My name is Evgeniya. The first time I heard about God was when I was nine years old. It was in an orphanage. I lived there because my mom was very ill and my dad was an alcoholic.
One year, my mother felt really bad and couldn’t pick me up from the orphanage during the winter holidays, although sometimes she did. I think it was God’s providence, because it was that year that believers organized a Christian day camp in our orphanage. It was my first encounter with God, the first discovery about His wonderful love and mercy for me.
We’ve just wrapped up an important project – our youth and teen camp and we’re excited to share some highlights and reflections with you.
First of all, we’re deeply grateful to God and to you, dear brothers and sisters, for your support in making this youth camp possible. It’s one of the largest youth projects in Ukraine, and this year it brought together 160 young people in one place for worship, rest, healing, and spiritual growth.
For the second year, the Christian Music Intensive was held at the children’s recreation centre ‘Zhemchuzhinka’. It took place from July 6–12 — seven days when children from all over the country come together. These are children from churches who attend music schools. Our goal is to raise a new generation of music ministers. To this end, we gather together, spend a week in preparation and rehearsals, and the culmination is our participation in a worship service of a local church.
Eight-year-old Ethan remembers helicopters. One of his earliest memories is visiting a friend with his father who flew them. “Now nobody can fly helicopters,” he says matter-of-factly. His younger sister Eva remembers something entirely different. “I remember biting Ethan on the back,” she says, laughing. They are ordinary childhood memories. But Ethan and Eva are part of an un-ordinary generation: a generation of Ukrainian children whose childhood has unfolded during war …
Nathan is 12 years old and has a loving family. They all try to help each other, despite the difficulties of life. His mother is a housewife with a school education. His father comes from a dysfunctional family. As a result, he cannot read or write, but he is very good at math. Due to his illiteracy, it was difficult for his father to find a job, but recently he met a religious brother who got him a job as a water distributor in a large field …
Early in the morning of January 1st, our team set out for the mountains with children from orphanages and residential care (social) orphans. There were about 120 of us, and we spent the entire week together in the mountains.
It was a week that’s hard to describe. A week of depth, intimacy, and the true presence of God.
From the very beginning, we set a goal: for the children to immerse themselves in the biblical story during this week—from the birth of Jesus to His resurrection and His personal call to follow Him. We wanted this to be more than just a series of meetings, but a solid foundation for their future lives …
The summer period is divided into ‘before’ and ‘after. For 20 years now, we have been holding a regional youth festival. Teenagers from churches in our region gather here. Every year, there were more teenagers, and time and circumstances sent new challenges in ministry. Every year, God performed incredible miracles, He led us through different circumstances, where we, as a team, saw many miracles …
I am truly grateful for your faithful support of our churches, especially during this past winter.
This season brought many difficulties for all churches in our area, including severe cold and frequent blackouts.
As a regional pastor overseeing more than 20 sister churches, I have the privilege of supporting and coordinating our shared ministry. We continue to hold regular meetings, organize outreach efforts, and stand together in mutual support …
“Today we were in the Orekhovsky district, ministering to people in the village of Tavricheskoe. We brought people groceries, bread, medicine, hygiene products, and diapers for the disabled.
It’s very cold now, but we were able to hold a service and distribute aid. We also visited some elderly people at home and gave firewood.”
For children who are living in war-torn Ukraine, SGA-supported ‘Immanuel’s Child’ celebrations became more than the gifts and the games. It became a small piece of ‘normal’ for them.
Life for these children on most days and nights can be filled with fear and anxiety, always waiting for the next air-raid siren or to be awakened by the loud noises of rockets or drones …
Three years ago, we met a family whose life was hanging by a thread. They were living in a small summer house on the outskirts of town—a temporary place they had rented for a short time.
But the owners told them they had to leave soon because the house was going to be demolished to make way for new construction. When the time came to move out, they had nowhere to go …
“There are callings a person never plans and yet, looking back, can’t imagine missing.” That is how Dmytro describes his journey.
He never dreamed of becoming a military chaplain. He didn’t imagine himself in uniform, holding a Bible in a dugout, or whispering prayers in hospital rooms heavy with the smell of smoke and loss. But as he looks back on the path of his life—conscripted military service, theological training, faithful church ministry—he now sees what he couldn’t see then: God was preparing him long before the war began …
The pathway of drugs and alcohol leads one down a very dark and lonely road. A place where light does not shine. A place of shame and regret. A place of hopelessness. However, when our eyes are opened to the light of the Gospel, things change. It doesn’t happen instantly, but little by little the pathway becomes brighter. We see light begin to shine through the darkness. Hope becomes real through the reading of God’s Word, fellowshipping with other believers, and giving our lives over to prayer …
At a time in which the Russian Army appears to be pressing an advance in the Zaporozhe and Kherson regions (November-25), we were able to assist a church on the front lines in Kherson. Through support from Ukraine Relief, 100 families were given potatoes for the winter. At times there is only 2 hours of electricity, yet these potatoes can be cooked up over a fire. Read a pastor’s thank you letter and be encouraged that through your faithful efforts the Gospel is going forward and the faithful churches we serve are equipped and encouraged …
Nikita and Vika had lived through painful, even tragic moments in their lives. Their parents were alcoholics, and it often came to the point of arguments and fights between them. In one of these fights, the husband killed his wife, right before the eyes of their scared children!
After the tragedy, their mother was buried, and their father was imprisoned for eight years. The kids were placed in an orphanage …
“I am a mother of 12 children, and we live in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Our home is constantly on the move: getting ready for school, cooking, housework, worries, children’s arguments, and hugs. A large family is a big responsibility, but also a great blessing. We can’t hide the fact that it’s very difficult sometimes …
Regina is 16 years old and comes from a small village, where she lives with her mother and five brothers and sisters. Several years ago, her father left their lives, and the way it happened left a deep scar on her heart. When she was still a little girl, her father began using drugs. The home was filled with constant arguments and tension …
Most times, after a joyful vacation, we are ready to return home to our normal and safe environment. But, for many children throughout Central Asia, returning home is not a comfortable place. For many children, SGA-supported Summer Bible Camps have become their safe and loving “home.” It is in these camps where the children experience daily showers and three meals a day, something that they don’t have the privilege of experiencing at home …
Artem grew up in a Christian home, preaching by age 12, but living a double life. It wasn’t until he was 15, after a night out and a quiet rebuke from his father, that the Holy Spirit pierced his heart. That night, he repented. “All the pieces fell into place,” he says. A year later, he was baptized, and by 18, he was leading youth ministry. He married Alla at 19, and they now have two children, with a third on the way …
Mykola and Halyna have been married for many years. Their own children had already grown up, made their own ways, and now it seemed that the time had come for peace and comfort. However, a quiet but persistent thought kept burdening their hearts. “Is this all?” they wondered. There was a desire to go further, to serve, to give warmth to someone else who really needed it …
