Lord, Hear Our Prayers for Ukraine — Part 2
To follow our latest updates, please go to the Ukraine Updates category at awana.org/blog.
March 15, 2023
When we started this blog a year ago, our Eastern Europe Director Pavils Grigas had just fled Ukraine with his wife, Valentina, and three grandchildren to stay with relatives in Latvia. They left behind their possessions, house, church and family. Today we share Pavils’ reflections on leaving home, living as refugees and God’s faithfulness in the past year. Look for future updates monthly at awana.org/blog.
The decision to go to Latvia in February last year was a really quick decision. If I may say now, God took my hand and pushed me to do that. It took more than 48 hours at the border with many uncomfortable situations for us. Probably some of the stress will stay with us forever and has already caused some health problems, together with our age.
We feel God’s love in each step, every day, every week and in every situation. It was not always easy, and probably never will be. But He directed our steps and gave us patience, and He also directed people who made decisions for our life here. So what do I want to say about that? He gave us the feeling that He is our heavenly Dad and we are His children. Yes, we are out of our comfort zone, but with His Love and care. Even more than that, we are able to help the Awana team and other people in Ukraine because of our location here in Latvia.
Pavils (left), his wife, Valentina (right) and their grandchildren after crossing the border from Ukraine into Poland.
Honestly, there comes from time to time the feeling that we should just move back and be with family and friends, shoulder-to-shoulder in Cherkasy. Then after each good humanitarian trip, which gives us a chance to help people in need, we see how God sees need and helps us to put in the boxes we deliver exactly what people are waiting to receive!!! We just pray and say, “Thank you, Lord! You allow us to be Your hands!!!” What a great feeling!!! And this gives us power to continue temporarily staying here.
That is the reason why we may do what we do here!!! It is people who give their money to complete our mission. Prayers together with funds are a double blessing!!!
And finally, we are just people with our weaknesses who need your prayer support to be His hands for people in need!!! To hear what He likes for us to do and where we need to stay.
Pavils (center) and his family at a church service in Latvia, marking one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. At the service, the Ukraine national anthem was played and many prayers were said.
Areas of greatest need:
- food, food for children
- medicine
- school supplies, tablets for online school
- supplies to run clubs for refugee kids
- generators
- clothes for kids, adults and soldiers
- building materials to help Awana leaders fix their homes
A humanitarian aid truck from Latvia.
March 1, 2023
This past Friday, February 24, Awana observed one year since Russia invaded Ukraine by hosting a special Child Discipleship Podcast live in which Pavils and Anita shared their thoughts about the past year. As hard as the 12 months have been for them, they are filled with hope and gratitude for how they have seen God every day. You can view a replay of the podcast on YouTube, Facebook and the Child Discipleship Podcast channel.
Please check this blog March 15 for our next update. If you’d like to financially help the Awana Ukraine team continue serving their community and country, please follow the link below. Thank you.
Feb. 22, 2023
As we approach the grim milestone of one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, we look back at what our Awana team has accomplished through God.
We praise Him for how He has provided for those displaced from their homes and thank you for praying and giving financially.
Within days after the conflict began, partnerships were formed in bordering countries to provide aid to the Ukrainians, and Awana staff opened a refugee center in Cherkasy to meet the tangible needs of thousands of Ukrainians who fled their communities. At the center, our team continues to distribute Bibles, share the hope of the Gospel and pray with visitors who come for food, clothing, medicine, counseling and respite.
With God’s help, our team has also accomplished the following (some are ongoing):
- Continued Awana programs, reaching 25,000 children (many for the first time)
- Acquired beds, mattresses, linens and washing machines, which were set up at the refugee center, churches and schools
- Repaired broken cars so Ukrainians can leave the country or get the supplies they need, should they choose to stay
- Made 50 trips from Ukraine to Poland and Latvia to pick up humanitarian aid, using a donated van and a truck purchased with donations
- Delivered medical treatment and assisted hospitals
- Provided hot meals to hundreds of refugees a day
- Paid utilities for small country churches where refugees live
- Gave coffee to the soldiers and pray with them
- Served 40,000 families at the refugee center
- Surprised kids in Kherson by giving out hundreds of Christmas presents
- Took bread and canned goods to 200 widows in remote areas of the country
- Supplied 35 tablets/20 computers for students to continue their education
- Rented apartments for refugee families, when necessary
- And much more
Despite the effects of war, there is hope and a growing interest in the love and security that only Christ can give. Because of the outpouring of support through financial gifts and prayer, our key leaders there continue to partner with other organizations and churches to provide humanitarian aid and the love of God to displaced children and families. The war has changed many things, but we serve a God who never changes or wavers in His promises. He continues to work in the hearts of children through Awana; praise God, the ministry is vibrant and influential in the country of Ukraine.
If you would like to provide financial assistance to continue the work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Feb. 15, 2023
This week we bring you Part 2 of the update from Awana Romania Missionary Adi Stanciu, in which he shares about Christmastime in Romania for Ukrainian refugees, as well as what he has been doing in the past month.
The last part of the year 2022 was so intense, not only because of preparations for the holidays this season, but above all, because of the opportunities to help the refugees from Ukraine who are in different campuses or locations in Romania. Together with the distribution of food, medicines and personal sanitary materials, we tried to offer them a framework for celebrating Christmas, helping them to enjoy together with other friends and to better understand the meaning of this holiday. Churches and refugee centers organized special programs where food, Christmas carols and messages of encouragement were offered in a festive atmosphere. Also, for those who could not participate, I personally brought them food and gifts.
In January, I continued helping refugees in the Cluj area, where I live. Most of them are old people with health problems and with very low morale, being worried about the situation at home where their relatives are in danger and in constant need. I noticed that this permanent instability daily degrades the physical and mental health of these people. We try to reduce these shortcomings through more frequent visits and spiritual counseling. Pray for them and for us to know how to be effective in supporting them not only materially but also spiritually.
We are grateful to those who sent us financial support during this period. We know that together we are more effective and in all these situations God is glorified.
With humility and gratitude,
Adrian Stanciu, Awana Romania
To provide financial assistance to the work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Feb. 8, 2023
Today’s update comes from Awana Romania Missionary Adi Stanciu. Adi has been helping the Awana team and Ukrainian citizens inside their country, as well as refugees in Romania. Because his report is lengthy, we will bring it to you in two parts. Look for Part 2 next week.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“Since the last report sent to you, I have had two strategic trips abroad. In October, I was in Ukraine, in the city of Cernauti, where I took a shipment of food, medicine and hygiene items to the Philadelphia Center. We also took a large electric current generator to provide electricity for the entire complex of houses, offices and warehouses where the Philadelphia Association has its headquarters. At the same time, we were able to give them, from generous donations, the amount of $10,000 for the renovation of the kitchen, where every day over 100 refugees who live in this center or in the rented houses in the area serve meals.
“The situation in the region is very unstable: The electricity is rationalized, the air alarms are more and more frequent, the students do school one week from home online and another week at school, telephone communication is interrupted when the electricity is off, the heating and water pumping installations are also stopped occasionally. Everyone lives in constant insecurity and disorder. However, I have met faithful people who not only resist these pressures, but are still involved in helping those in need — both those around them, and at a distance, and in the battlefield at the front, where they weekly transport three minibusses loaded with humanitarian aid. Their biggest need now is to get electric generators to cover the power outages.
“In November, I had the opportunity to travel to the Republic of Moldova. There I met refugee families from Ukraine who are hosted by believers from the Republic of Moldova. Despite the fact that the economic situation is very difficult in Moldova (Electricity and gas are rationalized and the costs are very expensive — 7-10 times higher than last year.), our brothers from the towns of Chisinau, Orhei and Alexandru Ioan Cuza, where I visited them, are involved in helping refugee families. Most of the members of these churches have one to two refugee families offering them accommodation, meals, counseling and encouragement.”
We praise God that individuals around the world continue supporting the citizens of Ukraine in whatever ways they can. We praise God for the provisions that have been made available through your generous donations, and we pray for the end of the war, safety for our teams inside and outside of Ukraine, and that God would be glorified in all things. Please join us. If you would like to give financially, please follow the link below.
Left: Ukrainian refugees in Romania enjoy Awana games. Right: Donations have made it possible for these Ukrainian refugees to get the supplies they need.
Feb. 1, 2023
For months we have brought you stories of hope and survival that have been made possible because of your prayers and financial support. Today we bring you an account of the sad reality of war and ask for your prayers.
Anita, our lead trainer for Eastern Europe, has shared with us that Nina, one of our Awana Ukraine club directors, lost her husband late last year. He had been defending Ukraine on the front lines. Nina and her late husband, Ille, had been married only four months.
After Nina’s initial shock at the devastating news, she gave thanks to God for the precious months of marriage they were able to experience together. When Pavils, Awana regional director for Eastern Europe, heard the news, he commented, “Only someone with God in her life could have this kind of perspective.”
The losses for many in Ukraine cut to the very deepest level, but the believers continue to put their hope in God and press on with his help and grace. Please pray for this young widow and thousands of others grieving losses across Ukraine.
With the war continuing and no end in sight, we have a significant funding need in order for our team to continue providing relief, evangelism and discipleship work. To provide financial assistance to the work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Jan. 25, 2023
Thanks to your donations, the new year started with a new (used) truck for our Awana Ukraine team. While the Awana Ukraine team uses the humanitarian aid van weekly to transport supplies from neighboring countries to our refugee center and other designated locations, the team is regularly taking smaller loads to neighboring villages and cities closer to the front lines. This Nissan pickup truck was delivered from Latvia to Ukraine two weeks ago. We praise God for the volunteers who helped purchase, prepare and deliver the truck and those of you who have contributed to help make this possible.
We have a significant funding need between now and June 30, 2023 for the ongoing relief, evangelism and discipleship work of our team. Thank you for your ongoing support and prayer! If you would like to provide financial assistance to the work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Left: Pavils Grigas (left), Awana regional director for Eastern Europe and North Asia, stands with Awana Global Vice President for Europe/North Asia Tom Chilton in Latvia before the new humanitarian-aid truck. Right: Members of the Awana Ukraine team gladly receive the truck in Ukraine.
Jan. 18, 2023
Today’s update is from Tom Chilton, Awana global vice president for Europe/North Asia.
It was so special to meet with some of our Awana Ukraine team in Latvia this past December. They are such a resilient and courageous group! I would like to share a little about each one of them:
Valentin is one of our Awana missionaries, who is now driving our humanitarian-aid van. In nine months, he has made approximately 50 trips to Poland and Latvia for humanitarian aid. Each trip takes days and involves great risk. Valentin has a servant’s heart that is impossible to miss! His oldest daughter, Paula (age 17), is in her first year of university in Latvia studying English, German and Latvian, but she still took time to help train Latvian churches that are starting Awana.
Olga is a mom of two young boys and a trainer for Awana Ukraine. She is volunteering at her church and has opened her home to help children and refugees in her community affected by the war.
Anita, our lead trainer for Eastern Europe, is doing everything she can to protect her country and to serve children and families during this crisis. She volunteers in the auxiliary defense for her city and serves countless hours at our refugee center, distributing life-saving resources to families in need. Pavils and Valentina are the loving parents/grandparents of this incredible team who want to be home in Ukraine but are obeying Christ and being used mightily from Latvia.
On the last day of my visit, the team presented updates in two Latvian churches that have been faithfully sending aid to Ukraine through our Awana team. One of these churches, Riga Evangelical Lutheran Church, a 200-year-old church in the heart of the city, has promised to stand with Ukraine till the end of the war. After our team presented, the congregation stood for the Ukraine national anthem. Everyone in our group began to cry at this show of love and support.
I love this team! They are my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I pray for them every day. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. You help them to keep going!
Jan. 12, 2023
Nov. 13, 2022, the city of Kherson, a regional capital in eastern Ukraine, was liberated after eight months of Russian occupation. Within two weeks, the Awana Ukraine team was there with humanitarian aid and generators. A few weeks later they returned with more supplies and hundreds of Christmas presents from Latvia that they delivered to the children. What a privilege to see joy in the faces of these precious children!
Please continue to pray for them and their families. And please praise God for the blessings that have flowed from you and other generous partners around the world through our Awana Ukraine team to the hurting people of Ukraine. To God be the glory.
Dec. 14, 2022
Support for Ukraine is coming from Awana teams and clubs all over the world. When Awana Norway created this year’s Advent calendar – with QR codes that take the user to a daily devotional and family activity – they decided to show their support for Ukraine by having it translated into Ukrainian for refugee families who have been living across Norway. The woman who handled the translation was rescued from Ukraine early in the war by a missionary family supported by Fredheim Arena, the first Awana partner church in Norway. Since refugees began arriving in Norway, Fredheim Arena has provided two apartments: one for a family of five and one for the translator of the calendar.
Because of the love Awana Norway has poured into this project, churches across Norway are purchasing these calendars for their own families, as well as for refugees in their communities. One Norwegian donor even purchased 1,000 copies of the Ukrainian version, which were sent to the war-torn country to provide encouragement.
Throughout 2022, many of you have shown love to Ukrainians and the Awana Ukraine team through prayers, financial support and outreach events in your own communities. If you would like to provide a special year-end gift for our team in Ukraine, please go to our End-of-Year Campaign, “Like Never Before” and choose the Ukraine symbol. While there, if you would like to support any of the other Awana initiatives, please click on those symbols.
Again, thank you for following our updates, supporting our team and being faith-filled disciplemakers. We wish you a safe, meaningful and merry Christmas and a blessed 2023.
Dec. 7, 2022
Tom Chilton writes today’s upate from Latvia, where he has met with members of Awana Ukraine.
… If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12b, ESV)
How can I express my emotions after finally seeing, hugging and holding hands with the people I’ve been speaking with online every week for the past 10 months and whose stories you’ve been reading on this blog? Yesterday I arrived in Latvia and was reunited with my dear friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ. What a privilege to share fellowship in this life with those whom we will spend eternity together in the presence of the Lord.
A year ago, we made plans to travel and train and serve together. We had no idea what the next year would hold. We didn’t know that bombings and invasion would change the course of their lives and our ministry together, but God did. When I look into the eyes of these dear ones, I see heroes of the faith. They are trusting the Lord and finding Him faithful. They see opportunity and hope where others have doubt and despair. They are sharing their faith and their very lives to rescue children and families caught in the crossfires of war. Their courage gives me courage and strengthens my faith in Christ and His victory over sin and death.
This week we are working together to train approximately 20 leaders from Latvia to start new Awana programs. What a testament to their love for the Lord Jesus that these leaders left their homes and loved ones to come and train others. Similarly, the believers in Latvia have supplied so much to help Ukraine in their time of need, and there is genuine gratitude from our Ukraine team for all the help they’ve received. Like the verse above says, we see Christ abiding in one another and His love is at work here. In all of this, God is glorified!! Thank you for praying with us for this training and for the aid being sent back to Ukraine next week.
Clockwise from left: Tom and Pavils, Tom with the Ukraine team, members of the Ukraine Team at dinner and posing for the camera.
Nov. 30, 2022
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18, ESV)
Our Awana team in Ukraine is continuing to give thanks, even in the circumstances of war. Last week, talking with Eastern Europe Director Pavils Grigas, he said, “From time to time our battery is almost out and then God sends us reminders that He is at work.” He also encouraged us to keep praying even if we think we don’t have much to offer. Just like the widow’s offering (Mark 12:42), God uses every small gift and prayer. Or as Pavils says, “Many prayers, like many pennies, God will do big things.”
In this season of Thanksgiving, we rejoice in your partnership with us, we give thanks to the Lord for His faithfulness, and we invite you to keep praying with us for the following requests provided by Olga, one of our translators and trainers in Ukraine.
- What I would ask to pray for would probably be for people not to get tired physically as much as they can get tired these days. Many people volunteer a lot. They have jobs. They are very involved in the ministry. So I would ask to pray for those people for strength.
- For Ukrainian people to be able to see that God is at work because He is.
- Churches and our leaders to be sensitive and sensible. There are new challenges that our churches need to face working with trauma, both physical and emotional. Pray for our churches to have wisdom and understanding from God how we can help our people these days.
- Please pray for protection and safety, especially for those people who defend our country and also for those people who haven’t accepted Christ as their friend because they have, I think, more fear.
- Pray for our Christian people and our churches to really sense the Holy Spirit because He can and He is speaking. So pray for the churches to hear how they can be more effective during this time.
In addition to prayer, if you would like to give to the work our teams are doing and help us reach our year-end goal for Ukraine, please click the donate button, below. To learn more about how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Some of the supplies recently delivered to Ukrainians in need.
Nov. 22, 2002
The Child Discipleship Podcast completes its three-part series that tells the story of Awana Ukraine. In this last episode, “God’s Daughter in the War in Ukraine,” we hear from Anita, a leader in the war-torn country, who has served with the Awana ministry for most of her life. She and podcast host Ross Cochran discuss child discipleship in Ukraine during the war, and Anita shares her story in an honest conversation about how we must take every every opportunity to advance His kingdom.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we remember you in our prayers. Thank you for your spiritual and financial support of our Awana team in and around Ukraine. If you would like to give to the work our teams our doing and help us reach our year-end goal for Ukraine, please click the donate button, below. To learn more about how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Nov. 15, 2022
Today’s update features the second episode of a three-part series about Awana Ukraine, brought to you by the Child Discipleship Podcast. In this episode, “God on the Move During the War in Ukraine,” you’ll hear about the impact of the February 24 invasion on child discipleship and how the needs of the Ukrainian church are being met by people like you. Awana leaders in Ukraine talk about the realities of war and how they are providing children and families with practical care and the good news of the Gospel.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to listen to the next episode when it is released later this month.
We are grateful for our team, which continues to serve all Ukrainians inside and outside of the country. Please pray for their needs (see previous updates for more information) and support them financially. They tell us they feel your love and that it encourages them.
If you feel led to provide finanical assistance to he work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Nov. 9, 2022
The Child Discipleship podcast is featuring a three-part series telling the story of Awana Ukraine. In this first episode, “The Impact of Child Discipleship in Ukraine Before the War,” we look back more than 30 years at the church in Ukraine from the time it was able to worship Jesus publicly to the invasion of Crimea in 2014. We also talk to leaders there about the persecution the church faced and how prioritizing child discipleship helped shape the faithfulness we see today.
Nov. 2, 2022
Much like Americans celebrate Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, Ukrainians set aside October 14 – Defender’s Dat – to honor their soldiers, both veterans and fallen members of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Children visiting the Awana refugee center in Cherkasy colored pictures for the soldiers, and these pictures were delivered to the front lines along with food and other care packages.
We are grateful for our team, which continues to serve all Ukrainians inside and outside of the country. Please continue to pray for their needs (see previous updates for more information) and support them financially. They tell us they feel your love and that it encourages them.
If you feel led to provide finanical assistance to he work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Clockwise from top left: a drawing from a child in Ukraine, to be shared with soldiers; preparing to send pictures to soldiers; care packages for soldiers with drawings from children; soldiers receiving packages with drawings from children (image quality intentional).
Oct. 26, 2022
Winter is fast approaching in Ukraine; just this past week, central Ukraine had its first snowfall. We also received reports this past week that 30-40% of the power plants had been damaged by Russian missile strikes. This means that some of the greatest needs for the people in Ukraine right now are blankets, warm clothing, warm meals and help with heating.
Thanks to your generosity, our Awana team has been planning ahead for winter. Due to predictions of natural gas shortages, they are distributing electric space heaters. They are also sending blankets, coats and lots of canned goods to parts of Eastern Ukraine where the needs are greatest. Due to the recent attacks on power plants, we are planning to send generators from Latvia to Ukraine to help in case of power outages. Thank you for your continued gifts that are supplying for needs just in time!
Would you please join us in prayer for the following requests:
- the safety of our teams delivering these lifesaving supplies
- an end to attacks on civilian targets and civilian infrastructure
- ongoing provision from God to meet all of the needs of people in Ukraine this winter
- the strength and courage of our team members and the churches who are showing so much love to their neighbors through this crisis
- peace and an end to this war that is now entering its ninth month since the February 24 invasion
Thank you and may God continue to be glorified in Ukraine.
If you would like to send encouragement to Ukraine through pictures and messages, please send them to communications@awana.org. (Remember to get parents’ permission first if there are kids pictured!) We’d be pleased to share them with our European teams.
If you feel led to provide finanical assistance to he work our teams our doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Counter clockwise from top: Snow outside Cherkasy; soup and canned goods heading to Eastern Ukraine; receiving deliveries on the front lines of the war; delivering cooking supplies and blankets to a local refugee center; warm blankets; space heaters for a cold winter (images received with smiley faces to hide the identity of the people in them).
October 19
We are grateful for your continued support of Ukraine through prayers and financial giving, which allow our Awana teams and partners to provide humanitarian aid to areas of Ukraine that have been liberated from Russian occupation.
Recently Victor, our Awana Ukraine director; and Max, an Awana Ukraine missionary; went to Izyum, which had been devastated by Russian bombings and occupation. While there, they handed out desperately needed food, medicine, blankets, fuel and other necessities. “The needs are great,” reported Victor. “There is a lot of destruction, and the people are trying to recover. They need our help and prayers.”
October 10
These smiles are made possible because of your prayers and financial support. Enjoy these pictures, and if you’d like to give to help our staff and partners in Ukraine and the neighboring countries provide more reasons for the people of Ukraine to smile, please click below.
October 6
Provision + Gratitude = Peace
Today’s update is from Tom Chilton, Awana global vice president for Europe/North Asia.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)
The past seven months of war in Ukraine have been intense, fraught with anxiety and full of ups and downs. However, when I was talking with Pavils Grigas, Awana regional director for Eastern Europe and North Asia, he expressed his gratitude in two words: “God’s provision.” The love, support, prayers and resources that you have helped to provide are “God’s provision.”
Pavils said he sees the challenges so many people are facing in Ukraine and across Europe right now, and their anxiety about the future. Many are worried about heating fuel for the winter. Some are even worried about their next meal and safety for their family. Pavils and his wife, Valentina, left most of their worldly goods behind when they fled Ukraine at the start of the war and resettled in Latvia. In these circumstances, Pavils says he has seen God’s provision again and again and again. When he thinks about all of the ways God is helping him, his family back home and all of the Awana family in Ukraine, his heart overflows with thanksgiving and gratitude.
Two weeks ago, Pavils was able to visit Ukraine for the first time in more than six months. While he saw cemeteries with too many fresh graves and sites of destruction that broke his heart, he also saw a team that was well supplied with resources and using those resources to bless multiple communities. He saw children with smiles and grateful parents and relatives receiving aid at just the right time. All of this has been made possible through your generous support and God’s grace and miraculous provision.
When I talked to Pavils after he returned to Latvia I expected to hear that he was sad or tired or emotionally drained from his trip to Ukraine. What I heard instead was an emotion I didn’t expect him to be feeling: peace. I asked Pavils how he could feel peace, and he said, “I am so thankful for God’s provision. I’m not worried about tomorrow. I know that God is taking care of us.” Jesus offers us a peace not like the world gives (John 14:27). Experiencing Christ with a heart of gratitude produces the peace that Paul wrote about in his letter to the Philippians, the peace that “surpasses all understanding.
Above: God’s love shines brightly over an apartment in Ukraine (picture taken by Pavils during his recent visit).
Paul explains in Philippians 4 that when we focus on what is true, when we worship God and obey Him, the “God of peace will be with you” (verse 9). What a sweet promise in times of trouble!
For seven months now, we have been praying for peace in Ukraine. We will continue to pray for peace from war. Today, however, we are grateful for answered prayer, for the peace of God in the hearts of His children. Thank you for your part in being peacemakers. God bless you!
September 28
Today’s update comes from Anita, a team member in Ukraine. She shares a couple of experiences she had when she provided tablets to two students.
For months, your prayers and financial support have brought much-needed aid and joy to refugees in and from Ukraine. With the start of school, tablets have been in great demand. In many areas of the country the war has made it difficult or impossible to attend school physically; classes must be attended via online methods. That is what makes the following stories so encouraging.
Sonya is 13 years old and the youngest daughter of a Ukrainian soldier who is now in the “red zone” fighting for our freedom. Last month he was wounded while on mission. In August Sonya attended Awana day camp at the Refugee Center, where she heard about Jesus for the first time.
She was concerned about how she was going to attend school and study properly because she only has a small cell phone. She didn’t know God was already working behind the scenes through your generosity.
When volunteers at the Center presented her with a tablet, she was very happy. Sonya’s mother was too, telling me, “Thank you for your love. Thank you for your care. May God bless you for all you are doing for Ukraine.”
When Sonya’s mom started thanking me for the gift, I said that it wasn’t me. I’m just a postman. The words that she said made me cry. I want to thank God who is on heaven for taking care for us.
One more story of God’s love and care!
A woman with her daughter came into the Refugee Center to pick up some clothes. They had escaped a region of the country where the fighting is intense. Mom shared with me her heart pain about problems they have with online studying. Izabella, the girl of 13, has only an old cell phone to study with, and it is not very good.
It was just the moment when we felt we should help this family. When I gave Izabella a tablet, she started smiling and her mom started crying. “I don’t believe it is happening,” the mother said. “It can’t be true!!!”
Your gifts are having an impact on each family we’ve served.
We are so appreciative of your support for the people of Ukraine. As winter approaches, the need for supplies to weather the cold increases, along with the humanitarian, school and administrative needs already in demand. Please continue to pray for a peaceful resolution to the war and for God to be glorified in all that we do.
If you feel led to provide finanical assistance to the things the Awana team is doing, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
If you would like to send encouragement to our European teams, through pictures and messages, please send them to communications@awana.org. (Remember to get parents’ permission first if there are kids pictured!)
September 16
Last week we shared about the recent trip Awana Romania Missionary Adi Stanciu took to Ukraine, where he taught at a summer camp and introduced AwanaGames. This week, we continue with part two of his update, in which he describes his experience with taking humanitarian aid to a refugee center in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, where it is distributed to those in need.
Dear partners in the Awana mission,
I am happy to send you a new report about [our] humanitarian mission in Ukraine, Chernivtsi region. Our team joined nine other people (two pastors and seven child/youth workers) from different churches in Cluj, Romania. We delivered food, medicine, sanitary products, toys, mattresses, bed linen and Christian literature.
Arriving at the customs between Romania and Ukraine with our minibus and cargo transport van, we were surprised by the number of trucks waiting to enter Ukraine. The line of trucks was seven miles long. After many customs formalities that lasted almost two hours, we crossed the border. The line of trucks waiting to cross from Ukraine into Romania was 35 miles long!
From the moment we entered Ukraine, we were surprised by the atmosphere of insecurity and uncertainty of the people we interacted with. Arriving in Cernauti, a city located 43 miles from the border, with approximately 500,000 citizens, the very damaged roads surprised us. The locals said that the roads had not been repaired for over 50 years.
Our convoy was directed to the Refugee Center of the Philadelphia Church [in Chernivtsi], where it would be unloaded Monday morning, and all our team members from Romania were assigned to families. The next day we each participated in different churches in the region. I was assigned to the Tarasautzi region, where I preached in two churches.
In these churches, most of the members have hosted refugee families since the beginning of the war. Some hosts slept with their neighbors to give us a place to sleep. The hospitality and sacrifices of these families surprised us. But more than that, everyone I interacted with at the Philadelphia Center served as volunteers for the distribution of aid, both in Chernivtsi and in different places in Ukraine, especially in war zones. The aid is transported three times a week by cargo vans and minibuses to hospitals, the army and other churches in the affected areas for redistribution.
At the refugee center, between 100-500 people come daily to pick up food and sanitary products. When they enter, they are welcomed by counselors who, in addition to psychological and material assistance, also take care of spiritual counseling by offering everyone Bibles and Christian books in the Ukrainian language, and praying with them. From the discussions with the management team of the refugee center, the greatest urgency is to hire an administrator for the computerized accounting of products that pass through the Center. At this moment, everything is done on paper and in a rudimentary way. Hiring a part-time person would greatly simplify these records, which are also required by the authorities, to prove that the aid is not used illegally. I am waiting for an answer regarding the costs of hiring the administrator to collect the necessary funds.
I was surprised at the cleanliness of the Center and the organization of the products to be distributed. In addition to the Christian volunteers we met, the Center hosts over 50 Ukrainian families who stay in the Center’s guesthouses and apartments. These refugees work in cleaning, kitchen, dining room, distribution and wherever work is needed. When we unloaded the humanitarian products [we had brought into the country], we Romanians were almost not allowed to touch the products, because an army of people jumped to help.
This refugee center also has classrooms to host children and young refugees who start school and kindergarten. I met the team of teachers and educators who were preparing their classes with educational materials and putting together the last details for the school to start.
I also met a group of refugees who came to receive food and urgent necessities. I was surprised by the order and respect with which they were received and the speed of those who offered them help.
[Summing up the trip] I once again experienced the biblical truth from Acts 20:35: In everything I showed you that, tiring ourselves like this, we must help the helpless and remember the words of the Lord Jesus. For He Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive!”
Thank you for your support so far, for your prayers and the encouragement I have received.
Be blessed in the Lord,
Adrain Stanciu
September 9
Today’s update is from Awana Romania Missionary Adi Stanciu. On a recent trip to Ukraine, he took part in a summer camp that was supported by Awana and made possible by your financial contributions. He describes the camp and shares testimonies from a few of the kids who were in attendance.
The place where the camp took place was in a mountain area, quiet and safe. Some young people said that it was the first time they did not hear the alarm bombardments sirens. They also said that for a long time no one had asked them what they were thinking and what their frustrations were, especially with the problems encountered due to the war.
The program of the camp was varied, with Bible study meetings, small discussion groups and practical applications, worship, sports competitions, mountain hiking, traditional food and relaxation. I lead the introductory message on the camp theme “guard your heart,” from Proverbs 4:23, and taught about the necessity of living in obedience of the commandments and limits that God gave us to be free.
On the second day of the camp, I led the game time, where I taught them about Awana and practiced Awana games. They were so delighted that they asked to repeat these games on the fourth day. I also explained the rules of Awana and the scoring system the leaders extended throughout the camp, offering rewards at the end to those who accumulated the most points.
At the end of camp, each participant wrote their impressions. Here are some:
Oleg: “This week I was able to think a lot about my life lived until now and I noticed that many of what I do are useless things, things that I only waste my time on. Going home from this camp, I want to think more about how to organize my time and what things are important in my life. I want to say a big thank you to all those who put in their time and money to organize such a great camp like this. I hope to meet again next year.”
Naomi-Ana: I am very glad I could be part of this wonderful camp. I understood that the sum of my decisions reflects myself. I learned God gave me eternal life because He is an eternal God, and only I, through my short life on Earth, decide where I will I will spend eternity. I made the decision to seek God and His kingdom for the rest of my life, because through Him I can have a free life. I want every minute of my life to be lived for the Glory of God. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made this camp possible. I want you to know that thanks to your effort you helped me to be closer to God!!!”
Miriam: “In the times we live in, it was a miracle to be able to create this camp. God spoke to me personally and I felt His presence. Through the nature that surrounds us, we realized once again that He is the One who has all things under control, and if He takes care of everything around us, He will also guard our lives in these days of war.”
Rois: “When I arrived here, my first choice was to go back because I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t know what was going to be done. When I heard the message from the Bible from the first evening, I changed my mind and I’m not sorry. Here I heard so many things. … Two weeks ago I received baptism at the Refugee Center, and the Word I heard strengthened my faith even more. I am even more convinced that it is WORTH IT! I believe that every dollar used in this camp reached its goal and deserved all the effort and sacrifice of those who made this camp possible.”
I was moved by the interest of young people to learn new life lessons. The war made them more attentive and receptive to the values of life and more open to hearing about God and the Bible. Also, I was touched by their need to fully trust in God’s sovereignty, goodness and protection.
In the next visit we hope to have AWANA training with leaders from the Romanian-speaking churches in the region and implement the Awana program in the Romanian language. I realize that without your support this missionary journey would not have been possible, and in the future it will not be possible to continue our mission in this place. That is why I am grateful and grateful for your generosity.
Adrian Stanciu
September 2
James 1:5 (ESV) says: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. For our Eastern European Director Pavils Grigas, the past six months of ministry in Ukraine have required a great deal of wisdom. On a recent call he said, “I am completely outside my comfort zone. I am spending a lot of time in silence before the Lord. ‘God help me to be quiet and to hear what you are saying.’ This is my prayer.”
Pavils is making decisions every day about how to help the people of Ukraine. How to send supplies. How to send funds. How to help his family. How to lead the Awana team. How to be present and listening and praying even though he is not in his own home or office back in Ukraine.
There have been so many trials and hardships the past six months, but Pavils points to the many things God is doing. Ukrainian children with whom we’ve never had the opportunity to share the love of Jesus are attending Awana camps and Awana clubs across Ukraine and even in neighboring countries. Family members are receiving aid and coming to faith, too. Even Ukrainians who did not acknowledge God before the war are calling on Him today. Beyond Ukraine, in other countries where Pavils leads, new clubs are starting in Central Asia and Mongolia. Pavils credits all of this to God’s providence and to the faithful love, prayers and support of our ministry partners.
Thank you so much for giving so generously to support our team and the Gospel work they are doing in Ukraine. James 1:2-4 (ESV) also tells us God works in the midst of great hardship, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Please continue to pray for Pavils to have wisdom and for his team to have everything they need to minister throughout this crisis.
Pavils with his grandchildren
August 23
The war in Ukraine will reach six months Aug. 24. It will be a particularly significant milestone, not just because of the length of the war but because that date marks Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Normally a time of celebration, parades and dancing in the street, the citizens have been warned to spend their independence day indoors, reflecting quietly and in small groups. The concern is that Russia may use the day to do “something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel,” said Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his evening address this past Saturday.
Ukraine is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Time. As you pray these next couple of days, please lift up the people of Ukraine and pray that financial aid will continue to support our Awana team and partners who are providing humanitarian aid and a place to hear the Gospel. And, above all, please pray for peace and for God to be gloried in all that takes place. Thank you.
If you would like to provide finanical assistance to Awana Ukraine staff and the people of Ukraine, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
Photo credit: Randi Brien
August 16
We’ve shared with you several posts about the summer VBS-style programs our Awana staff and partners have organized in Ukraine. We received this video from one of the program locations and wanted to share with you the joy on the kids’ faces. Thank you for your prayers and financial generosity that made this program and others possible.
[pdf width=”100″ height=”56.25″]https://awana.widen.net/s/86rrrq7gsr/ukraine[/pdf]
If you feel led to provide finanical assistance to this cause, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
August 12
We’ve heard a lot from our staff and partners who, amidst the war, are providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees and have set up Awana Clubs and VBS-style summer programs within Ukraine and the surrounding countries to share the Gospel with kids. We previously shared photos and stories from these Awana programs. Today’s update is from some of the kids who participated in the summer programs within Ukraine.
Misha – “I like Awana because all my friends are here. We grew up together in Awana.”
Dasha – “I was invited to Awana just recently. I love this place. It has interesting stories and is a really safe and peaceful place.”
Nikolai – “I am Kolya (Nikolai). I came for the summer to my grandparents and visited church. In Awana I am loved, even when I am not a good boy.”
Marichko – “My name is Marichko. I am a regular attendee at Awana because they love me here and tell me about Jesus.”
Kristina loves to go to Awana because they support and love her, even if she doesn’t achieve all the goals
“I am Vika. I am 11. I love Awana very much, I love the leaders, but I love the games most of all.”
Thank you so much for your prayers and support for these precious children. Because of you they have had joy in their days and are learning about the love God has for them. If you would like to send encouragement to Ukraine through pictures and messages, please send them to communications@awana.org. (Remember to get parents’ permission first if there are kids pictured!) We’d be pleased to share them with our European teams.
August 4
Here is an exciting update we received from our Awana Romania partners who provide relief and support for churches in southern and southwestern Ukraine:
Shortly after the tragedy began in Ukraine, we started a collaboration with a group from a Baptist church – “Philadelphia” – in Chernivtsi. These are brothers and sisters with a big heart who work at least 12 hours a day for those who fled the war and now live with them. In the main sanctuary of the church, they arranged mattresses where the first refugees stayed. As they received more donations, they arranged more accommodations in the basement.
They feed 200 people daily and transport at their own expense the food and supplies they receive to at least five other cities, including Kyiv which is 600 miles away. They are supporting a Christian medical clinic in Kyiv that treats anyone who crosses its threshold, including soldiers.
Through your partnership, we were able to send vital medicines to them. Every day, goods are loaded and sent to the war-affected areas, including Odessa. These roads are very dangerous. Please pray for the drivers and their safety.
The volunteers at the church in Chernivtsi are special, they work with enthusiasm and contagious joy. When people in the city hear that food is available, they come and wait in line to be given a package of food prepared by volunteers. Because of all this waiting, the people in the church thought of setting up four “centers” for counseling. When people go to the church for the first time, they are asked to provide their contact information for follow-up and receive counseling and advice. They also hear the Good News and are given a New Testament in Ukrainian.
Now there are over 100,000 refugees in Chernivtsi. Together with the young people from this church, we are organizing a camp for the young people who are staying in the church or with families in the church. In the Chernivtsi area there are 23 Romanian churches involved in this action of accommodation and support of refugees. These churches found a camp in Ukraine, near Chernivtsi, which has accommodation for 90 people. A team of 10 people from Cluj-Napoca, Romania will serve at the camp August 22-27.
Your gifts are helping to make this camp possible! Please be in prayer for the safety of this camp and the campers. Please pray for a very fruitful time of healing, encouragement and discipleship for these young people who have been through so much these past six months. Thank you!
July 27
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Romans 4:18, NIV84)
One of our leaders in Ukraine sent us her report:
“Thank you for your prayers and support! I know it and I feel it!
“Today is Sunday, and the morning started with an air alert. My military friends wrote a message and asked me not to ignore it and go down to the basement. It is frustrating and frightening. You never know what will be the next moment. To tell the truth we don’t know the future, but the tension we have to experience right now is exhausting. It is really difficult to see what is happening … all the attacks, all the bombing, all the deaths.
“My day now starts differently now. I first check my phone for messages [from my husband]. Then I pray, pray for him, pray for all the boys from his team by names, pray for all the soldiers I know. And then the day goes: cup of coffee with Bible, [followed by work at] refugee center or military training. [Later,] waiting for a call or short message saying, “I’m ok.” In the evening, some home chores, prayer and efforts for sleep. Often nights are long and sleepless because of the air alerts and sirens … and thoughts. …
“I don’t know all the answers. Often I don’t know what to say or what to do. But in the midst of all this happening I want to show the light and hope to those who have no hope. I don’t know where God will call me tomorrow or even today, but I want to be ready to live my life for a bigger goal.
“This is a season of being alone, but I want to have hope like Abraham in Romans 4:18.”
Thank you for praying for our sisters and brothers in Ukraine to have hope and to be a light. Through the efforts of our team, their partners and you, many Ukrainians are hearing the Good News in tangible, humanitarian ways. In some instances kids are able to attend weekly Awana programs where they hear the Gospel message. If you feel led to financially support these efforts, please give by following the link below. Thank you.
July 20
In the past few days, the war in Ukraine has intensified. Cities, towns and villages that were previously safe to be in are now experiencing missile attacks, which has created despair and fear for many adults and children. (Imagine being in the middle of club and having to run to a bomb shelter because sirens are alerting you to a potential strike.)
But despite all this, Awana Clubs are still taking place and humanitarian efforts are still being carried out. Even special summer activities are being planned for the kids. We thank God for His provisions and pray more kids and adults would come to know Christ as their Savior and Prince of Peace. We ask that you join us in these prayers.
If you would like to send encouragement to Ukraine through pictures and messages, please send them to communications@awana.org. (Remember to get parents’ permission first!) We’d be pleased to share them with our European teams.
(Clockwise from top left:) These Awana leaders pose amid the sunflowers in a field in Ukraine. Shirts are stacked, ready to give to kids in a Ukrainian VBS-style summer program. The gift of food always brings smiles to the recipients’ faces.
July 13
Hope Found in a Little Smile
The war in Ukraine has entered its fifth month. I spoke with one of our team members there recently, and she said she is concerned about low morale, “People have lost homes, loved ones and now many are losing hope.”
The city where our office is located was hit by missiles earlier this month, and the war feels like it is intensifying. Our team has family members serving in the military and some of our staff members are making regular and risky trips back and forth to Poland for supplies. Our team is trusting Christ for their hope and perseverance. Please continue to pray for their safety and for peace.
In spite of the dangers our team is facing, they have resumed Awana meetings in many churches across Ukraine. Sometimes, before a club meeting ends, they have to move everyone to the basement or take shelter because of air raid sirens. Still, our leaders report that children are smiling while they’re at Awana; and when they smile, their parents smile too. Awana is offering hope to children and families in a dark time.
The team thanks you for your prayers and support. If you feel led to provide finanical assistance to this cause, please click the donate button, below. To learn how your financial gift will be used, keep reading this blog and go to awana.org/ukraine.
July 6
Our Awana Romania team is partnering with other ministries to support four orphanages in Ukraine. There are more than 500 children in these orphanages coming from the war-torn regions, most recently Donetsk and Luhansk. Here is a report from Pastor Radu Alexandru, one of our partners, who visited these orphanages.
On Children’s Day, June 1, we were able to bring hope and joy to all children! We took gifts for 70 children (mostly toddlers) to the orphanage in Chernivtsi, 80 for refugee children in Kamylka and 50 for teenagers at the Rosiori de Vede Orphanage. God provided 200 gifts in all, and He has the right people at the right time for every job!
The next week we went back with needed food supplies. This time God provided a minibus for us. Together we managed to transport 2.5 tons of food in two days: flour, rice, oil, beans, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, large canned tuna, pate, canned beef, pork, olives, corn, pasta and more. I waited in customs for eight hours. Sometimes the work is difficult, but we keep praying.
The friendly relationship with the Christian brothers, mayors and deputies from Chernivtsi helps us to distribute food and proclaim the Word of God. At one of the orphanages, there were also elderly people with disabilities and mothers with small children from the war zones. I saw the joy on their faces, the gratitude on their lips and the happiness in their tears. I gladly send you their hugs and tears. God works wonderfully. We continue to pray for the Ukrainians who are now in dire need.
Next week I will be able to take food to a fourth orphanage with 300 people from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. I pray that God will reward each donor, [those who gave] from one cent to large sums.
Click to continue following the story of our Ukraine team from the start of the war to July.
The Awana Editorial team is a group of people passionate about child discipleship and the equipping of leaders for the advancement of the kingdom. We have a breadth of experience in children’s ministry, and our heart beats with the stories of what God is doing around the world. We have an affinity for salty snacks and the occasional sweet treat, and we believe that everything is better with a good cup of coffee!
