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This month, Fellowship International missionary Ben Taylor shares about his time in war-torn Ukraine. Read the full story below.

When the war first started, I spent the first two months helping to get Ukrainians away from the border, into Poland and other neighbouring countries. The next two months, I was busy building a network of partners so we could send food aid into Ukraine.

About four months in, I came back home to reunite with my wife and kids in Poland. Unfortunately, due to a sudden health crisis, I wasn’t able to return to Poland until the new year.

In January 2023 I headed to Rivne, a city in western Ukraine, where I met Pastor O. By this point, most of the country had spent the winter without electricity and heating. Through Operation Mobilisation Ukraine, his team had set up a 24/7 emergency shelter in the town centre to distribute food and medical aid, provide counselling, and share the Gospel with anyone who would come through their doors. They were serving up to 900 people a day.

The emergency shelter in Rivne was open from January to March 2023, and saw almost 100,000 Ukrainians drop in. The churches in Rivne are working hard to follow up with all the individuals.

We also had partners come to Rivne to pick up supplies from our base and take them to the front lines in eastern Ukraine. Our partners would bring food and medical supplies, and present the Gospel in these villages. Hundreds of people (entire villages!) were saved as they gave their lives to Christ. Praise God!

Towards the end of my time in Ukraine, I asked Pastor O, “How are you doing?”

In the middle of the cold winter, in the midst of rubble-strewn streets, he responded, “Ben, I am happy. I am happy with what God is doing in the hearts of my people, and how the Kingdom of God is growing in my country.”

One church on the border of Poland and Ukraine had seven congregants when I first met them last spring; five of them were the pastor and his family. By the summer of 2022, they had baptized 25 new believers. Now, over 50 members gather every week.

The field is ready for harvest. Lord, send the labourers!

Please continue to pray for Ukraine and all the victims of the war. Here are some of the prayer requests that Ben Taylor shared:
1. There is an urgent need for trauma counselling, and this need will only keep growing. If you (or someone you know) have experience as a military chaplain and have it on your heart to serve war veterans through counselling, please connect with us.
2. Ben’s friends have opened up a centre for war widows and orphans in Rivne. Due to the pace of the war, the government is not yet able to recognize those who gave their life in battle, and are unable to support the left-behind families. Please pray for God to use this centre to bring healing and salvation.
3. There is a massive outflow of Ukrainian believers into the rest of Europe, especially Poland. We hope to see new churches planted, and the Gospel advance. The Lord is moving in Ukraine, Poland, and beyond!

For more information on Fellowship International and FAIR’s response to the war in Ukraine, click here.