Above: One truckoad of the 15 tons of humanitarian AID from AFCI sent to Ukraine.

This past month has seen a dramatic shift, as the world’s preoccupation with COVID-19 has moved to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the wake of this conflict, over two million people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine as refugees, and over one million Ukrainians have been internally displaced. Even as you read these statistics, the situation on the ground changes by the hour. The EU believes the number of refugees in total could climb to seven million.

This humanitarian crisis has impacted AFCI very deeply, as we have teams in Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, and Poland. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of dwindling resources, AFCI Ukraine is tirelessly ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of thousands of internally displaced people, whose lives and livelihoods have been decimated by the Russian war machine. Similarly, our teams in Romania, Slovakia, and Poland have helped their respective governments resettle about 1.42 million refugees, as all surrounding countries have enthusiastically opened their doors to those fleeing the conflict. When one of our team members in Poland went out to pick up some needed supplies, everything on his list, from SIM cards to medicine, was given to him free of charge when the store owners learned they were for Ukrainian refugees.

In addition, AFCI Slovakia has been busy identifying accessible transportation pipelines, allowing us to send humanitarian aid into Ukraine. Currently, Ukraine is easily accessed through the borders of both Slovakia and Romania. As I write this article, AFCI Romania is crossing the border with a huge delivery van packed with blankets, food, medicine, clothing, Bibles, and baby supplies for our Ukrainian team to distribute. In recent days, a couple of transport trucks have been made available to us, and AFCI Slovakia has been able to temporarily rent warehouse space in Nové Zámky, which the owner has agreed to rent out for one-fifth the normal price. This will give us a strategic staging area where goods can be stored as they await delivery.

Partnering with two local foundations, AFCI has been able to distribute funds and resources where they are needed the most. We have connected with some Slovakian doctors and will be sending them funds so the doctors can purchase a truckload of medicine and supplies that are needed in Ukraine. Also, AFCI has been able to to provide three full pallets of hospital and medical supplies for the civilian population. They will soon be leaving by air from the US to Bratislava and then on to Ukraine by road. Please join us in praying that these vital supplies will effectively be delivered to those who are suffering.

Certainly, the main passion of our teams is to take the life-giving Gospel of Jesus to those who have not heard. However, Jesus also exhorted us with these words, in the living out of our faith: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'”
(Matthew 25:40).

How Can I Help?

Many have asked how they can help. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please donate through our website:

  • Go to afciworld.org/donate
  • Click AFCI Greatest Need
  • Enter Ukrainian Refugees in the comment box when you make your donation.

This will afford AFCI the greatest flexibility in responding to current needs. When combined with these other donations, your gift becomes a powerful means to support the acceleration of the spread of the Gospel amongst the ”least of these.”

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