5 March 2022

Dear Friends,

We are heartsick as we watch the continuing destruction in Ukraine. We have no control over these events, but we do know that God has a plan and that He can work all things together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Of course we pray for peace, for safety, for the deliverance of our loved ones, for an end to this horrible display of the depraved and sinful nature of man. But we know from Scripture and from history that wars may last a long time. In the midst of those wars many may be turned to the Lord. Please pray that the faith of believers who are enduring this suffering may be strengthened and that their ministries will be increased. A pastor of mine from long ago used to say, "Suffering is an intensified opportunity to glorify the Lord."

One of the frequent themes of my teaching has been to focus on bringing glory to God in every circumstance of life. We have not been called to comfort or ease, we have not been called to success and prosperity, but we have been called to faithfulness so that we might fulfill our purpose of glorifying the Lord.

Kostya and Katya Grinyuk are a young couple, graduates of Word of God Bible College. They live not far from Kiev, and thus are in a very dangerous place right now. I just had to share with you a note that she just sent out. You can see the focus of their lives.

“We need spiritual and physical strength. Pray to God for us, that He would help us to grow in the knowledge of Him, that He would give us the strength to love and serve those who are near and each other. We talked for a long time to God about our plans and chose His life for ourselves. May God now renew us and, in His mercy, use us to the fullest for His Glory. Pray that our souls will yearn to please Him and seek Him. That His Word for us is above all. That Kostya has wisdom for studying and teaching of the Bible, that I can teach the Word to women and children. May God take whatever He wants and give whatever He wants to us. Please pray that we will desire to be pleasing to God as never before, and that the fruit of the Spirit will pulsate in us. So that God gives us the strength to accept and go through everything that He allows, with gratitude and in humility.
~Katya

Please continue to pray for this couple and all the others whose names you have seen. God has a purpose for them right now, right where they are. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty ...."

Jim

4 March 2022

Dear Friends,

Here is a list of our loved ones in Ukraine, students, church members and graduates. I have indicated whether or not they are in a danger zone (DZ) as of the time of writing. The situation may change rapidly. Some of these names may seem strange to you, but are common in Ukraine. Even though you do not know these people, God knows, and He will recognize them as you lift them up in prayer.

Lozinskiy-- Oleg, Natasha. Oleg is pastor of our church in Kiev (Word of God Church). He is doing a marvelous job of shepherding the flock during this time. They have many people living in their house right now since they live in a small village about 20 miles from the city center. However, I have been told that a contingent of Ukrainian military are in the vicinity, so there is the possibility of some action. DZ

Lozinskiy-- Vova, Natasha. Vova is brother of Oleg and lives in the same village. DZ

Kizhnyak-- Sergei, Oksana, Vlad, Svyeta. Sergei and family are staying with Oleg at this time. Sergei is a Bible college graduate who teaches a weekly Bible class for the church. DZ

Pinkovskaya-- Natasha, Dasha (special needs daughter, needs medicine). Natasha is Oleg’s sister and is living with him in the village at this time. DZ

Voznuk – Victoria, Maxim, Analiza. This family is also at Oleg’s in the village. DZ

Rekeda-- Natasha, Vitalii – Baryshivka. This is a city close to Kiev. They have had some fighting there. Vitalii is a deacon at the church. DZ

Kravchenko, Vova and Marina. Marina is a college graduate and was the college secretary for several years. They are with the Rekeda family in Baryshivka. DZ

Luda Ugrimova – Irpin. Irpin is a city immediately to the north of Kiev. It has suffered great damage because of shelling. Four bridges that connect it with Kiev have been destroyed to prevent travel to Kiev. Luda is a wonderful evangelist and servant of God. DZ

Sasha and Katya Slavinski – Irpin. Sasha and his bride of just a few months live in Irpin. He is a current student at the Bible college. DZ

Katya Dmitrishin -- western Ukraine. Katya has gone to her parents’ home close to the western border.

Sasha and Irina Stetsenko – Sasha is a deacon in the church and Irina is the bookkeeper for the church and the college. They have evacuated to Poland.

Sasha Vladimirov -- Sasha was one of our early college graduates. He has been a faithful member of the church since its founding. I do not have information as to his whereabouts.

Artak and family – Artak is a Bible college student who came from Armenia to study with us. He and his wife and five children have gotten out of Ukraine, but not back to Armenia.

Ivan – is a current student at the college who has gone to his home in Lviv

Shamrov-- Denys, Alvina, Luke. Denys is a current student at the college. He is from Belarus and was therefore able to leave Ukraine. He and his family were able to get into Poland

Nina Grigolyia – Nina was one of our early Bible college graduates and has a real knack for languages. She teaches both Greek and Hebrew at the college. She was able to go to Poland

Smolyar-- Igor and Yulia and Timothy, Sophia, Daniel – Yulia and younger ones have gone to Poland. Igor and Daniel (about 18 years old) cannot leave Ukraine. Igor is a Bible college graduate and pastors a church in Zhitomir. There has been bombing in that city. DZ

Savchuk -- Lyosha and Alphia and children. Lyosha, a Bible college graduate, is pastor in Chernigiv, a city a couple of hours north of Kiev. His family has gone to Poland. He is in a danger zone.

Petrenko--Sasha and Ira and children. Sasha is a Bible college graduate who has planted a church in Goncharovsk, small town north of Kiev. At this time the town has not been threatened.

Savchenko -- Zhenya and Vika and children. Sasha was our first Bible college graduate. He is an outstanding Bible teacher and pastor of a church in Baryshivka. – Vika and children have gone to Austria. Zhenya is in a danger zone

Antipenko -- Sergei and Olga and baby. Sergei and Olga are both graduates of the Bible college and work with Lyosha Savchuk in the church. They have gone to small town in western Ukraine where it is quiet at this time.

Lidia – faithful woman from the church has gone to Lviv on the Polish border whcre she is saying with Vasiliy and Larissa Chaplayev, who are college graduates.

Anna Maximova , single woman has gone to Poland

Anna – single woman. I don’t know where she is at this time.

Shakraiuk-- Olesia, Vitya, Katya and baby and Roman have gone to western Ukraine where it is quiet at this time. Olesia often works as my interpreter.

Ivan and Kristina – have gone to western Ukraine

Valentina Yakovlina. Old and infirm widow is unable to leave. She remains in Kiev with granddaughter. DZ

Grinyuk-- Kostya and Katya. They are both graduates of the Bible college. They live in a town just south of Kiev. DZ

Oksana Senko – Oksana is an evangelist who has been with CRU for many years. She is in Irpin. DZ

Munko – Viktor, Luda and four children. He is a Bible college graduate and Luda teaches biblical counseling with Coram Deo. Viktor is a Bible teacher at Irpin Bible Church. The church is housing many people in the basement. Viktor and Oksana Senko are able to evangelize and minister to these people. DZ

Munko – Vasily, Marina and four children. He is a Bible college graduate and pastor of Grace Bible Church in Lviv. The Lord provided him with a large house last year and he is now housing many people who have gone to Lviv before crossing the border to Poland.

Jim Dumas. Jim is an American who has lived in Kiev for many years with a ministry to orphans. He is trying to get into Poland.

Anatoly – Bible college graduate. Works in a church southwest of Kiev. He is a veteran of the Ukrainian military, and even though he is over 50 he has put on his military gear and gone back into the army to defend his country. DZ

Families are being split up. Because of martial law in Ukraine, no males between the ages of 16 and 60 are permitted to leave the country. Many wives and their children are fleeing to safety. Please pray for these families.

For those who are in danger zones, pray not only for protection from enemy attacks, but pray also that they will have sufficient food, water, medicine, electricity, heat and fuel for vehicles. Pray also that they do not suffer damage and loss.

Give thanks for those who have been able to get out.

Give thanks for those who are willing to share what they have as expressions of love and grace.

Pray that each one will have a testimony to all who have contact with them, that their faith will grow strong and that they will glorify God in the midst of this conflict.

Pray for the Ukrainian military. Victory is not based on the size of the army.

Pray for president Zelensky and his advisers.

Pray for the spread of the gospel and the strengthening of believers.

Jim

1 March 2022

Dear Friends,

Attached below are photos I have just received from Oleg, pastor of our church in Kiev. The war is real. Please pray for our people. Pray for Ukraine. Pray for the brave men and women who are willing to risk everything to secure freedom for the loved ones and homeland. Salute! you brave souls. May God protect you and bless you.

We have just boarded our plane for our flight to Houston. When we arrived in Bucharest we had to get a covid test to be able to check into the hotel. We had to get another one this morning when we arrived at the airport to be able to board the plane. Face masks are still compulsory on the airplanes for the entire flight. (Sigh!) But I think of the thousands of people at the borders who would love to put on a mask if it meant that they could get out of Ukraine. How can I complain?

We do not have any updates from the people I mentioned in the previous letters, but I do have a some names I would like you to add to your prayer list. Vanya, a young man who is one our Bible college students, is staying with the Armenian family. His home is in western Ukraine, but has chosen to stay in Kiev. Kostya, with his wife and 9 year old son, are living in a basement of their apartment building which has received damage from the shelling.

Know that we are overflowing with gratitude for the lovingkindness and multitude of the Lord’s tender mercies. We also have seen such love from Christians along the way. When we were finally able to cross the border into Romania we were taken to the home of some Christians some distance from the airport. They prepared a marvelous Romanian breakfast for us. While they certainly are not on the same page with us theologically, they are without doubt fellow members of the family of God. They also took in a missionary family from Ukraine with five children, and will house them for the indefinite future. They didn’t know this family but saw fellow Christians in need and opened their hearts in love. How wonderful to see this love in action.

We also had opportunity along the way to minister to others. There was a young man named Kevin who boarded the bus with us in Kiev. His parents were Catholic, but he didn’t really have any kind of religious training while growing up and he never had any interest in knowing anything about Christianity. But from the very start of our journey he kept on being exposed to the concept of grace. The organization that extracted us wanted $250 from each of us. Kevin only had a credit card and crypto currency, neither of which would the driver accept – cash only in Euros or Yankee greenbacks. Out of nowhere came an offer of grace to him as someone offered to pay. Later we offered to give him a ride with us from the border to Bucharest – about a seven hour drive. Again, he is astounded by grace. On the way we stopped at the home of those Christians who gave us breakfast. He simply cannot comprehend why people would welcome strangers into their home and treat them with such love. We took him all the way to the airport so he could get on his way home. He is totally baffled by all of this. We explained the concept of grace – and he was quite aware of the concept, having seen it in action. He knew for certain that he had done nothing to earn or deserve the favor being shown to him. We will follow up on him. Please pray that Kevin will be willing to accept the grace of God that was provided for him at the cross.

We have no way of knowing how long the conflict in Ukraine might last. Our prayer is that it will be short lived. It may, however, be of long duration. So, we will be seeking opportunities to serve our Lord Jesus Christ in other places. Pray for us that the Lord will open for us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, that we may make it manifest as we ought to speak.

Only by grace

Jim

From the website manager:

As you know, Jim and Phyllis have been experiencing this "adventure" with Robby Dean. I didn't receive an update today from Jim, however, there's an update from Robyy that I thought I'd pass along.

Last Bucharest Update

From the time we left the Myers’ home Friday morning at 10.00 we travelled 45 hours through the heart of Ukraine to the southwestern border to cross into Romania. The crossing itself took a little over six and a half hours.

We were met by a former pastor, who knew our friend Pastor Greg Allen from State College, PA. We met Greg in 2016 when attending the Christian Leader Seminar at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial.

You might ask how we managed to be evacuated by Project Dynamo? As I said earlier, it was when Pam [Dean] alerted our Christian Outreach AIPAC friends, one of whom I became long time friends with, Arkansas State Senator Jason Rapert.

Each of the connections that brought us to the border were through contacts we developed in our support of Israel. In Gen 12:3 God made an eternal, unconditional promise to Avraham, “Those who bless you I will bless, those who treat you lightly I will judge harshly.” [my translation from the Hebrew] In Gen. 12:1-3 God summarized for Avraham that which would be the core of His eternal promise to the Jewish people. We, the Myers’ in their ministry, and me in my ministry, have always taught the importance of blessing the Jewish people and Israel and never succumbing to anti-Semitism.

In our extraction, God demonstrated His faithfulness to this promise as He has throughout 4,000 years since that was made. And we anticipate the ultimate fulfillment of those promises when Christ returns to fulfill all of His promises to Israel and to establish His glorious kingdom.

This morning I am sitting in the Coanda Airport in Bucharest awaiting our flight to Istanbul and then on home.

Throughout this journey the words of the third verse in John Newton’s well-known hymn have echoed through my mind:
"Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come,
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home."

It is God’s undeserved mercy that protects, provides, and perserves us. It is by God’s grace through faith in Christ that we are saved. At that instant we become God’s adopted child, and among other things given a divine commission to serve and glorify Him. That is what should define our lives, shape our decisions, and focus our thoughts.

We live in such insane, and perilous times. It is God’s challenge to us to serve Him, and to do so whatever it might cost. Serving Him doesn’t save us, it is motivated by the gratitude that He has already saved us, and when all is said and done, that service is all that we take with us into the presence of God.

All is based on grace, and the proper response is gratitude. Each of us three are profoundly grateful to each one of you for your prayers for us, and many of you prayed hour upon hour, and we will never know how many of you or which ones of you were so motivated by we thank you. God answers all prayers, and this one He answered in the affirmative.

God has intervened to protect us from our enemis, to preserve us through problems of traffic, an overheating bus, enormous crowds, He provided unusally warm weather for February, even through we stood in the 32 degree cold we were warm and it wasn’t wet or snowing. God provided friends to pick us up at the crossing and to take us to their home and feed us.

There was a young man who escaped with us. He may or may not be a believer, we took him along so he could get to Bucharest. He saw things he had never imagined. The unconditional love of two Romanian families that welcomed us and him into their home. It was automatically a family environment. We were well fed, cared for, by total strangers all because we were brothers in Christ and in need of rescue. Only God produces this kind of qualitative, undonditional love for one another.

This young man spent a very long day surrounded by Christians loving him and loving one another. And it was obvious that he had never seen anything like it.

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We must head to the gate now. We thank all of you for your love, prayer, and care for us on this journey.

Robby Dean