The following is copied and shared with permission and reflects a deeply personal  perspective forged amid the daily suffering and sacrifice caused by the war in Ukraine.  This update is offered to inform and encourage your prayerful support for all who are affected by this tragedy.

If you would like to help us with humanitarian aid efforts you can donate through our  website https://ipministry.org/donate/. The needs are growing as we keep helping thousands of people to move west within Ukraine and also helping those who want to leave the country temporarily. We need funds most of all for gas, but also for food and various supplies (medical, bed linens, mattresses, etc). Thank you.                        

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Update from Maia:

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support and prayer that made possible our today’s trip (April 19th) to villages in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. These villages were occupied by russian invaders for over a month and what they left behind doesn’t differ from place to place. It’s destroyed, trashed, looted houses, traumatized people who out of fear stayed in cold root cellars for weeks hiding from russian soldiers and rusting piles of russian tanks and armored personnel vehicles on the liberated streets.

I talked to 11 year old Bohdan asking him about days of occupation. He said he was scared, russians killed people for no reason. A young mother with a 14 months old baby shared that in their house several families with small kids were staying together. Russians demanded that they give them all the milk that they cow was producing, but allowed them to keep other food. In other houses russians took away all food and people were hungry. Neighbors tried to help each other but it was not safe to go out to the street. Russian thieves stole farming and constructions tools and anything else they could find of value. 

Now people are still struggling. The infrastructure of the villages is in the process of being restored. The village stores are either closed or have a very limited food supply. Everywhere people were asking for bread. Medicines are not available. We were able to buy this morning in a supermarket in Kyiv a special sweet bread that people eat at Easter time. People were grateful for that treat! We went on this trip with other volunteers, Богдан Степаненко и Михаил Круль. They had much-needed medicines, personal hygiene products and secondhand clothes to distribute.

People in villages asked us about news, about the situation in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine. There are smiles and words of thankfulness that their village is free from invaders. We didn’t experience life under russian occupation but even we felt a great sense of relief when russian orces were pushed out of Kyiv region! People believe that victory of Ukraine will be soon! It was good to see that tow trucks were gradually removing russian rusting metal trash from villages and roads. People are busy cleaning around their houses. They are preparing to celebrate Easter this Sunday.

Once again, friends, thank you for being with us through your prayers and support!
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

More from Maia 4/20/22:

Day 56 of russian invasion.
So much suffering, loss and pain has been already sown by this horde. How much more? We are continuing to pray for the war to end soon. Meanwhile russian troops are starting a major offensive in the east of Ukraine. Pray that this will be their last offensive and russian army will meet its rightful end!

A 70-year-old Ukrainian, Nadiya Trubchanikova, escaped the Kyiv region when the Russian army occupied it. While the woman survived, the occupiers killed her son. For over a week, she was hitching from her village to Bucha to search for his body before finally finding it.

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Please share these updates with others. I have added direct links to our email, our website, and to the IP Ministry Journal on YouTube to the bottom of this page. Your prayers are precious to us. Thank you!

In Christ,
Brandy Ezzell
International Partnerships