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First Person is produced in cooperation with the Far East Broadcasting Company, who rejoice in the stories of changed lives through the power of Jesus Christ. Learn more at febc.org. The church is just kind of carrying the torch in the midst of the war, you know, so the spiritual leadership, but in the midst of war, God does absolutely amazing things when souls are saved for eternity.
Coming up now on First Person, we're going to focus on the country of Ukraine and learn how people are coping spiritually and how helping the children in this war is so important. Welcome to this week's edition of First Person. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Over the last 18 months, we've brought several accounts of this devastating war that is destroying the country of Ukraine, but not the spirit of the people.
There are many organizations who immediately stepped in to offer aid and support, and many who have been faithful in doing so in the name of Christ, offering everything from food and medicine to shelter and counseling. We see the fighting in the news every day, but for a few moments, we want to focus on what is happening spiritually among the people, the many who are turning to Jesus Christ in the midst of this crisis, and especially the children of Ukraine who are suffering both physically and emotionally.
I asked Sergei Rukuba, president of Mission Eurasia, to join us online to give us an updated perspective. Sergei and his team on the ground in Ukraine have worked tirelessly in this effort and deserve our prayers. Here's Sergei. I personally feel, you know, so I wish the war was over. You know, I wish, you know, we could have a break.
But we have no right to take any rest and continue pushing forward because the war continues raging. People suffer and suffer more. So there is exhaustion. So I can tell our staff and they continue just working 24/7 on the ground. Staff that separated with families, so they suffer from that separation emotionally, spiritually.
So yes, there is that tiredness, you know, so they're tired, they're exhausted.
but there no way you know so we'll stop and you know more they work more experience more more desire you know to continue pushing forward helping people in the midst of the crisis and every day we hear those bad reports so that Russia continues or Russia intensifies shelling
Yesterday, another town near Zaporozhye was shelled at Krivyi Rih. A couple of weeks ago, that town Orekhov near Zaporozhye, that's our distribution center we shared with a couple other organizations, was hit and people were killed. And you hear all this intense shelling in Odessa and all across the front line. So the war is not slowing down. Yeah.
And then the staff is working, the Church of Ukraine, and across all denominational lines, Wayne, I just, I can't, I don't know, can't find enough good words, you know, in my limited vocabulary to...
describe how brave, how courageous, how resourceful they are. And to see that in the midst of this, the church is rising out of these ashes of destruction, providing spiritual, emotional, economical, humanitarian aid and leadership to the communities.
This is just in a few words. Well, it's such a remarkable story of perseverance and faith and just survival in the midst of these ongoing attacks in Ukraine. And we've seen so many people suffer. Your organization, Mission Eurasia, has been on the front lines. You've been providing leadership, the staff, and the volunteers. I mean, you mobilize an army of volunteers in Ukraine as well. Who are these people?
Oh Wayne, you know, good question. You know, they're all national, mostly young leaders. A lot of those, hundreds and hundreds, we've trained through our School Without Walls program, which is focused on training the next generation of leaders for the evangelical churches in Ukraine and in all of Eurasia, but specifically in Ukraine, young Christian professionals.
So there are hundreds, if not thousands, of young Christian medical workers are working on the front lines in the volunteer settings, working in their hospitals and helping communities in any way so they can help.
And I'm so proud of our leaders that mobilize these volunteers, but also leaders we've trained so that initiate to start this ministry. Last May, we had that forum. We could not bring everybody together because of the war circumstances. But we brought over 350 volunteers.
young Christian volunteers together for two days, which is on purpose, you know, to celebrate, you know, in the midst of the war, to celebrate spiritual victory in that. So, when they continue spreading the gospel by helping people who
who are suffering. And it was wonderful to see them encouraged. So they came to get all the resources they can get for their work. And to see these people in the front lines of the crisis, yeah, they're not necessarily there where the, you know, mines are falling in the communities, you know, and destroy still lives and homes. They are further there where the refugees or displaced are looking
for shelter, for help, for encouragement, for counseling. Yeah. There are
Hundreds of thousands of children that suffer from this war. So all those volunteers are there on the front of the crisis, the front line of the crisis, helping people who are in need. I'm glad you mentioned the children. That was my main question to you today, Sergei, is the children of Ukraine. What a terrible ordeal that families are going through. And the children have to be suffering.
You've had a particular focus, summer's winding down now, but you've had a particular focus all summer long on children's ministry. Give me a report. What's been going on all these past few weeks?
so thank you Wayne for asking you know uh one of the major focuses in outreach Ministries that we when we train this young next generation leaders is to uh outreach for children uh even in a peaceful time for Ukraine you know so the children were uh and then was the the one of the um
main focus in outreach ministries for them. So when the war began, you know, think out of one third of the entire population, they believe that half of those are children that are running from those destroyed, from their destroyed communities, you know, so they lost
Yeah, their homes. And so they are gathering, you know, farther there in the West with their parents, with their mom, many across the border and they're in the neighboring countries, you know, where they found shelter and safe places.
Haven, if I can say so. But we train people to help them and understanding that the children are most traumatized in the midst of this war. So they have the fear, so they cannot understand, they cannot explain why somebody is trying to bomb their community, destroy their home, killing their relatives.
And so we train volunteers and a lot of them have a counseling degrees and counseling experience. So to help these children, and when we bring them all into the summer camps, they camps overnight, weekend camps, all in Western parts of Ukraine, central parts of Ukraine where it's a lot safer. So to help these children to recuperate from their trauma.
And as of today, Wayne, you asked for the report, you know, so we're not bragging, but we're praising God and thanking all our supporters that made it all available, I mean, possible.
So there are over 20,000 children, you know, are able to attend this day camps, you know, overnight weekend camps. And there are some week-long camps we were able to put together. And we're so grateful that children can have that opportunity. Yeah, parents, you know, they are scared to let kids go. Sure, anyone would be, of course, yeah.
they want to have an eye on their kid you know so we say sure you come over too so we organized a special program for moms you know kids are at the camp and it works so well so we help people to get that healing to get healed from their fear anxiety so we help them you know with other you know resources available for you know to provide for those displaced internally displaced or refugees
And we're so grateful, Wayne, for this opportunity. And I cannot over, how should I say this, Wayne? I'm sorry. Overestimate the role of the church in these communities because lots of these camps,
they they can they have on church territories church give everything what they have and whatever you know others can provide uh to so that they are able to help this uh children so and that's uh that's what's uh you know about all these summer camps and i'm so grateful wayne
so that many believers here in the United States and Canada, you know, generously, faithfully continue supporting this ministry. And we see tremendous results, tremendous results when children come out of this ministry
I don't know, trauma, anxiety, but they accept Jesus because they see, you know, so as an example in their counselors who offer them help. So, and they are, you know, growing in the relationship with God now and we're so grateful. So, yeah, it's a war, but in the midst of war, God does absolutely amazing things and
when souls are saved for eternity. Coming up, Sergey tells the story of one little girl in Ukraine, a very powerful story. Stay with us.
Hi, I'm Ed Cannon. And as you know, situations around the world are changing quickly. Stay current with FEBC's ministry and get a deeper understanding of people who need to find hope. Hear how you can feel the pulse of God's Spirit moving through the hearts of believers dedicated to reaching the lost. Be sure you join me for the podcast until all have heard. Discover how the gospel is making a difference around the world.
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My guest is Sergei Rukuba, who is president of Mission Eurasia, an organization that has long been involved in the countries of the former Soviet Union and continues to be. And of course, this last year and a half, the focus has been largely on Ukraine with all the horror of the war going on there, all the humanitarian need and the spiritual need. And Sergei, you've touched on that, especially with the children here. It's my understanding, though, that people in general...
are turning to Christ and coming to the church and looking for answers during this time. Is that something that you've noticed as well?
Absolutely, Wayne. So the people are coming to Christ and the church leaders in Ukraine report just yesterday, we received an update, so there are more baptisms than ever in years prior to war. So like in the village in Western Ukraine, not too far from Mukachevo, the village is about 2,000
But there are about 2,000 displaced people came to the village, you know, where they found shelter. And that, I mean, it's a safer place. So they had a baptism, you know, so, and they had, I don't know, about 300 new people were baptized, you know, by the local church.
And the church says this ever, we have ever seen that. So people are leaning onto God, they're searching for God. And the church, again, I cannot overestimate their role because church becomes the channel, the conduit of God's grace
and the generosity of church family. And people see how believers are helping. And so they see that this is all comes if there's no God, so that who else is encouraging them?
So, like, yeah, just one example, you know, one story, Wayne. And we have a number of Christian trauma counselors that were trained through our initiative of the Next Generation Professional Leaders Ministry.
And Natalia Prostun, who is the leader of this initiative, she leads the coalition, if I can say, of Christian counselors. So, in the trade specifically, a number of counselors that help parents, that help children to overcome their trauma, to come out of that fear environment. I don't know how to explain.
So she just shares the story. She said she met this, I mean, a number of children, but specifically one child. Her name is Masha and she's nine years old. So she came from Mariupol.
And so she took her under her wing, you know, started counseling her. And because this was special about this child, she was not talking. She stopped talking after seeing all the horrors of that war.
or in Mariupol specifically. And that's been the case with other children as well, hasn't it? Absolutely. This is just one out of thousands and thousands of stories, you know, so wait.
So this Masha, you know, so she refused to talk. She was just hide, sit in a corner, you know, doing nothing, you know, staring in the corner. So Natalia started working with her, kind of praying with her, kind of showing her love, you know, so being. And then she says, if you cannot talk, can you draw me a picture? And she draws a picture. She draws a picture of her mom, her dad, three of her siblings, and a dog.
And then she puts one word underneath: "No, they're not there anymore. They were killed." She cannot talk. She, I mean, that's, you know, so she was so stressed, you know, so. And with that trauma Natalia started talking and she, Natalia, led one of those camps and she had several counselors with her. And she had, she has her own children and she decided to take Masha with her.
And at the camp, she says she realized like Masha started kind of coming out of that, being with other children. So having that opportunity to fellowship, to be with other children, but also, you know, so just going through the program,
So she received some help. And then, you know, she says she came to Natalia on the way home and she starts drawing her picture again. And she draws a picture of Jesus. And then she says...
Yeah, and she smiles. And Natalia says she already started kind of saying a few words, and she believes that she will come out of the trauma shock and she'll get restored. So that's what these camps bring. And there are thousands, thousands of stories like this, Wayne. Children cannot comprehend, they cannot process what's happening.
why somebody wants to kill, why somebody wants to destroy, why somebody is after them. It's not just children. We can understand it, can't we?
Absolutely, Wayne. Yeah. So, but that's what we're doing, you know, as Mission Eurasia this summer. And summer is a great, great opportunity. So, besides providing food, offering shelters, you know, helping serving people that are staying in those shelters and providing medicine, you know, so distributing scripture, this summer camps, you know, help a lot, a lot of children, over 20,000, Wayne.
And that's because of the generosity of our partners, our partners in the gospel, as I call them. Well, you're doing so much. You mentioned scripture. Talk for a moment about the Bibles that you've printed and how they're being used with the kids.
Okay, yeah, so we are grateful again for supporters that provide enough resources for us to print hundreds of thousands of specially designed Bibles for children. And this is besides of hundreds of thousands, you know, of other Christian literature in family Bibles and New Testaments.
But this children's Bible, this is the most desirable way. Kids, again, they love illustrated Bibles because those Bibles tell the story, the way and then on their level of comprehension so they can receive that. So those action Bibles, we printed just recently 100,000.
they were not enough you know wayne because they is enormous we're in the process of making arrangements and printing another hundred thousand and i'm so grateful to donors so that make this available so uh alongside of food and counseling as scripture copy of scripture is the most
on-demand item, if I can say, a printed Word of God. People can say electronic on the phone, sure, you know, it all can be available. Ukrainian people, they love a copy of a printed Bible. And
For them, it's something you can hold in their hands, something you can press to your chest. They say, something you can put under your pillow. And especially those images for children, when they read and compare images with stories. And so this is so powerful. So grateful. Well, Sergei, I wanted this update with you, and I wanted to focus on the children. Of course, during this whole time of tragedy, of war in Ukraine, Ukraine,
and your team literally
leaped into action immediately and how much food and how much medicine can you estimate what's been distributed at this point? I can estimate, you know, so Wayne, again, it's not for bragging, but you asked the question. I want to know, right. You know, sharing that statistics, I want to thank our supporters, our partners, you know, and because, you know, it all becomes available because of the generosity of the family of God. So,
As of today, we've distributed 250,000 of those family food packages. Each package contains enough food for a family, I mean, to sustain a family, four or five people for at least one week, 25 to 30 pounds in one box, you know, and that contains food, you know, so that can sustain a family. There's protein, there's starch,
So there's sugar, oil. And that's ongoing. You're continuing to do that. It's ongoing. So less resources becomes available, but the need is getting deeper and bigger. This is the dilemma we're dealing with. So there are some of those political talks out there in the political realm kind of send the message.
so that Ukraine probably doesn't need help. You see, I'm not going the political route, but I can tell from being on the ground, having thousands of workers on the ground and the front line of this humanitarian crisis. So the need is enormous. People are suffering. People are starving because Russia and Putin, they continue systematically destroying the economy
infrastructure, economical infrastructure of Ukraine. Just recently, you probably heard in the news, they blocked all the grain export. And, you know, so that hugely impacts, you know, Ukraine and Canada. Yeah, it impacts a large part of the world that depends on that grain, including many countries in Africa. So that's an item for prayer, of course.
Sergei, we have just a moment or two left, but you're optimistic about, I mean, this war has been horrible and there's been so much suffering, so much death, so much pain, but you're optimistic about the future of your country.
I'm optimistic because I see how zealous, how resilient, you know, so the people are. They say themselves, you know, so we become a nation, you know, so in a time of war, you know, so they just bond it, you know, as a nation, you know. And they have the enemy to fight and they have land to defend. And we're optimistic because the Lord of the Church says,
is using his church to minister to people at the same time. Absolutely. And the church is just kind of, you know, carrying the torch, you know, how the gospel can inspire people and in the midst of the war that they continue spreading the gospel, gospel of hope and gospel of peace. In the midst of the war, you know, so the spiritual leadership that they provide for communities and for the country. So, I really hope the war will be over soon.
We all joined Sergei in that prayer request that this unwanted war in Ukraine will end soon. But in the meantime, we are encouraged by the response of the church in Ukraine and faithful pastors, along with organizations like Mission Eurasia, who are doing all they can to minister to the needs of the people, including the vulnerable children of Ukraine.
Our guest has been Sergey Rekuba, who is president of Mission Eurasia, and we'll provide a link to them at FirstPersonInterview.com. I know they would appreciate your help. Go to FirstPersonInterview.com. Meanwhile, the Far East Broadcasting Company continues to operate Christian radio stations throughout the country. To learn more, visit FEBC.org. And thanks to FEBC for making First Person possible. Now, with thanks to my friend and producer, Joe Carlson, I'm Wayne Shepherd. Thanks for listening to First Person.
Thank you.
