April 2021 Newsletter

Brother Sasha

Mission Director Sasha Malov's Report

Spring has come! For me, the arrival of spring is always specifically associated with smells. It's still February, it's still cold and it's snowing, but something is changing in the air. The air smells like the rapid arrival of spring.

This year, something is happening differently than in times past. I do not know how to explain and express it, but more than ever, I just physically feel anxiety in the air. Something frightening and inexplicable is felt around me. Some say that a big war may return to Ukraine soon and there are political prerequisites for this.

The incomprehensibility associated with the epidemic is frightening. Almost the entire territory of Ukraine is closed again for a lockdown for three weeks. The number of sick and dying people is growing. We hear about people who got sick for the second time and in more severe forms than the first time. Again, on the roads appear checkpoints, which close access to regions in the red zone with the largest number of sick people.
The question that scares is: will the economy withstand the next lockdown. What will happen to us all? Will there be a surge in the growth of crime rates in our society?
And these are not only my personal questions, but even watching the people around, one may see general apathy and gloom. Where and in what to find comfort, if it seems that the whole world has gone mad. Obviously, anxiety is now inherent in the inhabitants of the whole world. Pandemic, politics, crime and injustice - the same issues concern everyone on earth. It seems that there is not a single calm and stable place left on the entire globe.

As I thought and prayed about the reasons for my anxiety, a story from the Gospel of Luke 7 came into my heart. After the resurrection of the young man and the subsequent fear and glorifying God, John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him (verse 19) - "Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?"

They came to Jesus, asked a question and received an answer (verses 22- 23) “Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

What did our Lord do and say? He simply drew John's attention to things that actually happened and said an important thing - do not be tempted about Me!

Why is this an important passage for me? John the Baptist is in prison. In itself, this is unpleasant, and even more so when the mission of his life is in some sense in question. Are You really the Messiah? Are You really the One for Whose preaching I am imprisoned?

---

When our souls languish with anxiety and unrest, it is good for us to ask ourselves the questions: "Christ, are You the One I look forward to?" Show yourself to me. In my case, it works in an amazing and humbling way - Christ begins to speak, with confident authority. Sasha, do not think that I stand down. Do not think that I let your personal history, the history of your family, the history of your people, the history of all mankind take their course and that I have no influence and power over what is happening. Do not doubt Me! Find peace in Me!

It's as if He is saying, I can give you peace. Will you let Me? I say - yes, of course, I need it! And He takes my hands and begins to show…

He shows me beggars who preach the Gospel. People who themselves were in great spiritual need, blindness, lameness and leprosy today set tables full of physical and spiritual food and bless the same people as they were before.

---

This ministry is carried out by Pastor Eduard and Pastor Eugene in the front-line regions of Eastern Ukraine. People living in poverty and danger come to meetings at laid tables. Food, in their case, is not just a reason for social interaction, but simply because they are hungry. There are no jobs available there. There is no income and the church is a place where one can get such a desired piece of bread and, moreover, spiritual fellowship, which helps to see one's spiritual blindness and the leprosy of sinfulness.

Throughout Ukraine, there are dozens of such places where our ministry, thanks to your help, serves people in their physical and spiritual needs. Christ says that the lame walk, and He begins to show me evidence of this.

---

---

Lena & Children

Lena From Makeyevka

​Lena (33 years old) was brought up in a Christian orphanage in Makeyevka. She was part of the church. After graduating from the orphanage, she began an independent life. But she started to “limp”. She left God and the church. Gave birth to 4 children. Started drinking. Her “husbands”, fathers of her children, appeared in her life and disappeared again. The state periodically takes children to state boarding schools, then Lena seems to come to her senses, but then she starts to "limp" again. I cannot remember all the details of how this or that family, similar to Lena, appears in the life of our ministry - they appear somehow, Christ sends them on our way.

So we met Lena and her children. The house where they live, does not have proper heating and water supply. It is very cold. But there is our partner church nearby, which prepares hot meals for such children – Lena`s children also receive meals there. Now we are looking for a possibility to repair the coal stove in the house and have the house put on to the water mains. Lena sees such an attitude towards her and gradually tries to “limp” less, fearing that if she would not change her lifestyle, her children would be taken to the state orphanage for good. She was able to find an unskilled job and is slowly reaching for a normal life. Such is the story of the “lame” Lena.

---

---

Three Children Of An Alcoholic Mother

​​Similar to this is the life story of 3 other children. Their names are Nadia, Alesha and Toma. Their mother is 28 years old and the whole story is very similar to the previous one.
​
Good children, but again, poverty and misery, and also a drinking mother. It is good that there is a church nearby, which saw these children and began to take care of them, and we together with you will be able to financially respond to the needs. There is no water supply in this house either, but thanks to your financial participation, a well will be drilled there in spring.

These and hundreds of other stories, they are far from purely humanitarian projects. Most likely, this is about the coming of Christ in the lives of tens and hundreds of people. The blind suddenly begin to see - people who have blamed others and the circumstances all their lives, suddenly begin to see their true position and the true reasons for their position.

---

Nadia, Alesha, & Toma

It is not parents who are to blame for why some people live the way they do. It is not the government that is to blame for my problems. It is not capitalism that is to blame for human problems. It is not God who is to blame for the fact that He cares little about me... The Gospel has the power to open eyes and gives a spiritual understanding of what is happening. And therefore, the strength of our ministry has always been in these two things - to reveal Christ through acts of mercy and through the explanation of the essence of the Gospel.

---

---

Pastor Bogdan

Pastor Bogdan

A young brother, minister Bogdan, whom we began to support financially, understands the importance of ministering to teenagers.

His ministry is closely related to the church in Makarov, the Kiev region, which mainly grew through the ministry of their rehabilitation center. Hundreds of people are enrolled in this church's rehabilitation program every year and unfortunately, relatively few people eventually get saved. Without a doubt, the rehabilitation ministry is important, but Bogdan has a special concern for adolescents - how to minister to them in a way, so that later they do not have to seek help from rehabilitation centers.

---

Teen Bible Study

This is how the Teen Bible Study Group came about. They come together for study and fellowship 5-6 times a week. We are glad to have such new ministers who appear within our line of sight and try to help them financially.
​

---

Jesus told John's disciples about the great miracles He performed. It was a tremendous testimony and consolation for John the Baptist. He received confirmation - Jesus truly is the Messiah. He is the Savior!
​
The miracle of salvation can only be performed by God, by His sovereign purpose. Salvation is His exclusive right and only He has the ability to save people.

---

---

Ministerial Support

​In the history of the miracles of Jesus Christ, there is one miracle that is special to me. It is described in Mark chapter 2. Remember this story? There, 4 people brought a paralyzed man to Jesus, and since there were many people, they had to destroy the structure of the house - they dismantled or dug the roof in order to bring this unfortunate man down to Jesus. Seeing “their faith,” Jesus forgives the paralyzed man of his sins and then heals him from physical weakness.

When I think of the ministers of the Gospel whom we financially support, this story comes to my mind. The source of the miracle of salvation and healing is Christ. But we need such "abnormal" people who will be ready to bring discomfort to the life of the crowd, figuratively speaking, to dig roofs - in order to put a stretcher with the paralyzed right near the feet of Christ.

This is exactly what our brothers-ministers whom we support financially do:

Pastor Maxim

Pastor Maxim
​
Pastor Maxim - fights on his battlefields, bringing to Christ's feet hundreds of drug addicts and alcoholics crippled by sin.
​
Maxim and his staff serve people in six rehab centers in the Kiev area. They all come together for worship together each Sunday. What a joy to worship with this group.
​

---

Pastor Eduard

Pastor Eduard

He feeds and preaches in a small village in the Donetsk region. People are crippled by sin and poisoned with malice because of the war, but the ministry of Eduard and his wife Lyudmila is a huge testimony, the miracle of healing.

​

---

Three Pastors Labor Together

​Pastor Vasiliy together with brothers Mikhail and Roman. A whole missionary movement was organized in the front-line villages of the Donetsk region. As a result of their ministry, new churches were planted in villages and towns, where there were no believers ever before. For example, in one of the villages, there is now a church where 15 people gather. A small group - but this is in a village with less than 40 inhabitants.

Pastor Vasiliy

Brother Mikhail

Brother Roman

Pastor Oleg

Pastor Oleg

Pastor Oleg is a great and humble servant of God. Through his ministry, dozens of former criminals and drug addicts came to God, they now serve as pastors and leaders of rehabilitation centers. The war changed all plans and since 2014 he and his big family have become refugees.

Now they have 7 children, the youngest one is only 2 months old. But wherever life took them, he began to preach everywhere. In a small town in the Kiev region there was a dying church - Oleg ended up there and now life began to seethe there. Oleg handed over the ministry to the young pastor and in the near future he plans to start preaching in the big city in order to plant a new church.

These "abnormal" people are those who drive history, and today I can testify to you, dear readers, together with them: we see and hear every day - the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached!
​
Blessed are we all that did not doubt His control over everything and His power to continue performing the miracles of His salvation!!!

---

---

Warzone - People, Homes, & Schools Devastated

The pictures below show the condition in the East today. The shelling took place mostly in 2014 although there is daily shelling taking place along the Donetsk/ Lugansk Regions bordering the occupied territory. This leads to the closing article.

A road sign to Donetsk with bullet holes reminding residents of the fact that a war has divided the Donetsk Region.

Pictures painted on walls of a bombed out building promoting Communism in Donetsk Region.

If you look closely you will see a bullet hole in this book.

A resident of a village in the Warzone of Donetsk.

One of the many bombed out homes.

People such as this lady have no place to go. They cannot leave the cities they have lived in most, if not all of their lives. She is dependent on help from such groups as DMI and LOR.
​
This region is strewn with bombed out homes. People had to flee in 2014 even up until today because there is still shelling taking place in many of the border cities.
The people are afraid to try to move back in not knowing when or where the next shelling will be.

A school library devastated.

This region is strewn with bombed out homes. People had to flee in 2014 even up until today because there is still shelling taking place in many of the border cities.
The people are afraid to try to move back in not knowing when or where the next shelling will be.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Many are barely surviving after the war in 2014. Families have been devastated. Now it seems that another war may be on the horizon. Russian troops are mounting up on the border of Ukraine on three sides. Troops and artillery are gathering on the northern, eastern, and southern borders of Ukraine. See the map on the last page. Here is an update from Sasha.

---

Update From April 3, 2021

​Brother Pat,
Here is a brief update on a possibility of a military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Let me start with the facts:

Fact number 1: Ukraine is bordering with Russia and with its ally Belarus for thousands of kilometers.  On the East, South, South-East with Russia and controlled by Russia Donetsk and Lugansk. On the North  with Belarus. On the South we border with the annexed territory of Crimea, which is under Russia now. On the South-West we border with the annexed by Russia territory of Moldova which is known as Transdniestria. Basically only on the Western side of our country we have neighbors who belong to the European Union, - Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania.

Fact number 2: Over the last couple months, the Russian army is increasing its presence in all the regions around the Ukrainian borders. These days you cannot hide anything and people put videos on YouTube showing the trains loaded with the tanks moving close to Ukraine. Heavy military tracks on highways and other staff like that. Russia had to explain what is going on and they explained it like that is part of a military training which is planned together with Belarus.

Question 1: What could be the reason for war? Starting a year ago Russia is giving its citizenship to the people living on the occupied areas of Donetsk and Lugansk. From different sources we heard of 500 000 passports already given to people over there – meaning they’re legitimate citizens of Russia now, but living on de-jure Ukrainian territory.  What does it mean for Ukraine? In Russian military doctrine is stated that The state of Russia will protect its citizens everywhere around the world.  If for example Ukraine will start a military campaign to get back the occupied areas, Russia will take it as an aggression against the civil Russian citizens.  I personally think that from now on, anything may become a casus belli and the war could start at any moment.

Question 2: If the war will happen – would that be only in Eastern Ukraine? Not necessary. It could be everywhere since (accordingly Russians) the whole state of Ukraine is guilty in discriminating Russian speaking Ukrainians and they could decide to protect Russian speaking Ukrainians from the discrimination. And it should be not a surprise for you that a lot of people in Eastern, Central and especially Southern Ukraine are very much pro-Russian. I would be not surprised if the invasion will happen to see big support of Russia on those areas.

What is bothering me with all this situation? I have a feeling that Russian propaganda and Ukrainian media are somehow work in one accord. On Russian TV for last month they are screaming as crazy every single day – “ The Big war is coming!”.  The same on Ukrainian medias – the war is near, we need to mobilize ourselves and be ready for a worst development. What I see now in Ukraine, all the news like that do not mobilize people at all, and do not raise the spirit of a nation, rather create some sort of a mass psychosis. That is the thing which is happening. People are scared of Covid and day by day are frighten with the war. It does not work like that. In my opinion it is too much of information is flowing on people, that makes me doubt if the war is really such close as the propaganda on both sides are presenting. The annexation of Crimea – that was done in dead silence in 3-4 days, when the Russians came and occupied that land. Nobody was shouting – we’re coming to annex.

So, that is the big thing that bothers me and I may think of:

• The war is indeed very close.
• Or something else is happening and they shift the attention of people by this mass psychosis.
• Who are those “they”? I have no idea. Putin, Ukrainian president, Biden?
• I do not know, but I think we need to use our critical thinking when something like that is happening and the propaganda in both Ukraine and Russia are working in one accord.

Hope it helps.
In Him,
Sasha (from yet peaceful suburb of Kiev)

---

Message From DMI's Chairman

​​Greetings to you all in the blessed and most holy name of Jesus Christ! What a joyous season we are in as we have celebrated our Lord’s death and resurrection. Amid so much confusion and uncertainty in the world today, Jesus coming forth out of the grave, as he said he would do, gives us peace in the midst of storms that life in a fallen world brings to us. You have just read of “storms” affecting our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine. Of course, many more Christians are suffering in one form or another across the world. Even Christians in our own country are beginning to feel the heavy hand of unbelievers in positions of authority. But this is all as Jesus said it would be. For he said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus said this right before his suffering and death upon the cross. These words are manna to all who suffer for the sake of the gospel. Peace is still possible for the persecuted because Jesus has overcome the world!

We, at DMI, have always trusted in the goodness of the Lord and His leadership over these past 28 years. Many things have arisen over these years that had the potential to hinder our ministry of the gospel in the Ukraine. But when doors have been closed, the Lord has opened others. So, we believe now HE has His plans and purposes for the church in the Ukraine in these difficult days.

A Plea for help
The Board of DMI has been in prayer for the church there and for the Lord’s guidance in how we can be a further help. Because of the pandemic, we cannot visit there. Thankfully, we have a means by which we can still send funds over there to meet the needs that we have planned through our 2021 budget. But as conditions there deteriorate, with the possibility of armed conflict, we are concerned about the ability to continue to send the funds that are needed to support the ministers and other needs.

So, we are asking our supporters to consider helping us to raise the remaining amount of the budget for this year so that we can send it over there before the possibility of the country being shut down because of conflict. Our monthly ministry cost for the support of our director, Sasha Malov, pastors you read bout in this letter, rehab centers, and humanitarian aid is $7,000. Thank the Lord we have covered and wired funds already to cover our expenses through May. Therefore, the amount we would need to complete the year is $49,000. With the current funds we have in our treasury, soon be wired, we would need $35,000 to meet our budget for this year."
Please share this plea with family and friends. You can give them the web address so that they can keep up with the current news about our ministry. The website is, www.disciplingministries.org.

Give To DMI Online

If you have any questions about the ministry of DMI, please do not hesitate to contact me or Elder Pat McCoy. Our contact information is on the back page of this newsletter.

Thank you for all the support, both prayers and financial gifts throughout these many years. God Bless You!
​
Elder Dean Robbins, Chairman, DMI