Boots on the Ground

Pastor Karen’s Personal Update

Messiah is Risen!

We had a truly impactful outreach event on Saturday evening in Izmail, focused on children and teenagers, with many of their parents also in attendance. The theme of the outreach was the resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
It continues to amaze me how many people in our culture still lack a clear understanding of the true meaning of Passover and Easter. For many, these holidays are associated primarily with traditions like baked goods, colored eggs, or the Easter bunny, without any knowledge of the profound message behind them. I had the privilege of sharing, in a simple and accessible way, the truth of the resurrection and the purpose of the Messiah’s coming — His death and victorious resurrection.
The response was truly encouraging. Both the children and their parents listened attentively, and by the end of the evening, 30 individuals had made a profession of faith in Jesus the Messiah as Lord of their lives.
The following Sunday, we were blessed to welcome over 15 of those children, teenagers, and their parents to our church service to celebrate the resurrection together. For most of them, it was their very first time attending an evangelical church. Praise the Lord for the work He is doing in their hearts and in this community!

Another Changed Life!

Meet Roman, a 59-year-old man who recently arrived in Izmail from eastern Ukraine, where the ongoing war tragically destroyed everything he owned. During one of Russia’s missile attacks, his apartment was completely obliterated. Miraculously, Roman survived and eventually found refuge in our part of the Odesa region.

Roman has never had a family. He devoted his life to studying biology and is an exceptionally intelligent individual. However, despite his academic pursuits, he had never encountered the message of Jesus Christ—until his circumstances led him to live on the streets.

A few weeks ago, Roman came across one of our “Feed the Hungry” outreach events in Izmail. It was there that Brother Yan ministered to him and shared the gospel. Initially, Roman’s scientific background and reliance on human wisdom made it difficult for him to accept the simple truth of the gospel. But that day, something changed. Roman laid down his own understanding and opened his heart to Jesus Christ.

We have since welcomed Roman into our shelter home, and he is now actively participating in our church’s discipleship program in Izmail. Praise the Lord for His grace and the transformation happening in Roman’s life!

A Life Transformed Through Outreach in Odessa

Last Thursday, as part of our ongoing ministry, our team faithfully served hot meals and shared the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with over 75 individuals in Central Park, Odessa.

Among those we encountered was a young man named Ruslan, 32 years old, who had recently arrived in Odessa from the Kyiv region. Wandering the park in search of help and food, Ruslan was drawn to the activity and warmth of our outreach. Out of curiosity, he approached our gathering, received a hot meal, and—for the very first time—heard the message of the Gospel.

Ruslan shared with us that he had lost his father in the war—a devastating event that left him feeling hopeless and without purpose. His father had been his entire world, and after his passing, Ruslan struggled deeply, turning to drugs and antidepressants. Eventually, he exhausted all his resources and made his way to Odessa in a desperate search for support.

By God’s grace, last Thursday, Ruslan found more than just a warm meal—he encountered Jesus. That day marked the beginning of a transformation in his life. Ruslan is now entering our rehabilitation program, where he will continue to receive support and discipleship. Step by step, he is beginning a new journey as a follower of Christ.

We praise God for what He is doing in Ruslan’s life and in the lives of so many others we have the privilege of serving. Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we carry out this mission.

Lost But Not Forgotten

This is Mihail. He is a homeless man who lives on the streets of our town. A few days ago, he was brutally beaten and harassed by a group of teenagers who wanted to record his suffering and post it on their social media platforms. Unfortunately, in our countries, the police often do very little to protect homeless people. One of our team members found Mihail sitting on the street, crying, because no one had shown him any compassion or mercy. Our sister offered him help and brought him to our Feed the Hungry outreach, where—for the first time in many days—he had a hot meal and received some medical attention. Later, Mihail shared with us the story of how he became homeless and how he fell into alcohol abuse. But he also said something that really stayed with us: he told us that he had become so disappointed in humanity that he sometimes wondered whether true love and compassion still existed in this cruel world. Then, when he met our team, he said it felt as though God Himself came down and gave him a warm and loving hug. For the first time in many years, Mihail felt loved and cared for—and in that moment, he felt God’s presence. That day, he confessed Jesus as Lord of his life. Now, our team is helping him get back on his feet and working to restore all his documents.

Thank you, friends, for helping us be there for people like Mihail!

70 Decisions for Jesus!

Our team was back in the parks of Odessa with hot meals and the good news of the Gospel! As always, we are not only delivering food to those in need, but also providing them with free haircuts and basic medical aid—such as cleaning wounds and applying bandages.

When the altar call was given, 70 souls responded and professed Jesus as Lord of their lives! I’m so thankful for our team of volunteers who faithfully serve these people every week. They truly display the living Christ through their ministry and service to all those precious souls!

Miracle Working Power of Our God!

Hello friends, I just want to share with you another wonderful testimony of a changed life!

This is Sergey, and he is of Jewish descent. Sergey is 47 years old. Two years ago, he was invited to our “Feed the Hungry” outreach in Izmail. At that time, his life was completely shattered due to drug and alcohol abuse. The doctors had sent Sergey home to die—he had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, Ascites, and Cirrhosis of the liver. If you had seen his face back then, he was completely yellow and could barely move.

Sergey agreed to undergo rehabilitation through our church, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was completely healed and set free from all of his addictions.

Today, two years later, Sergey is alive and healthy—working, riding a bicycle, serving people, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Sergey says that God is good to him all the time, and he is so excited about the changes in his life and for God sending our team along his path.

Teenagers Coming to Jesus on the Streets!

Our team was back on the streets again as soon as the weather improved, and this time, we went to soccer and basketball playgrounds, offering all the young people free coffee and treats. We saw how the atmosphere changed immediately, and all the teenagers were drawn to our team and the message of the Gospel, which we shared while serving them coffee and sweets!

Our brother Yan led 15 teenagers to Jesus through the sinner’s prayer. They were so open to our testimonies and excited about us showing up and surprising them with our presentation.

I deeply believe we need to go where the fish are and cast all kinds of nets to catch some for the Kingdom of our God. It is so encouraging to see teenagers being open to receiving the message of truth. Sometimes, we start believing the stereotype that young people today are hard to reach due to culture and all the other excuses people use. But no, it is not hard—it is possible if we are filled with desire and compassion to see our kids come to know Jesus and become His followers! I pray according to this verse today for all of us, friends: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13

Orphans for Jesus!

Our team just visited another orphanage for teenagers in the western part of Ukraine, bringing them food supplies and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus! These are some children who’ve lost their parents due to the war, mainly from Odessa and the surrounding areas. Like always, when the Gospel was presented, all of them responded and professed their faith in Jesus! They were so happy that we came, not only because we brought them some gifts and treats but also because they felt something different: a true and genuine compassion and love! Twenty-five children were reached with the Gospel and prayer! Thank you for supporting our ministry and helping us reach those precious souls for the Kingdom of our God!

Lives Forever Changed by Simple Acts of love!

I’m so excited and proud of our team in Izmail; they are just non-stop preaching and sharing the Gospel using different techniques and methods! As you know, one of the things we do when we are out on the streets is offer people free haircuts and beard care services. This time, our team just parked our van on one of the streets of Izmail and offered people this free haircut service. Due to the economic situation in Ukraine and the war, most of the refugees can’t afford to go and visit a barbershop regularly, so for some of them, this act of kindness and love is a true blessing.

In one hour, four different people came up and wanted to use our free service, but we always warn them that this is free only because it’s done in the name of God’s love and under one condition—they need to listen to our hairdresser’s stories of how Jesus changed their lives! In one hour, our sister Svetlana led four souls to the Lord simply by cutting their hair, making them look better, and helping them regain their dignity and restore their trust in humanity.

People Need to Hear This!

What I like about our ministry and our churches is that we continue to simply go out on the streets and share with random people from different backgrounds, ages, and statuses about the greatest love of all, which is the love of our Lord Jesus!

As you well know, this is something that is in our DNA—not just to give people social aid and humanitarian support, but to make sure they are presented with the freeing message of our Lord Jesus. All the aid in the world won’t save them from spending eternity in complete separation from our Heavenly Father, so that is why we’re still continuing to stand on the corners of our streets and share the love of God with bypassers.

I’m trusting God for more open doors and resources for our team to hold schools of evangelism in Moldova, Ukraine, Latvia, and some of the Balkan nations. I see how effective our trainings are because almost every time we have conducted a school, churches get on fire about doing the same in their communities. Most importantly, they see how simple it is—you don’t need big budgets or celebrity preachers to come and do it for you. All they need is to be equipped, trained, and willing to go out and share their faith in Jesus!

“And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”
Mark 16:20 NLT

Reaching Souls in the Front Line Villages!

First of all, I want to thank you, friends, for constantly praying for our team and their safety as they travel to war zone locations.

A few days ago, our team from Izmail returned from a very intensive trip to the Kherson region. They went specifically to villages that are shelled daily by drones and mortars. Locals told Yan and his team that sometimes Russians would launch a few drones loaded with grenades, mocking civilians by chasing them with drones before attacking.

Imagine living there—it’s hard to comprehend when you only read or hear what different propaganda presents. But it’s an entirely different reality when you go there and meet the locals in person.

Due to the ongoing fighting, these communities are cut off from food and essential supplies. By God’s grace and protection, our team was able to reach two villages, where they found 110 people still living under those conditions. We brought them various supplies, including food, hygiene items, and gifts for children and teenagers. Most importantly, we brought them hope and comfort through the preaching of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus!

In one village, 50 souls, and in another, 60 more, professed their faith in Jesus as our team ministered to them! Please keep these precious souls in your prayers for protection and safety!

Continuing to Reach the Lost and Needy!

Our Odessa “Feed the Hungry” team continues to reach people from different walks of life in our Central Park! Today, over 50 souls were not only fed but also had the opportunity to profess their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! This outreach has changed and impacted many lives, and the power of the Gospel message continues to bring hope and salvation amid all the difficulties our country faces. Thank you for supporting this ministry and faithfully standing with us!

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