Read time: ~ 4mins

Andy Robinson who is currently in Romania had the privilege of sitting down and speaking to some of our friends from Ukraine. In the video below we hear a short update from them.

Can you tell us a bit about the current situation and how you’ve been helping and addressing that?
As you probably know from the news it's the second phase of the war in Ukraine, and now on the East and South of Ukraine, we have active war activities. Due to this fact we have lots of refugees moving south and east to the centre and west of our county and also into other nations.

Our churches that are part of the ChristCentral family have established 4 humanitarian bases, for resources storage, and centres where we can receive and distribute humanitarian aid. These centres are located in various places from where we can distribute food, medicine, clothing, and those basics that people need.

We have also been able to help some of the refugees who want to move from Ukraine to Great Britain and we’ve been working with teams in the UK to help that process long.

And what will be the specific challenges that we as ChristCentral can pray into?
We have had a large amount of people that are moving location and therefore churches. On the one hand this is a great opportunity for us to share the gospel and introduce people to Christ and we need them in our churches. However, we have some churches are really feeling the impact of people moving out of their area.

Our greatest challenge as churches is to try and establish stable and functioning communities. With that in mind we’re praying for committed people. We believe that even though we have a war in our country we still can establish and grow our churches.

For example our church in Kyiv almost 100% of the people which were part of the church have left that community. Now the leadership there have a real challenge of looking for people who can help lead the people there and rebuild with those who remain in our capital.

So we can pray specifically for stability and for the leaders as they rebuild and reach out to new people?
Yes certainly.

How has it felt for you to be part of a bigger family of churches, so within ChristCentral and Newfrontiers?
We’re so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to be part of ChristCentral, with Jeremy Simpkins, Graham Anns, Graham Pyman, Andy Robinson and Bread Trust as well as many other wonderful people. To be honest my phone was over heating with all the calls from brothers and sister who were trying to support us in the first few days of this conflict.

When we were introduced to this part of the Newfrontiers family, we were told that one of the greatest values of this family is relationships. We have found out in this time that it wasn’t only words. As this situation as evolved we have practically experienced this.

Jeremy and I are in close contact and we share news and updates together. ChristCentral hasn’t only helped us in prayer but has been able to collect donations and blessings for us, so that we would be able to work with the poor people who are so in need at this time.

We have realised now that this war will carry on for some time and we have been able to share our strategy with the team. We see that it has three phases or strategies. Now we’re trying to move in that direction, following that strategy and achieve those goals we have set. We feel very close and warm support and encouragement from you, so thank you!

Wonderful, it’s certainly been a pleasure for me to be with you in person and be able to pray with you. So it is with a warm heart from ChristCentral and from Newfrontiers that we want to bless you now as you go back.

Thank you very much! Thank you for the organisation of this meeting, it's been a great joy to meet you and see you here.

Postscript
So we’d ask you to continue to pray for our friends in Ukraine for God to give them strength at this difficult time, for protection as they seek to care for those who remain and for God to bless the work they are doing as they seek to plant and strengthen churches in the midst of an ongoing war.

Please pray also for peace, that God would bring peace to the people and peace to the nation of Ukraine. Do also pray for those people who are now refugees in the nations surrounding Ukraine and for those who are even now arriving in the UK. Maybe there will be people in your own church who have travelled to the UK for safety. Please welcome them warmly and encourage them.

You can find out more about what's happening in Ukraine and the surrounding areas by visiting: christcentralchurches.org/ukraine