One month of the war
24th of February changed the lives of the Ukrainian people forever
It has already been a month since Russia started a war against Ukraine. Thousands of people had to leave their homes, cities, towns and villages of northern, eastern, southern and central parts of Ukraine and seek a safer place either in western part of Ukraine or in other countries. Almost four millions of Ukrainians crossed the border trying to find refuge in other countries.
People are scared, devastated and lost. Many still cannot believe that their lives have been shattered by this war. Innocent people lost their lives, lots of families lost their loved ones.
Work of Christ is the Answer Ministries in February-March, 2022
In such a difficult time for Ukraine CITA Ministries continues to stand with the Ukrainian people in order to help those who are suffering, who don’t have food to feed their families, who are in need of moral and spiritual support. On March 1st CITA has opened the War Relief Fund in order to help people affected by the war.
Thanks to the War Relief Fund we can support REFUGEES and everyone who has been shattered by the war
CITA missionaries and volunteers continue to serve and do their best to help refugees and displaced persons. We help to evacuate people from dangerous zones, feed them, help them to get accommodation in the western part of Ukraine. For those who decide to go to the other countries we help to cross the border.
CITA food warehouse in the western Ukraine
Christ is the Answer Ministries purchases food to help people affected by the war. For this purpose a food warehouse has been organized in Rivne where we store food and needed essentials. The team of CITA missionaries and volunteers pack food packages and then deliver them to the regions where people are affected the most.
Thanks to support of our partners and donors Christ is the Answer Ministries has already been able to purchase more then two tons of food (rice, buckwheat, sugar, canned meat, sunflower oil, oatmeal, etc.) in order to give this food out to those who are unable to feed themselves and their families during the war time.
We continue to bring food into our warehouse so that we would have enough to share later with refugees and needy people, especially since every day it becomes more difficult to buy food in large quantities.
Medical support and needed essentials
Humanitarian aid of medicines and basic essentials for refugees is being delivered from Europe to the CITA warehouse in Rivne.
For example, people in the Luhansk region badly needed medical supplies since many people suffered and have been wounded as the result of heavy shelling and bombing in Severodonetsk. Volunteers who work there have been asking us to provide them with medicines even more than with food. CITA has provided needed medicines and delivered them to people of the Luhansk region.
CITA work in different parts of Ukraine
Kharkiv
Kharkiv is one of the Ukrainian cities that has been severely destroyed by Russian shelling and bombing. Refugees are leaving the city, and while some are moving to villages in the area, others escape to the western part of the country.
Serhiy Tyurikov, pastor and CITA missionary, has been evacuating people from Kharkiv. The situation in the city was very dangerous. Despite the danger to his own life, Serhiy did his best to bring kids and families to safety.
“We were taking people out of the danger zone. We brought refugees to the village and now we have 15 people living in simple village house. People don’t have enough food. There have been no supplies of food. WIth our team we have been distributing 500 loaves of bread a day.” - shares Serhiy.
Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv is one of the cities that has been under attack. People are trying to survive by hiding in bomb shelters. The basement of Vifaniya church has become one of such bomb shelters, where CITA Missionaries Hennadiy and Alyona serve. Around 400 people are hiding from explosions in the Vifaniya church basement. A lot of families are with small children. Church members do everything possible to serve these people, despite the fact that they are in danger themselves. Christians pray for people, feed them, play with their kids and support them in any way they can.
Hennagiy and Alyona continue to help people and provide them with food and basic essentials. “We go to the areas of our city that have been cut off due to martial law. As official charity volunteers we are allowed to move around the city. We visit families that need food, we talk to them, pray for them. We want to be there for them, as the Lord was always going to the places where people needed him most ”, - says Hennadiy.
Ternopil
Everyday hundreds of refugees come to Ternopil in Western Ukraine trying to hide from the horrors of the war. Andriy Vasenda, along with the team of local ministers, buys food, groceries, flour, and other essentials such as hygiene products, bed linen, warm blankets, clothes, etc. for refugees from other parts of Ukraine, who now live in his city.
Andriy also continues to support low-income families in his city, who, due to the war, found themselves in even more difficult situations. About 60 families, including people with disabilities, have already received food packages.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Since 2014 CITA actively supported volunteers and pastors of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Oleksiy Ivanov, Andriy Kovalenko and Dmytro Yelnikov served in different regions of Donbass. Because of war they had to take their families to safer places and leave their cities.
But despite the danger to their own lives they continue to come back to those regions taking care of the people who stayed in the regions. They continue to evacuate those who are trying to escape the war and bring food to the hungry and needy people who decided to stay.
Kyiv
One of the CITA employees is a part of a refugee response team at a railway station organized by local authorities. People come from the suburbs of Kyiv, from cities and villages that were heavily bombed by Russians: Bucha, Irpin, Gostomel, Horenka, Sumy, Chernigiv. Many people have been traumatized and need psychological help. So the team of volunteers do their best to support people. They talk to them, pray with them, helping them to have hope. CITA Ministries has provided 30 food packages for children at the railway station who have been affected by the war. Some of the children were hiding in bomb shelters for weeks withough any food, and sometimes even without water. They are happy to get fresh fruits, sweets and cookies.
Thank you for standing with the people of Ukraine!
We thank God that during this difficult time we can continue to support our people.
We pray for every family affected by this horrible war and for every person who has to leave the home and to find a safe place in other countries.
Please, continue to support CITA WAR RELIEF FUND as your donations will enable us to help even more people!
To make your donation
Continue to pray for Ukraine!
Stand with us!
For more information please visit our website: www.cita.tv
ⓒ Christ is the Answer Ministries, 2022