Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we face one of the most historic events in recent human history, we’d like to first remind the saints of the apostle Paul’s prayers for us in the book of Ephesians -- that the Lord would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation and that the eyes of our heart would be enlightened to know the hope of our calling and the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. We are reminded that this hope and this power exist in another realm, another world, in the divine and mystical realm. Surely these days, we need to ask the Lord to transfer us out of the physical, natural realm, full of human anxiety, opinion, and thought and to open our minds to see the real things taking place in the unseen realm. It is imperative, as we approach the time of the Lord’s coming, that the saints realize who the Lord is, where He is, and who we are as a result of our union with Him in the one spirit. There is an urgent need for a number of saints to transcend the natural realm and, in full union with the Lord, with His feeling, His thought, His insight, to “pray in prayer” that the authority of His kingdom would be exercised in the present conflict. May the Lord help us all.
The pre-Covid statistics for the saints and churches in Ukraine was approximately 50 churches and 1500 saints. It is impossible to iterate the many dire situations that the saints find themselves in today throughout Ukraine, but from what we know, the saints are suffering greatly. In the area around Kyiv, where the largest church of about 200 saints is located, some of the saints are remaining in their homes, about 40 saints are in the meeting hall, and another 40 saints in a nearby village, 10 km outside of Kyiv, in a compound owned by one of the brothers. Yesterday quite a few saints were able to travel to cities in west Ukraine, many of which are now also under the duress of war. A good number of the saints have gathered at our conference center in west Ukraine, in a small village which we thought would be spared from fighting but, as of today, this area is also threatened.
The president of Ukraine last night declared a “General Mobilization,” meaning that all men between the ages of 18 and 60 can be conscripted at any moment. The government is also arming the general population. In Kyiv, they distributed 10,000 automatic weapons with ammunition to the general population. Now it is difficult for any of the young brothers to flee because they could be conscripted at checkpoints. No males are being allowed out of the country. The lines at the Polish border extend for many kilometers, however all men in the qualifying age group are turned back, allowing only women and children into Poland. Some saints are trying to send some of the sisters, mothers and children, as well as the Chinese speaking saints who have been living and studying in Ukraine, to the Polish border. This trip will have risks, as a field of battle is developing between them and the Polish border. May the Lord give us the prayers we need to pray for the protection of these saints and their travel.
Many Ukrainian cities where the saints are are under attack, such as Kyiv, Borvary, Odeca, Mykolaiv, Mariupol, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Enegodar, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chuguev, Sumy, and Kharkiv, as well as localities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Under steady bombardment, many of the saints are unable to rest due to shelling and the explosions that often rock their residences. To sleep in such conditions is impossible and can result in much psychological trauma to the saints. In addition, logistics everywhere are becoming more and more difficult as gas, food, and funds become increasingly inaccessible. Pray that the Lord would surround the saints with His protection, that the souls and minds of the saints would be covered and guarded from the threats of the evil one, that the Lord would provide them with their daily necessities, and that they could realize and directly experience the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls.