"I don't have many good friends left..."

October 2025

Dear friends,

I hope you are doing well as we enter fall season. I will be driving to the mountains and looking at the turning of the leaves with my children tomorrow, hopefully!

There is never a lack for news around the Ukraine war – and there seem to have been provocations from Russia with drones and planes entering Romania, Estonia, and Polish air space. I ask myself “What are they doing and what is their objective?”

Estonia invoked Article 4 of the NATO clause that begins the discussion of how to repond, etc. Since 1949, Article 4 has only been invoked 9 times. NATO is trying to downplay it a bit at the moment, but time will tell if this war escalates even further.

As the weather is begins to turn in Ukraine, Russia has stepped up its terror attacks to destroy Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities electrical and natural gas power sources, so the citizens of Ukraine will not have heat this winter. Here is one article: https://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/60386 .

In our area of Kharkiv, Russian troops continue to assult our region with drones, missiles, etc. Five people were killed yesterday by a drone and a missile hit Kharkiv’s largest market injuring another 31 people two days ago. I have been to this market several times in my past, so I know it quite well. The drone attacks in Kharkiv are unrelenting and I read about damage to our city almost daily.

My pastor friend, Sergei Datsko, who we have partnered with significantly during this war said to me last week, “I am so glad that you are my really good friend, because I don’t have many good friends left; most have been killed.” When I read this, my heart broke. I will never forget that statement …. Please keep praying for all of our friends, partners, and people of Ukraine.

Here is an update from our ministry partner pastor Vlad from New Life Church - Kharkiv:

“Dear Ron and friends in the US, I thank God for your partnership with us this year and I also thank you for praying for our family. We are all serving our church in Kharkiv to the best of our ability, except our daughter who is in a large Slavic church in Washington state. We miss her dearly, but we are happy she is safe in America!

In the past year, we have focused our efforts on helping people who have been deeply affected by this war. Our main task was to tell them about Christ, who gives eternal life and gives them strength to live on this earth in times of trials and turmoil.

This year we have also been able to be a support to our military with medicines, hygiene products, special clothes, and equipment from our partners. We have a number of our church members who are fighting on the front lines of this horrible war.

Because of your ministry’s partnership, we have been able to engage in 73 outreaches, with 51 outreaches being with humanitarian food (over 100 tons of food), 5,000 packages of hygiene and cleaning supplies, and engaged in many children’s programs, which you your ministry partners with us the most. Through all of these events, we have been able to reach about 10,000 people frequently with food, hygiene products, sermons, kid’s programs, and Bibles. You all are helping us keep going through this horrible time in our history. We thank God for you in every way! Please express our love to everyone!!!” - Pastor Vlad Kalin

Friends, I will share about the kid’s programs we sponsor through New Life Church in the near future; but for now, I wanted to update you on the outreach events to keep people alive through New Life Church – Kharkiv and pastor Vlad.

It isn’t in the news much and I don’t report on it often, but our brothers and sisters are continuing to help the most vulnerable to the best of their ability – even after 3 years and eight months of this war. Thank you for always praying and being a blessing to everyone in Kharkiv area.

We have been able to help many children over the past few months because of your kindness too (I will update you on this soon too). But many senior citizens, families, and children in remote towns and villages have heard and felt the love of Jesus because of your help and partnership with New Life Church, so thank you so much!!!

In Jesus’ love,

Ron