March 2024 – Special Report
Dear Friends,
I hope you are having a good month. We are excited to see our girls, when they come home for Spring break next week - it will be so wonderful to see them. However, in this special report, there are some sad updates: On February 22nd, the all-out war in Ukraine hit its two-year anniversary with no end in sight, if you believe our Western world leader’s posturing and words. Since the war began there have over 800,000 deaths from both sides, not including those mentally and physical injured too. The numbers above are only the projected Russian losses. Some news agencies are reporting that the Ukrainian losses are even higher than on the Russian side.
The war hit a bit closer to home this week. In the city of Kupiansk, which is within our region (about 70 miles away), a bomb fell and killed
pastor Yuri Klimka (photo to the right). He was very good friends with our ministry partner Vlad Kalin.
In this earlier photo, pastor Yuri (second from the right) is with pastor Vlad (second from the left) and his team from New Life Church – Kharkiv. These amazing people go from town to town and village to village preaching, singing, providing the hope of Christ, and distributing food, water, supplies, and biblical resources. We are proud that they are our friends and that we have had the opportunity to partner with this church, since they are making a huge positive impact since the beginning of this war.
You can see the destruction of several buildings in Kupiansk. Unfortunately, pastor Yuri’s church was the only remaining church, since the war – and now it’s future is unknown too.
The Russian military had targeted this church several times, and had caused considerable damage to the facility. It was this last Russian bomb that took pastor Yuri’s life this week.
Slavic Christian Ministries is sending a love gift to his wife Elena. I have also asked pastor Vald to keep us updated on this church’s on-going needs. The board has a line-item in our budget for things just like this, when they occur unexpectedly in this war. Please pray for Elena, her family, the church, and everyone living in this city of Kupiansk.
On another note, another one of our partnering pastors – pastor Sergei Datsko of Living Hope Baptist Church – Kharkiv had to have emergency surgery last week and I don’t think he has the finances to pay for this surgery. Please pray for his complete healing and recovery and for his finances. He conveyed to my wife that the recovery will take about 6 or so weeks, but it sounds like he is on the mend.
Before the update, I have heard from many of our friends in Ukraine that apathy, despair, and depression has taken root with many people. The longevity of this war is definitely taking its toll on the people!
If you would like to give to Slavic Christian Ministries, it goes to help so many people, like pastor Yuri’s wife, pastor Sergei and the people in our region. We try to spread your gifts around and make an impact where we can – so thank you very much!!!
Next week, I will update you on one of our former employees who is a refugee outside of Ukraine. And in April, I am hoping to update you on the soup kitchen needs with our partner Good News Church – Kharkiv. In May and June, we will update you one of the churches we partner with in Kharkiv that we didn’t highlight in 2023 and providing you with updates on our efforts to reach orphans in our region.
There is always so much information and I am trying to provide you amounts that will not overwhelming you (and me for that matter). There is so much I haven’t told you …
Thank you for praying for pastor Yuri’s wife, Elena, pastor Sergei from his recent surgery, and all the people we serve in Kharkiv region.
To make a tax-exempt donation, please send a check to our address above or go to our website or https://www.slavicchristian.org/donate.
In Jesus’ love,
Ron