ÚNASE A NOSOTROS EL 20 Y 21 DE MAYO PARA LA CONFERENCIA DE RESTORE

María
De Muth

escocés
McKnight

Screenshot 2023-01-13 at 1.50.18 PM

Naghmeh
panahi

Reportando la Verdad.
Restauración de la Iglesia.

Iglesia de ciudad fronteriza en Ucrania se convierte en centro de reubicación y ayuda

Por Erik Tryggestad
ukraine relief
In Chernivtsi, Adi Voicu of Romania and Dennis Zolotaryov of Ukraine load Ukrainian- and Russian-language Bibles from Eastern European Mission for transport to Romania. The Bibles will be given to Ukrainian refugees. (Photo by Audrey Jackson / The Christian Chronicle)

From the city of Chernivsti, Ukraine, it’s less than 25 miles to Romania.

That makes this western Ukrainian city, which hasn’t yet endured an attack from Russia, a respite at the end of a long journey for some 60,000 displaced souls who fled from the east. Hundreds of them have found a temporary home in the meeting place of the Chernivtsi Church of Christ.

The church also is a respite for Christians from other parts of Europe who come here to deliver aid — from five hours away in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, or beyond.

On a Saturday morning strollers sit on the church’s porch awaiting distribution to families in need. Next to them are boxes of Ukrainian- and Russian-language Bibles awaiting transport to Romania, where refugees have requested them.

Inside, mattresses and blankets line the auditorium. About 30 displaced people live here now, though they come and go frequently, said church member Artum Budzhak.

Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “Even If He Doesn’t: What We Believe about God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense” by Kristen LaValley. To donate, haga clic aquí.

Budzhak, 18, grew up in Chernivtsi. Before the war, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the church had an average Sunday attendance of 10 to 15 people, he said. Now the average is 50 or more.

ukraine relief
The Chernivtsi Church of Christ has served as a temporary home for hundreds of displaced Ukrainians. (Photo by Erik Tryggestad / The Christian Chronicle)

“I have a lot of friends here,” Budzhak said. Among the displaced are young Christians from Dnipro, a city in central Ukraine. Their minister, Dima Galuk, came with them.

“David wouldn’t leave his sheep,” Galuk said, referencing the Old Testament king. “I came here because I really want to help.”

Also among the displaced is Nikita Bazylev, a church member and professional basketball player from the eastern city of Kramatorsk. He continues to train with a team in Chernivtsi.

ukraine relief
Bohdan Yasinskyi (not pictured) leads a prayer for Christians from Ukraine, Romania and the U.S. (Photo by Audrey Jackson / The Christian Chronicle)

Dennis Sopelnik continues to train ministers here. The instructor for Bear Valley Bible Institute of Ukraine has been displaced twice since the conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014. Now he works among his fellow believers in Chernivtsi, teaching Bible courses.

In the midst of war, “we still need preachers, we still need teachers,” Sopelnik said. “We still need people who can spread God’s Word.”

Dmitrov Haliuk, minister for the Chernivtsi church, said that hosting the displaced has strengthened his belief that there is “one God, one love, one family” in the church.

“When people write me from the U.S. and from other countries — people I don’t even know — and offer to share their supplies and their homes with us, it’s very inspiring,” Haliuk said.

Many Ukrainians have accepted those invitations and have moved into western Europe. Opening the church building as a temporary home for them “was really a question of saving people,” Haliuk said. “We can’t say how happy we are to serve.”

Esta historia apareció por primera vez en La crónica cristiana.

Erik TryggestadErik Tryggestad es presidente y director ejecutivo de La crónica cristiana. Ha archivado historias para el Crónica de más de 65 naciones.

COMPARTIR ESTE:

¡OBTÉN ACTUALIZACIONES POR CORREO ELECTRÓNICO!

¡Manténgase en contacto con Julie y reciba actualizaciones en su bandeja de entrada!

No te preocupes, no te enviaremos spam.

Más para explorar
discusión

3 Respuestas

  1. Praise God! May all the seeds that are being planted, flourish and grow. I love how the hands and feet of Christ are being shown.

  2. May God strengthen these true heroes and all the Christians of Ukraine bearing up under the slaughter of this modern-day Stalin.

Deja una respuesta

El Informe Roys busca fomentar el diálogo reflexivo y respetuoso. Con ese fin, el sitio requiere que las personas se registren antes de comenzar a comentar. Esto significa que no se permitirán comentarios anónimos. Además, se eliminarán todos los comentarios con blasfemias, insultos y/o un tono desagradable.
 
Artículos MÁS RECIENTES
Artículos MÁS populares
es_MXSpanish

Donar

Hola. Vemos que este es el tercer artículo de este mes que ha encontrado que vale la pena leer. ¡Estupendo! ¿Consideraría hacer una donación deducible de impuestos para ayudar a nuestros periodistas a continuar informando la verdad y restaurar la iglesia?

Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “The Atlas Factor: Shifting Leadership Onto the Shoulders of Jesus” by Lance Ford.