Kiev...

The first picture above is of soldiers from this city who have died in the War- birthdate to the day they were killed. All of the cities do something like this on billboards and these free standing placards... the War and these young lives lost are always in front of people!  

Last night was our first night in Kiev-  I woke up this morning to emergency sirens- the Russians are using Iranian drones to attack Kiev now.  Apparently they fired 47 at the city here but only 4 got through their missile defense system hitting the near by train station and knocking out part of the power grid, 4 people were killed!  

I am pretty tired by the time I finally get into bed at night but that doesn't always guarantee that you are going to sleep well! I think I must be covered with all kinds of sleep blessings from your prayers, because our friends ask if I was scared during the night with all of the sirens going off but I don't hear them at all- asleep in the back of the boat I guess...  

Tomorrow we head for Kharkiv to meet our dear friends and pastors in that once beautiful city!  Over half of this city, larger than Seattle, has been destroyed, and most of it residential buildings and public places like grocery stores and shopping malls, anywhere people gather.   I have been asked to speak at several places around the City including the Central Baptist church where our dear brother and sister, Gennadii and Lena Pilipenko, serve and also a church where we were bombed last Spring on all four sides of the building when Dr.Lev, Rolfe and I were there, Dema and Svetlana Gonchariv's church!  Also this time while we are in the Kharkiv region there is a special request for us to go into a newly liberated area called Izyum.  There has been terrible suffering there and the Russians soldiers have left all kinds of booby traps and land mines that are still not cleared out yet.  You can only get in with a military pass but our friends are able to secure this pass and say that it is very important for us to go there because of the crisis the people in Izyum are still facing!  

This War is absolutely devastating on both sides but, by God's grace, the opportunities for ministry are without bounds- everywhere we go, every day!  I am so thankful that Jesus has allowed me to be here at this critical time to see what our great Creator God and King is doing!  One of the brothers just wrote today, "...it is absolutely necessary for you to be here for just such a time as this!"  Let everything be for God's glory!! 

(The 2nd picture above is of our three young Seminary students- Alyona in the middle is just finishing medical school, Anna, next to me, is a web page designer and Sunday School teacher and Nastya works for a University student ministry! Gabrielle had a great stay with them...   The final picture is of  our last dinner in Kiev with the doctors- they are an amazing group!)