We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

Ukraine update

We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

I'm praying for this

Ten years, not the two that most news outlets will be marking this weekend. That’s how long it’s been since Russia invaded Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine. And it was 10 years ago that you first supported Ukrainians suffering the twin devastation of war and winter. You have stood with Ukrainians and their neighbours for the last ten years – and you stand with them now.

Julia and her two children, Maxim and Angela, standing in front of snow patches in a field.
Churches have been supporting Ukrainian refugees during the bitter winter months since the war began ten years ago.

Imagine fleeing from shelling to the safety of temporary shelter, relying on the kindness of strangers. Everything you knew left behind, blitzed. And then winter. Winter bites hard in Ukraine. But your support is bringing warmth, help and hope to Ukrainians.

Since the end of December, the Russian bombardment has left 3,000 families homeless. Millions of Ukrainians have no access to clean water and electricity, and one third of the poorest Ukrainians are unable to heat their homes during a winter where temperatures have dropped as low as -15°C.

Thanks to your support, Baptist churches are aiming to meet the needs of 100,000 people across Ukraine this winter. Churches are opening their buildings so that people have a warm place to stay when they can’t heat their homes. They are providing hot meals and hygiene items, as well as a safe space where people feel welcomed and cared for. Even in the depths of this terrible war, your faithful giving and prayers are helping Baptist churches bring hope to the people of Ukraine.

Your generosity hasn’t just helped those that stayed behind but also those forced to flee across borders. For example, churches in the neighbouring country of Moldova have welcomed many refugees. Two years ago, Good News Baptist Church set up a hall with food and hygiene items, providing humanitarian aid to up to 370 families a day. There are still 150 people who receive weekly support from the church.

They now offer refugees Bible studies, themed sessions covering various topics, and language lessons, as well as humanitarian aid. One mother took a Bible study book after a session and said that she wanted to read it with her family. “If people live according to what the Bible teaches us,” she said, “it would be like heaven on earth.”

BMS World Mission also supports a refugee assistance centre in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. One of the women who attended was 71-year-old Valentina, who fled the city of Kherson after two missiles destroyed her home. If she hadn’t been at the store buying food, she likely wouldn’t have survived. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shared her story with the volunteers, expressing a deep sense of hopelessness.

Valentina suffered from serious health issues, had no appetite, and struggled with insomnia. As the war continues, Baptist churches are providing refugees like Valentina with psychological and spiritual support, as well as food and shelter. Inessa, who leads the women and families’ ministry at her church, now runs a support group for Ukrainian women.

“We now have five groups of women that we meet with regularly,” Inessa said. “Each group has 12-15 women, and we spend a couple of hours together,” she said. “It’s not just about sharing useful information; it’s about genuinely impacting their lives through building friendships and being there for them when they need us. It’s a soul-to-soul connection. Some have even started attending church and other meetings we organise.”

People in a line in the snow, unloading boxes of clothes, with a van parked behind them with the doors open.
This winter, Baptist churches in Moldova are putting their faith into action by providing Ukrainian refugees with hot meals and clothing.

Inessa and her team were able to offer Valentina a listening ear, comforting words, and prayer. They also directed her to a Christian counsellor who could guide her on her journey of healing. Despite her challenges, Valentina finds strength in living with her granddaughter and grandchildren. She left the refugee assistance centre encouraged, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Our partners in Moldova are deeply grateful for the vital help and support you have provided. Your faithful prayers and generous giving enable them to reach out to hundreds of families every month. Please pray for churches and volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time to minister to refugees, for those who hear the gospel to become followers of Jesus, and for peace to prevail in Ukraine.

Praying for this! Click here
icon
Inessa and the women in her support group standing in front of a stage at the Church Without Walls refugee assistance centre.
Inessa and the women from her support group are finding hope as they share life together.

Photos by ©Chris Hoskins/BMS World Mission, Words by Chris Manktelow and Matty Fearon

Safe Haven appeal

Safe Haven appeal

Help refugees on the island of Lesbos this winter

How are you hoping to spend this winter’s night?

Whatever comes to mind, you’re likely picturing being somewhere cosy, warm and safe.

You’re probably not thinking of a rough sea crossing, of biting winds and the anguish of fleeing the country you love. That’s how Bibi* spent last Christmas.

This winter, could you give a gift of hope to a refugee like Bibi who has lost everything?

Bibi is from Afghanistan. Life there was desperate. And after being forced to flee, Bibi found herself living in a tent in a Greek transit camp, on the island of Lesbos.

A clean bright space with tables chairs and showers visible
This Christmas, a BMS-supported welcoming centre outside the camp will be providing a safe space for women to wash, relax and experience the love of Jesus for the first time.
How will your gifts make a difference?
  • Your gift of £12 could provide essential food items such as pasta, beans and rice for a woman like Bibi and her family, nourishing them for a whole month.
  • £60 could provide vital hygiene items such as soap, sanitary products and underwear for ten families who have nothing.
  • A gift of £160 could enable a BMS-supported refugee centre to stay open, so BMS’ partner workers can share the gospel with women like Bibi, and they can experience Jesus’ love for the first time.

If you have a question about giving to BMS, or would prefer to give by phone or cheque:

  • Call us on 01235 517641 Monday to Friday 10 am – 4 pm. When you call BMS, please mention that your gift is for the Safe Haven appeal.
  • Email us at supportercare@bmsworldmission.org
  • Please send cheques to:
    BMS World Mission, PO Box 49,
    129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 8XA



Your gift will be used to support refugees in Lesbos, Greece.
If our appeal target is exceeded, we will use additional funds to support similar work with refugees in other parts of the world.

A smiling woman lifs boxes of canned goods from the back of a carThis winter, more and more frightened women will find themselves living in flimsy tents, trying to wash, dress and remain hidden behind the thin canvas to protect their modesty.

A heartfelt gift, given today, could provide a refugee from Afghanistan, Sudan or Palestine with clean clothes, good food and a safe place to wash and rest. Please give if you’re able.

Photo: With your help, BMS partner worker Haniele can provide a warm welcome to desperate women.

*Bibi’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

Their homes have been destroyed. Don’t let that happen to their education.

Their homes have been destroyed

Don’t let that happen to their education

Christians like you are giving hope to Syrian refugee children. But much more can still be done.

We can’t help them. The situation’s hopeless. Syria – it’s a basket case. The people who’ve left it are best not thought about: unfortunate, sure, but not our problem. Not like us. Them. Refugees.

Praise God, most Christians BMS World Mission knows don’t feel this way – nor do they think of refugees as ‘swarms’ or terrorists. But it’s easy to fall into the habit of obscuring human beings with that word: refugees. And it’s easy to think there’s nothing you can do.

But there is. You can help refugee children today.

Children with names and personalities and potential. We’re excited because we have the privilege of introducing you to two of them.

We asked their teachers (who you can help support) to introduce us. We asked their parents if they’d let you get a glimpse of two funny, charming, big-hearted boys from Syria called Gabi and Maher.

Gabi and Maher are half-brothers. Gabi is ten and Maher is 11. They come from Homs in Syria and today they live outside Beirut in Lebanon – a country they’ve been living in for seven years.

Two Syrian refugee boys sit in a classroom in Lebanon
So many Syrian children like Gabi and Maher have had their school years ripped apart. You can give them hope of a better life.

Our temptation when we meet children like Gabi and Maher is to treat them like statistics. Case studies, defined by the worst parts of their stories and the story of their country: the bombings and beheadings, the murdered family members. That’s not what we want. Gabi is not a victim, he’s hilarious. He loves English and learning new words, and while he likes playing football, he’s not nearly as good at it as Maher. And Maher is cheeky. And confident. And says he gets in trouble a little more than his brother – but their teacher tells me they’re both good boys.

Their family lives in a tent. That’s not life for all refugees, but it is for their family. They sleep on mattresses on the floor and when I ask them to describe the tent, Gabi looks impatient, like I’m a little slow: “It’s just a normal tent,” he says. And to him it is.

A Syrian refugee boy stands in front of a classroom whiteboard
We want to help more refugee children like Maher get back into the classroom, where they can learn, be inspired, and get their childhood back.

Children like Gabi and Maher have had their entire lives disrupted and uprooted by war. They’re living in a country that was once invaded by Syria. They’re in danger of missing years of school, of losing all hope for a future of employment and fulfilled potential. And that’s where you come in.

You can give right now to help us support the learning centre that is changing their lives. You can make sure other children get the chance they’re getting.

There are so many Syrian children who we haven’t yet been able to help. So many not yet blessed with what BMS supporters have given Gabi and Maher: a supportive, caring environment where they can learn and grow and hear about God’s love.

Here's what you can do

Give £15 – this can pay for a desk and chair for a child

Give £32 – this can pay for one child’s school transport for half a term

Give £113 – this can pay for a teacher for a week

By giving now you can make a real difference, stepping into the gap and helping children like Gabi and Maher, as well as children and adults around the world whose lives God is transforming through BMS work and UK Christian support. And you can help other human beings in need around the world, too.

Be a part of that miraculous story today. Reject the message of hopelessness and make a donation – every amount makes a difference – and show that no child, no human being, should be defined by a label.

I want to give today

Gabi and Maher’s names were changed by request.