When I took my wife and children and left our home in Kyiv, Ukraine last January little did I know a war would break out and we would be unable to return for this long.

FROM THE WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

For me, the war in Ukraine is very personal....

Dear Friend,

When I took my wife and children and left our home in Kyiv, Ukraine last January little did I know a war would break out and we would be unable to return for this long.

I could never have imagined losing precious family members to war, but I did - in the bombings in Mariupol. Or witnessing the suffering of my Christian brothers and sisters whose churches, homes and communities have been destroyed.

Since the first days of the Russian invasion, Iâve been working hard with the WEA to serve alongside the Evangelical church in war torn and occupied regions of my homeland. A report of what has been achieved so far is available at the link below.

Ruslan and Anya and one of their sons in Kyiv before the war.

Iâm in touch with church leaders almost every day, hearing reports of suffering, losses, and urgent needs. But I also hear about what God is doing through His people to demonstrate the love and hope that can be found in Him.

Iâm sure youâve read the news reports on how brutal the sub-zero winter weather is becoming for the people in Ukraine due to the bombing of energy infrastructure and shortages of electricity for heating, cooking, and more. Blackouts are common and in war time are especially frightening to children.

Recently, they asked us to help their families and church communities to survive the cold season which usually lasts from November to March.Â And I cannot say no. I hope you can help me respond quickly. We put together a list of critical winter survival items (such as generators, fuel, blankets) and their approximate costs.Â

Â You might be able to supply one (or even a part of one) and make a lifesaving difference in the lives of your Christian brothers and sisters this winter.ï»¿

Rest assured, your gift will be entrusted to verified and trustworthy frontline church leaders with hearts of compassion for people and knowledge of who needs help the most and how to deliver it in the name of our Lord. Your gift will help the Church be the Church.

Thank you for whatever you can do right now as temperatures continue to drop.

Ruslan Maliuta

ï»¿WEA Representative to Ukrainian Churches

Families like this one war torn and occupied Ukraine face a long, cold winter.

Over two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies. TheÂ World Evangelical AllianceÂ (WEA) is one of those, serving more than 600 million evangelicals belonging to churches that are part of 143 national Evangelical Alliances in 9 regions. Launched in London in 1846, the WEA unites evangelicals across denominations for prayer, evangelism, mission, theological education, religious freedom, human rights advocacy, relief, and engagement in a wide range of social issues. It speaks with one voice to United Nations, governments, and media in public or through behind-the-scenes diplomacy on issues of common concern to the Church. For more information, visitÂ worldea.org.