Christmas campaign in Ukraine

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This year, too, many people, especially young people, were moved to bring hope to those living in poverty by donating lovingly wrapped Christmas packages. These donations of goods and money reached many people in need during the Advent season, glorifying God in the process. A large portion of the donations went to Ukraine.

Our mission trip to Ukraine began with a small team of six brothers on the evening of December 8th. We were certain that days full of God's blessings, encounters, experiences, and sorrow awaited us. Three days earlier, the mission truck, loaded with Christmas packages, had already left to meet us in Ukraine.

After traveling all night, we reached the Polish-Ukrainian border after more than 14 hours, where we were able to enter Ukraine without any problems. Our brothers met us with the truck at our first stop in Kremenets, where we spent the first night and met Brother Oleg Romanovich, who was in charge of the mission.

Continue to Rowna

The next morning we woke up to find the roads covered in snow. The land seemed still and peaceful, but behind this stillness lay deep pain and hardship. We continued our journey to the church in Rowna, where about 110 people were gathered, including people with disabilities and those hearing the Gospel for the first time. During the service, the power briefly went out, which is a common occurrence.

After the meeting, we distributed gifts: shoeboxes full of little treats and packages from the Christmas campaign. In the children's shining eyes and the adults' grateful smiles, we saw that our mission means more than just practical help.

The journey to Kharkiv – closer to the front line

Waldemar Odorchuk, the elder from Rivna, mission leader Anatoli Kutscher, and staff member Taras Illjuk accompanied us on our journey through Ukraine. The route to Kharkiv took us through Kyiv, past military posts, war trenches, and heavy military equipment. These sights made the reality of war tangible. A memorial service for the fallen soldiers was held on Maidan Square, the city center of Kyiv.

Upon arriving in Kharkiv, we met with the youth of the congregation and held a joint worship service. It was moving to see how they held fast to their faith despite the difficult circumstances. Unloading the truck with the Christmas packages took about two hours; we worked hand in hand with 20 brothers. A shipment of 21 tons of flour also arrived. In the evening, the local brother Vitali shared testimonies of how God touched soldiers at the front with the Gospel.

In the destroyed Tsupivka – tears and hope

The next morning we visited the village of Tsupivka, six kilometers from the Russian border and therefore very close to the front. On the way there, we passed tank graveyards, trenches, and shattered buildings. Tanks and military outposts were hidden in the woods. The extent of the destruction was almost incomprehensible.

In an Orthodox church riddled with bullet holes, we held a short service. It was bitterly cold, but the villagers listened attentively, some with tears in their eyes. They told us gratefully that we had given them hope. After the service, we distributed Christmas packages and bread that had been baked in the Kharkiv community. The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the sound of a howitzer. We distributed the remaining packages and quickly set off for Kharkiv.

Bringing joy to children – A visit to the school

After lunch, we visited a school for children with disabilities. The youth group from the Kharkiv congregation had organized a program there. We distributed gifts and held a short service with them. Following the school visit, we went directly to the Kharkiv congregation for the next service. Some non-Muslims have been attending services there regularly since the war began.

After the blessed service, we went back to the pastor's house for dinner. During dinner, we suddenly heard a droning noise. The brothers said it was probably drones. We quickly turned off the lights and sat in the dark for about 20 minutes. This precaution was taken to ensure we wouldn't become drone targets.

From Sloviansk to Kostyantynivka – Gratitude despite destruction

The journey took us to Sloviansk, where we left 140 parcels and 100 shoeboxes. At the graves of five young men who were active in the community and became victims of the war, we felt the tragedy of war. Among them were three sons of Pastor Alexander Povenko, who, in our conversations, showed forgiveness rather than bitterness.

After this visit, we continued on to Kramatorsk, where, in addition to 3.3 tons of food parcels and shoe boxes, we also delivered 2.5 tons of flour for the community bakery. We then drove quickly to Kostyantynivka, the last town before the front, where we were only allowed to enter between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. After a strict inspection and some discussion, we were only allowed in for one hour. The tension that had accompanied us transformed into a feeling of relief when we were finally allowed to pass. The last checkpoint stated that they could no longer guarantee our safety.

We saw many destroyed houses, fresh impact craters, burned-out vehicles – images that will remain indelible. One building still bore the fresh burn marks of a rocket attack. Despite this grim environment, we were able to hold a church service for 30 minutes.

The congregation eagerly awaited our arrival and was overjoyed. After the service, packages containing food, clothing, and fresh bread were distributed—a small comfort in this terrible situation. Following the distribution, we returned to Kramatorsk, where we held another service. Overwhelmed and astonished, we heard the pastor mention at the end of the service that they intended to continue their fast of thanksgiving.

Immediately afterwards, we set off towards Moldova. On the way, we saw a rocket flying across the sky that landed several kilometers away. We made a stop in Kharkiv and said goodbye to our Ukrainian brothers. We drove all night to Moldova.

20th anniversary of the Serepta Mission Center

In the evening we arrived at the Serepta Mission Center. There we visited the home for people with disabilities and the retirement home. The next morning, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of mission work at the home for people with disabilities and the retirement home with the local community. After a shared lunch and a tour of the mission center, we departed for Germany.

In total, we covered approximately 6400 km on our journey. We thank God for His abundant protection and all the answered prayers. The journey left a deep impression. We saw profound suffering, but also faith and hope in the eyes of our brothers and sisters.

During the handover of the Christmas packages, shoebox gifts, and financial donations, we felt the immense gratitude of the people and would like to take this opportunity to thank every donor who supported this Christmas campaign. We were able to transport 100 tons of food packages to Ukraine. Our initial goal of collecting 5,000 food packages was exceeded thanks to the generosity of many donors, with 6,540 packages being provided.

The packages were transported to Ukraine using six trucks, two of which went to Krevoy Rog and Rovna respectively, and one truck each to Kharkiv and Chernihiv.

Some people were able to receive support with their basic needs and were filled with great joy. However, there were still many people whom we unfortunately could not help. Border police, villagers, and especially the community pleaded for earnest prayer support for Ukraine, that this unspeakable, terrible suffering might end. Let us continue to remember this country and our fellow believers in our prayers!

Kevin Stelter

Municipality of Speyer