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 Larisa Malamuzh:

Today (Sunday) is the 40th day of the war. Our Kyiv region is finally liberated from the ruscists (russian fascists). It’s hard to wrap our minds around what the russian barbarians have done to Kyiv suburbs. Our hearts are torn to pieces.

My husband cut a few branches of peach and put them in water. The next day the branches blossomed.

Our country has been mutilated, it is bleeding in the towns and villages of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv regions, our city martyr Mariupol. And even where there is no active military action in liberated areas, we have tears, pain and sorrow, because there are families who gave their glorious sons and daughters forever in defense of our Ukraine.

Injured, but not broken, like those branches, our Ukraine will flourish, will reign, and will prosper for the sake of peace, freedom and life.

Update from Maia:

Family.
In times of war, you want to stay especially close – like within each other’s eyesight close. We are thankful we live next door to Sasha and Nikita. During the first days/weeks of war we did everything together with them – we went to the store together, we were in bomb shelter together, we ate all our meals together. Maybe the first time we got separated was when Sasha and Nikita went to the maternity hospital. It was especially scary that night when the ambulance took them during the air raid driving towards the sounds of explosions. I have goosebumps every time I remember that night.

Now we are spending more time in our separate apartments, out of each other’s sight. Air raids are still several times a day and night but we often ignore them. As long as we don’t hear the sounds of explosions we tune out the wailing of air raid sirens.

Having Danny far away is hard. We dream of the day when we can hug him, when he and Briana can meet, when he can hold his niece in his arms! But we are grateful that Danny is safe. I can’t imagine how he is managing to focus on his studies, but we know he is trying hard. We are grateful to his and our friends who are there to give him support and encouragement through this scary time. It’s good we live in days of zoom and skype and we can see each other even if on the computer screens.

My father lives close by, but he refused to move in with us when the war started. I think he didn’t want to sleep in bomb shelter – he continued to sleep in his bed in the apartment. But we get to talk to him every day and we can help with food and medications.

Please, pray for Nick’s brother, Sergei, who lives in Eastern Ukraine not far from the front lines, and in spite of Nick’s attempts to talk him into evacuating he is refusing. The military action is escalating significantly in that part of Ukraine. After their failure to take over Kyiv russians are making desperate attempts to get a “victory” at least somewhere. Putin needs to present to his brainwashed population some “success story”. Donetsk region administration is asking civilians to evacuate if possible. Our church in Avdeevka is starting an evacuation of people who are willing to leave.

Please, continue to pray for Ukraine, for our courageous defenders, for God’s protection for our soldiers and civilians and for complete defeat of russia and russian invaders. Pray that Putin and russian military will be brought to justice for crimes against humanity.

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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