Ukraine Update #23 – Religion that is Pure…

Jun 4, 2024 | Ukraine | 0 comments

Ukraine Update #23 – Religion that is Pure…

Kevin Reilly on behalf of Edik & Liana – Uzhgorod, Ukraine

Pure religion – in the sense of a christian life that brings pleasure to God – is described by James in the following way: 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. (Jam 1:27)

In the context of writing about a faith that must be lived out in the pursuit of holiness (1:19-21) and the importance of being doers of God’s words, not just hearers (1:22-25), James articulates something of a vision for what pure religion must include. And it must include a lived out care and concern for the poor. They are to be remembered by the people of God. Very specifically, widows and orphans play a central role in defining Christian work that is pure and undefiled before God the Father, according to James.

It has always our been our great privilege to serve Edik and Liana’s mission in Uzhgorod, as they continue to care for refugee widows, elderly men and women, and young children. They have given themselves to this ministry since the beginning of the war in February 2022 and they have continued to do so with joy and faith. In the communications below from Edik, it is particularly heartening to read of a large number of orphans who were evacuated from the east to Edik and Liana’s region, and to read of how they have made a difference in these children’s lives.

I think James would agree – this ministry is an example of religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father.

Edik Writes: Hi dear Emma, we hope you are doing well. ❤️❤️❤️🙌🙌🙌. Everything is the same with us – massive mobilisation has begun and the military and police grab men from the streets and push them onto buses and send them to military registration and enlistment offices and then to the front. People’s morale is very depressed. We pray that God will have mercy on Ukraine and that this crisis will end. Thank God, there is hope, because the United States began to provide weapons for our army. Even though it’s a loan, this is salvation for Ukraine. Johnson agreed after he spoke with pastors from Ukraine, and one of these pastors told him how he lost his wife and child to Russian bombing. God hears our prayers😥🙏🙏🙏.

We continue to support refugees here in Uzhgorod. We currently have 16 refugee families to stay in the hotel and we are supporting 55 people each month with €50 to help with living costs. Also, three other churches continue to receive financial support to help their people with living. And of course the daily hot meal initiative continues to be a great blessing to more than 50 people.

Finally, we were also able to organise a trip for orphans from an orphanage in the city of Dnieper who needed to be evacuated to one of the villages in our region of Transcarpathia. We were able to pay for the transportation costs for 2 buses as well as being able to organise a trip to the theatre for these children. It was a joy and privilege for us to be able to help and support them.

Children being evacuated from the east…