Standing for Christ in remote villages across Yakutia means standing in a village steeped in Shamanism. Persecution follows. The bolder the believers are, the more the trials. Recently, a local man who hated Christians burned their church to the ground. A church filled with joy, it took six years for the congregation to build. Please see the before and after pictures, and please pray for this persecuted church, among the churches we serve.
Pastor Oleg is a faithful servant in Ukraine who ministers to many whom the world might just pass by. “There is one family of a mother and daughter who is 12 years old. The mother’s name is Iryna. She works as a teacher in a municipal kindergarten. She is divorced and raising her daughter alone. Her daughter Yaryna has the status of a disabled child. Unfortunately, she has a serious illness—rheumatoid arthritis complicated by gluten and lactose intolerance. She needs a set of expensive medicines and a special diet every month. Iryna earns a minimum monthly salary and works additional part-time jobs wherever she can to provide her daughter with the necessary treatment.
For one young pastor’s family in Ukraine, war is not just a distant reality—it is woven into the fabric of their daily lives. Although they live further south, air raid sirens, drone strikes, bombings, and the looming threat of conscription are ever-present. At any moment, the husband could be called to the front lines, leaving his wife and their small daughter behind. The uncertainty is overwhelming. Yet, in the face of it all, they have made a choice: to trust Christ completely. This is their story—one of surrendering fear for faith and finding true security not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of Christ.
Our Easter greeting goes like this, “Christ is Risen”, to which we respond, “He is Risen indeed!” The present day offers many heroes, preachers and interesting people, but Christ has always been and remains the One and Only. All His acts, words and deeds indicated that He was not like us and this unlikeness attracted people and continues attracting many!
Easter is a special time when people are more open to hear about Jesus Christ. Moreover, going through illnesses and ordeals and experiencing difficult time, urge people turn to God and pray …
Evgeniy was born in Kyrgyzstan. He started down the slippery path of crime early. He was convicted for the first time at the age of 14, and after that he had five more convictions. As a teenager, he started smoking marijuana, then hard drugs, and then began drinking alcohol. He tried alcohol coding (therapy) many times, but nothing helped. He visited various rehabilitation centers many times, but even that did not help him. When he moved to Israel in 2011, he began using drugs even more …
Pastor Mykola Romanyuk, President of Irpin Seminary shared these words on the 3rd anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
“The third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The first is the National Day of Prayer.
My thoughts and feelings are best conveyed by the prayer of David in a difficult period, when in the face of a deadly enemy, those who could help act treacherously. It seems that evil and crime will soon cease to be considered as such …”
In 2013, Dmytro and Anna got married, and a year later her husband was taken away to the war in Donbas (ATO). It was when their first son Michael was born. And since then, for 8 years, Dmytro had been a defender of our country.
Dmytro was killed in February 2022. His younger son Andrew was still under the age of 6. Dmytro was only 38 years old. Six months before the full-scale Russian invasion, Anna’s mother died. She was only 60 years old…
We met Ivan when he was 13 years old. He learned about our Christian camps and came to one of them. After that, he began attending the ministry for teenagers in our church. He loved God so sincerely and fervently prayed for his alcoholic parents, so that they would also meet God and their lives would change. Sometimes his prayers were so desperate and in tears his heart sank with pain and compassion. God heard his prayers. His parents began inviting our family to visit …
We continue visiting the fatherless to bless them during a wonderful time of Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The weather is balmy, with no ice on the ground, which usually makes it difficult to drive. This year we did our best to prepare a festive program with a Christmas-themed puppet show, and we told the children a miraculous Nativity story. We see their happy eyes, because they learned about God, each of them received attention and a gift.
My name is Vadim. I am 31. I’d like to share how I met Jesus, and how my life has changed since then. I was born to an unbelieving home in Siberia, Russia. Our family was of average income. As I was a firstborn, my parents and my grandmother indulged me since childhood. They would buy me anything I wanted: toys, bicycles, computers, and later a motorcycle and a car. I had everything that my peers didn’t. I got away with my pranks and mischief, while my parents always disregarded my misdeeds. I grew arrogant and spoiled, and the whole world should have been spinning around me …
The assault on Ukraine is intensifying and millions have no means to heat their homes. Through Heat and Hope project, an SGA supported church delivered wood and one family has a chance. This is life or death aid …
I was brought up in an average family. At the age of 11, I lost my mother and father and was placed in an orphanage. By the age of 18, I was in trouble with the law enforcement. While serving a prison sentence, I was thinking a lot about the meaning of life. I realized that there was another life out there. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change anything on my own strength! Our souls seek something bright, something better, something new. I needed a guideline in my life, a foundation on which I could stand …
How are the wives of fallen soldiers living now? The war in Ukraine continues. Its impact is even more palpable in winter when almost every night your city is bombarded by missiles and drones. When the energy system is destroyed, you are forced to sit for long hours without electricity. For many families living outside the city, the lack of electricity means not only darkness but also no water or heating. For women who have lost their husbands, winter is especially difficult …
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7-10).
Natalia was at the end of herself, out of options and alone in this world. It was then that God brought Pastor Alexander into her life.
“My name is Natalia. I am 46 years old, and I am dying!
Forgive me for beginning this letter this way, but this is my reality today …
Christmas period is the most active for the Orphans’ ministry. In November the youth started preparing the puppet theatre show. They gathered for several hours’ rehearsals every week. We began to buy chocolate and sweets. During long frosty evenings we gathered the candies into gift bags. We are working together trying to put into bag not only candies but a piece of our love and care.
Many orphan children feel abandoned and unwanted. Especially when their parents are still alive but have decided to give up their rights to their children or selfishly live for themselves. This leaves a child with a lack of understanding, and a burden that weighs heavy on their hearts. When their hearts are weighed down, loneliness and depression can easily set in. It can even lead to a state of despair. However, that state of despair can be replaced with the love of our Heavenly Father.
In this time of war in Ukraine, many are walking through the doors of churches seeking answers to questions that have remained unanswered. The obvious initial questions are simply, “Where will the next meal come from?” or “Where will I lay my head tonight?” But then, deeper questions begin to surface. As these Internally Displaced People deal with the loss of homes, food and loved ones, many are finding answers in our one true God. Many SGA supported churches have become a refuge and safe place.
Sasha was born in Russia. He never knew his father. His mother was an alcoholic, and he was often left on the street, forgotten by his mother.
Sasha lived in Siberia, and when his mother left home drunk in the winter, he would go looking for her. Often, he wore only shorts, a jacket and thin slippers. He often got frostbite on his extremities and now he still has problems with his legs because of this …
Greetings from the Bible Church of Hostomel!
We would like to share with you the blessing of organising a day camp for children. This is already the third summer camp since the Biblical Church of Hostomel began its activities in 2022 after the de-occupation of Hostomel. The camp lasted for 5 days, from July 2nd to July 6th …
Our working camps take place three times a year during school breaks. Children get themselves prepared in advance for these difficult but joyful workdays. In the camps, they are able to develop patience, focus, and the ability to manage their time and energy. The teenagers understand that a difficult life awaits them, and we want to help them prepare for it.
SLAVIC
GOSPEL
ASSOCIATION
SGA NZ is a registered member of Charities Services New Zealand.
Registration Number CC32986
