Mission to Bakhmut

Update from Buddy, missionary

Over the last few weeks, Ukraine has made incredible advances in their counteroffensive. However, one of the places where neither army has advanced is the Bakhmut region. It is in the Donetsk Oblast and is strategic for may reason to the Russian army. There were 70,000 citizens there when the war began and many of them have already fled and are among the 2 million displaced people all across Ukraine. Those who are left now live without electricity and running water and the services that are left are minimal. There is constant fighting going on all around the area and people are dying every day. There is a church there that is still functioning and bravely trying to meet needs as best they can to their people. It was to this church and to these people that one of our partner groups traveled this week. As I write this, they are still there. Since this is frontline battle area, they were able to meet directly with troops and also deliver aid to as many of them as they could there.

As is always our goal, we are interested in not only delivering humanitarian aid, but also delivering the Hope of the Gospel to people in this desperate time. As often as is possible people gather and the Word is shared and encouragement given through it. Let there never be a time when this is not foremost in our thoughts. Yes, it is vital to fill our spot in the humanitarian and material front, but this is also as vital and much more, that in meeting those needs, we use those acts of caring to share the Love of God. Thanks to all of you who help us to do that.

If you’ve kept up with the news at all, you’ll know that the war has shifted again and Russia has begun to simply lob bombs randomly to wherever they may fall while occasionally striking at the electro infrastructure of the country. There is not a safe place in all the country at this point and innocent people continue to die. So, work like in Bakhmut will continue. Thanks for every thought and prayer. Until there is peace.