Ukrainian Families Affected by War

FEBCFEBC Blog 4 Comments

A phone call came in to one of our stations in Ukraine. A young girl on the line said,

“A bomb blew up our house right after we left it…Now we are in this big building with a lot of people…I don’t know anyone…I’m scared…”

Hundreds of shocking calls like this pour into FEBC’s counseling hotline daily. This frightened girl shared her experiences on the phone with a trained counselor, who listened patiently and gave comfort and peace from God’s Word.

Of the thousands of people who call in every month, 10% are young children. FEBC Ukraine counselors are specialized in taking calls like these, listening to kids talk about their fears and concerns, and praying with them.

Special programs have also been created to help answer children’s spiritual questions like, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” and, “How can I know Jesus?”

Families Separated

For many children, the war has meant being separated from their fathers, many of whom have been drafted into the war.

Just days ago, Max Shargaev, FEBC Ukraine’s Program Director, was drafted by the military to serve as a chaplain. Max’s wife and young child are now alone, as he travels with the army closer to the front lines of battle.

This is happening to countless families in Ukraine. When the war started, tens of thousands of men, ages 18-60 were conscripted to fight, with more being drafted into the military every day since.

Despite such desperate circumstances, God is moving in powerful ways in Ukraine. A record number of stories are streaming in from listeners who have turned to God during the crisis.

Listeners Finding Faith in God

One FEBC listener who just lost her son wrote, “You revived my faith in God today. The songs you sang about God brought me to tears, and I repented before Him. I was so hopeless after the death of my son that I had stopped believing. Now, even though it still hurts, God has given me the strength I need to go on living.”

Another listener, who was originally uninterested in Christianity said, “When I started listening to your programs, I would write insulting comments on your website. But as I listened to your advice, my life continued to improve. My work situation got better, and so did my relationship with my children. I realized that God had been helping me through your broadcasts.”

The Most Effective Message

It’s not only broadcasts that are leading people to Jesus. FEBC Ukraine team members are walking the streets and handing out booklets with prayers written in Ukrainian, as well as the phone number to FEBC’s prayer helpline.

Many listeners are praying daily, turning to the helpline, and placing their trust in Jesus. In just the last few months, over 400 people have come to faith in Christ on the phone lines alone.

What God has done in Ukraine up to this point is remarkable. As the outcome of the war remains uncertain, please continue to lift up the people of Ukraine in prayer. Our team relies on your prayer support and they are so grateful for ministry partners like you.

Today, FEBC’s Ukrainian broadcasters are sharing the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ, and thousands are responding. The work is exhausting, and funding to continue and expand is needed right now.

Comments 4

  1. What is happening in Ukraine is extremely painful, however I find that the human suffering in other parts of the world especially Africa is not as covered as that in Ukraine. For instance, in Uganda the rainy season always wipes out homes and separate families, but the world simply watches on. I dont hear or read about massive international news coverage about it. The rest of the world needs the same news
    coverage as Ukraine.

    1. Post
      Author

      I understand what you are saying, Christine. For us at FEBC, we are highlighting what is happening in Ukraine due to the fact that we have a large ministry there which is both being affected by the war, and ministering to others who are affected by it. We try our best to do the same with other countries in which we do ministry. A few days ago we shared a prayer request for the people of Mozambique and Malawi, which can be found here, if you are interested: https://www.febc.org/2023/03/17/urgent-prayer-for-malawi-and-mozambique/

  2. Friend,
    As a fellow Believer, I must strongly encourage you to seek what is True. It is important. The information you are getting from sources like Trunews is false. They are lies. Stop listening to or watching that source. The Enemy always has his people quote the Bible (just like Hitler), but you must be discerning and not fall for this. If you want real information about what’s happening in Ukraine, read real journalists, not conspiracy theorists. Try https://kyivindependent.com or https://meduza.io/en for real information. It will not give you an anxiety buzz, but you will hear reality. Nothing Putin says is real. Try https://ground.news to see what the bias on news stories is. You deserve not to be deceived! It feels so much better when you leave the lies behind. “The Truth will set you free”!

  3. It is tragic to think that generations of Ukrainian men are being killed! However, before the war started, I read that the number of true Christians in Ukraine was a very low percentage, and now a much larger percentage of the people will live eternally and FEBC is a very big part of that. So that’s something to ponder.

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