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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Maia’s Update:

24th day of russian invasion.

These days the war shapes our lives, it dictates what we do, where we sleep, it dominates our minds and our emotions, clarifies our values and our priorities. After the war we will not be the same because of what we are experiencing now. Yet as much as the war affects us it doesn’t define us! I realize that in the past 3 weeks I have gotten a lot more friends around the world – friends who got to know me through my posts on FB. You only know me as someone who is dealing with life under russian bombings. I thought today in this morning’s post instead of the latest report on war I will tell you a little more about myself.

– As I am sure most of you know I am a mother of 2 and now a grandmother of a beautiful Briana. Nick and I have been married for 30 years.

– From my evening posts where I often quote Psalms you might think I am religious. I am not. I am a follower of Christ, I am a Christian and to me, my faith is not about religion or rituals, it’s about real relationships with the living God that became possible through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. God’s presence in my life is especially evident during these days of the war. Scriptures and prayer bring peace into the heart that surpasses understanding!

– I grew up in Soviet Union, saw that evil empire collapse, I hope to see very soon collapse of another evil empire – russia
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– I grew up russian-speaking. My father’s side of family is from russia, my mother’s – from Ukraine. You might think I am 50/50 russian/Ukrainian, but I am 100% Ukrainian! I grew up in Eastern Ukraine in a small town Torez that has been under russian occupation since 2014. In 2014-18 we did a lot of volunteer work to take humanitarian aid to war-affected areas in the east.

– We live in Kyiv since 1997 and we took an active part in Orange Revolution (2004) and the Revolution of Dignity (2013). Both were part of our fight against puppets that russia tried to install and use to control Ukraine politically. When Putin lost that control in 2013 he started the war – localized to Eastern Ukraine then and now he continues on a bigger scale
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– Growing up in Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain I always dreamed to travel the world. After the fall of Soviet Union that dream came true. I traveled a lot before the pandemic. When the war is over I will travel a lot again! Our family loves hiking in the mountains and camping.

– I love photography. Travel and photography go well together! I enjoy capturing in my pictures the heart of other cultures. People and street photography are my favorite. But of course, when we hike in the mountains I take a lot of landscape pictures too. When the war is over, if you still follow my posts you will see a lot of travel photos! 

We are affected by war, but we are not defined by it! We are defined by our love for God, for our land, for our family! The war will end soon, this nightmare will pass! Life will overcome death, the light will overcome the darkness!

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

Maia’s Evening Update:

The night is coming.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I don’t have words to describe the happiness, delight, and awe that we felt meeting our granddaughter! Today Bria, Sasha, and Nikita came home from the hospital. Nikita’s parents and my father joined us in welcoming our new family member home! She is so tiny and so absolutely perfect! She is like a ray of light and hope in the midst of the darkness that Ukraine continues to fight!

During three weeks of war before Bria’s birth, we kept hoping that this beautiful miracle will be born under already a peaceful sky, but unfortunately, the war is far from being over. We still don’t see how this madness can end when Putin has put himself into a corner out of which there is no way out. Sanctions are destroying the economy of russia, he doesn’t care. He continues to bomb Ukraine out of sheer hatred, there is no purpose in that, nobody believes his lies, except maybe 70% of russians who support this war.

But we continue to trust our God – He already has a solution and in His time it will come. We trusted God for His perfect timing for Briana’s birth. A lot of details surrounding her birth seemed difficult and out of control. But in the end, we saw how God has worked every detail in the best possible way!
Tonight we deal with two drastically opposite realities – the happiness of welcoming new life and the terrors of war. But especially tonight I want to focus on happiness even if I can’t completely forget about the dangers of the night bombings. Please, continue covering us (and especially our baby Briana) with your prayers!

Psalm 145:17-21
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

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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