Because of their years of ministry in Romania - something they couldn’t have done without the help of their supporters - ITMI’s Adi and Ema Ban are well connected with believers, both in Romania and Ukraine.
The Lord has even miraculously provided connections with people in high-up positions in businesses and other arenas who have been eager to help.
They are using these connections to mobilize believers in Romania and Ukraine to be on the front lines showing God’s love to the needy.
Their efforts have even drawn some who don’t yet have Jesus as their Lord into partnership to aid Ukrainians, and they, too are experiencing how Christians love and serve without conditions.
The Lord provided Adi the opportunity to share with some of these partners why he has worked tirelessly to supply believers in Ukraine with resources.
He told them it was because of his faith in Jesus and because the Lord has lavished His goodness on us, His people, Adi wants to share that with others.
Adi has made multiple trips from their city, Oradea, Romania, to Chernivtsi, Ukraine with truckloads of supplies for the Christians operating refugee centers in Chernivtsi and Ternopil.
The red dots are where ITMI partners are based in Eastern Europe, the blue dots are the refugee centers in Ukraine that Adi and Ema are working with.
At times like this when people’s lives are uprooted and they are forced to seek out help if they are met with believers who are filled with faith and have the resources to help, God’s kingdom benefits.
Not everyone offering help is doing so without condition.
It is quite the logistical operation to find trucks, drivers, and supplies and get trucks of supplies into Ukraine from Romania and has required an endless amount of late nights, early mornings and hours of driving from Adi.
Adi said on his most recent trip, 14 of the 16 hours of driving were spent on the phone! Getting food and supplies to the believers inside Ukraine is an incredibly time-sensitive mission because no one knows how long it will be possible.
Adi (right) and another believer, ready to take supplies to refugee centers in Ukraine.
Adi encourages a young girl at the refugee center in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.
The supplies Adi and his network are sending into Ukraine are being used by believers - people Adi knows well - to minister to refugees inside Ukraine.
Many times, these people are passing through, on their way to the borders. They are provided with a place to sleep, food and invited to worship or pray with the believers running the operation while at the refugee center.
Refugees worship in Chernivtsi
The four pastors we’ve written about in previous letters have left their homes in the east. All but one took their families to neighboring countries, then headed back to serve Jesus by helping others. The fourth remains in Ukraine with his family and continues to serve at one of the refugee centers.
They are taking incredible risks by returning to their home country.
The road trips required to deliver supplies to those in need are treacherous, like putting a target on your back. If the capital city of Kyiv falls, the borders will close, and they would be separated from their families.
Adi and Ema write, “In moments like these, many put their families and personal needs first. It takes a committed heart and deep trust in the Lord to be able to make these kinds of choices which put the needs of others above your own.”
Keep these believers in your prayers as they shine brightly for Jesus in a dark time.
At press time, it is estimated that 1.8 million refugees have entered Poland from Ukraine, and every day about 100,000 cross into Poland. (Editor's note: By the end of March, the number has increased to 2.3 million.)
After long journeys to the borders, those fleeing arrive at the neutral zone between countries. They remove what they can carry from their vehicles and walk the 1-2km to get in lines to get across the borders.
Women, children and the elderly must carry what they can for that distance. The icy wind razor-sharp around them as they wait in long lines to get across the border.
Once through, they are hungry, cold, exhausted, and traumatized. Alone in a foreign country where they don’t speak the language, they are easy prey for human traffickers and others who would take advantage of their plight.
Churches and organizations that have buildings are preparing space for refugees to stay. Thanks to ITMI’s supporters who have helped with funding for facilities such as Bread of Life’s New Life Center and Gniezno Baptist Church, our partners are getting to be the people that greet and care for them.
Keep in mind that the average Baptist church in Poland has 25-50 members, which isn’t a lot when you’re providing for all the needs Ukrainian refugees have.
Richard and Brooke Nungesser - Bread of Life
With over 2 decades of experience helping those in need in Jesus’ name in Eastern Europe, Bread of Life, founded by ITMI’s Richard and Brooke Nungesser, is well-suited to meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees.
Bread of Life has been equipping and enabling believers to love the marginalized and forgotten in Jesus’ name in Eastern Europe for over 20 years. Because of this, they quickly mobilized when 1.8 million refugees came knocking at Poland’s door.
Brooke shares, Bread of Life has been “hosting and placing refugees, distributing mass amounts of humanitarian aid, providing counseling in the proper language, finding refugees homes in neighboring countries (such as Sweden), and so much more!”
ITMI's Tomek Jezyk, Director of Bread of Life Kalisz, organizes teams of volunteers preparing donated supplies for Ukrainian refugees.
Bread of Life volunteers sort and organize massive amounts of donated supplies for refugees.
A Bread of Life team of volunteers prays together.
The New Life Center is a transition home for men struggling with addictions and homelessness, operated by Bread of Life.
The New Life Center exists through the generosity of ITMI and Bread of Life supporters, who helped Bread of Life purchase and renovate the home as well as cover its ongoing expenses.
Now, it is housing 23 Ukrainian refugees within its blue walls in the rural village of Dluga Goslina, and allowing God’s people to reach and serve those taking refuge there.
The New Life Center prepared for Ukrainian refugees.
ITMI's Richard Nungesser (top row, fourth from the right) and Bread of Life's Monika Bacik (far left) with the Ukrainian refugees staying in the New Life Center.
English lessons for Ukrainian refugees at the New Life Center.
Tomek Jezyk - Kalisz Baptist Church and Bread of Life, Kalisz
Kalisz Baptist Church is the church pastored by ITMI’s Tomek Jezyk. Years ago, this church had 4 members and no pastor. Tomek took over as an interim volunteer pastor, and the church now has 40 members who are growing in Christ.
At last report, this small church was preparing to care for 50 refugees.
As the Director of Bread of Life’s branch in his city, Kalisz, Tomek has been very busy organizing donations and getting them to where they are needed, and making trips to the border and caring for refugees.
Tomek helps a refugee family get through Poland and on to their destination country. (Faces blurred for privacy.)
Janusz Fredyk - Gniezno Baptist Church
Gniezno Baptist Church was planted through the ministry of ITMI’s Piotr Zaremba.
Long-time readers may remember that ITMI supporters helped purchase and renovate a building that they could meet in as a church.
Gniezno Baptist Church in Gniezno, Poland
This building has also been well used to extend God’s Word to the homeless over the years.
ITMI’s Pastor Janusz Fredyk and a team have been busy getting the church building ready to provide shelter for 15 refugees. The renovations were finishing up at press time.
ITMI's Janusz Fredyk (second from right in the back) and his wife, Ivona, (next to Janusz in the light brown sweater) and some other volunteers prepare Gniezno Baptist Church to house Ukrainian refugees.
A room in the church building ready to be a place of peace and rest.
Inessa and Vitali and their family are happy to have arrived and have a place to stay at Gniezno Baptist Church's building.
As our partners and their churches are providing safe places to stay, needed goods and food for refugees, refugees are coming to their churches on Sundays.
Piotr and Krystyna Zaremba - K5N Church
Piotr tells us a story that was sent to him by a sister church. This church had dwindled to 10 people. But 20 Ukrainian families now join this church for their Sunday service!
The Ukrainians blessed their hosts with an impromptu choir performance, praising the Lord amid difficult circumstances.
Piotr and his wife, Krystyna, are also working with refugees who need help processing the trauma they experienced, and working to equip believers to do the same. One family from Piotr’s church is hosting 11 orphans and their 2 guardians from Ukraine in their home until they can make permanent arrangements.
Piotr’s church has been visited by many Ukrainian refugees and had the opportunity to encourage, love and serve them.
11 Ukrainian orphans being hosted by a family in Piotr's church.
Piotr listens with concern as the Ukrainian refugees share and gives advice.
Leszek and Anna Wakula - Lodz Baptist Church
In the city of Lodz, the church of ITMI’s Leszek Wakula has space for 30 refugees.
“As a church for the last two weeks, we were able to help more than 150 people,” Leszek writes. One Sunday, 70 refugees joined his church for their service. Forty-five of those were children!
Leszek estimates the cost of feeding the refugees their church has taken in is about $33/day per person, or around $990 USD per day. Though Leszek’s church is one of the 5 biggest Baptist churches in Poland, this is still a huge responsibility for a church this size.
The church has split up into 5 action groups to do the hard work of helping this many refugees. They have a group for: housing, transportation, grocery shopping and cooking.
The 5th group works on sending supplies into Ukraine. This group sent relief to two sister churches in Ukraine and was preparing a third shipment at press time. Leszek asks us to pray for renewed vigor and strength for those serving in these demanding roles.
Leszek's church has space for 30 refugees.
Mid-March, Leszek was at the church when 2 vans full of goods for the refugees pulled up. The donors were simply led by God to come to church and drop these items off!
When I spoke with Leszek just before Ukraine was invaded, he said, “…we know in times of unrest, people turn to God. We pray He will use this time for His glory and people will seek peace in Him, not political solutions.”
The first Sunday after the refugees arrived, the church got the opportunity to encourage 45 refugee children who attended their Sunday School and strengthen them to trust in Jesus.
Mid-March, Leszek was at the church when 2 vans full of goods for the refugees pulled up. The donors were simply led by God to come to church and drop these items off!
Andrew and Anna Gorski - Evangelical Poland
ITMI’s Andrew and Anna Gorski have led their church to open up their homes. They’ve also opened their own home for refugees. One family already passed through, headed for another country.
Recognizing that the refugee situation is ripe for human traffickers to pick off the vulnerable, Andrew is working to set up a small call center that will be manned by Ukrainians who will serve callers by answering questions, directing them to resources and pointing them to Jesus by praying for them and directing them to local churches.
Andrew is working with officials - who say there are 6,000 refugees staying at a convention center in Warsaw - to get these refugees into the hands of God’s people in Europe.
Officials say 6,000 refugees are staying at a convention center in Warsaw.
With help from ITMI supporters, Andrew was able to pay for 168 of those refugees to take 3 buses to Switzerland, where he’s worked with sister churches full of believers eager to host Ukrainian refugees and share the love of Jesus.
Getting refugees out of the convention center and into homes and churches where believers can care for them would be Kingdom advancing, not to mention a welcome relief for these exhausted and traumatized families.
“Our hearts are full and yours should be as well, because not only they will find a safe place, but also some of them will experience God’s Church at its very best, and will hopefully come to know Jesus personally!” writes Andrew.
At press time, Andrew planned to help another 200 refugees reach churches in Sweden. “If we had more funds, we could send more,” he said.
Ukrainian refugees who no longer have to stay at the convention center, heading to churches in Switzerland.
