Tim’s friend, Dr. Sam Slobodian, is now on his second trip to Ukraine meeting with the BIEM Mission Team, helping the distressed, delivering supplies and holding prayer meetings. Please remember Sam in your prayers and pray for his safety and that he would be a blessing to those suffering. 

Ukraine Update
From
Tim’s Friend Bruce

At the End, Story of Tragedy

June 7, 2022 by Tim Buck
Fotet.org

Dear friends and family,

I should do much better in keeping you informed concerning the situation here. I am concerned, though, that what I write may now be repetitious and of little interest. Still, I owe you a more regular stream of communication.

We had begun classes again about two and a half weeks ago. Classes went well and we were able to finish an in-depth study of the book of Revelation and a study of bibliology (the doctrine of the Bible). We were missing 3 of our students, but 2 joined us intermittently on Zoom, from afar. What’s more, we recorded the classes for those 2 men and for another who is still traversing the country to take people to safety and to deliver products into areas that have been destroyed.

With those products, of course, there is the opportunity to give folks Bibles, gospel literature, and a witness for the Savior. Some of those products come through a larger Baptist church here in the city, and some are coming from Dr. Mike Petersen in the area of Warsaw.

Our city has still been spared from major destruction, though we still have frequent warning sirens. One of my interpreters you’ve heard from before – Kateryna – is heading back here from Germany. She feels that she is emotionally and spiritually languishing there, and longs to be back home. We will be overjoyed to see her again, but I’ve told her that I wish she would still stay out of the country. With the war going more poorly for Ukraine in the heavy fighting to the east, I think we’re living in a fool’s paradise to think that we’re going to be safe here.

Maybe our people would prefer to live under the dangers here than to remain so far from their homes for so long.

It’s distressing to hear the news and the opinions that the war will drag on for more months, and years! And the reports of the horrible atrocities committed by the Russians in areas they now control (or have controlled) is both sickening and frightening. I wish that all of our women and children could be safe somewhere else. One practical issue for us is that, with all of the uncertainty, it’s difficult to plan for the future.

I know, though, that we are in the Father’s hand, and we will yet see His will and purposes accomplished. I often think of something I heard in a sermon from Dr. E.R. Jordan. It was something like this: “If God fails you, you’d have to be the most special Christian who has ever lived. You would be the very first child whom your heavenly Father has ever failed!” I often reflect upon that. When I’m tempted to fear, I remember the psalmist saying, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in you!”

Yesterday, I met with our graduate, the one who has so often gone back into the eastern part of Ukraine to evangelism and camps, and to take products to the folks who have been so afflicted there. I came away from that meeting with a heart so full! He showed me photos of the help we’ve recently sent to that part of Ukraine.

I suppose I’ve told you about the family there – believers – who have 8 children and lost their house in a bombing. We have purchased an unfinished house, built on a rock and with walls of rock. It will house the needy family and also provide a place for a church to have services and camps.

People have been meeting in that village for the last 2 weeks, with 6 adults attending. The house is being finished by a crew of volunteers, some of whom are unbelievers. The father of the 8 children has had a dream since he was saved a few years ago. He has wanted to begin Bible classes for all the children of his village. When his house was destroyed, he figured his dream also died. Now, he is elated and eager to begin that ministry.

An older pastor in a nearby city will begin to meet with him and teach him how to prepare sermons and preach. I mentioned to our graduate that it would be great if he could teach that man all he has learned, and he responded that this has been his dream! At present, he would not be allowed in that part of the country. Please pray that our mighty God will yet further intrude upon Russia’s plans and drive them from our borders! I am eager to get the opportunity to travel there and meet the believers and rejoice in their progress.

I received a “thank you” letter from a Baptist church that has received funds sent from here and distributed them in the form of food products and medicines. We are now sending further funds to help purchase firewood and coal, especially for destitute widows in that area. Oh, I neglected to tell you that the wonderful generosity of you folks also enabled us to buy 30 chickens each for about 49 families. We figure that will give them some food for more than a few days.

If you read the letter I’ll attach, it makes me seem like a wonderful man, a hero! I have no illusions about this, nor do I want that attention. The humanitarian part of our ministry here is simply to act as a conduit for the gracious and generous gifts you folks have been sending.
Oh, another prayer request I’ll make is that you’d pray that we will continue to be able to find diesel fuel and gasoline, which are almost impossible to acquire from day to day.

Pastor BT,

I am Lyudmila Lutsenko living in the city of Ilovaysk, Donetsk region, where there is a war I was after my husband I have two children and have three grandchildren.

One evening my husband and I were sitting near the front door and a mine flew into our house when it exploded and shrapnel shattered from it. Some pieces of shrapnel hit my husband, others shrapnel hit me. Shrapnel cut off my leg, cut my face and when the ambulance took me and my husband to the hospital, my husband died in the ambulance on the way because he had punctured lungs and they filled with his blood and he died.

I was miraculously operated on by doctors and I survived. I did not want to live as a disabled person, my whole body hurts, my soul hurts, my husband is gone and all sorts of bad thoughts came what to do next. One day, a Christian woman who had worked with me for 20 years and talked about God found out about my grief and she came to visit me, she reminded me once again that God loves me and He wants me to believe in Jesus Christ.

I did not resist for long I in the prayer of repentance truly called into my life Jesus Christ. I really saw God in Christians, and I also wanted to make a covenant with him through water baptism.

I want to thank you that the merciful God provides me with the help that you convey. I received grocery help, received medication since I do not have a leg and is cut by fragments of the body it always hurts me I need debilitating medicines. I feel very bad sleeping on a hard sofa I have a lot of pain from it my whole body I thank God that you helped to buy an orthopedic mattress you made my life easier.

Thank you very much, Thank God for your merciful heart. With love and prayer, sister in faith Lyudmila Lutsenko.
In Christ,
Pastor/Teacher Bruce
Baptist International Evangelistic Ministries
Baptistinternational.org

Donate Here

More Photos

Recent Video Update