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

War Relief Updates - February 21, 2024

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

1. Container update: On January 31, we mentioned that the transport company for the container we shipped for Ukraine on December 13 would arrive in the first week of February. Although the actual delivery took place a few days later than projected, we are happy to report that it has been delivered and joyfully unloaded by members of the church in Fastiv. From there, items from this shipment will be made freely available to needy ones in the community, and medical items will be provided free of charge for hospitals to use during this time of war. Thank you for praying for the safe delivery of these items, which were donated by friends of BIEM!

2. Pause and think… When was the last time you awoke to the sound of bombs exploding near your family’s home? For most Americans, the answer would be “Never.” For BIEM’s Eugene Buyko, the most recent of many times was on Monday, February 17. After filming a brief portion of the event, he shared the video with us. Please pray especially for God’s protection of our BIEM personnel in Ukraine. And if you would like to hear what Eugene heard near his home, here is a brief sample:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/bombs

3. In a forest located not far from Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, believers have established a church for people who live in that area. Their building is neither big nor fancy; yet, souls are coming to Christ there as they conduct outreaches to both children and adults. Here, the pastor’s daughters bring you greetings and warm thanks!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/forestchurch

4. Praise God for the helping hands of warm-hearted volunteers who continue to bless us with much-needed help. Yesterday a group of ladies from Gospel Grace Baptist Church in Lebanon, Indiana, drove to BIEM (despite the 7-degree temperature and the fresh blanket of snow!) to help sort and pack donated clothing and housewares for a future humanitarian-aid shipment. This group accomplished a lot! However, before leaving they gazed at the large number of boxes and plastic bags of clothing waiting to be sorted and realized much work was waiting to be done. At that point, they discussed the situation and decided to come back another day next week! We sincerely thank both them and the Lord, who sent us such willing volunteers.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 14, 2024

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

1. Last week we informed you that BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak and Sergiy Koop were beginning another missionary trip to Kherson and Donbas. That journey is now complete, and the Lord protected and blessed these travelers. They visited 3 areas—Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Donbas—on a trip of 3,000 km (1,864 miles). They were in 16 meetings: in 9 meetings they personally preached words of hope and the Gospel. Five of those meetings were for soldiers. Along the way, they distributed 150 26-lb. food parcels and 200 loaves of bread to needy ones. In addition, they were able to provide medications, rubber boots, blankets, wet wipes, hygiene kits, fruits, juices, and snacks to various individuals. Thank you for prayers. Please continue praying for the recipients of their preaching and aid, that they might trust God if they don’t already.

2. God also blessed the trip to the warfront area that Eugene Buyko and a dozen other volunteers have just returned from. This trip featured setting up distribution tables and food tables in an area where soldiers must regularly pass. Therefore, the volunteers saw a regular stream of men in uniform going past. This is one of the distributions that featured bograch, the hearty soup with paprika we have featured in previous videos. As soldiers stopped for a complimentary meal, volunteers would ask if they would like to be prayed for. Most times, soldiers replied yes, which provided not only an opportunity for prayer but a chance to share the Gospel as well. In one day alone, this group prayed with and shared the Gospel with over 200 soldiers!

3. In this week’s video updates, 2 members of the Ukrainian military join BIEM’s Sasha Petrenko to show what kinds of clothing, New Testaments, and other items their church has been providing for active-duty servicemen with the gifts you provided. Although these photos and videos represent recipients from just one church, their gratitude is multiplied many times over by churches all over Ukraine.

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/warmth

4. Two of our Ukrainian church planters have obtained official chaplaincy status with the Ukrainian military. Some of our men already have solid connections with the military because so many members of their churches are serving in the military. Chaplaincy status would not benefit them. However, for these two particular men, chaplaincy status gives them greater access to the military, thus more opportunities to share the soul-saving Gospel with soldiers.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - February 7, 2024

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

1. Please join us in praising God for a generous donation from Operation Renewed Hope, which is a partner ministry based in North Carolina. Their financial gift has been designated for 2 purposes: first, for the Warm Clothing & Scripture outreach for soldiers in Ukraine. Second, the remainder of the gift will cover the cost of shipping our next container of war relief to Ukraine! As the hymn says, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" So, if you would like to donate gently used clothing, shoes, or motion aids such as crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs, we already have the means to ship them to Ukraine, where believers from local churches glorify God by freely sharing with refugees and wounded ones.

2. Concerning the Warm Clothing project, BIEM has received applications representing 1,076 soldiers, whom Christian loved ones wish to bless. The total cost of supplying that number with warm clothes and Scriptures is $107,600. However, $75,000 has already been received, which drops the amount needed to just over $32,000. Yet--praise God--because of a matching-gifts offer that was made before these donations, only $16,000 will fill the remaining need. Please help us to pray in that last $16,000.

3. The youth of the church in Ternopil, Ukraine, have sent us a video to share with you. After receiving funds from BIEM's Warm Clothing Project, the church bought each soldier they personally know the items on those men's "wish list." For the encouragement of you who gave, the youth prepared this video of themselves packing and mailing the gifts, followed by "thank you photos" of recipients after they received the gifts. Thank you for helping to demonstrate Christian love in action!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/christianlove

4. BIEM’s Vitaly Bilyak and Sergiy Koop are now beginning another missionary trip to Kherson and Donbas. As usual, they plan to distribute food aid while also sharing the Gospel. At the same time, BIEM director for Ukraine Eugene Buyko and about a dozen other volunteers in 2 vans are making a similar evangelistic trip to other frontline areas. However, as Russian military forces grind their way westward, such trips are becoming more dangerous. Please pray for God’s protection on all these men and for Him to work in the hearts of those who will hear the way of salvation from them.

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 31, 2024

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

1. The container of humanitarian aid that we shipped on December 13 for the church in Fastiv, Ukraine, arrived at the Polish port and is now being trucked overland to Ukraine. The shipper expects it to arrive at its destination in the middle of next week. Please pray for a safe and smooth delivery of this container with no mechanical or other problems. Also, please pray for the brethren at River of Life Baptist Church in Fastiv as they must now undertake a daunting volume of mandatory paperwork to confirm its humanitarian status.

2. We have mentioned before how our Ukrainian churches’ distribution of war relief from BIEM has led families to begin attending their services. In fact, many of these newcomers have gone on to place their faith in Christ, for which we praise the Lord! In Lviv, missionary pastor Yura reports that just recently a large family of refugees has begun to attend. Maria is the mother, but her husband was recently killed in battle. In this family there are 15 children! As you can imagine, this family is in dire need. Praise God, and thanks to you, we have been able to help them through our War Relief Fund. More importantly, pray that the Lord will open their eyes to their need of Christ, since none of the family has yet put their trust in Him.

3. In one day, the children’s ministry team from the church in Chervona Sloboda, Ukraine, observed Ecclesiastes 3:4 with the residents of a nearby town. The team sparked smiles and laughter at a local school as they performed during a puppet outreach. However, they also wept with the locals as one of their boys returned home from the war in a coffin. In this video, Vitaly Yurchenko shares glimpses of both events...

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/time-to-weep

4. Once again, praise God, we have been blessed by Widow’s Jar Ministries in Indianapolis. This past Wednesday, we received from them 2 pallets stacked high with medical items and a van full of other sorts of donated aid for refugees in Ukraine. This is the same ministry that provided so many of the medical gowns and other supplies we shipped earlier, and which were featured in a previous video titled, “They See the Church Is Active and Caring.” You can view it here:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/theysee

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 24, 2024

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

1. On January 3, we shared with you a praise item that Ukraine had passed a new law that introduced “provisions” to exempt clergy from mandatory military duty. Apparently, though, the practical application of this law has yet to be enacted. In other words, even though the law exists, no one has established procedures for pastors to apply for or obtain this exemption. Please pray that these procedures will be in place in time for our Ukrainian church planters to resume traveling to the United States by March or April. Their being able to share in American churches how God is blessing our war relief efforts is an effective part of our war relief outreach.

2. Russia’s war against Ukraine has been raging for nearly three years. In BIEM’s video for January, missionary Sergiy Koop thanks you for material aid and prayers and adds, “We don’t know what the Lord has in store for us, but we are going to continue to minister to the refugees, to our community, and the military. We need your support and your prayers. And we believe that we, together—and that God through us—will change the world and save many.” In this January video, you will also see two more joyful young people who have been adopted into the family of God and followed Christ in believers’ baptism. Like these two, most of those making salvation decisions at this church are refugees from the war. Thank you for your ongoing support for God’s work overseas. You are helping to make such victories happen! (The baptism was held at the mother church, due to lack of space and no baptistry at the Koops’ rented location.)

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/continuing

3. Because the war against Ukraine has been raging for so long, you might be tempted to shrug off yet another message of gratitude from Ukrainian churches distributing the aid we send them. But please don’t. For all those war-weary ones who daily experience wounded victims, amputees, or the funerals of perished ones, their thankfulness is fresh and genuine. In this week’s video, BIEM missionary Vitaly Bilyak discusses the gift of high-quality tourniquets, which are in great demand. Here, he explains why—and thanks BIEM and you for helping to provide them!

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/rescuing

4. We have now received applications representing over 1,000 soldiers from churches who have members willing to distribute $100 of warm clothing and Scriptures directly to the soldiers listed on the applications. These church members doing the footwork are family and personal friends who have direct contact with the named soldiers in the Ukrainian military. So far, we have been able to provide for about half of these. If you would like to help these churches glorify God by providing both material and spiritual support, we could certainly use more donations. (Bonus: In 2025 whatever amount you designate as War Relief, including this Warm Clothing Project, will be matched by a generous friend of BIEM up to $100,000. Your gift will automatically double after it arrives!)

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM

War Relief Updates - January 17, 2024

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

1. Some of our readers may remember a Ukrainian woman named Alona, who appeared in one of our videos last winter. At the time of making the video, Alona was on her way to mail packages of warm clothing, which BIEM had provided. She was mailing the clothing to her uncle and to the son of one of her colleagues at work and was expressing gratitude to BIEM for that opportunity. But now Alona and her family request prayer for the uncle, Andrei, who was serving on the front lines and has disappeared. The family fears he has been either killed or taken prisoner.

2. BIEM’s missionary pastor Igor Fomichov ministers in a church in Desna, Ukraine, which is a town with a military base. That church has many members and friends serving in combat, and Igor shared a sobering story. Two of his members—Roma and Vova (one of their deacons)— were part of a unit of 100 men who were dispatched to the front line. After 2 months of intense fighting, the remains of that unit returned with only 13 survivors out of the 100. The deacon, Vova, was the only one who returned uninjured. The other 12, including Roma, are hospitalized with injuries. Roma has an injured arm that is not responding to treatment and has lost all feeling. Nevertheless, the military is refusing to release Roma and plans to send him back to the front. Please pray about this situation.

3. Our video for this week, “They see the church is active and cares for them,” takes its name from an observation by Michael Buyko, the son of BIEM’s director for Ukraine, Eugene Buyko. In this video update, Michael shows examples of some of the medical supplies provided by BIEM. He also describes how these items not only help people in need but also increase society’s esteem for the church and glorify God. You can watch the video through this link:

https://vimeo.com/user37287229/theysee

4. Trail Life USA is a faith-based Scout-like organization providing youth mentorship and character development to boys in the United States. One of their groups, led by BIEM friend C.J. Cordell, has gathered clothing for BIEM’s war relief efforts in Ukraine. This weekend they are bringing a large trailer full of clothing to our BIEM headquarters for our next container shipment of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Praise God!

In Christ,

Sam Slobodian
President, BIEM