Faithfully Serving Like Chirst!

April 2026

Dear friends, Easter is coming very soon and I hope that your joy will be complete knowing what our Lord Jesus did on your behalf on the cross at Calvary and with his resurrection. With everything happening in both the Ukraine and the Middle East, the following passages may give you hope in our turbulent world:

^“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy by being the firstborn of the dead” (1 Colossians 1:15-18). Trust and rest in knowing that Jesus is in control of everything. Another passage is this:

^“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5). Because of Christ’s resurrection, we too can have a hope that there is something special awaiting you – an eternal inheritance kept just for you! May these two scriptures encourage you this Easter! Now for our update …

In our region of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, the war continues to rage on with an assortment of missiles and drone attacks. Just a few days ago, the Russian military bombed 17 different locations within our region: https://gwaramedia.com/en/russia-attacks-17-settlements-of-kharkiv-region-injures-25, however, this isn’t an abnormal occurrence. Because the Russian military has consistently hit hospitals, schools, orphanages, etc. many children can no longer attend school and parents are improvising when possible. Another report came out recently that approximately 20,000 children are attending school in bomb shelters within our region: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/16/in-ukraines-kharkiv-20000-children-go-underground-to-study.

Please keep these children in your prayers – there will be so much trauma, stress, grief and loss for years to come.

Good News Church – Nova Voldalaga

This month, I would like to share about Good News Church in the town of Nova Vodalaga, which is about a 50 minute drive from our city of Kharkiv. We have partnered with this church for over 20 years in many different outreach activities. Pastor Victor has been the only senior pastor that this church has ever known and he has been extremely faithful to his calling over the years. He needs your prayers for his own health, if you are willing to pray for him.

When this war began, many families that were unable to leave the country fled to this town for more safety. During the early parts of the war, many families would double or triple up in small homes, like sardines in a tin can – but they felt safer being away from the large city that was laden with bombs and missiles. The panic and fear has subsided with time and now families are attempting to live normal lives, due to the war being over 4 years in length. The horrific living conditions within many locations are the new normal.

Good News Church has done an excellent job of blessing many families over the past four years of this war. With little to no outside assitance (other than what Slavic Christian Ministries has provided), this church has sacrificially given food, clothing, Christmas gifts, and even opened up a school within their church, creating a classroom for local children to attend. God has miracuoulsy provided the funds for the church to grow and expand its facilities due to the increase of worshippers. The gospel is being preached and lives are being transformed, praise the Lord!

While the Russian military has been targeting schools, hospitals, orphanages, and energy facilities, churches have been targeted less often – and since Nova Voldalaga isn’t in one of the hotter military zones, families feel comfortable allowing their children to come together for school inside the church. Clearly, this church is meeting families needs on a weekly basis with food, clothes, the gospel message and lots of love!

Clearly they are living out Matthew 25:34-36:  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”

I thank God for the faithfulness of this church showing the love of Christ on a daily basis. Your contributions help encourage them in their calling to help those less fortunate. Thank you too for also sacrificing so much prayerfully and tangibly for God’s kingdom work; thank you also for being my friend and ministry partner!

In Jesus’ love,

   Ron