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Many of you know I was in Romania for the weekend, it was a bit of a flying visit, just a short trip. I went out to see a church that we're working with in a place called Brașov, which is right in the centre of the country. They as a local church are welcoming a whole bunch of Ukrainian refugees into their church.

They’ve actually transformed much of it into dormitory accommodation and kitchen area and they’ve had showers put in and all sorts of stuff where they’re now able to welcome a couple of youth sports teams from Ukraine.

So, when I was there that weekend, it was about 45 or so. I think this week, another team has arrived as well. So, I've got about sixty, mostly young people but other associated adults as well. The church have been able to give them a place of safety, somewhere to stay and it's just great to see what a local church is doing with the resources they have which are not huge, it has to be said.

However, they've just given themselves to to caring for these folk and it's just been wonderful to see!

I went to see what they were doing and to see how we as ChristCentral and indeed our wider Newfrontiers family could help and support them in what is going on and I had a
great weekend with the church they're really a fantastic church there.

But it was also quite harrowing and painful hearing some of the stories of the youngsters that have made their way to Brașov and are now in a place of safety but just hearing some of their journey, hearing what they've been through was really quite traumatic!

You know we see things in our TV screens don’t we and it seems far away but actually, and I’ve said this before, we have got churches in our family, both in our ChristCentral and Newfrontiers family and so this is family for us and to be able to see some of these folks this weekend was, I think, a real privilege.

As you know we’ve been taking up an offering as ChristCentral and indeed our wider Newfrontiers family and that has now reached over £1.1 million, which is just tremendous to see how people have given from right around the world.

I want you to know we’ve started to spend some of this money already. So just recently we’ve been able to buy a mini-bus and another van, load these up with supplies and send them into Ukraine for those who are working in Ukraine itself. They’re serving people in Ukraine who have been internally displaced and those vehicles were heading back to be put to work (hard work).

We’ve also been able to put money into the building in Brașov in Romania to help them with their refurbishments. The church are changing what were going to be offices and rooms that as yet hadn’t got a use. These rooms are now being turned into dormitories, with showers, toilet facilities, and all the sort of practical things that they are going to need to be able to serve these refugees for the foreseeable future.

So thank you so much for giving, we’re working hard as to how ChristCentral can best serve our churches in Ukraine. What is it that they need? How can we help them?

So please keep on praying and if you want to look at further videos, photos and updates please go to the ChristCentral Ukraine page which you can find at:

christcentralchurches.org/ukraine 

You’ll find there all sorts of different updates and you’ll also be able to access updates from across the Newfrontiers family as well!