Children may be the forgotten victims of the ongoing war in Ukraine. All but 12 of 69 Child Evangelism Fellowship workers have remained to help. Half are sheltering in place, and the other half have moved to western Ukraine.
The ministry has full-time workers in every neighboring country, and they are coordinating with the Hope for Ukraine response. Workers who have fled Ukraine are connecting with workers in destination countries and continue ministry to refugee children. Around half (3.4 million) of the country’s children soon will be displaced and in need of ministry, it is predicted. Child Evangelism Fellowship is helping refugee children and workers in three ways:
- Printing millions of copies of the booklet, “Do You Wonder Why? Answers to Tough Questions” in both Ukrainian and the languages of every border country, including Russia. The children in those countries also are seeing this tragedy and have questions about why bad things happen. More than 300,000 copies already have been printed and distributed in 11 countries. A friend of a worker spotted a mother reading it to her son on a train in Poland, miles from the Ukrainian border.
- Assembling 100,000 simple backpacks with the booklet and other gospel resources. Church partners are adding a toy, candy and food.
- Sending additional financial support to all 69 workers, because prices have risen and emergency purchases are needed for necessities and caring for refugees from the eastern side of the country. Many refugees are sick from spending days in cellar basements with no light, heat, food or water. Ministry workers in the West are accommodating as many as three additional families in each of their homes while dealing with illness and other situations, such as pregnancy. The organization’s summer camp is overflowing with refugees.
READ: Former Vice President Pence, wife visit Ukraine with Samaritan’s Purse
Additional information, prayer requests and donation opportunities are available at www.cefonline.com/ukraine.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice