December 2021 Newsletter

12/8/2021

Greetings 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 Old Building

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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