Kyiv
Please pray for liberation of Chernigiv, Mariupol, Kherson, Kharkiv, Donbas. Pray against the schemes of the enemy as he is changing the strategy. Pray for the world leaders and their response to this ongoing agony of suffering.
As far as our team: pray for supplies, we are low again. There is a great need in the liberated villages and we want to be able to answer to it. Also pray for emotional strength as we are seeing the devastation on the war on people, we face the loss and the tears. We want to bring God the Comforter and God of Good.

Anya (Kyiv)
“Extreme Inhuman Cruelty” are the words used to expressed today’s discovery of Bucha, outskirts of Kyiv that was liberated by our defence forces.
“Never again” were the words after the WWII.
The world must respond!!
Let’s pray for the world to STAND UP for the value of human life!!
God have mercy!!

Marie (Kyiv)
Take whatever you want; we will pay for it. That’s what we said to Alexander. He is from the Russian-occupied part of the country. He said okay and came back with two bags of frozen dumplings.
We noticed this grandpa on our daily supermarket trip. The prices have doubled, and there is no way an average pensioner can buy even the most basic products. This is why whenever we see older people in the store or on the streets, we always make sure to check on them. Truth be said, in most cases, they are even more happy to simply talk to someone than about the care package itself.
We made sure that grandpa Alexander went home with two big bags of groceries so that he does not need to worry about food for the next two weeks. We also gave him our number and asked him to let us know if he needed anything.
We were able to be a blessing because of your gracious giving. Thank you from Alexander.

Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team

Marie and Alexander

Once more we read the words of Marie, she has truly become a war correspondent bringing to life for many of us, taking us right onto the frontlines with her heartfelt reports.

The sky has been silent for the last two days. But there is no relief. It is a scary silence.
It’s a silence filled with images from the liberated villages north of Kyiv. Now the whole world knows Irpen, Bucha, Borodyanka.
It’s a silence filled with the misery of those left behind. We were shocked at the sight of an elderly home we visit regularly. 25 new people, all thrown into a single room, on matrasses on the floor, without bedding, without anything except the clothes they wore.
The sight, the smell, the desperation. It would be so easy to just drop off the groceries, turn your back, and leave. We know they have parasites. Every time we return home we check each other’s heads. Welcome to the new reality of ministry in a war zone.
But we are following a different master. Not our human instincts.
When this master touched any uncleanness, it did not infect him; but his holiness healed everything unclean. I believe the same power is resting on us. So as we walk into the room, I remember my husband’s stories from ministering in a leprosy colony in India. About the smell, the abhorrent sight.
My friend starts to sing. I and the other girl go around and sit with the elderly; talk with those who can, feed those who can’t help themselves. All of their stories start with, “my daughter left Kyiv, and she could not take me”. “The younger generation needs to live their lives, I already lived mine”. “They had no place to put me, so they dropped me here”. It is heartbreaking. There are so many new people, that they have their names written on their arms with black markers.
Song after song we feel how God’s presence is filling the room. We feel a change. People’s bitter and painful faces ease a bit.
This is all we can do for today. Tomorrow, we will go to the store and pack food bags for the survivors of Bucha. One day at a time.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. – James 1:27

Ministering to these people in these destroyed cities brings on an emotional strain of a different kind. Would you pray for strength and grace for our workers in these next weeks.

Al Akimoff and Slavic Ministries Team

Marie ministering to her friends

This has been a devastating weekend for our staff in Ukraine. As the Ukrainian army moves through the devastated cities encircling Kyiv they are discovering so many horrendous atrocities. This has caused a lot of heartache and thoughts that are hard to deal with. Please pray for our staff and all the Ukrainian people right now who are going through some very difficult times with their emotions.

As we have been sharing what has been taken place all along the borders in the exodus continues. One of those countries is not a stranger to a Russian invasion as they experienced what was called the Prague Spring of 1966 in Czechoslovakia. They too wanted out of the bear hug of the Soviet Union at the time. They experienced an earlier version of a Russian invasion that pitted tanks against people with sticks and stones. It was quickly squelched, and it took another more than a dozen years before freedom came.

Here is a report from one of our elder leaders in Czech Repoublic on the Czechs response today to the situation in Ukraine.
We have been so encouraged by your prayer support and financial assistance. Roger was able to get a whole carload of supplies into Ukraine! It was 5 hours getting in and 7 hours getting out but the needed supplies were delivered. He and Matt met up with a truck driver about 10 miles from the Slovak border. Our car was full of diapers, baby food, sleeping bags, medicine, food, printer paper, power banks etc. and the 24-ton tractor trailer had mattresses, generators, space heaters, food, etc. The supplies were then redistributed in Ukraine.

People were sleeping everywhere possible at the Nehemiah center – even in the office and hallways. Internally displaced people had come from all over Ukraine, especially from the East and Kiev. Some daring drivers are also bringing supplies to Kiev.

A military storage area was bombed in Transcarpathia and the soldiers are now needing metal bowls to eat from, boots and bandages. Some of our Czech friends have been making run after run into Ukraine. A couple of them are bravely heading over to Kiev and beyond delivering supplies. We ask for your prayer for our friend and his team doing those runs.

Roger was also able to pray with another friend who is now a Chaplain in the Ukraine Army. He was a pastor before but because he had prior military experience, he was called in. The pastor shared of God protecting the troops as they were on the front lines trying to rescue mothers and children. He shared what a blessing it is to see some of the young guys turn their hearts to Jesus.

Please continue to pray for these brave people, mostly young men and women who continue to risk their lives daily to continue to rescue these especially elderly people who cannot help themselves.

These next few days are very crucial as they work feverishly in these areas that are declared green corridors for a short time. They are rescuing people who have been trapped sometimes for weeks.

There is fear that this withdrawal is only preparation for a greater attack coming. In this somewhat quieter time, pray that many will be rescued and taken out for protection especially in these areas that are being or will be hit hard.

Thank you for prayer and keep storming the heavenly places.
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team

As Russian troops have moved away from Kyiv, there is a fear that they will regroup on the Eastern Front as well as concentrate on Odessa. Because the ground war did not go well for them, there is a fear that they will go to a bombing siege like what was done in Mykolaev and Kharkiv. These past few days people are being allowed to be rescued as somewhat tenuous green corridors have been established.

As the Russian troops have left, they left behind barbaric scenes of death and destruction, rape and random killing of civilians. Mass graves and dead bodies on the streets are everywhere and land mines have been scattered around like seeds in a field.

Report from Kyiv staff
Our hearts are breaking as we witness the destruction and darkness that pervaded the suburbs of Kyiv. Please pray for our staff as we mourn. Pray for us to shine God’s loving light in the darkness. Also, the threat is still real, air raid sirens continue throughout the country. Please continue to pray for God’s shield around our staff and pray for victory for Ukraine.

Report from Kyiv
“Two days ago, we sent 11 vans to (for security, cannot give location) Our guys are doing an awesome job. Today we evacuated 82 people and tomorrow we will do even more. In this area about 1.5 million population and it’s getting harder and harder to get out of there. Please pray for safety and protection over our drivers and that they will be able to evacuate as many people as possible”

Voice of Ukraine
Good morning world! As we wake up to a peaceful spring weekend, Ukraine is still amidst the worst nightmare.
As of 29th of March:
139 children died.
10 million Ukrainians left their homes.
60 billion USD, the minimum assessment of damage to the infrastructure of Ukraine.
1200 missiles launched across the territory of Ukraine.
4500 houses were destroyed.
100 enterprises destroyed.
400 educational institutions destroyed.
150 healthcare institutions destroyed.
15 airports destroyed.
350 bridges destroyed.
1 largest aircraft in the world destroyed «Mriya».

Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team

Dennis (Kyiv)
REFUGEES COMING IN DAILY
Every day refugees come to our center in the midst of what is now seen as one of the largest European humanitarian crisis’ in modern history. People are streaming in from different parts of Ukraine and heading out west to Europe. At our center, we are able to provide a clean place to rest and sleep, a hot meal, and a shower, to recuperate as their evacuation route onwards to Europe goes forward. Many have left everything and are traveling with just a few bags they were able to grab in their hurry to get out of the cities that were being bombed. There are countless stories of fathers who have taken their wives and kids and with a final embrace send them across the borders while they stay back and head home to wait and see what the course of the war will be. In the middle of this sadness, we have found that love and hospitality go a long way to bring healing to the soul, giving people the ability to open up their hearts to hear about the God who loves them.
Volunteers work around the clock to make this possible. They work in the kitchen daily, clean floors, sinks, and bathrooms, prepare food, line beds with clean sheets daily, organize humanitarian aid storages, load and unload trucks and buses, answer phones in our call center, coordinate evacuation with a logistics team, drive extremely long hours to evacuate people, make sure gas/diesel canisters are filled, take vehicles to maintenance and repair shops, and all of this is just a small window of a normal day at Christ Evacuation Center. It’s been an honor to work alongside these stellar heroes.
We know we cannot do any of this without Christ. We need Him. We also know that those who come to us here need Him more than anything else we can offer. So we pray, we read the scripture, we spark conversations with people who come, and naturally, find moments to share about who we are and why we do what we do. God is our everything and we are honored that in a time like this we get to carry His love and light as we love the person in front of us. When we don’t know what we are doing He shows us all over again that it’s Him who is living through us.

Ryan (Ternopil)
The war in Ukraine has severely impacted children. It’s estimated that over 2 million children have already been forced to flee Ukraine with another 2.5 million displaced within the country.
These children have all had to leave their homes, schools, friends and the normal life they deserve. The volunteers at the refugee centre here at YWAM Ternopil have been so welcoming to everyone who comes through their doors. Yesterday, they organised craft time to not only entertain the children and give their parents a break, but they used this time to make cards for Ukrainian soldiers that will get sent out with the aid shipments that leave almost daily from this centre to deliver desperately needed supplies throughout Ukraine.

Thank you for praying,
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team