Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day 2024. The attacks, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called “inhumane,” targeted multiple cities, demonstrating the continued intensity of the conflict that has now stretched into its third year. The assault came as millions of Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on December 25 for only the second time, having changed from the Russian Orthodox calendar which marks the holiday on January 7.
Texas minister Michael Evans Jr. visited the war-torn country just before the attacks to provide food, firewood, drinkable water and most importantly, a message of hope, forgiveness and restoration.
To honor his relative who died in the Holocaust, Evans has served impoverished Holocaust survivors and Jewish orphans in Ukraine for more than a decade through Friends of Zion. When Russia invaded Ukraine, he felt the need to provide further support to the Ukrainian people. Since the war began, through Friends of Zion and with additional donations from Samaritan’s Purse, Evans has helped deliver 15 million pounds of food, alongside medicine, generators and clothing.
“I wanted to personally ensure that the supplies reached the people who needed them most,” he said. “And just as importantly, I wanted the opportunity to share hope and encouragement with the Ukrainians firsthand.”
Evans pictured in 2022 delivering aid. Image: Courtesy.
Evans felt compelled to act and found strength in his faith, particularly in Psalm 118:17: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” “If anything, this has shown an even greater example to my kids (and the rest of our family) that a life lived for Christ is the central and most important point,” he said.
Evans traveled more than 1,000 miles along southeastern frontlines, visiting villages that had not seen a foreign visitor since the war began. In Kryvyi Rih, a heavily bombed city, he delivered 50,000 pounds of food to a local church serving as a humanitarian aid depot. This critical distribution provided a lifeline for hundreds of families.
Days before Christmas, Evans continued to encourage war-stricken communities in eastern Ukraine. Preaching in small village churches from Odessa to Kharkiv, he also held cross-denominational meetings with local pastors who have remained in conflict zones to shepherd their communities. His mission also extended to various Jewish communities, bringing much-needed support and solidarity. He spent time kneeling at the bedsides of the sick, praying with them and offering comfort.
In Kharkiv, just 20 miles from the Russian border, Evans led a special Christmas outreach on December 15, with a particular focus on children and the elderly. The event included a theater production for 1,000 children, many of whom are orphans or have lost a parent in the conflict. Each child received gifts and experienced the comforting message of God’s love, and hot meals were served to hundreds of seniors. This local effort brought a moment of joy and distraction from the harsh realities of war.
Evans’ father, of Jewish descent, named him after his own grandfather, Rabbi Mikel Katznelson, who perished in the Holocaust. Inspired by a visit to the site where his great-grandfather and 2,000 others were killed in a wooden synagogue, Evans began caring for impoverished Holocaust survivors and Jewish orphans in Ukraine more than a decade ago.
“The war is still happening, we’re still helping and God is still good,” Evans said.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
