Greetings to you in the Name of Jesus. We trust this finds you in good health, enjoying the blessings of God.

The situation in the former Soviet Union has become much more challenging. Our Bible School in Crimea was in progress when Russia took over. We have continued to work but under different circumstances. The pastors and churches are in the process of having to adapt to new laws and governance. We continue to support the work and plan to continue training leaders, howbeit in new ways.

Much of our work has been in Eastern Ukraine and the region has been greatly affected by the current conflict. Schools in Donetsk and other Eastern regions are on hold. In the city of Slavyansk, Donetsk Region, armed separatists entered the church that hosted our Bible School, on Pentecost Sunday, took over the building that was just remodeled and kidnapped 2 of the pastor’s sons and 2 deacons. The city became a focal point of the war, many people fled and many suffered who stayed, homes were damaged from the bombing. When the city was retaken by government forces it was discovered that the 4 men were killed and buried in a mass grave. One of the deacons left a wife and 8 children behind, the other deacon left a wife and 3 children. The region of Luhansk, where we did some of our first church plants has been devastated.

 

Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the war zones. Pastors and Churches in cities such as Zaporizhia are now distributing humanitarian aid and evangelizing the displaced and the wounded. Every Sunday afternoon Christians, without regard to denomination, gather in the public squares throughout Ukraine to pray for Ukraine and for peace.

For 2 years we have sensed a shifting and God has opened doors in various parts of the world. We have continued in Ukraine, Russia and Armenia, but also have reached out to Asia and Africa as well as various parts of Europe – Czech Republic, Italy and now Germany. We may soon also have a school in Israel.

Thank you to everyone who supports God’s work through our ministry. You have enabled us to reach many in the nations of the world and to raise up many, many new leaders who are now laboring in the harvest. Words cannot express all that is taking place.

Please lift up the body of Christ and the care workers in Africa, particularly in West Africa. They have been under attack from extremists and now facing the epidemic of ebola.

I leave for Germany in a few days to teach pastors and leaders, and to preach the Gospel to those who have come from Kazakhstan and other parts of the former Soviet Union. I will be accompanied by Albert Ramirez, Marcy & Walter Labocki, and others. I will later go to Siberia and the Russian Far East. With God all things are possible. We need your prayer support as never before.

We need your help to provide further humanitarian aid in Ukraine, for the displaced and wounded in the current conflict. The church in Siberia that we have been helping to construct needs urgent help to finish the roof before heavy winter sets in. We need your continued prayer and support to keep reaching these nations. If you are already a partner, thank you, we appreciate your generosity. And if you’ve been meaning to make a contribution, please do not hesitate to support God’s work through Global Vision Ministries. Click here to Donate Now.

Yours in the Lord’s service,

Walter and Nina