Our grandmothers have a sobering tradition of kissing the bread.
My grandma did it because in 1933, when she was 14, she lost relatives to famine caused by the Soviets communists. During WWII they were starving again under occupation. I’m so sad that they are going through this again today. But I’m grateful to the people who are feeding them in Jesus’ name.
In Ukraine, many families were shattered by the war. A lot of people have no food or money and are still in the war zone. We have been reaching out to these people to give them a gift, a loaf of bread.
One older woman who received the bread wrote to our missionaries to thank them. She said, “I have no words to express my feelings. I can’t explain all that this gift has given me. It is a symbol of God’s love. It is encouragement. It is hope in God and it is life.”
When I think about the suffering people in Ukraine, I can’t help but think about how much they must be hungry for spiritual bread. Just as we need physical bread to survive, we also need spiritual bread to live a full and meaningful life.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) Jesus is the bread of life. He is the sustenance that we need to live. He satisfies our hunger and thirst. Whoever comes to him will never go hungry or thirsty.
War has created a lot of hardship for people, especially when it comes to having enough food. We’ve been doing our best to support bakeries who are working hard to respond to bread shortages. One of the bakeries “Victory Bread” for the last eight months have been making bread nonstop. They’ve already made 350,000 loafs of bread, but they need to be able to make more.
If you feel called by God to help us not only meet physical needs but spiritual needs as well, please help us reach out to these broken people. By sharing the bread of life, we can show our compassion for those who are struggling. When Jesus went out and spoke to people, He always tried to give them hope. He fed them, both physically and emotionally. He was always there for them when they needed Him. And that is what we should aspire to do as well.
Since the war began in Ukraine on February 24, our partners have been helping us respond to the great needs of the churches in the former Soviet Union. Thousands of men, women and children have been displaced from their homes and our brothers and sisters are working hard to help them with their immediate needs through Russian Missions Compassion Ministry.
Our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are still facing many challenges, including the ongoing war. They are doing everything they can to help refugees who have been displaced by the fighting, but they need our continued support. The reports and testimonies we regularly receive from supported missionaries across the former Soviet Union inspire us and fill our hearts with hope. They have always faced difficulties while carrying out their ministries, but now they are struggling more than ever due to the outbreak of war in February.
This situation is heartbreaking, but we know that God is in control. He is using this time to draw people to Himself, and we are so thankful for that. Please join us in praying that we will be able to do even more to help the churches reach them in the days ahead.
Thank you for your compassion and support as we face these difficult times in Ukraine.
With your help, we are able to continue sharing the Bread of Life with those who need it most.
Gratefully,
Pastor Vitali Yuchkovski