Peace, Be Still

Peace Be Still

This is a longer update, please read… 

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 We had just been suited up in steel plate bullet proof vest. The Chaplain and his men drove us to the military, where we got a military escort. Then we all drove into the abyss…

    We go past the last military checkpoints, the military men are waving to us as we swerved through the barricades. We send waves back as we drive away into the unknown… where craters are in the roads, craters are in the fields, and craters in hearts. 

     A village 1-3 miles from Russian occupation:  as we pulled in a field is charred black and another field and house are still smoldering. You can hear the artillery all around as we pull in speeding down the blown out roads.

A stop at one bomb shelter, to feed the 5 

 

 A stop at another, to feed the 50

 

A stop at another, to feed the 7

 

 And so on…

 

Shaking everyone’s hands and meeting the military men living on the front lines.

The artillery is blasting around, only to be drowned out by a roaring tank speeding through. 

A village of once 2000 people, now with 60 remaining… Not one building remains that had not endured destruction.  

The people others forgot, the people left behind, the people who have lost so much… it is an honor to bring you food. 

 You are some courageous people.  

  

We bring food to Mykolaiv and it’s villages weekly; so many people are in need.  Who will help? 80 percent of people rely on aid.

This is from a news source today…

“ MYKOLAIV, Ukraine

Mayor urges all city’s residents to leave

The mayor of the embattled southern port city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, under attack from Russian forces since the start of the war, has called for “everyone who wants to survive” to leave, because “it’s not clear when all this will be over.”

The mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, said in an interview with Radio Liberty that the city was being shelled daily and that “around 80% of those munitions are cluster munitions” fired from Russian multiple-launch rocket systems.

A large exodus from Mykolaiv has already occurred. About 230,000 people remain in the city, less than half of its peacetime population of 480,000.”

 

MAY WE NOT FORGET OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

 

 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:”

1 John 3:16-19 NIV

 

Please pray!!!! 

 

We got to pray!  

 

As time has progressed the situation in Ukraine has changed, some places better, but many are still embattled and under attack, or even worse than before. The Ukraine war is becoming “old news” to many and has lost its news spotlight… but I want to share some headlines with you from this past week.

Each week as we are driving into Ukraine, we read things like: “Mykolaiv is being wiped off the face of the earth”. 

  

These are just a few,  

 

As we arrived in Mykolaiv that morning, we had already heard the news of 10 missiles striking the city the day prior. 

But as we pull up to the Chaplains, our contact came out and told us it had been quiet so far. He said “I can tell you prayed”.   

He then told us about how he has been driving into the front lines of war for 8 years now and every time it is quiet… the military would think he is crazy.. “why are you coming, it is too dangerous, but today is quiet when you show up, why????”  He would respond, “we prayed”.     

 Hearing this simple, yet powerful testimony was encouraging to me. A bunch of men who have risked their lives for 8 years for the gospel, are still doing it today, sure times have been crazy and scary, but man does that take some faith… 

 Now, the entire day was not completely quiet; that night I was praying in the “upperroom” (as I like to call it, the sanctuary in the “attic”) . I heard a loud thunder and I looked out the window to see two missiles had just struck across town towards the apartment complexes, a few blocks away..

The next morning, a huge explosion woke us all up at 5:06 am.   The smoke billowing, as we look out the window to only see another strike even closer.  All that morning Mykolaiv was being pounded by bombs.

Peace be still  

In Mark 4, we see Jesus hops in a boat with His disciples. A storm is happening and the Bible says the boat was already filling. 

But Jesus was asleep, and His disciples came and wake him up freaking out that they are going to die. Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind by saying, “ PEACE, BE STILL”. 

Then Jesus turns and rebukes His disciples, “why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith”.   

I find this really encouraging to me, prayer is powerful and we need to go to God before we get there, why are waiting around till we are in the middle of the storm and our boat is sinking.  If we would pray beforehand in faith, imagine the difference.  

I find it so incredible that we have a God who cares for us and is with us… now just because I prayed does not mean I will live, but regardless like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abegnego God is able and still good despite what happens.    

I walk in Faith in Christ and I know He is with me.  Now the world would define Peace as the absence of chaos or conflict. It is important to remember no matter the circumstance that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and if He is with me, so is Peace despite the circumstance, for I know I have Salvation in Christ.  Hallelujah!

 

I say all this to just encourage the prayer life.

 

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  We brought in 7,000 pounds of food last week, basically 7,000 meals…

When we arrived we helped bag 200 bags that will be distributed to families. The food always goes to churches and is distributed to those in the most need. I love standing behind the church in such a way, for I know these men and woman are seeing a harvest and are doing so much for the Spiritual health of many through a physical need. These churches we give food to not only give it to those in church, but whoever is in need. You don’t have to convert or be Christian. This is powerful. 

 

 This week we also went to visit some places bombed the day prior. Right down the road, next to one of the chaplains apartments; an apartment complex with the top few floors on the corner missing. They had been hit and 6 people including a little girl died the day prior.  We were escorted closer so that we could see. This is tough and daily.

I do want to share one more article, it is about the horrible stewardship of resources that is happening now, so if you want to give please give to the Ukraine relief fund on A Jesus Mission, I know they don’t hold the money or take it as a salary, but give it to the actually need.

 

https://ajesusmission.org/ukraine-response/

 

I kindly ask that you do not give to me in this season as I have raised more than enough, I am blessed, Thank you. I also was unable get a Romanian Visa, with about 15 days left, I need to spend lots of time in Ukraine so I do not run out of days.  My return to help Ukraine is unknown because of visa. 

It looks as I will return to USA in August

I have some plans, but God will direct my steps

 

Thanks for following along..  

This may or may not be my last Blog.

 

  

 

 

 All Glory to God.   Got three more trips in.