Edik Malyshev – Ukraine:

At the point of publishing, it is 498 days since the war in Ukraine began and enemies attacked our land with all their military might. The war has brought death, pain, destruction – many have lost everything that they had.

All this time, our church, is thankful for the help of the Lighthouse ministry, as together we have been able to provide significant assistance to people affected by the war. About twenty families have permanently paid housing in Uzhgorod which is a safe city, and about forty people receive financial assistance and food every month. This help is very significant and people willingly open their hearts to receive the gospel and willingly attend church as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:46 NIV: The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.

In June we:

• paid for 21 rooms in a $150 hotel for refugees.
• Gave cash assistance to about 32 people, averaging $100 a month for each person.
• We set aside money to buy another new batch of food in the amount of $ 1,200.
• We Rented the conference room for the church at $500.
• We rented an apartment at $500
• We rented a warehouse at $100.
• We also sent aid to three churches totalling $1,500.

Also, our church runs a Bible school in the hotel for refugees and we are currently preparing one class for water baptism. This is the second group this year and we plan to have 15 refugees baptised this summer at our church. Indeed, our miraculous Lord can transform everything bad into the best, and for His chosen ones, according to His will, everything works for the good. All these people realise that if it were not for such trials that have fallen upon them, then they would not be looking for God as they are looking for Him now; and of course us being able to share the gospel with these people and make disciples is all possible because of the way the Church of Christ shows God’s goodness to people in need, in this terrible time.

We also had a happy event in our family! Our son Adam graduated from high school and entered the Kamensky University in Bratislava. He was very prepared for his admission exam and was understandably very worried, especially since the entrance exam was in German, and he studied English at school for his main foreign language. We all prayed and asked our friends to pray, and the Lord, helped because He hears the prayers of the saints and He loves faith and rewards diligence!

Finally, our whole country is waiting with great hopes for the offensive of our army and the liberation of our land from the enemy. Three of our brothers from the church are now at the front and we constantly pray for them and for our entire army. We pray that our army will receive aviation, since it is impossible to carry out an offensive without air superiority. We all in Ukraine understand that if the occupying army is not defeated and thrown out of Ukraine, then they will not stop. They they will do everything to make sure that Ukraine and its people no longer exist. Unfortunately, this is our reality, and we, with the entire Church of Ukraine, continue to pray and cry out to God about this.

Thank you very much for your love for us and that you do not leave us in this difficult time! We warmly embrace all of you and send greetings from the whole church and all who are blessed through your ministry!!