 "Many people no longer have the money to buy groceries. Therefore, they are ready to stand in line all day to get some groceries.” Pastor Sergey Bevz  SELCU Pastors Serving Ukrainians Working through LCC staff member Rev. Larry Myers, below is an update from the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) pastors, thanking LCC donors for your financial support and prayers. We continue to receive detailed updates from SELCU pastors sharing how your donations are critical to helping them serve the physical and spiritual needs of those they serve. Yura Timerkan (SELCU pastor) Pastor Timerkan wrote the following update to the Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Torgerson, a Lutheran Church-Canada pastor currently serving at First Lutheran Church and Christian Academy in Windsor, Ontario, and formerly Rector of Concordia Seminary, in the suburbs of Odessa, Ukraine: “My city (Bashtanka) suffered a lot by occupying forces. One of the last objects is our hospital; it was destroyed by a missile. Russians are trying to break into our region again. They were not very successful until this day, but we understand that any day they will come because they brought together a very large group in our direction. We still have worship services. People need it, and I will continue to serve here as long as it would be possible.  SELCU Pastor Yura Timerkan visits Ukrainian families in Bashtanka, Ukraine People here in Bashtanka every day [are] asking me about different kinds of help. Some people need groceries; some people ask me to help as a driver because markets in villages [are] closed and people have no opportunity to buy groceries or other stuff. The biggest problem is medicine. I spent more than 2,000 USD on the purchase of medicine which is absolutely unavailable for people in our region. Also, I will try to buy gas in cylinders for people in Zelenyi Yar next week, because people already have no opportunity to prepare their food. Gas filling stations [are] not working in our region. Also, two refugees live in my house. I continue to serve people as I can. Most difficult thing is that we live like on a powder keg. You never know when it will explode. But every day, Ukraine loses more and more territories, and we (pastors) have more and more mothers who lost their sons, wives who lost their husbands, and children who lost their fathers. This situation [is] destroying me from the inside sometimes. Thanks [be to] Jesus! He always helps me to recover. Please say thanks to all people who [are] constantly praying for us. We really need this support. Blessings to you. I thank God for you every day. I believe that He will give me a chance to see you again." Oleg Schewtschenko (SELCU pastor) SELCU Pastor Oleg Schewtschenko delivers an iCare package to a woman in Odessa. He writes: “’You give them something to eat,’ said Jesus Christ to the disciples, and therefore to us of His church.”
Sergey Bevz (SELCU pastor in Dnipro)  “This person [147 attempts] set the record for calling to make an appointment for a food parcel. In some refugee centers, they gave [out] our number and said that they could get food packages from us. Now we cannot cope with the number of calls. When there were not enough places to stay overnight, the maximum number of calls per day was about 450. It is even difficult to count how many now. It is physically impossible to answer even 30% of calls. We are currently accepting people by appointment only. On Monday-Tuesday we had an appointment until Friday. We also try to distribute people at different times so that there are no queues. Many people, having experience of getting groceries in other centers, ask if they should stand in line at 5 a.m.  The situation itself is as follows: Many people no longer have the money to buy groceries. Therefore, they are ready to stand in line all day to get some groceries. In our city, many volunteer centers and churches that help with food are forced to cut the content of the food package. They see the number of people and their limitations, so they make this unpleasant decision. It is clear that people are different. There are unpleasant stories with cunning and deceit. We try to be wise and respond. But there are many good stories, good people. But I will return to the number 147. It's not just about persistence. I think it's about the need people are in. Yes, this is a record in my call log. But this is an indication…the situation is not getting better. Please pray for people.” Ukrainian Church – Palatine, Illinois On behalf of LCC, Jim Dunne and Pat Sweeney presented additional donations to Archpriest Mykhailo Kuzma of the Ukrainian Church in Palatine, Illinois, to continue direct and immediate financial assistance to their contacts in Ukraine.  On Friday, April 29, LCC staff member John Pejchl and LCC Volunteers Jim Dunne and Dr. Peter Lazzari met Archpriest Kuzman at the Ukrainian Church in Palatine. They delivered another check of your donations as well as a shipment of medical supplies. Dr. Lazzari received the medical supplies from Blessings International, Medicines for Missions and then delivered them to the church. Archpriest Kuzman has made arrangements to get the medical supplies and your donations into Ukraine to directly help those affected by the war. Thank you for your faithful and generous support. Your Donations are Immediately Helping Ukrainians in Need! Please prayerfully consider donating to help Ukrainians by showing the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need! Thank You for your support in being the hands and feet of Jesus to those suffering! IN THE NEWS
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