Dear Brethren,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! As you are all aware, things in Ukraine have been wildly unstable for the past several days after the invasion of Russia. While there was a lot of talk about a possible attack, many(including myself) weren’t sure if it was a reality, because it seemed like a sort of game for a couple of months. The suddenness of all of this, though, took Ukraine and the world off guard. Now we are trying to help our brethren to the best of our abilities.
First, it is wonderful to see that so many Christians are praying for the brethren and for Ukraine in general. It actually seems that the whole world is behind Ukraine at the moment, which we hope to be the case. The power of prayer cannot be underestimated. We know that He hears us, and will answer favorably, if what we are asking is according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). We thank you for your prayers and ask that they will not cease.
As for BVBIU, we are grateful to report that all seems to be well for the majority of teachers and students, with the exception of our dear brother, Viktor Semikoz, and his family. Just a few minutes ago, he stated that there was a rocket attack in the town of Brovary where he lives. He stated that some people died. Please pray for them, as they have two small boys (ages 5 & 3). Brovary is close to Kiev, the capital.
Dennis Sopelnik, Director of BVBIU, is located in Ternopil with other members from Bila Tserkva. The Assistant Director, Stas Kuropyatnikov, and the team of BVBIU graduates who work in Lviv, have taken in a large number of Christians who were trying to flee to the west. Eight BVBIU graduates and their families are there. Another graduate and preacher, Sasha Rodichev, was attempting to get to Lviv with a group of 18, but they were not able to make it. They did arrive in Chernivtsi, where the preacher, Dima Galuk serves as the minister (Dima is also an instructor at BVBIU). Sasha preached the sermon yesterday.
Regarding the current BVBIU students, they were in Bila Tserkva (where BVBIU is located), but now are safe in Chernivtsi. In Bila Tserkva, they helped another BVBIU graduate, Taras Danilenko. Taras obtained funds and purchased food for people and distributed it. The students were able to help put the packages together. Even in times of difficulties, it is always best to serve others.
We thank the Lord that the brethren in Kramatorsk so far report that things are relatively quiet there. The towns of Kharkov and Kiev seem to be the ones the hardest hit, with many casualties. The rocket attacks are picking up and so we need to pray even harder!
Today I discovered that we are able to send funds to the brethren in Ukraine. If you want to help, you can send it to: Christiansburg church of Christ, 1250 S. Franklin St., Christiansburg, VA 24073 - Attn: Ukraine Relief Fund.
Thank you so much and may God bless!
Terry Harmon
Bear Valley Ukraine Coordinator