such families. Now we are preparing another house for the possibility of living for a family that will be able to come to us the next day. Before the new year we received a large family with 5 children, who have already been displaced twice since 2014 because of the war in Ukraine. The three older brothers and one of the sisters are already getting all the documents to transfer by study to the local school. The family needs everything for their studies from notebooks and pencils to briefcases and clothes. These children have spent the last 2 years just sitting at home and studying online to the sound of guns. We as a church desire to support this family in their needs as well as other families who are in need of wood to heat their homes, warm clothes, and food. Many, especially single displaced women live in Makarov in a modular town - in addition to our worship services, they always attend home groups and a doctrinal study. And one more such complex for older single immigrants is located in the village of Kolonshchina, which is 15 kilometers from Makarov. We have begun to invite those who wish to come to our Sunday meeting. We gladly take everyone and bring them back by car.

Prayer Needs For Makarov Christian Church

Under all these circumstances, we see how the Lord is leading us to a new, but very relevant ministry. And the most recent celebration of baptism shows that this is really important, both for the church and for Christ.

Pray that the Lord will bless:

The entire ministry of the church and the building of the House of Prayer
The filling of houses of rehabilitation and the growth of new ministers
Our country with peace and the end of war

]]><![CDATA[January 2025 Update]]>Fri, 31 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/january-2025-update

By: Brother Sasha

The great war, not provoked by Ukraine, which began in February 2022, brought enormous pain, suffering and hatred to our land.

Here are some of the consequences of this great war:

The US President speaks of 700 thousand victims in Ukraine

10+/- million people were forced to leave the territory of Ukraine, that is, every fourth person of pre-war population

Destroyed cities and infrastructure

When war comes to your country, to your home, when you are attacked by an enemy who is more powerful than you, there is a small choice of actions for each person:

Capitulate and go under the rulership of the occupiers

Flee from the war

Resist the enemy

Our society has all three categories of people. Some accepted the occupation, some ran away from the war, some resist in any way possible.

There is no rationality in Ukraine's resistance. The enemy is much bigger and stronger than us. A huge number of people and governments are persuading Ukraine to capitulate and accept the so-called realities and think realistically and rationally.

Almost three years after the start of the great war, I notice that new and dangerous patterns are starting to form in our society and especially among young people:

There is no rule of law - there is only the rule of power. The stronger one determines his own rules over the weaker one.

There is no justice in this world.

You can’t rely on anyone and trust anyone.

There is no point in long-term planning of your life.

This new pattern is penetrating society and people’s consciousness. War makes people cynical, having lost faith in justice, having lost hope in anything or anyone.

In such dark moments, I personally remember the words of the Apostle Paul: And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1st Corinthians 13:13)
I think that love is called the greatest, because love is the driving engine for faith and hope. When faith weakens and hope disappears, the surest way to regain faith and hope is through the experience of love. Ukrainian society is in a huge deficit of love.

People in our society are in desperate need of love – first and foremost, an understanding of the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.

People are also in desperate need of practical expressions of love from other people towards them.

What we are trying to do in Ukraine is to try to show to all kinds of people around us that they are loved and not abandoned. We hope that through a little practical expression of love, some of these people will come to know the love of Christ that surpasses all human understanding.

Here are some stories of people to whom we are trying to show practical love:

Olga

Olga is 55 years old. Her life has never been simple and easy. The death of her son, addiction, a broken hip. The war left her with absolutely nothing. The city in eastern Ukraine where she lived was destroyed and is now occupied by the Russian army. Olga was evacuated to Kiev region.

Olga's greatest practical need is to restore the necessary documents to receive social benefits for disability and as a refugee. This is a rather complicated process that involves trips to various institutions and hospitals. Our assistance allows us to pay for transportation costs, expenses for receiving medical treatment. Olga's accommodation and food are paid for by the local church.

Lyuda & Her Children

Lyuda's family fled the war several times. At first, they were forced to move to a place that seemed relatively safe to them, but when the front line began to approach this place, they were forced to evacuate to Kiev region. And it was the right decision, because soon after the evacuation, a Russian drone flew into their house, right into the chimney of the house, and destroyed the entire house.

Now the village where they lived is under occupation by the Russian army. The conditions in which they live now are far from ideal, but Lyudmila and her husband are happy that they are safe. Children are children and find joy in the simplest things, such as riding on a simple swing in the yard.

The children did not go to school for 4 years, first because of the covid epidemic, then because of the war and moving around Ukraine. Education was only online, but this is not the same as being physically present at school. Our assistance to this family allows them to purchase everything the kids need for going to school.

Lydia

Lydia and her two adult sons also fled the war. Their city was also destroyed and occupied by the Russian army. They did not want to stay in the territory occupied by Russia and decided to go into the unknown.

They were helped with evacuation and found a simple rural house where they can live temporarily. One of Lydia's sons suffers from cerebral palsy and needs care. Our help helped Lydia buy firewood to heat her house.

How We Help

These are just several stories from dozens of similar personal tragedies experienced by millions of Ukrainians. I look at the photos of these people again and admire them and share their grief.
They are different people - children, young people, old people. Millions of people in Ukraine are emotionally and mentally traumatized by the war and its consequences.

We help by:

Providing diapers for bedridden elderly people
Buying medicines
Buying firewood for heating
Buying clothes
Renting housing for displaced persons
Buying food
Buying school supplies for children

But in fact, this is a practical manifestation of love and through this faith and hope return to people as many of them have witnessed to us.

We are immensely grateful to you for your practical love, for your prayers! God is working through you!

This war has once again shown the miracle of the church. Someone took these people out of the war zone. Someone found them temporary housing. Someone donated money to help these people. Someone bought and delivered food, firewood and medicine.

Our prayer for the people who are receiving help is in tune with the prayer of the Apostle Paul - Ephesians 3:19, that God would open their eyes, so that they would see the love of God in their lives: Praying for them “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

]]><![CDATA[September 2024 Update]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/september-2024-update

The Price Of Freedom - An Insider's View

By Olexander (Sasha) Malov
Ukraine Missions Director

I spent the past month in close contact with hundreds of men who, like me, who came to the Ukrainian Army mobilization center to fulfill the requirements of the mobilization law and determine our status in the matter of military service in this brutal war, the full-scale phase of which Russia viciously and cruelly launched against Ukraine in February 2022.

The men I spent this time with are ordinary people, mostly aged 45-59. Ordinary men – farmers, workers, office workers, not healthy, but who voluntarily came and who are ready to protect our homeland – Ukraine.

We talked a lot – all these men want to live, all are afraid of death, but each of those I met and talked to understand that the choice that faces us is freedom or death.
To be under Russia for me and these men means death, either physical or death of our dignity, and for the sake of freedom of Ukraine, for the sake of the lives of our wives, children, grandchildren, we are ready to go and protect our Motherland, despite our desire to live.

I remember life in the Soviet Union too well and all the grief and repression that the Soviet/Russian regime represented, in my case it was the repression of my family for believing in God as part of the evangelical community. Faith in God under the rule of the communist empire was illegal and cruelly punished by the KGB.

This war is a question of the inner values of every Ukrainian. Freedom for us has ceased to be an abstract and guaranteed concept, we have understood that freedom is a matter of personal choice for every Ukrainian. Freedom has a price that everyone is ready or not ready to pay.

Freedom is not free; you must pay a price for freedom - either yourself personally or someone else is now paying or has already paid their price. As a Christian, I understand that a huge price was paid for my eternal freedom. The price of my personal freedom from the curse of sin, death, eternal punishment, was the voluntary sacrifice of God, the price of the painful death of His Son. It was the highest price paid for freedom in the history of humanity.

Any nation consists of many people, so it is difficult for me to talk about Ukrainians as a nation united in its values.

Inside Ukraine we have different people - someone says, I do not care what flag to live under and let the war end soon and it does not matter who wins.There are traitors who work for Russia inside Ukraine.

Some of the men fled Ukraine illegally because they were afraid of being drafted into the Ukrainian army. Someone ended up in the territory occupied by Russia and is now happy about low prices for motor fuel, good social benefits and the citizenship of Russia received.

There are different people with different values, and this is the sad reality of life. We are not a perfect society at all, with our own internal problems, but this is our internal life and our problems that we are solving and that we must still solve in the future.
At the same time, based on my personal experience of communicating with people and simply observing what is happening, I see a huge thirst for freedom and independence within Ukraine, among those who remained in Ukraine and did not betray their internal values.

A real nation consists of people with inner divine and moral values and who are ready to pay their price for these values.

Yes, we are tired of war - morally and physically. In my village, nearly every week, we bury men who gave their lives for the freedom of Ukraine. Our Christian friends bury their sons, husbands, and fathers.

Almost every day and night we do not sleep because of Russian air attacks. Combat drones, missiles and bombs fly over our houses in the literal sense of the word. Two nights ago, fragments of a combat drone landed very close to my house. There was a big fire.

At this moment, as I am writing this article, near to my house there were twelve loud explosions. A few days ago, an enemy missile killed a mother and three beautiful daughters in Lviv, leaving her husband and father in their inconsolable grief, and this happens every day and night in dozens and hundreds of cases through the destruction of churches, cities, the lives of adults and children.

The Russians are destroying our energy systems, which is why we are without electricity most of the day, and a cold winter awaits us ahead.

My friends buried their father and grandfather a few days ago in Kyiv, because during his operation, a missile attack damaged the power lines and due to the lack of electricity in the operating room, he died.

Millions of Ukrainians were forced to flee the country to save their lives. The country is catastrophically short of labor power. These examples are not an attempt to evoke pity or emotion, but simply a description of the daily realities of our lives.

This is our price that we pay for our freedom!

The evil that the devilish regime of Russia brings cannot be justified by anything. Any attempt to justify Russia's evil (the attack on Ukraine) by political necessity, geopolitics, or anything else is an attempt to justify Satanic evil.

The Russians are carrying Satanic evil, which has nothing to do with Christian or with simply moral values, although the Russians hide behind traditional conservative Christian values.

I deliberately use such words as "Satanic" and "devilish" regime of Russia. In the Bible Satan is called - a murderer, the father of lies, a thief and this is exactly what the Russian regime does - lies, kills, steals.

I agree with the great President Reagan, who at one time defined Soviet Russia as an empire of evil. Since the time of President Reagan, nothing has changed.

This evil must be punished, otherwise there is nothing fair and honest in this world!
The imperial evil of Putin's regime has taken the lives of many thousands of Ukrainians, civilians, and soldiers, and as a Christian and a citizen of Ukraine I curse Russia and the citizens of Russia for this evil.

It is a mistake to consider the war against Ukraine as Putin's war against Ukraine. No, it is a war of Russian citizens against Ukraine.

The majority of Russian citizens support Putin in his aggressive war against Ukraine, including my relatives and former friends who live in Russia.

In addition, Putin threw an enormous number of his citizens into the furnace of death, whom he sent to an unjust war against Ukraine. Putin's regime kills not only Ukrainians, but also Russians.

This is my view from inside Ukraine. My wife and I made a firm decision for ourselves in February 2022 - we will stay in Ukraine, no matter how hard it may be for us. Our decision to stay in Ukraine and serve the people around us was and is based on our inner values - the values of freedom.

We have never regretted the decision we made then, although it can be difficult, especially for my beloved wife. You must pay a price for freedom, and this price comes at a high price.

What has changed in minds of Ukrainians over these 2.5 years?

In conversations with men awaiting mobilization, we talked a lot about what we feel.
Many of us have changed our attitude towards some Western institutions and some Western governments.

We see the uselessness of the UN. We see the impotence of the International Red Cross in protecting the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war, and many other examples can be given regarding other international institutions.

We see the weakness and dependence of some Western and other governments on Russia's resources.

Many of us believe that some Western political forces allowed Putin to attack Ukraine and that there was a secret conspiracy, the price of which was the existence of Ukraine. We do not know for sure; these are thoughts at the level of feelings without any facts.

We see the sacred fear of some Western institutions and governments before the power of Russia and the primacy of economic interests over the values of freedom.
People of values in Ukraine feel that the Western world, represented by weak institutions and governments, is losing to Russia and to the countries that support him, which could become a fatal catastrophe for the entire Western world.

We see that power in this world is more important than values and justice.

The power of Russia in terms of population, territory, resources and nuclear weapons is more important than the very existence of small Ukraine, which gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994 under security guarantees from Russia, the USA, Great Britain, guarantees which in the end turned out to be no guarantees at all.

We are grateful that Ukraine's Western partners are helping us, but we understand that the size and limitations of this aid only give Ukraine the opportunity not to die immediately, but do not give us an opportunity to defeat the satanic evil of Russia.
Within Ukraine, we realize that if Western aid with weapons stops, all of Ukraine will be captured by Russia.

The fact that Ukraine is still alive is a miracle. We are still alive, and this is truly a great miracle.

Look at the size of Ukraine and Russia and compare these sizes on a world map. This is a David and Goliath situation.

We do not demand pity; we do not think that we are due anything. We find the strength to laugh and enjoy simple things. To enjoy each new day, to especially appreciate our family and friends, understanding that each day may be our last day and therefore we must appreciate every moment of life spent with our loved ones.

So, what or how does this relate to the United States?

Someone may tell me - "yes, what is happening in Ukraine is a great tragedy, but what does this have to do with me, a US citizen?"

Over the past year, I have heard this question from many American friends. I am told that people in the United States are tired of the war in Ukraine.

I am told that the United States has enough internal problems, both economic and political, in connection with the upcoming presidential elections in your great country, and Americans should not care about Ukraine at all.

A certain number of Americans directly or indirectly support Putin's aggression against Ukraine.

This is also a fact.

How can I respond to these arguments?

Firstly, for US citizens, the interests of America should come first, just as for me, the fate of Ukraine comes first for me. This is not even up for discussion.

But the issue is much deeper than it seems at first glance. Russian state media constantly emphasize the theme that the main enemy for Russia is not Ukraine, but the United States.

According to them, the United States is fighting Russia with the hands of Ukrainians. In their view, Ukraine is the prodigal son, and the main source of problems and threats for Russia is the United States.

Therefore, US citizens must accept as a fact that for today's Russia, the enemy number one is the United States, and in my opinion, if Ukraine loses this war, it will be not only a defeat for Ukraine, but also for the United States as a global leader. In my opinion, if Ukraine loses, Russia will go further and where it will stop is a big question.
Secondly, my article is not so much about Ukraine as it is a call to look inside yourself and honestly evaluate your personal values. Is freedom my personal value and am I ready to pay the price for it, no matter how high this price may be?

I will tell you honestly, I am sick of the well-fed, smug faces of some American politicians, talking heads from among media stars and other leaders of public opinion, with multi-million fortunes, who do not even come close to knowing the life of ordinary people and suffering and who cynically argue that Ukraine must capitulate to Russia and agree to the loss of its territories and with huge human deaths.

These are people who bow to the power of Putin, people who call the devilish monster Putin a "good guy". These people do not know and do not practice the value of freedom. These are people for whom their wealth and comfort are their gods and who have no moral right to give advice to a bleeding Ukraine.

For me, the USA is not the government or politicians, not talking heads, but ordinary people who share the same values of freedom.

I am grateful to God for hundreds and thousands of my friends in the USA, the most ordinary and the most incredible in their strength of spirit people.

These are people who pray, understand, sympathize, do not give unnecessary and inappropriate advice, who know how to love and empathize.

People who live by values and declare them not in words, but by the example of their lives. This is the real America, strong and great, and for me as for a Ukrainian it is a great honor to know you and to be a bearer of the same values. God bless America! God save Ukraine!

]]><![CDATA[May 2024 Update]]>Thu, 30 May 2024 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/may-2024-updateMakarov Christian Church

Makarov Christian Church

The way our life is organized, there are enemies in it. These enemies are always of two kinds - external and internal. For example, Ukraine is fighting an external aggressor. But there is an internal enemy - for example, corruption. The fight is brutal: You always have to fight on two fronts. Which enemy is more dangerous? The church has external enemies, but there are also internal enemies. Schisms, divisions, heresies. Which enemy is more dangerous? It is the same with man - in addition to external enemies, there are also internal ones - sin, pride, and self-love. No matter how dangerous the external enemy is, the internal enemy is more dangerous. God, give us the ability to resist the enemy that is within and protect us from external evil!

"But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself shall be desolate, and every house divided against itself shall fall" (Luke 11:17)
Maxim Mamakin, рastor of Makarov Christian Church.

In our fast life, daily routines, and all the excitement of the war, the Lord gave us a fantastic opportunity for fellowship and recreation by the ministers of our churches from Makarov and Kyiv. It was only one day when we could go to the base prepared for such fellowship, but there were a lot of memories. It was a time for study, critical reflections, walks in the woods, a delicious picnic, visits to the museum, fun games, opportunities to serve each other, and to relax.

For many of us, this church weekend was a much-needed and welcome gift from the Lord to spend quality fellowship and get to know each other better, even though we have been doing a lot of ministry together for a long time and know each other well already.

Prayer needs of the MHC that the Lord will bless:

the entire ministry of the church and the building of the House of Prayer;
the filling of houses of rehabilitation and the growth of new ministers;
our country with peace and the end of war.

Rehabilitation

You have already seen our photos of the rebuilding of the house we were preparing for rehabilitation for men in place of the house in Andreevka that was utterly destroyed by the Russian army.

And now, this house has come to life. For a month now, we have been accepting men for free rehabilitation and a new house in Makarov. We thank God that He led us through all the rebuilding phases, stages of construction, and repairs of the new men's center.

Now that the Word of God is being preached and taught here, new people are looking for a way out of all the difficulties in their lives. We know that the successful way out is only in Christ. The opportunity to show this true way to more people lost in their sins is an absolute joy for our ministry.

We pray that the Lord will use this house to change the hearts of those seeking a way out of their addictions and that through the rehabilitation ministry, they will come to know Christ and choose a new way in God alone.

Ministry

Recently, in the city of Bucha, our brothers, graduates of rehabilitation, started Coffee House meetings for fellowship with addicts and those seeking God. The Lord led this ministry, and facilities, faithful ministers, and new people came weekly for fellowship.

Even before the new year, based on such meetings, in complete trust in God, we began the ministry of a new church. A few months passed, and one of our pastors, Bogdan Maisuradze, and his wife, Victoria, moved from Makarov to Bucha. Being on the ground for local church planting is very important. Please join us in praying for this family and their ministry and that the Lord will multiply the church in Bucha, through which our Lord's name will be even more glorified in Ukraine.

Sergei Datsko - Kharkiv Region, Eastern Ukraine

Peace and grace! Thank you for your letter, Brother Pat. Thank you for your prayers for me and for our ministry that God has given us to do with DMI for over 25 years. God bless . The Donetsk ministry that you started in the Donetsk region moved to Kharkov in 2014 due to the war and seems to be moving even further to the West of Ukraine.

I returned home safely after the surgery and recovery in America. I arrived in Kharkov on April 5, because on the way home I was still in Zhitomir, where my Svetlana is now. She stayed in Zhitomir when I departed to the USA. The fact is that she is again in a difficult situation, there is a threat of another stroke. Therefore, all my illnesses in America also affected her health in Ukraine. Now the doctors have continued the course of treatment, and until the end of May she should be in Zhitomir undergoing treatment.

Therefore, I also need this time to be in Zhitomir and Kharkiv. My health is more stable after the surgeries and I can continue to do the same ministry work as before. Serving with a team for military families and wounded and fallen heroes. And also serve our soldiers. To do this, I stay in Kharkiv for two weeks, then go to Zhitomir for a week. This will continue, I hope, until the end of May, after which we are going to return to Kharkiv, God willing, to continue our ministry there.

Today the situation has worsened significantly due to a new wave of missile attacks on the energy system of Ukraine and in particular Kharkiv. Our district and city are simply being demolished by missiles and drones that arrive every day and night. A lot was destroyed, but even since the beginning of the war we rarely had problems with electricity and water in Kharkiv. Due to constant missile attacks on the city's infrastructure, people lost their jobs, and many began to need food again.Now all the stations have been destroyed, and we simply haven't had electric power for several weeks now; they are providing it for a couple of hours from the reserves of other regions of Ukraine. Therefore, because of this problem, there is very poor communication, no Internet, no water supply. 1’m glad that it's warm now, so we're not freezing.

The situation at the front is also difficult, due to our lack of ammunition and equipment, many guys are dying and getting injured. Putin plans to destroy all of Ukraine as a state, and simply raze our eastern parts and the northern borders with Russia to the ground. His dream is to restore the USSR again. Therefore, they have already begun to talk to us about a possible attack on Kharkiv. Of course, we trust God, we continue to pray and serve people by helping those who have lost everything and helping the soldiers. Our ministry always involves preaching the Gospel to them.

In the church now, our main ministry is the families of those who serve in the army and the families of those who have lost loved ones. We continue to support these families with food packages once a month. But more importantly, we continue to build relationships with them through communication both on a personal level, and we continue to serve through groups of psychological and spiritual help both online. But also live. These women and older people come to our groups, but we also visit them in their homes once a month. These are very difficult people with broken lives and often deep trauma and depression. But God also works in these people. Although many considered themselves Orthodox (Ukrainian), now many of them do not want to hear about the church and God. Many simply stopped believing. We continue to work with children in the Stary Saltov hub. Also in our church premises in Kharkiv, we work with teenagers and young people from military families. We don't know how many opportunities we will have to serve in the future, but today we are trying to use every opportunity. I also want to say that we perform all the listed opportunities and services thanks to your participation with the finances. First of all, these are food and essentials for these families. Today we have 640 families. also holding groups and serving children in the area. We are grateful to you for your help, and we ask, if God allows us to still serve here, to continue to support these ministries.

Once again we express our gratitude for your active participation in our joint ministry in Ukraine. And we thank God for everyone who prays, shares our pain and serves as finance for the Ukrainian people and the Church of Christ in Ukraine.

]]><![CDATA[April 2024 Update]]>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/april-2024-update

Peace and grace to all who read these lines!

It has been more than two years since the beginning of the big war in Ukraine, although it is essential to remember that the war, though of lesser intensity, has been going on for ten years.

The current situation in Ukraine is not easy. The regions bordering Russia (Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv) are under regular shelling by artillery, missiles, bombs, rockets, and drones). Settlements near the border are challenged, and residents of these places are gradually evacuating deep into Ukraine.

These days, residents of Kharkiv, where Pastor Sergei lives and ministers, and the region are especially suffering - daily shelling from all kinds of weapons. Every day, there are civilian casualties. Quite a large number of people are forced to evacuate.
Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions located on the front line have daily shelling. Civilian casualties are high. Civilians are gradually evacuated to safer regions in the interior of the country.

All over the country - daily drone attacks, frequent rocket attacks. Especially Odessa and the region suffer from drone attacks.

The enemy has been trying to altogether disable Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro are particularly affected these days. The enemy's goal is most likely to make more of Ukraine unfit for normal life. A large proportion are moving on to the Western regions of Ukraine, and many women and children are leaving for Europe and beyond. Evacuation seems like the best, albeit painful, solution for tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of civilians. Displaced people remaining in Ukraine receive financial assistance from the state, although not in a significant amount.

The economic situation remains difficult. Many large businesses are either destroyed or not operating. However, due to mass immigration, there is a shortage of specialists in some sectors of the economy. Skilled professionals can find work, although it may be necessary to move to another region of the country.
Pensioners and people receiving social benefits receive all payments on time, although their size often only allows them to make ends meet. This problem is partly solved by humanitarian aid from foreign organizations, donors, and mutual assistance within the country, including through churches and organizations such as DMI.

The spirit of volunteerism and mutual aid remains high, although not as high as it was in the first months after the start of the war. This is due to the reduction of domestic financial resources and the accumulated war fatigue. We are tired - we have not slept at night for more than two years, and we cry, but despite everything:
There is no panic inside Ukraine. We continue to live and fight, each in our own place, to pray and do good deeds whenever possible, helping those most in need in our midst and our brave warriors.

- Brother Sasha Malov

]]><![CDATA[August 2022 Update]]>Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/august-2022-updateA Message From The Missions Director

On May 23 a mission team left Atlanta for a survey trip to Ukraine. This is the first trip since covid prohibited our travels. Our last trip was in March of 2020 when we were forced to return early due to the pandemic around the world.

Hearing of all the destruction and devastation in Ukraine since the Russian invasion, which began in February of 2022, DMI felt we needed to see firsthand the needs of the people. We also wanted pastors and congregations in Ukraine to know that we fully supported them and were not going to abandon them as they went through this crisis. The team was composed of Dr. Geoffery Conner, Diane Simms, Dean Robbins and I.

Many people thought we were crazy to enter the country while the fighting was still taking place. However, our team all felt that this trip was necessary and our plan was to carry medical supplies and finances for the relief of those suffering in Ukraine. Our goal was to take one day at a time. We had to fly into Krakow, Poland and from there enter Ukraine. If the fighting became more intense and focused on western Ukraine we would stay in Krakow and have our supplies picked up by some of our contacts.

Our planned first stop was Rivna about 200 miles from the border. There we were met by our dear brother Sasha Malov. He had traveled from Kiev to meet us and take us on our most memorable journey. Conditions appeared safe, so we traveled to Cumin in central Ukraine, then on to Kiev where we spent a few days branching out to some of the villages and cities near Kiev.

The Lord blessed us to be able to travel to all of our planned sites. During this entire trip, not one of us felt that we were in any danger, and we trusted the Lord to bring us through. In all, our journey covered 13,655 miles. Following are reports from all of our team members. Each of us covers a different area of the trip.

Elder Pat McCoy
Missions Director
Discipling Ministries International, Inc.

Happy Home Ministry

By: Diane Simms, BSN, RN DMI Medical Director

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." - Matthew 28:19-20

It's been almost 20 years since I felt God leading me to be a part of the DMI Medical Team. We've been to Ukraine many times, but none of them has affected me as this one did.

We've all seen footage of war torn Ukraine on TV, but to see it in person and meet many individuals who have been deeply and personally affected by it is a much different perspective. Devastation and destruction were all around us. It was very emotionally draining.

In the midst of all the horror, a bright spot! Happy Home is an orphanage for children with disabilities. It was a vision and creation of Oxana, a loving and selfless young woman who has taken in as many as 9 children at one time. These children were taken from state run orphanages where their basic needs were not even met. They
are left in cribs in poorly lighted orphanages with very little attention, affection, stimulation or love. They receive nominal amounts of food and are left in diapers far beyond the normal age. But some have been blessed by being selected to go with Oxana to Happy Home.

Oxana explained to us that it is "Happy Home," not "Happy House". She said a house is merely a place where people live, but a home is a place where you feel loved, cared for and nurtured.

Oxana and her twin sister, Leah, worked together not only to care for their basic needs, but also to provide them with love, acceptance, and security. Theyprovide many fun activities that help them develop mentally, spiritually, and physically.

Oxana & Leah

Oxana and her twin sister, Leah, worked together not only to care for their basic needs, but also to provide them with love, acceptance, and security. Theyprovide many fun activities that help them develop mentally, spiritually, and physically. Many of these children were withdrawn and showed no affection, but through Oxana's work with them and love for them, they are amazingly outgoing and happy. They initiated hugs and hand holding with us, though we are total strangers to them! She's done such an amazing job with her innovative and effective methods that she has been approved by the government as a provider.

Happy Home was originally located in Kiev, where through much prayer, many donations and hard work, Oxana was able to purchase a larger home. This would allow her to accommodate more children. Unfortunately, when the war with Russia broke out, she felt it unsafe to stay in Kiev with the children. She took them to her parent's home in Novyi Korets', Ukraine. There was an abandoned building across the street that they have been allowed to use during the day, with plenty of room for the children to play. Nights are spent with their staying in her parents' home where love abounds for these children!

During our visit, Oxana stated that she was planning to return to Kiev with all the children the next Saturday. Thankfully, God had spared their new home from the bombings and shelling. Her sister, Leah, was to join her to help with the children. Unfortunately, the day after our visit, Oxana sent word that Leah had died during the night unexpectedly from a blood clot. A month earlier, Leah had fractured her femur and was confined to a month of bedrest. This treatment plan was likely the cause of death. Naturally, Leah, her parents and Leah's daughter were devastated and heartbroken. Their return to Kiev was postponed indefinitely, but her work continues!

Having been able to witness firsthand the senseless death, devastation and destruction of innocent civilians' lives, I now understand fully that while the images on the news are heartbreaking, one will never understand the true sorrow of this evil without having seen it in person. To see a large, multi-story apartment complex bombed, destroying an entire section of the building and killing 79 people was horrible. Finding a shoe here, a hat there, shattered walls decimated, with a stove and kitchen table way over there and a washing machine demolished over here makes it far too real. Imagine innocent people just living there, going through their normal daily routines, then BOOM and they're gone. Our thoughts turned immediately to the seemingly insurmountable task of rebuilding and returning to some type of "normalcy". This probably won't happen during my lifetime, but I pray that it can and will happen in God's time.

Through all of this, a bright spot of hope - Happy Home! Happy Home is supported financially by DMI. It is a blessing for these mentally and/or physically challenged children. Please consider helping them by donating to DMI and earmark your donation forHappy Home. It will mean so much to them and I know it will be a blessing to you.

Diane Simms, BSN RN
DMI Medical Director

Annual Delegate Meeting

October 1, 2022
Statesboro Primitive Baptist Church

The annual delegates meeting of DMI will be held on Saturday October 1 at Statesboro Primitive Baptist Church. Further information will be sent out shortly along with all forms needed for the meeting. We will begin at 10:30 a.m. Zoom meeting will also be available. If you wish to join with us by Zoom please notify me and an invitation will be sent to you. Send your name and email address to: pm4dmi@outlook.com

Ukraine & A Broken World

By: Doctor Geoff Conner
DMI board member (Vidalia, GA.)

God knows there has been human suffering throughout history. We clearly live in a broken world. And although there is plenty of brokenness close to home, I recently had a chance to witness it up close at a much greater level in war-torn Ukraine.

A mostly rural farm based country about the size of Texas with a GDP about half that of Mexico, they have very little compared to the US or other western based countries. As a primary care physician I have had a long connection with the people of Ukraine going back over 15 years through multiple medical mission trips facilitated by the Christian ministry DMI.

Originally we worked medical clinics in the Donbas region being based in Donetsk. Our model was church-based, free clinics with pastors praying and ministering with patients as they waited for medical care. I can tell you first hand the people of Ukraine are generally poor and meek. In all the years and all the hundreds if not thousands of patients I have treated or with whom I have had prayer, never have I seen anything but kindness and appreciation.

Ukraine is a country that has been occupied many times throughout history. Only in recent years with the Orange Revolution in 2011 have the Ukrainians begun to develop since of real national pride, and out of that, attempted to reform their government in hopes of a more prosperous Ukraine. But even before the Orange Revolution beginning with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has been moving toward the west trying to develop its economy out of a desire to integrate into western society, a society based on recognizing the value of human life and human rights. In short, in spite of government corruption, the Ukrainian people have been trying to develop a freedom based western style country with a good deal of success. That success seems to be the real reason for their current predicament.

Its old political partner, Russia, is unhappy with the success Ukraine has had moving westward and without provocation has felt empowered to attack. Like an abusive ex-spouse Russia wants its partner back before it can be completely married to the west. But Ukraine has already moved on from Russia and has no desire to return. It is true there are small older segments of the population in the east that have not adjusted well to capitalism and want to return to what they knew in their youth. The vast majority of Ukrainians however now have a burning hatred for Russia and that is understandable after seeing firsthand what Russia is doing to their country.

I have talked personally to people that have lost everything from random bombings and others that had their homes looted by Russians. I have heard from 72 year old Catarina and her son who had to strip for the Russian soldiers so they could look for Nazi related tattoos. I saw firsthand the bombed maternity hospital and rehab house north of Kyiv. I saw the ruins of bombed apartment buildings in Bucha and Irpin. Never has it been more clear to me the difference in our Judeo-Christian based society that values human life and a government that does not. We may as a society be drifting away from realizing it, but we value human life and don't treat each other like animals because at some level we know we are God's special creation. Our souls have his image. Many other societies don't recognize human life that way. We wrongly assume other governments care about human life as we do and that is why this attack is so shocking to us. It is also why we need to provide help.

God loves us. That may be hard for some to believe, but I am certain he does, and when anyone you love is hurt that hurts you. I know God is in control of all things and is allowing wars and countless other evils to continue for the moment, and his holy purpose we can not always understand, but that should not stop us from helping someone or some people in need. The Bible is full of examples of God showing us how important it is to love our neighbor. And like the well known example of the good Samaritan, when we don't help we go against God. In other words, hurting others is sinful and likewise not helping others that are being hurt is sinful. Of course that is a big challenge. Where do you draw the line. Do I give my life to help a stranger or all my money, or maybe a prayer is the best way to help. Also there are so many people being hurt in some way or another, and how do we know who needs help. It can be overwhelming, but in my opinion, if you let him, God will direct you how best to help, and he will put those in need in front of you. That may be the reason you are reading this now.

When I went to Ukraine, I did not just want to go, I felt I had to go. Something deep said this evil has to be answered with something that helps those being hurt. Fortunately, I was in a position to be able to go there in person with a wonderful team and show our support, but there are many ways to help.

Praying should always be a place to start. Letting our representatives in government know what is needed is another. Donations can be helpful. Being active on social media can help show support. The ministry I have worked with is DMI.

It is Georgia based and puts 100% of its donations directly into the hands of the Ukrainian people and churches that support Ukrainians regardless of faith.

I am convinced this is one of those turning points in history where those who value human life must take a stand against those who don't. I believe the only reason Russia has not used more aggressive weapons to kill massive numbers of innocent Ukrainians is because it is not in their strategic best interest, and I believe that there is no moral best interest in their calculations at all.

I know the final victory over evil is already won, but how much we love God is reflected by how much we love his special creation. Please consider providing some form of help for a nation trying to fight a battle against evil, and pray for the
people of Russia that they may see this evil also and take a stand against it.

Good In The Midst Of Evil

By: Pastor Pat McCoy,
Mission Director (Culloden, GA)

We have seen some of the devastation in Ukraine on television during the past 6 months. However, to see it in person and to talk to the people who have had to flee from their homes puts this war into a very different perspective.

Bags being prepared to feed nearly 500 families.

It is one thing to see all the refugees as they cross the border into Poland or German. It is another thing to sit with some of these refugees who have moved to other parts of Ukraine to hopefully restart their lives.

Pastor Eugene, for example, is now a refugee for the second time. He lived in Makeyevka until the war in 2014. He fled the occupied area of Donbass and moved into a city in Ukrainian Donbass Region. He started a church in one of the poorest towns in the region. DMI began supporting his ministry and is still supporting him.

When this war started in February he had to flee once again. There were six churches and pastors DMI was supporting in this region. Four of those pastors fled for their own safety. They abandoned their congregations almost overnight. No warning at all. However, Eugene and another pastor, Igor, gathered all of the people in the six congregations and fled to Uman, in central Ukraine.

They are staying in a summer camp, and with God's help, they will find jobs and a permanent place to live. This is difficult since there are around 10,000 refugees in and around the city of Uman.

In the city of Uman, one church is giving aid to over 500 refugees at a time two days a week. The UN humanitarian aid service has joined in with support of food and other supplies. The church prepares food bags for 500 families at a time. The food is enough to last them 3 weeks. Medical assistance is also offered each week. A pharmacy is set up to give medicines to those with prescriptions. What a ministry is taking place here. DMI is supporting this effort by assisting the pastor of the church. In a village south of Kiev, which was occupied by Russian troops for the month of February, one church, "House of Bread," is providing meals daily to homeless refugees. Some people fled the city of Bucha, north of Kiev, when the Russians' attack moved towards Kiev. They were looking for safety and then still were occupied by Russian forces.

God is working in so many lives and using His church to help those in dire need. God bless them all and keep them safe.

Report From DMI Chairman

It has been a little over 2 months since a group of us went to Ukraine to deliver humanitarian aid. There we were able to deliver medications and financial support. Because of the generosity of so many people, we were able to help lessen the tremendous burden that many there are experiencing due to the war. On behalf of the Board of DMI, thank you so much for your prayers and for answering the call for financial help. Lord willing, another trip is being planned for November. This will be a medical mission trip. We hope to address the physical needs of refugees who have had to leave their homes. We also hope to carry with us funds to help the pastors and ministries that we are supporting. You will see a report in this newsletter of where this help is going. Please continue to support our effort to help the church in Ukraine.

On our recent trip, Elder Pat McCoy and I met with one of many pastors. His name is Igor. We have known this dear brother for many years. We first met him before all of this conflict, when our ministry was centered in the Eastern Part of the Ukraine. He left that area in 2014 as a result of the Russian invasion. He settled in an area north of Kiev, in a village where DMI helped to build a church building.

When the present conflict started in February, this man risked his life by driving into places where fighting was taking place. He did so to help bring people to safety. When his village was threatened, many of the people there lost their jobs. He told us at one point, they were unable to even buy food for a period of about a month. Though the threat from Russian soldiers overrunning the city has dissipated, yet many still are unable to work. Many are still struggling to survive.

I asked him what was the message that he gave to the people in the church? He simply and meekly said --- "Hope." That despite the present hardships, their hope rested in the redemptive ministry of Jesus. There is hope in the life that is to come. And that hope can never be taken away from them. Brother Pat and I were extremely humbled by this man's words.

We may not be facing armed conflict like these brothers and sisters are. We do not have to worry about our communities being threatened by an invading army. But we each face our own enemies, our own trials, and afflictions. The answer to how we deal with such afflictions is the same as what Igor answered; it is hope! It is hope in Christ. It is the sure hope that whatever we must face in this life, the life that is to come will make it all worth it.

Thank you Brother Igor for reminding me of this great truth!

Thank you again for supporting this ministry. There is more work to be done. Please join us as we seek to help lift the burden of war that our Ukrainian brothers and sisters are laboring under.

God Bless you all!
Elder Dean Robbins, Chairman of DMI

Daily Ministry Of Pastors In Donbass

By: Andrey Malov

Staying in the cities of Donetsk region is already a bold step, although I think children and women would be better off leaving. And to continue working is already a feat. We are fortunate to meet the heroic people who bake the social bread. It is either distributed or sold at 12 UAH per loaf. These people work three shifts. We could help them with flour and other ingredients. See for yourselves.

All of this is exhausting. So many cities and villages that are being destroyed. The ripe fields are burned. Talking to locals - they are scared and confused. The scale of the trouble you see on the other side is exhausting. Fresh graves are being dug out in the yards. Nevertheless, we have our ministry to do. This is what we're doing. Bread, water, generator and gasoline for them, candles, nails, medicines and even cat food. All of this is for the most part only holding up those in such need.

Update From Sasha Malov

DMI Board / Ukraine Mission Director

I want to give you the current situation in Ukraine and focus of LOR/ DMI ministry in
Ukraine. First of all, thousands of refugees have fled the Donbass Region and continue to leave daily. There is a mandatory evacuation taking place now in this region. A train leaves once or twice a day from Pokrovsko to central Ukraine and the city of Umam. LOR provides food, medical aid for these refugees. Our focus is on refugees who are Ukrainian.

We are trying to help refugees by giving to families who are recommended by contacts working with refugees daily. We give them monthly support for rent, food, bills, etc.

It is hard on refugees to stay together in camps. Many families are staying in one large room such as auditoriums, so we are helping individual families to be independent. Samaritan Purse has sent aid. We received a large (40 foot) container. Pastor Maxime and his church are responsible for distribution of the food stuff to needy families in villages around Kiev. Also, UN food distribution is giving aid. 17 kl of most needed groceries, such as flower, oil, can of meat, etc. My concern is knowing we have a limit of funds. How to get assistance to Christians and give them funds to meet basic needs. DMI aid is sent to those serving on front like.

At this point in time our stress is that there are 10's of thousands of brothers and sisters scattered around Ukraine with no means of help and no future. The amount given to families depends on size of families and where they are, city or village. We give $200 to $500 per month. The commitment is for 3 months to families based on reports from Eugine, Vadim, Surgey and others. That is $20,000 per month at present. This average amount aids 17 families per week.

Those refugees with Eugene at the summer camp will need to move during September. There are 90 people, 40 families, who need to be moved before winter. The amount of request and needs will grow to $7000 to $8000 per week.

There is much tension in the air. The people are up and down with their feelings. People are getting down very much due to length of war. People are concerned that other areas will fall.

Our priority for the present changes weekly and sometimes daily. Zaparosia seems to be on list to fall under Russia. Their population is 500,000 . People from Mariople are there also. If they are attacked, another wave of refugees. Helping people get out. We may have to get back to paying cost for evacuation.

We are praying for the collapse of Russia. Praying God will perform a miracle and Putin taken out. Elijah's servant was wondering about the enemy and the Lord opened his eyes to see the real balance between powers.

I myself and others in Ukraine never take for granted DMI's support and prayers. And we appreciate and are thankful to the Lord that He has bound us together as body of Christ.

In Christ
Brother Sasha

]]><![CDATA[Warzone Updates - February & March]]>Wed, 30 Mar 2022 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/warzone-updates-february-marchSome names of individuals and locations are being withheld in the reports below for the protection of our brothers and sisters who are there.  These reports are coming in daily and sometimes more than one report a day.  I ask an interest in your prayers.

Financial aid is going to be needed as you can see from the first letter dated Friday.  DMI will be receiving donations for “Humanitarian Aid”.  These funds will be held until we are notified that it is safe to transfer funds once again.  As always, all funds are used directly in the area designated by each donor.  This is explained at the end of the first message below.

I have prepared a flyer which can be printed and given out to your church members and friends who may desire to help by sending aid.  You may contact me by email if you would like a file of this flyer.  My email is: pm4dmi@outlook.com

Thanks for your prayers and assistance through the years and thanks ahead of time for any contributions you make in this great time of need.

February 26, 2022

Greetings!

I did a communion service for my family this morning. Completely different feelings then in normal life. God is so good for giving us His Son Jesus Christ. Besides my close family we have our son-in-law’s mother and brother staying with us. Our son-in-law is the one who used to call you as Papa Bear.

Our neighbors across from our house (young adults with 2 little kids) are also to join us in case of heavy shelling like we have had this early morning, since they don't have basement in their house.

Last night was a real hell.
If we'd survive, I'll explain more.

Thank you for being a father and a good friend for many years.

I talked to our dear brother ******* a moment ago.

He is in ******* and is alive as well as his wife. They're under heavy shelling right now. (He lives in a major city in the Eastern Ukraine near the Russian border.)

We didn't sleep most of the last few days. My wife feels exhausted and on the edge of her strength. Please pray for her.

The concern we have is - is Putin to use a nuclear weapon against the city of Kiev or will he destroy the dam up north of Kiev on Dnieper river which will cause the distraction of everything on the left bank of Kiev and of Ukraine down south, including a Nuclear station nearby Zaporozhye.

We are on the left (eastern) bank of Dnieper river.

Your brother and friend *******

February 25, 2022

We definitely don't know what the end of the war will be.

But every hour I'm getting information from different regions from our network of contacts and to mention some of the problems we're facing and will be facing:

1. Destroyed houses, apartments, and vehicles. Repairs will be needed.

2. Refugees. For now, we have a lot of people who left everything behind and if parts of Ukraine they used to live in will happen to be under Russia they would never come back even under peaceful condition. Such people will need to start-up again.
If the whole of Ukraine will be under control of Russia with the Putin's puppets running the country - immigration abroad for many people.

3. Medical help. I'm receiving notes on injured people all around.

4. Economy in general. Nothing is working now and every day of war makes things worst.

It is just a short list of current and predicted needs.

I'm thinking of Ukrainian general fund at DMI where people could donate starting from now.

No need at the moment to wire the funds over here. It doesn't work. Most stores are closed at least in my village and the ones still open are empty. (They still have cookies but not bread )

In other regions situation is better but not sure for how long.

(NOTE: The ministry continues even in these difficult days)

Today we paid $1K for 40 refugees to get settled in another region. Just to get some food, medicines, and clothing. Another $3.5 K we spent for 4 power generators in the areas where there is no electricity.

So the idea - we spend what we have here and then later on when the situation will allow we will somehow get the funds from DMI.

It is loud out here. Just were 4-5 big explosions in the direction of Kiev.
They're trying take over Kiev and the area this night.

In Him, Brother *******

March 3, 2022

A quick update. We all are fine. Today got some food supplies. Praise the Lord!
The enemies are close to us like 20 miles away.

I heard from Sergey from Kharkiv. He is fine. Out of his 50+ people 3 were injured. One of them is in hard condition.

Yesterday one of Max's rehab centers got to be under fire. One man at the rehab was killed. Max is fine.

Yesterday the heavy jet's attack took place by Andrey. The bomb exploded in 1 mile away from Andrey's. They're fine.

March 14, 2022

Below is an email message I received today from Andrey Malov in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. He is brother of Sasha Malov. Many of you know Sasha from his visits to the U.S. over the years. Sasha lives near Kiev and is still there with his family.

In the photo on the left you can see Andrey with a communion set on the table beside him. When the Plant City (FL) Primitive Baptist Church closed, I was given this communion set.

I gave it to Andrey when he and Sasha were here for a visit. Andrey was living in Makeyevka at the time and used the set in the church he pastored there. He had to flee in 2014 when Russia invaded that part of Ukraine. He uses the set now in Zhytomyr, where he pastors.

The other photo is the brother from Sumy region mentioned in Andrey’s email below. He has supplies loaded to take back to his region.We ask continued prayers for all our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.

Pastor Pat McCoy
Atlanta Primitive Baptist Church
Discipling Ministries International, Inc.

Dear Pat,

As I can imagine Sasha and his family are alive and more or less OK. Sasha was yesterday in the LOR chat. The situation in his place is calmer now. But it can change very quickly. Sasha has money, food and all necessary, as I know. So, please, try to be in contact with him personally.

We also are OK here, in Zhytomyr. There were a few missile attacks with terrible destructions and casualties. But last 3 days is quieter.

We collect here food and send it to an occupied region in the North of Ukraine (Sumy region). Yesterday we have sent the second transport with food there via a brave brother Eugene from that region. We also take part in church life - help refugees, help the people whose houses were destroyed. Yesterday I have preached in our church in Zhytomyr.

Thanks a lot for concern and prayers. Our warmest greetings to all friends.

In Him -
Andrey.

March 17, 2022

Brothers and Sisters!
Dear friends at DMI!

You don't imagine how much your prayers and support are meant to us!

I admire the leadership of DMI - Brothers Dean Robbins and Pat McCoy for all they do. Proud to be their friend. Proud to be part of all of yours lives for many years!

We all need miracle for Ukraine to survive against Russia. If we will not - the enemy will go further to other countries.

As our President spoke in his powerful speech yesterday to the US Congress - Ukraine is fighting for the rest of the World. I'm agree with that statement 100%.

I want you not to be in panic. If God is for us - who may stay against us?

We as the leadership of LOR (Light of Resurrection) do as much as we could. Coordinating different efforts all around Ukraine and practically serving to people around us. We don't have much time for writing but believe me - the great work is being done every minute.

I'm proud to be a part of great team of LOR. God has blessed me with the great people on our staff. Some of them and some of our local partners got to be under Russians, temporarily for sure.

They keep strong over there and in many different ways are fighting against the enemies. I couldn't give you more details at the moment.

At any place around Ukraine, we don't know what might happen next day, even next hour. There is no place in Ukraine that may be considered as a safe place.

There will be no victory of Russia over Ukraine. We all could die, and they could take over the territory, but not over the people of Ukraine. More and more areas could be occupied by Russians and a lot of Ukrainian blood could be shed next weeks, months - but there will be no victory of Russia.

The fact you're standing behind us with your prayers and financial support - inspires us.

Speaking about finances - we need finances. Don't think of donating clothing or food or medications at the moment in USA. Even if you'd donate to some charities - the logistics will be difficult and almost impossible, honestly speaking.

Please ask your churches, friends, local busyness to give to DMI for the Ukrainian War fund. We will need a lot of money in the nearest future.

What is our finances strategy on our end? Under current circumstances each one of the staff are spending their own savings they might have. We also are spending funds from LOR accounts donated to us before the war by various local and international supporters for other purposes. In other words, we're spending personal funds and funds of other donors for urgent needs around us.

We need to empty our pockets and accounts as soon as possible, because we just don't know for how long the banking system will be working here.

We keep the track of our spendings here.

I knew from brother Pat there was $25K donated to the Ukrainian war fund at DMI. The funds are on DMI account, but they're spent already by us on our end and for us it means that our personal finances and other supporters finances are in a safe place at DMI bank. I hope you understand the concept.

By the end of month - we will send to brother Pat the breakdown of our spendings out of DMI Ukrainian war fund and whom they belong to, along with some stories, where applicable.

Right now, the funds are being spent for:
- Food
- Medications
- Fuel
- Evacuations (rent of transport)
- Rent cost for refugees
- Power generators

When we know there's more funds on DMI Ukrainian War fund - we will start spending it. We are also in a process of analyzing approved for 2022 DMI's original budget.

The communication is difficult. Some people we have been supporting have fled abroad, some are on the occupied areas with no banking system available. Some stay - but have no ministry left behind. We're making an assessment of each individual case and will let brothers Dean and Pat know by the end of March, since all the DMI's original 2022 projects were already covered for the first quarter of this year.

Love you all! Hope to see you all once again on the Earth, but if not on the Earth - then in Heaven.

Pray for our President. This little man is really anointed by God for these days of trials.

In His Peace,
Brother Sasha

March 31, 2022

Greetings in the Name of the Lord!

A brief update as for today:

We all of our staff and families are fine.

Irpen (North-West of Kyiv). We have no access to there even looks like at least part of the city is controlled by Ukrainian forces and from rare video footage from there it looks like the city is badly-badly damaged. Nobody knows exactly how many civilians were killed there. From what I could see on couple of videos – there are bodies of people on the streets. On a personal matter – 2 of Tanya’s brothers used to live there with the families. In fact, both of them have just purchased apartments there. Praise God both families were able to escape with the children, but look like they have no apartments left.

Makariv (West of Kyiv). In the town and in the area there were rehabilitation centers (4 of them) which were supported through LOR for many years. Since the second week of war the area is controlled by Russians and there are severe fights taking place in the area – with the long distance artillery used. With the donated funds all the people at the rehab centers and church people were able to evacuate (over 100 people). Pastor Maxim Mamakin has left his house one of the last. Most likely his house and the rehabilitation centers are destroyed. But he doesn’t have chance to check it out. Maxim, Lesya, 2 of his sons and some others are in Kyiev on the west bank of Dnieper continue ministering to those around.

Mariupol-Zaporozhye. Several thousands of people were able to leave Mariupol on their own risk. The church in Zaporozhye we partner with is able to host people for sometime and then manage to evacuate them to the West of Ukraine and further to EU. Thanks to the financial support of many. People from Mariupol don’t talk much on what they have come through. Deep emotional traumas.

Our community in Boryspil District. We have missiles flying over our houses every night and some artillery shelling on another side of Boryspil city (like 30-40 km east from us). Praise God only one missile had been hit not far away from us, on our side of Dnieper. Nobody was injured and no major distractions. The supply with the food is better than it was over first 2 weeks, but we don’t know for how long. Russians are destroying the storages of food and of the gas and diesel fuel around Kyiv. Lack of the most needed medications at least in our village and in the pharmacies on our side of Kyiv. What is good is the strength of the local communities – those who stay here are taking care for their neighbors and especially for the elderly people, so we stay close with the people around ministering to them in all possible ways. People are also facing lack of finances – those who had their jobs and have lost the source of income. Those people we support with the food for free and with the finances when possible.

We don’t have any optimism as Putin promised to stop attacking Kyiv and Chernigiv. Last night have clearly showed that is not a case.

Thanks for being good friends, for your prayers and for the support.

In His Peace,
Sasha

]]><![CDATA[December 2021 Update]]>Thu, 30 Dec 2021 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.disciplingministries.org/ministry-reports--updates/december-2021-updateGreetings to you, dear Friends!

Time flies frighteningly fast, and we are unnoticeably approaching the end of the year. When I was asked to share through a letter about our ministry in Ukraine, so to speak, to sum up the results of the ending 2021, I thought to myself - what's special to say there?

Everything seems to be known and understood. We work, maybe not as actively as we would like to, because of the pandemic, but some work is being done. We travel somewhere, meet and fellowship with pastors and people in need, but what's so special about that? We just do our work according to our ability. Also, both despondencies and griefs happen on this way, inner experiences as well as outer trials.

Last night, I turned on my computer and opened a file that records everything that we have done with the help of the money donated by DMI for our ministry in Ukraine. I read these notes and my mood gradually improved. There is a story behind each line and number in this file. And not even a story in the singular, but the stories of all people behind one or another project.

By the grace of God, in 2021 we were able to support 13 ministers financially. They work in different regions of Ukraine. Some of them planted churches by the grace of God, others just start home Bible study groups, some literally walk around district after district of their city and tell people about Christ, some of them are refugees, leaders of rehabilitation centers, some of them feed the poor. Therefore, speaking of the 13 people whom we financially supported, we can think of hundreds and maybe thousands of people who are influenced by God through the ministry of these brothers. Is everything smooth and cloudless in the ministry of these brothers? Of course not. Like me, they also have their inner experiences, struggles, and outer trials. Where we have good personal contact with these brothers, where good chemistry happens in our relationship, there God gives the opportunity to minister to these brothers, sometimes with advice on the phone, sometimes with a good conversation during a personal visit, but always with prayer about the entire list of these brothers, when we open this list and begin to pray for each of them.

- Brother Sasha

Constantin Church

This year, God blessed us to help financially in repairing a church in a small village, where the roof leaked during the rains and where there was no toilet. Now this small and poor community can survive the winter without rain pouring on heads of people.

In another village, our finances helped to make repairs in the house where male members of the church who have undergone rehabilitation live, of whom more than half are disabled. This house was the beginning of a small Bible study group and will possibly grow into a church.

In another village, our finances helped to make repairs in the house where male members of the church who have undergone rehabilitation live, of whom more than half are disabled. This house was the beginning of a small Bible study group and will possibly grow into a church.

We were happy to help grandmother Elena, who raises her grandchildren in the front-line city of Avdeevka. There is complete poverty and desolation in that house. The church continues to take care of this family and what will come of this - God knows.

Princess & Her Children

God blessed us with the meeting with a true Princess. Princesses really exist! In our case, this is the name of a mother of eight children, a gypsy by nationality. A scampish Russian husband and Princess who alone takes all the care of their beautiful and clean children, but the living conditions are not at all the same as in a princess's castle.

The Church will take care of Princess and her children, and we have become part of that care. What will come of this? God knows.

Happy Home Ministry

This year we rejoiced helping the Happy Home ministry. It is incredibly amazing to see changes in the development of children who were doomed to die if not for this ministry. We pray that the scope of this ministry will expand, and that even more children with disabilities will find physical salvation in the new house, for which a large sum of money is due by April.

We Cried A Lot This Year

We cried together with the young Christian girl Veronica (20 years old), whose father died and she became a full orphan in this world. Without relatives and in the house in which the hurricane blew the roof off. God blessed us with participation in her need - not only with finances, but also with the fact that other churches and people not only helped to make repairs in her house, but also accepted this girl into their hearts.

We cried together with Pastor Igor Syrbu, a refugee from the Luhansk region, now serving in a small church in the Kiev region. God took his wife, Nadia, to Himself, and Igor was left in a city that was still unfamiliar to him and his children, with huge debts for their new housing that is still under construction, living in the basement, and without his beloved wife.

The life of Igor and his children still has an imprint of grief. Too little time has passed since the moment of separation from a dear person - wife, mother. Nadia was a true Christian - God-fearing, humble, patient, loving. The youngest daughter, Sophia, looks like her mother. She misses her mom very much. Any mention of her brings tears. Bereavement did not make the family disunited, on the contrary, it rallied them even stronger. The spirit of love, support - it is always felt. Igor also shared his joy - his eldest son is going to get married; the wedding is planned for March next year. So, life goes on.

The Syrbus prepare to move to their own home. They finish renovating their new apartment. Igor and his sons do most of the work with their own hands. By the way, the apartment is quite small. They converted into separate rooms a dressing room, part of a hall and even the loggia. They plan to move in November-December. They still live in the basement. All debts for buying an apartment have already been paid.

Igor is very grateful for the substantial assistance of the DMI, which helped him pay debts for his wife's treatment and pay off the debt for housing. Igor is a man with a grateful heart. He thanks God for joys and sorrows, for losses and gains. He is sincerely grateful to people for their support. A worthy example to follow.

We grieve together with many COVID-19 sufferers. Among them are pastor Vladimir Velgus (75) and his wife Rita. Dozens of years of blessed ministry in Donetsk, then the war and the forced departure.

In sickness and in health. More than ever, relevant words. The Velguses fell ill at the same time. Rita Petrovna handles covid more easily. Vladimir Vakulovich handles the disease a lot worse. He believes that 20 years of work on the mine are taking their toll - a lot of coal dust remains in the lungs.

Still weak herself, Rita Petrovna completely took upon herself the care of her husband. She cooks food - whatever Vladimir Vakulovich wants. Consults with doctors, monitors timely medication intake. They decided not to get engaged with the hospitals - they are overcrowded, there is not enough medicine and oxygen there. They rented an oxygen concentrator. Vladimir spends several hours a day with it - when saturation drops to critical levels.

Despite the fact that the illness has already exhausted brother Vladimir, he is cheerful in his spirit. He says that he is ready for the transition to eternity. God gave him almost 75 years of life. But he would like to be of service to his family and church. He sees in the epidemic the judgments of God, which should be performed before the coming of Christ. He prays a lot for his native church in Donetsk, where he was a pastor for 26 years. Vladimir also prays for his entire large family. The war scattered all the Velguses in different places, there are no children next to their parents.

Vladimir and Rita are very happy that they are not forgotten. They are grateful for the help of DMI, which allows them to financially stay afloat. We are blessed by the fact that we can take care not only of young pastors, but also of those who, after many years of ministry, found themselves having financial difficulties. We try not to forget about those who, for many years, faithfully and very delicately performed their ministry, like Brother Vladimir.

We cried when God took Sister Raisa from Zhitomir to Himself. This humble woman was an imperceptible blessing to many people. A woman of prayer and imperceptible helper. When she was dying in agony, our help helped alleviate her suffering at least a little bit and helped to ensure a proper funeral. Without sister Raisa, the church got to be empty in many ways.

Conclusion

This is not a complete list of what God has given us the privilege of participating in this year. God gave us Grace not to know what eternal consequences these deeds of ours can lead to, and Grace not to worry about the results. And this is the thing that gives sense and raises tired hands to a new round of ministry.

My life is full of gratitude to God for the people whom He sends my way and with whom I can do my little work.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to God for working together with brothers Dean and Pat, and the entire DMI Board. Dear Brothers Dean and Pat, your willingness to come to the aid is encouraging. I know that at any time I can talk to you, ask for advice, or just send a text message late at night: “pray for me”, - and get an answer right away: “I’m already praying”, - without asking any questions.

The more I live, the more I wonder and admire God who works in the hearts of DMI donators. Your loyalty blesses us not only financially, but also with its influence on increasing reciprocal loyalty on the part of Ukrainians. May God bless your souls, houses, churches, your state!

I am glad to be part of the work of the Light of Resurrection staff. I rejoice in Andrew's heart, which God leads to all these “princesses” and to other "invisible" people, and how God ministers to them through him.

I rejoice how our translator Svetlana sees the heart and sense of what has been written, and how God gives her the necessary words that convey the heart of our ministry.

I rejoice how our accountants and lawyers Tatyana and Svetlana, as well as the administrative director Boris, in their part of our common ministry, do their job creatively and efficiently, sharing the spirit of our ministry and loving those whom God serves through us.

Glory be to Him!

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