War Relief Updates - July 18, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Pastor Sasha Petrenko of the church in Goncharovsk/Smolyn requests prayer for a church member in the military. This man’s name is Alexander. He was recently transferred away but also given a promotion. When he was at the Goncharovsk training center, he served a lot in the church and assisted with distributing war relief to needy ones. Because Alexander has much combat experience, he expects an assignment with a new brigade destined for the warfront. He is so well known that even a Russian website mentions his name, his rank, and other personal details. The invaders have him on a special wanted list. Pastor Sasha says, “We need to pray for him, because now he is in another city, and his family is here. We pray that God will keep him safe and will give him opportunities to testify about Him.”

2. Back in April 2024, BIEM posted a video we called “1+1=70.” In it, Ukrainian missionary Pavel Usach shared how God prompted two senior sisters in Posad-Pokrovske to open their home for church services. These two began with just themselves, but God multiplied the number of people coming for worship to 70! This past February, we requested prayer for Anna, one of the two sisters, whose health was declining. Here’s a fresh update:

This church is now in a building program that BIEM is glad to help them with. The shell of a new church building replacing their temporary structure is now up. We praise God that our war-relief efforts have resulted in such blessings. Anna, the elderly sister for whom we prayed last February, is doing better but declares she does not have much time left on this earth. She requests prayer that she will live long enough to see the completion of this church building.

3. In this week’s video you will “meet” some unsung heroes—ladies who use groceries provided by BIEM to prepare homecooked foods for Ukrainian soldiers. Not only do these ladies’ efforts feed hungry defenders, but they pave the way for the Gospel, too!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/hands

4. Recently BIEM personnel reached out to a large group of 200 women in Ukraine who have lost their husbands in the war. Brother Yura and the church in Lviv gathered these widows at their church facilities, where they housed and fed them for two days. Then they drove them to a campground about 50 miles away, where they were ministered to with God-glorifying music and the Word of God. Sadly, Ukraine is becoming a nation of widows. Please continue to pray for the war to end.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - July 11, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. In the Sumy vicinity of eastern Ukraine, the 158th Brigade had access to food. However, the soldiers serving there have experienced various sicknesses in their ranks, with no way to return home and rest. So, when believers inquired about their needs, those military men expressed one main request: over-the-counter medications, primarily for colds, flus, headaches, and for digestion. With aid from BIEM, believers were able to purchase a quantity of these basic medications and filled 4 large boxes with them. These were then forwarded to the 158th Brigade. A reply came back with sincere thanks to both the church and to the American believers.

2. In the western Ukrainian city of Zdolbuniv, the church sent warm greetings to you, their American brothers and sisters. With their greeting they included this message: “This summer, Pasha Usach and his team are planning a tent camp in Derman Druha, where brother Pasha ministers. The camp is planned for many children who have just arrived from occupied territories, such as Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions. These children are traumatized by the war. Supposedly, they left the war behind in the territories where the fighting is going on, but the constant bombs falling all over Ukraine simply wreak havoc on these children. Also, most of these children are non-believers. Summer camp is an opportunity for them to get away from military affairs and live with Christians, where they will hear about Christ. We kindly request your prayers, because this will be a difficult camp, with difficult children who have no less difficult parents. We ask for your prayerful support for these people and us.”

3. Last week’s video highlighted the ministry of roadside stations where believers offered free meals, conversation, and prayer to soldiers. As a follow-up, this week’s video emphasizes the vital role of Christian literature in these outreaches. New Testaments, Christian tracts, or a Gospel of Luke become spiritual food for the road. They are Biblical truth that members of the military can take and read later. In this brief video, Eugene and Natalia discuss the importance of handing members of the military literature that points their thoughts toward Christ:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/foodtogo

4. BIEM missionary Sasha Petrenko and the church he leads in Goncharivske/Smolyn have channeled much humanitarian aid from BIEM to bless both soldiers and civilians. He says, “Last week, the commander of the 110th Brigade was killed. Previously he had been assigned to serve in this area. I knew him. It turns out he had three children. His deputy and chief of staff were also killed. He was a special person with his own story. Therefore, we need to pray for his family, for these three children, and for other families of wounded military men. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a regular soldier, a commander, a general, or just a civilian—you’re constantly under threat. Wherever you are, pray for the military, for their safety, and for us.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - July 3, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Last week, BIEM received 15 specialty hospital carts from friends with connections to local hospitals. Each cart features several sliding trays, which can hold an assortment of medications, bandages, instruments, etc. BIEM’s war relief efforts include providing medical supplies for Ukrainian hospitals in the areas where our church planters serve. Such gifts certainly elevate the testimony of the churches and open doors for evangelism.

2. Anya Korbetska, a volunteer in Bilogorodka whose husband is serving in the front lines, assists in BIEM’s war relief efforts. She has access to many soldiers and families of soldiers. Anya has reported on how this aid helped three families whose fathers were killed in battle. These families are from the eastern occupied territories (Donetsk), and the state has not provided the funds normally expected after the loss of heads of households in battle. Therefore, these families are impoverished. As the mothers search for work to meet the needs of their children, Anna was able to help with food. She says these families are extremely grateful for the aid provided by BIEMs supporters.

3. In this week’s video, Eugene and Vitaly take us to an intersection near the warfront, where they and other volunteers manned a soup & Scripture evangelism point. This is their 10th time to conduct such 3-day outreaches with assistance from BIEM. We invite you to click the following link for an inside look at this evangelism project made possible by BIEM donors. Thank you for helping us to help them!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/roadside

4. Toward the end of last year, we announced a matching-funds opportunity for donations to our war relief efforts. In that arrangement, every dollar that BIEM received for our War Relief outreach through the end of 2025 was to be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000. Praise God, that $100,000 mark was reached! As if that news weren’t exciting enough, the same source has now earmarked an additional $100,000 to be used in the exact same way. In other words, a new matching-funds offer that doubles each financial gift we receive toward War Relief (up to $100,000) is now starting. Of course, we thank God and our donors for every dollar received, but we especially praise God for this opportunity you have to double the impact of each dollar you give toward War Relief. May the Lord be glorified as believers demonstrate the love of God in action!

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 27, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Yesterday a fellow Christian ministry delivered to BIEM 4 pallets stacked high with boxes of adult disposable diapers. Because the pension for a retired Ukrainian is only about $30/month, a gift of these is invaluable for those who need them. We praise the Lord for directing this aid our way!

2. BIEM’s newest church planter is Sergei Anokhin. He and his family live in Bucha, the city that was horrifically brutalized when Russian troops occupied it. Because many BIEM supporters have never had an opportunity to see one of our church presentations in person, we’re sharing this June 15, 2025, presentation by Sergei, with Sam Slobodian interpreting. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/anokhin2

3. The church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, was blessed and a bit surprised when a famous Ukrainian war hero attended their Sunday service. Vladislav Stotsky (call sign “Vogon”) was highly decorated after surviving being surrounded by the enemy for 67 days but still managing to escape with his men back to friendly lines. He was seriously wounded and is undergoing rehabilitation. He thanked the church and the “Cross” charity (with which BIEM partners in war-relief efforts) for the encouragement, food, and supplies he and his men have received during evangelistic trips to the warfront. His thanks were a special encouragement for the ladies of the church, who cook food for the military. One church member said,

For our sisters from the church, this [food preparation] is an important ministry. They spend all day preparing such food, but normally the only thanks they see are brief video clips from the front. Then this highly respected military hero of Ukraine showed up in person. This made an impression. Unbelieving grandmothers join our sisters in the church as they do this work. Because, for the military, many women are willing to assist. Our sisters from the church talk with them personally, and this is the best form of evangelization. Thank you [BIEM] for helping our church….

 4. Although Lutsk in western Ukraine is far from the ground combat happening in the East, like most of Ukraine, this city has come under Russian missile attacks. Our church plant there (whom we have been supplying with war-relief supplies) recently reached out to a location where an apartment building had been devastated by such a missile. The believers provided food, clothing, and water to victims who had lost everything. This ministry provided a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel. The church especially requests prayer for one family who received them warmly (grandmother Olena, daughter Svitlana, and grandson Nazar).

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 20, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Hlib, the son of a church family in Lviv, is one of the soldiers we have helped with warm winter clothing. They are from Mariupol, which is under occupation and has suffered much destruction. Though he is not a believer, Hlib recently stated, “My parents pray for me, the church prays for me, I need to stop by to pray too.” It is evident that God is working in his heart. Therefore, we ask you to pray that God will protect and continue to work in his heart.

2. In this week’s war-relief-update video, Sam Slobodian interprets for Sergei Anokhin. Sergei is BIEM’s church planter in the city of Bucha, where occupying Russian troops committed horrible atrocities. Sergei took part in loading our next container of war relief for Ukraine and shares his thanks.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/moreaid

3. The container that BIEM shipped (June 20th) today contains 8 wheelchairs, which are in high demand. We are grateful that we have been able to put a good number of wheelchairs on every load to Ukraine. We often receive testimonies like the following:

When my wife and I went to Fastiv, we had a chance to talk with people at the River of Life Church, where a container had arrived. As it turned out, while we were there a family in need of a wheelchair arrived. This family received a used wheelchair that had come in the container. It was for the grandmother in that family; because of her age she can no longer walk, so she was granted this assistance. Also, a man and woman received a wheelchair, too, for their son, who went to this church as a child and graduated from Sunday school and knows about God. And when the pastor of the church was bringing medicine to the hospital, this boy was in the hospital with a serious injury. He saw the pastor, they talked, prayed, and he requested a wheelchair. He has a complicated injury, but the doctors did everything possible, and in the future everything should be fine. But the Lord is mighty, and He connected this man with the pastor. The young man goes to church while undergoing rehabilitation. Therefore, the church sincerely thanks American believers for the container and requests prayer for their ministry.

4. As our full slate of camps are underway in Ukraine, we are hearing that many campers come from homes where the fathers are active military and are fighting in the war. In some camps, as many as 50% of the children have fathers who are away in the war. Going to a Christian camp is a huge blessing for such children and youth. As one of our workers said, “The war and the devil are trying to steal the youth from our children. It is our goal to bring some joy into their lives and the peace of God into their hearts as we introduce them to Christ.”

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 13, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Even though we just shipped a 40-foot container to Ukraine on May 24th, we have been blessed with so many donations of war relief items that we will be loading another 40-foot container of war relief aid tomorrow. This one is headed to Desna, Ukraine, and the church will distribute its contents primarily in the Chernihiv region to the north of it.

2. Lubyanka was under occupation at the beginning of the war. Many residents suffered both physically and materially. This is one of the churches that has been a recipient of our war relief efforts. Many fathers, husbands, and sons from Lubyanka are serving in the war. There is a military training facility not far from town, so on more than one occasion women from the church have prepared food for the soldiers. The soldiers are grateful, and some have come to church to express thanks. Their visits have provided another opportunity to share the Gospel.

3. In this week’s video, Vitaly Bilyak continues the description of his 23rd trip to the warfront to distribute war relief and the Gospel. During this part of the trip, he focused primarily on ministering to men in the military, including some members of his own church. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/trip23b

4. Fresh statistics on the state of the Ukrainian economy underscore what we at BIEM already knew from our coworkers—that our war relief activities are more important now than ever. Food prices continue to be affected by last year’s drought in Ukraine, which led to a decrease in vegetable supply. In 2025 fruit prices have risen by 17.6 percent due to unseasonal April frosts. Of course, the continued battering from Russian missiles and drones further undercut supplies and raise prices. In April, the State Statistics Service announced that inflation in Ukraine had hit 15.9% year-over-year, up from 15.1% in February. Our contacts there inform us that 43% of Ukrainian depend on war relief to get by. More details are available in this article:

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/54327

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - June 6, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Last week we shared how Ukrainian church planter Vitaly Bilyak had received temporary permission to exit Ukraine and travel to us in Indiana. We also requested prayer for a second church planter, Sergei Anokhin. We are glad to report that God has answered this prayer request as well! Brother Sergei has likewise arrived here in Indiana. It is a great blessing not only to have these men speak in churches but to assist us in loading another container of war relief for Ukraine.

2. We have been helping a church in New Odesa, Ukraine, with a bread ministry, which involves baking bread for those in their community who are needy because of the war. Brother Andrei, who organizes these outreaches, writes:

“Families in our area are experiencing losses of friends, fathers, sons, husbands, due to the bombings and shelling, which continue. Please pray for one of our church families, the Golosny family, who are struggling with the loss of their loving father and husband. Please also pray for the Mihali-Omelianchuk family. The husband returned from an intense battle with a serious wound that turned into a disability, which results in endless hospital visits, rehabilitation, doctors and hospitals.”

3. In this week’s video, “They Escaped with Just the Clothes on Their Backs,” a Ukrainian Bible student named Arthur shares how his church uses aid from BIEM to reach out to newly needy ones who had to flee their homes at short notice.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/clothes

4. Our church plant in Bilogorodka, Ukraine, hosted another day of food preparation as an outreach for troops at the front. The pastor’s wife, Sofia Buyko, and other ladies worked non-stop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. By lunchtime, they were growing tired but motivated themselves with the reminder, “Our boys are standing at the front and it’s not easy for them, so we can stand too.” They report the day was also a wonderful time of prayer with each other for their country.

This even became especially meaningful when an unsaved neighbor came to help. Her husband and sons had laid tile in the church, but was not interested in church. Still, she’d said she would come to something like this. The women of the church chatted and bonded with her. They invited her to a Bible study. She even found a Bible in her own language. (She’s Armenian. Although she can speak Ukrainian, she can’t read the Bible in it.) In total, these ladies made 813 deruny (potato pancakes). That’s a huge effort — peeling, grating, frying, cooling, and freezing. They also made 350 varenyky (dumplings) in three varieties: with meat, potatoes, and cheese.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 30, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. When Oksana Dikan’s husband went off to war to defend Ukraine along the front lines, she devoted much of her time and energy to providing war relief by helping wounded soldiers and assisting those suffering from the war. She established a charity that works together with the church in Bilogorodka. BIEM’s war relief funds have contributed to several relief projects they have done together. For example, several families from Kupiansk in the Donetsk region received aid that arrived on the BIEM container that arrived at the Bilogorodka church. Michael Buyko of that church writes, “Oksana Dikan finds the neediest individuals and shares what they need immediately, and we, the church, try to help as much as we can. We are glad that our church and mission can serve in this.”

2. Our church plant in Lutsk (in western Ukraine) held a special Mother’s Day event earlier this month. Geared especially for mothers and grandmothers who moved to Lutsk from dangerous regions, this event included a special presentation of the Gospel plus a distribution of packages of aid. Such people are called IDPs (internally displaced persons). These refugees have lost everything they had. Many have sons and husbands fighting in the war, and some of those have been wounded or killed. A report received from this event stated that everyone was grateful to BIEM for the support and treats they received.

3. While temporarily in the U.S. to assist BIEM, missionary Vitaly Bilyak spoke in churches and provided invaluable help with our next container of war relief for Ukraine. In this video, Sam Slobodian interprets as Vitaly shares about this shipment and about how vital your material donations are at this time:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/more

4. Earlier, we requested prayer for a couple of our Ukrainian pastors who were hoping to exit Ukraine and travel to the U.S., where BIEM schedules them to speak in supporting churches. Such visits are always a blessing as the men share how God is using our war relief efforts to open hearts to the Gospel. Praise God, one of these men—Vitaly Bilyak—has made it to our Indiana headquarters and was a huge help in assisting to load the war relief container that will be shipped out today. We are still attempting to get the second church planter here in the near future.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 23, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. This Saturday, May 24, BIEM plans to load our next 40’ container of war relief for Ukraine. This will be our first time to send a container to Awakening Baptist Church in the Obolon district of the capital, Kyiv. Over 400,000 residents dwell there. As with prior shipments to other regions, this load includes pews for this church’s auditorium, plus the clothing, various medical supplies, sports equipment, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and similar forms of aid.

2. In connection with the first Update above, we thank Slavic Baptist Church in Elkhart, Indiana, for conducting clothing drives for our war relief shipments. More than once, men from the church have personally delivered full trailer loads of clothing for BIEM to ship. Some members of the congregation are from the same church in Zdolbuniv as BIEM’s Pasha Usach, who has started a new church on the campground in Derman.

3. No stranger to the perils of traveling near Ukraine’s eastern war zone, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak has now completed his 23rd ministry trip to the front lines. In this video, Part 1 about that trip, he shares about current-day ministry along the front.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/trip23

4. Various international news agencies are reporting that Russian hackers have reportedly gained access to thousands of cameras near border crossings, rail stations, and military sites to track the movement of aid shipments into Ukraine. Reportedly, most of the affected cameras are in Ukraine, but others are in neighboring countries. Because BIEM regularly ships aid via large containers, vans, minivans, and buses, and because our personnel are active in distributing this aid, please pray for our shipments and our people, that they will be neither hindered nor hurt because of this situation. Here is one of many links that speak of this report:

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/53132

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 16, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. The church in Lviv participated in our Warm Clothing for Soldiers project this past winter and was able to provide warm clothing for 60 soldiers. Pastor Yura asks for prayer for one of those men in particular. His name is Eugene. When his detail was ambushed, he was badly wounded and ended up in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Lviv, where brother Yura was able to talk with him and extensively share the Gospel. In looking for family members who could visit him, Yura managed to find his sister, who is suffering from cancer. It turns out that she, too, is open to the Gospel. Pastor Yura states that “through this terrible event the Lord brought Eugene to Lviv, where both he and his sister are now being ministered to. Please pray for both to be saved.”

2. Sergei and Vika, our Ukrainian missionaries in Borschiv in Western Ukraine, have been doing evangelistic outreach in the nearby village of Hlybochok. Although that town’s population is only 500, about 100 of them are away, serving in the war. Vika organized an evangelistic meeting especially for women whose husbands are serving in the military. A hundred women attended this special service. Some are already widows; many of their husbands have been injured. God gave Vika wisdom to answer their many questions about God and point them to our loving and compassionate Savior. Please pray for Vika as she continues reaching out to these women with the Gospel.

3. In the city of Lviv, Ukraine, God is giving BIEM missionaries Yura and Violetta Levtseniuk abundant avenues for ministry. In this video, Yura shares just a few of many examples, which include sharing humanitarian aid from BIEM.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/lviv

4. A few weeks ago, we shared that Ukraine had halted the special program that allowed Ukrainian pastors to leave Ukraine temporarily for religious purposes. We requested prayer that this hold would be only temporary. Praise God, two of our men were recently able to obtain this kind of special permission once again. However, it’s still possible that border guards could halt or delay their border crossing into Poland, where they are to board their flight to the US. They will be crossing today since their flights are tomorrow, May 17. Their help is needed since we will be loading a container of relief aid for Ukraine in about a week. Please pray that they are allowed to cross and that their flights go smoothly.

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 9, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Pastor Anatoly Kosyanchuk of the church in Shevchenkove, Ukraine, has sent us an interesting testimony. With aid from BIEM, members of this church regularly purchase food supplies and prepare meals for military units. They’ve been doing this ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the meals, Pastor Kosyanchuk says, “The main thing we do is distribute New Testaments. So, out of respect, many soldiers have come to the church at least to thank us. Some soldiers have even started reading the New Testament and ask for explanations and request that we pray for them.” But recently a particular military unit presented the congregation with a special thank you—a Ukrainian flag bearing the signatures of the soldiers in it. “They said that if it weren’t for our help and prayers—which they emphasized—they all would’ve died by now. ‘We are on the Ukrainian front, and you are on the spiritual front. It feels like God is helping.’” Those soldiers’ main request was not for more food; it was for more prayers.

2. Here’s a story from “House of Prayer” Baptist Church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine: Their pastor also serves as a military chaplain who travels to the east to minister to soldiers. This outreach inspired the ladies of that church. These women decided to prepare dernuli for the soldiers. Dernuli are traditional Ukrainian potato pancakes. Preparing them required much work—peeling, grinding, laying them out, frying them, cooling them, freezing them, and then packing them for transport. Seven women undertook this job, including the pastor’s wife Sofia, her daughter-in-law, and one lady who has not yet accepted Christ. These women worked all day and made nearly 600 dernuli. When they were finished, Chaplain Vitaly from another church arrived and drove them to the front that weekend. As they toiled, these Christian women talked, prayed, and shared their salvation testimonies with the unbelieving woman. Since then, that woman has been attending church and listening. (Because her husband and son-in-law are in the army, the church’s efforts to bless the military are especially meaningful to her.) The ladies’ conclusion was, “It’s very important that we not only helped the military but also witnessed to people who go to church but have not yet accepted Christ. We thank God for this!”

3. On May 4, 2025, explosive Shahed drones from Russia slammed into the Kyiv neighborhood where BIEM’s director for Ukraine Eugene Buyko lives with his family. In this week’s video, he and two bombing victims show close-up views of these ladies’ destroyed homes. Praise the Lord, in this particular bombing 11 were injured but survived. Thanks to donations to BIEM’s War Relief fund, Eugene was able to listen to these victims, hear their stories, pray with them, and  give them some funds to help them through the difficult days ahead. You can watch the video here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/hithome

4. Last week the Spring session of our Kyiv seminary was held with 51 students. This is a record for us and quite remarkable that so many would attend during a time of war, especially during a week when hostilities were at a high. Praise God, everyone was safe. We had students from locations near the war front that are constantly under attack. These are areas where we have channeled war relief through our partnering churches there. It was a blessing to hear these students’ firsthand reports on how this aid from BIEM is meeting needs and lifting the testimony of churches doing the distributions, which always involve sharing the Gospel. This session of the Seminary also gave us an opportunity to courier more war-relief finances to those churches as the students returned home.In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - May 2, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. In the area of Derman, Ukraine, where BIEM has assisted in constructing a Christian camping center, our missionary Pasha Usach was participating in an evangelistic outreach. Believers were distributing sacks of groceries and New Testaments to homes of disadvantaged ones. When Pasha knocked on the door of one house, it turned out to be a home where there is no father, only a mother trying to raise her daughter with the help of another relative. When Pasha offered a sack that included cereals, porridge, sausages, and other items, the mother broke into tears. She explained that she didn’t really believe in God, but they were very poor and had nothing in the house to eat. In desperation, she had prayed to God, begging Him to send them some food. Before long, Pasha showed up! He used that opportunity to agree that God had answered her prayer. He also testified of Jesus Christ and gave her a New Testament. This woman and her relative listened attentively and promised to come to church. May God be praised for working through needs!

2. There’s another exciting update concerning the most recent container of war relief that went to the church in Fastiv, Ukraine. That container carried a lot of medical supplies. Last week we shared that a hospital near the church needed many of the medical supplies on that container and how delivering them to the hospital resulted in hospital employees visiting the church to express their thankfulness. Some of those staff members have attended church services. A bit more challenging to distribute, this container included 44 boxes of kidney dialysis supplies with expiration dates of June and July. When our personnel began to contact hospitals where they had distributed before, they were directed to a hospital in Bucha, which has a dialysis center. That center said they would be happy to accept all 44 boxes! As it turns out, our newest prospective church planter, Sergiy, is in the first month of a new church being planted in Bucha. Involving him in delivering these items to the hospital is certain to develop new contacts for evangelism. Praise God!

3. During Russia’s April 24 hours-long missile attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine, one missile exploded into the residential district where BIEM’s own director for Ukraine lives with his family. In the community, adults and children were injured with at least 13 killed in the attack. Many are missing under the rubble. In the following video, Eugene Buyko’s son Michael pauses his aid work to provide an on-the-spot report.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/missing

4. Even during this time of war, BIEM is conducting church-building programs in 4 locations. One of the effects of the war is a shortage of laborers. Even though dedicated church members do much of the construction themselves, many phases of a typical church-building program depend on hiring professional construction crews. In this case, roofing is an example. In discussing with one of our church planters the delay in roofing their building because of the difficulty in securing a roofing crew, we heard this statistic: On a typical work crew these days, 25% of the crew has been conscripted and is in active combat; 25% are in hiding to avoid conscription; and 25% have fled to the West, leaving only 25% doing the work since they have enough young children to be exempt from conscription. Nevertheless, the church construction aspect of BIEM’s church planting continues, albeit at a slower pace.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - April 24, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Earlier this year, BIEM passed the 2-million-dollar mark for War Relief donations. Both we and our churches in Ukraine all express heartfelt thanks for your generosity! In their notes and emails to us, our BIEM missionaries and national pastors regularly express how it would be impossible to carry on the same level of evangelistic outreach and aid if not for the help from American believers through BIEM. Unfortunately, the needs continue as the war drags on. Russia continues to destroy and damage homes. People continue to perish. Refugees continue to struggle to relocate and survive. Like everyone else, church members are weary of this useless war, but they continue to demonstrate the love of God in action as they reach out with aid.

2. The last container we shipped to Ukraine went to one of our early Ukrainian church plants in Fastiv, Ukraine, which is a big railroad center. This container held a lot of medical supplies. One of the church’s neighbors is a large hospital, which has been converted into a military hospital. As it turns out, many of the medical supplies on the container consisted of bandages and other items constantly needed by this hospital. The unexpected arrival of these supplies turned out to be a great blessing for both the hospital and the patients. Many of the hospital staff dropped by the church to express their gratitude. Some have attended church services. Praise God!

3. Like everyone else in Ukraine, Christians are weary of the war and all the misery it brings. Yet, amid war, believers still strive to fulfill the first and second greatest commandments: To love God and others. In the following video, Vitaly Bilyak shares moments from his 22nd trip to the war zone, where “the church continues to serve and to help.” Here's the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/trip22

4. Last night, Russia launched its most vicious missile and drone attack in months on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. One of the missiles struck very close to the home of BIEM's director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko, killing at least 8 people and injuring over 70 others. Their neighbors' windows were blown out, and the school where the Buykos' youngest daughter attends was also hit. People are still missing and are possibly buried under rubble, so the death toll could still climb. Unhurt themselves, the Buykos went out to minister to victims. This horrific event reminds us that our prayers for the protection of BIEM’s missionaries are vital. Please continue to pray for an end to the aggression toward the Ukrainian people and specifically for God’s hand of protection on His people there.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - April 11, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Although Eugene Buyko was already a missionary pastor with BIEM, in January the government of Ukraine also bestowed on him the title of military chaplain. Since then, Eugene has repeatedly traveled east, to where battles regularly take place. Most people might assume that soldiers need only humanitarian aid. But, as the chaplains say, “There are no unbelievers at the front.” No soldier has ever refused to pray with Eugene. Everyone asks about the Gospel, about God during the war. Yesterday Eugene’s phone rang, and it was one of the soldiers with whom he had prayed. The soldier said, “I just need to talk to you, to pray.” In another situation, Eugene talked with another soldier. He had already spoken with his father, and it turned out that he knew where Eugene’s town of Bilogorodka is, because he lived in a neighboring village. He’d often gone to Bilogorodka to visit friends or go fishing. He, too, exchanged numbers with Eugene. He promised that if he came back from the front, he would visit the church.

2. In addition to the weekly videos we post every Friday, each month we also email subscribers a link for our monthly BIEM video. While our Friday Video Updates focus on our war-relief efforts, the monthly videos are more general in nature. Following is a link to our April video, which features a Christian campground in Derman, Ukraine, which has also been a recipient of BIEM war relief. Here’s the link to the April video:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/birthcamp

This camp has become a distribution point for our war relief efforts as volunteers from the church in nearby Zdolbuniv sort, prepare, and deliver food packages to war widows, needy children, and families in the area. Last week when they delivered a package of food to a young war widow with 4 children she through a flood of tears, shared that they had just run out of food and that morning they were praying to God asking for Him to provide some “kasha” (a form of buckwheat which is a simple and cheap source of nutrition). She stated, “Here we asked God for some kasha, and through you He provided not only kasha, but meat, bread, vegetables, fruit, and other groceries.” Praise God!

3. A couple of weeks ago, our video of the week BIEM missionaries Eugene and Pasha, along with Pastor Sergei Kostin in Vysokopillia, Ukraine. They were expressing gratitude for the war relief aid received from BIEM. Vysokopillia is a formerly occupied territory that was devastated by the Russian attacks. This week’s video features more information from the town and shows examples of the scale of the damage inflicted upon that area. Again, they express heartfelt gratitude for all your aid. Here’s the link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/thanksfromukraine

4. BIEM would like to share the final figures on the Warm Clothing for Soldiers outreach. This winter, donations for the project totaled $114,000. Praise God, this means that—through the churches BIEM has planted or works with—we provided warm clothing and New Testaments for 1,140 soldiers this winter. If we add to that figure the number of soldiers touched last winter, the combined total equals 2,790 soldiers! Please continue to unite with believers everywhere in praying the war will end soon, before Ukraine undergoes another frigid winter of war. (We still have on hand laminated Ukraine war prayer reminders suitable as book markers or for mounting.)

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - April 4, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Once again this week, Sophia Buyko traveled to Denmark to help needy Ukrainian refugee women. Her daughters Angelica, Solomia, and Ivanka went along. Once again, there was a good turnout of ladies, some of whom heard the Gospel presented for the first time. Most of these needy women are widows who lost their husbands due to the war. These Buyko women were particularly encouraged they saw one lady who had been undergoing cancer treatment during a previous visit. The last time they had seen her, she looked emaciated, and the doctors gave her almost zero chance of survival. The Buykos rejoiced to see this lady who is now cancer free, even though at first they did not recognize her because of how well she now looks. Praise God!

2. BIEM’s missionary pastor Sasha Petrenko has made numerous trips eastward, toward the warfront. On each trip, he and those who travel with him distribute New Testaments and various forms of war relief to both civilians and soldiers. Because of such trips, he and the church have become well known. Recently, a lieutenant colonel phoned. Would Sasha help him to sell a garage? Sasha agreed to help advertise it, so the man went to the church to see him. (This soldier’s wife and son are also familiar with the church since they had sheltered there during a Russian bombardment.) After discussing the garage, the two sat down to coffee, and Sasha steered the conversation in a spiritual direction, toward Christ. However, that lieutenant colonel expressed resentment toward God because his two brothers were dead. “Why did God simply allow their deaths? Why is it that some people like drug addicts and drunkards who don’t value life are alive, but my brothers are already in the ground?” Sasha spoke about God and tried to comfort the man. He reminded him that all of us will die and that it’s vital for each of us to prepare for death now, while we have time to place our faith in Jesus Christ. When Sasha suggested that the soldier pray with him, he agreed! After praying, Sasha handed him a New Testament with a camouflage cover and shared more truths from it. What a blessing that coffee and a conversation had led another soul to Christ!

3. In the Obolon district of Kyiv, Ukraine, Awakening Baptist Church continues to lovingly assist and minister to refugees of the devastated city of Bakhmut. Here, Pastor Nikolai Rozhnyatovsky and his wife Tanya sing “Why, My Lord?” over a video collage of displaced persons receiving aid, spiritual counsel, and new hope, all in the name of Jesus Christ.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/whymylord

4. This weekend Sam Slobodian is giving an update on our war relief efforts in a mission conference in Pennsylvania. Sergei Debelinsky will also be speaking in this conference. Brother Sergei was BIEM’s first church planter in Ukraine over 20 years ago, when he planted a church in the Obolon district of Kyiv. This church has been self-supporting for many years and has grown to be quite large. Today Sergei is the president of the Brotherhood of Independent Baptist Churches of Ukraine with whom BIEM partners in the Kyiv Seminary and many church planting projects. At the conference, Sergei will be sharing how God is using these churches and BIEM to reach souls during this time of war.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - March 28, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Every Sunday after their service, the River of Life Baptist Church in Fastiv, Ukraine, prepares a meal for people who have suffered from the war. This includes military widows, displaced children, and servicemen themselves. This past Sunday, much humanitarian aid from our container was distributed to military wives and widows. Most of these women, who are unbelievers, are open to the Gospel. Some are already attending services, singing along during hymns, and are helping to prepare the meal. With the assistance of war relief, people in the community see that the church is truly concerned for them and is doing everything possible to help people in need, regardless of whether they are church members. 

2. This week Eugene Buyko and his son Michael delivered war relief to the city of Makariv. This city is in the general Kyiv region but is especially needy because this area was under Russian occupation. This city is significant to Pastor Anatoly of Fastiv because his childhood friend died during that occupation. When Russian troops entered the town, Anatoly’s friend hid in the basement. The occupiers came in, found him, and said everything was fine, that they would not touch him. However, at the same time they mined his car. So, when he started his car to leave the city, he died from the explosion. The Buykos also helped the family of a man named Nazar, who works as a security guard. He and his whole family went through the occupation and so have received BIEM aid multiple times. This time, when Eugene and Michael visited, they had a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel at length. The family asked many questions about the Gospel and things in the Bible. 

3. Imagine being the blind pastor of a Ukrainian church during wartime. That is the challenging role of Alex Abramstov in Korostishiv. In a brief video, Brother Alex sends greetings and sincere thanks to BIEM for the war relief sent to this church. A widow and her children who attend that church join in expressing gratitude. We pass along those thanks to all of you who care and are helping our War Relief fund. Here’s the video link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/blind

4. During this past winter’s Warm Clothing distribution, the church in Lviv, Ukraine, submitted a list of 60 soldiers they personally knew and wanted to bless with much-needed warm clothing. Thanks to friends of BIEM, we were able to honor each application. Last week, Pastor Yura received an invitation to a birthday party for one of these soldiers. When Yura arrived, that soldier plus a number of his comrades in arms all profusely thanked him and the church for the warm clothing. They declared that it was much warmer than what they were wearing before the gifts arrived. Best of all, they asked if they could hear more about the Gospel and the Bible. They asked so many questions and expressed such great interest that the ensuing Gospel discussion continued until midnight! Praise God!

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - March 21, 2025

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. We received a nice thank-you note from Ihor Dudas, a soldier from Bilogorodka who is recovering from a knee operation. He expresses thanks for the crutches the church in Bilogorodka gave him from our container. He describes how these crutches have helped him and requests prayer for a quick recovery so he can rejoin his unit on the battlefront.

2. Our most recent container of war relief went to Fastiv, a large city southwest of Kyiv. Fastiv is a railroad hub serving much of Ukraine. BIEM has planted two churches there, and they are active in distributing the recently received aid. One of their points of distribution is 30 refugee families who have been displaced from Donetsk, Luhansk, and the Kharkiv regions. The refugees have been evacuated to Fastiv. The pastor in Fastiv writes about how extremely grateful these people are for the clothing and other supplies provided by the container.

3. Early in 2024, BIEM shared a story from Sergei Kostin, the pastor of the church in Vysokopillia, Ukraine. In it, he recounted how his home had come under fire by Russian artillery. His granddaughter ended up losing her leg. Here, Pastor Kostin joins BIEM’s Director in Ukraine Eugene Buyko (left) and our missionary Pavel Usach to thank all the American brothers and sisters in Christ who have blessed his village church with a portion of the war relief that arrived via container.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/leftwithnothing

4. The latest issue of our ministry newsletter, The Challenger, has now been printed and is going out in the mail. This issue emphasizes the war relief that BIEM ships in 40-foot containers from the viewpoint of the recipients. Because war relief is so crucial and is serving as such a valuable evangelistic tool for the churches distributing it, we hope you will take the time to read it. If by chance you are not receiving The Challenger but would like to, you can ask to be added to our mailing list by emailing your name and street address to missions@baptistinternational.org. Or simply call us at 317-718-1633.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - March 14, 2024

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Bogdan is a young soldier connected with BIEM through our church planters in Western Ukraine. He’s a strong believer with an excellent testimony. He has a leadership role in his division, which is stationed along the war front in the vicinity of Slavyanskova in the Donetsk area. The commander there has developed a strong confidence in Bogdan, to whom he has given significant responsibilities. Through Bogdan, our Ukrainian missionaries who minister along the front lines have been able to access soldiers to give aid and share the Gospel. This week Bogdan asked for a specific electric station (basically a large power bank), which we were able to provide. Please pray that God would keep Bogdan safe and continue to use him in evangelizing his fellow soldiers.

2. This week Vitaly Bilyak will be leaving on his 22nd trip to the war front. Igor, one of his deacons, will go with him. This trip will once again take Vitaly and Igor to Kherson in the south and then east towards Zaporizhia in the Donbas region. As usual, they will minister to both civilians and soldiers. Please pray for their safety and that God will use them as they demonstrate the love of God, both by preaching the Gospel and supplying food parcels.

3. Here are some words of appreciation from overseas. Many of you donated to help Ukrainian churches in their outreaches to their military. Here, we present a sampling of videos and photos from grateful recipients. BIEM passes their thanks to all of you, who gave to make this ministry outreach possible. May God use this effort to draw souls to Himself!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/morethanks

4. BIEM received a letter from Ukraine, which we have translated for you: “Greetings, dear American brothers and sisters! I want to thank you for the wheelchair that we received from the container that came to Bilogorodka. I phoned the pastor of the Bilogorodka church, Eugene Buyko. He is my childhood friend; we lived on the same street and attended the same church. I called him, and he said there was an opportunity to help because a container had arrived. We have a man who was hit by a car. He’s 42 years old. He was hospitalized. His spine was broken, and it’s difficult for him to walk. It’s hard for him to move in general. 

“We also want to thank you for the clothes, shoes, and all the aid. We sense the concern and love that we receive from you in the form of containers. Thank you very much for sending containers with humanitarian aid to Ukraine.” —Igor Romanovych, pastor at Velyka Snitinka

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - March 7, 2024

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Last winter, we were able to provide 1,650 Ukrainian soldiers with $100 worth of warm clothing and New Testaments. Not just any soldiers but soldiers that were directly connected with members of our churches willing to obtain and dispatch these parcels. As we have previously mentioned, we repeated this project this winter through the same application process used last year. In our February 7 Updates, we shared that this winter we received applications representing 1,076 soldiers and that we needed $16,000 more to meet this need. Praise God, $16,890 has come in! This is a huge answer from God to our prayers! The extra $890 will go to meet the needs of additional applications we received. 

2. For several weeks in a row, a group of 5 - 8 ladies from a local church have been coming to BIEM and donating a day to sort and pack clothing into boxes for our next war-relief shipment. By steadily working together for a few hours, these ladies have been enjoying the time of fellowship while greatly helping us to process donations. If any local ladies are interested in joining them, they typically come on a Wednesday or Thursday. Or, if your family, Sunday school class, or other group would like to give of your time for a worthy ministry project, we have plenty more bags of clothing waiting to get sorted and packed!

3. In February, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak made his 21st evangelistic aid trip to the war’s frontlines. BIEM church planter Sergiy Koop joined him. In each place they visited, they preached the Gospel and shared gifts of other practical items. In Part 1 of their video, they visited civilians. In Part 2, they continue the account with visits to soldiers they know with additional aid, such as tourniquets. You can view that narration here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/trip21-2

4. In February BIEM’s director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko, and a team from Kyiv drove to within 10 miles of the fighting in Donbas. Near a busy intersection, they set up an outdoor soup kitchen, where they offered free bograch (hot, hearty soup with a lot of meat, carrots, onions, potatoes and peppers) along with coffee, tea, and snacks. Of course, the team also offered New Testaments. Eugene and the team had many opportunities to engage in conversations where they listened to people’s trials and prayed with them. In tears, a woman named Lyudmyla told how her house and possessions had all burned during an air raid. Her 2 sons are in the army at the front. A young man declared his father is a pastor and the songs playing over the speaker at the soup kitchen were just like the songs in his father’s church. In one day, Eugene and the team got to have prayer and share the Gospel with groups of people 50 times. That day, over 200 listened to God’s way of salvation, and not one person refused the invitation to join in prayer. Because that location is so near to the front, the sounds of artillery and explosions were regularly heard. Eugene says, “Now, more than ever, people need God, need prayers, need support. So I ask you to continue to pray for me, so that God will give me the strength to do this work and wisdom.”

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 28, 2024

Thank you for your concern and for praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian People

1. Many of you will recall one of our videos that told the remarkable story of how the Lord used two elderly ladies to re-establish a church that had been closed and largely destroyed under occupation in their town. You can view this heartwarming video entitled “1+1= 70” at the following link: 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/9315861/video/930408500

We mention this story again because missionary Pavel Usach (who narrates the video) contacted us to ask for prayer for Anna, one of those ladies. Her health has suddenly deteriorated, and she can no longer walk. Please pray for Anna.

2. Recently we rejoiced that Ukraine passed a law exempting clergy from being conscripted to military service. This is good news for our practice of bringing our Ukrainian church planters to the USA to share in churches how God is using our war relief efforts to reach souls and lift the testimony of the church. However, besides being exempted from military service, for men between the ages of 18-60 to leave Ukraine, permission is also needed from a different sector of government. Since we have never had anyone denied, we were sadly surprised to learn this week that such permissions have been abruptly halted. We hope the suspension is temporary. Please pray that this is the case so that the men we have scheduled to come in April would be able to come.

3. In February, BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak made his 21st evangelistic aid trip to the war’s frontlines. Joining him was BIEM church planter Sergiy Koop. They distributed gifts of food and shared the Gospel indoors and outdoors, wherever possible. These men ministered to both civilians and the military. In this, Part 1 of their video report, we see some of their outreach to civilians. Next week, Part 2 will show their outreach to soldiers. View Part 1 here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/trip21

4. Since last week’s update, we were blessed by a group of men who really did some heavy lifting! Not only did they deliver a whole auditorium of pews donated by Prairie Creek Baptist Church in Kingman, Indiana, but they helped us to unload them at our BIEM headquarters. These pews will meet the needs of Awakening Baptist church in the Obolon area of the capital city of Kyiv. They have been meeting in their basement for quite some time as the construction of their auditorium is a huge project taking years to complete. Nearing completion, they had no idea how to provide the seating necessary. This is the church that we have been helping reach out to the thousands of refugees from Bakhmut who have settled in their area. As they rejoiced at the news that their seating problem had been solved, they came to view God’s hand in blessing this way as a divine response to their extending themselves to help the very neediest people in their community. Praise God!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM