Report for the Sixth Trip to Ukraine (June 29th- July 5th 2022)

The sixth trip to Ukraine started on Wednesday, June 29th. I (Aurel Munteanu) was accompanied by bro. David Paraschivescu from Bucharest. The trip lasted for 7 days and it was the hardest so far. The greatest struggle was with the heat wave we encountered (at 7 PM the temperature was 102,2°F), and the second greatest struggle was with the terrible condition of the mountain roads. But, in spite of these, we experienced great joy in visiting and helping refugees. We were greatly moved while listening to their experiences.

We arrived at bro. Raul’s, in Bocsa, on Wednesday evening. He, sis. Miriam and bro. Lucian helped us load the van with clothes, shoes, electrical kettles, an electrical stove, a washing machine and 4 bicycles.

Next morning, at 7 AM, we left toward the Ukrainian border. We stopped in the city of Oradea, at a retailer, to buy canned meat, salami, rice, sugar, pasta, oil and hygiene products. We left toward the border with a full load. We were met at the crossing by bro. Romi Molnar and his wife, Hanna and their 3 children. Sister Hanna helped us, as she usually does, with filling the customs declarations in Ukrainian and she was our translator into Ukrainian and Russian. They always helped us, during every trip we made. Together with them, we arrived at an Ukrainian Baptist Church in Bedevlia, at 10 PM, after traveling for 15 hours. We were received with great hospitality by pastor Ivan Nemesh. They were also hosting three refugee families from Kharkov (6 adults and 4 children in total). The grandmother cooked for us during our stay. We spent time with them and they grew fond of us. We shared the Gospel with them. They are Orthodox. On Monday morning, when we left for Romania, they came and hugged us and thanked us for everything we do for the Ukrainian people.

On Friday we unloaded the van and prepared individual packages for the refugee families whom we were planning to visit. We gave a package to a family that has 10 children (they are Catholic) and to families around the church that hosted us. In the evening, after traveling for 11 hours, bro. Max Vlasov and his wife, Alesia, arrived. They were coming from Kiev to get the aid and the literature from us and were taking everything to central Ukraine, to the city of Kropryvnytsky. We loaded their car and trailer with food, clothes, the kettles, the stove, the washing machine the bicycles and lots of literature in Ukrainian and Russian. They had a big need for bicycles there because there is a severe shortage of fuel. The price is high and the fuel is rationed. They were very happy to meet us in person and receive the goods that we brought. She always tells those whom they help that the aid comes from her believing brothers. The car which they drove was pierced by a Russian bullet. They received it from a family of refugees that are now in Portugal, who barely escaped after the Russians opened machine gun fire on their refugee convoy. At 10 PM we entrusted them in the hands of God and they left for Kropyvnytsky to distribute the aid. They got there the next day in the afternoon, after a trip in which they risked their life. It is dangerous to travel after 10 PM, because of the martial law. Please be in prayer for this wonderful family.

On Saturday morning we took aid to 2 families. The first one was from Izyum. They have 14 children. The second was a family of 8, refugees from Mariupol. In the evening, when it started cooling off a bit, we travelled about 150 km with bro. Ivan, bro. Romi and sis. Hanna to an orphanage in Dombok, toward the border with Slovakia. Beside the orphans from that place, they had many from Dnipro, which were moved from the war zone with the personnel. There are 60 children in that orphanage, and they are in need of food. They are also hosting refugees from Kharkov in the gymnasium. We talked with them, as well. They were very happy and emotional because of our visit and the manager invited us back.

On Sunday morning we took packages with aid to the homes of the members of the 1st Baptist Church in Bedevlia (the church that hosted us) who took in refugees. We also gave them Gospel literature. We stayed for their church service and bro. David preached. In the evening, we took aid and literature to the refugees hosted by the Baptist church in Vilhivski Iazi. I preached for their service. Both bro David and I preached about the Gospel of the grace of our Lord.

On Monday morning, at 07:30 AM, we left toward Romania. We made our first stop 65 km south of the border, to visit bro Emil’s family, and we had a blessed time there, as we always do when we visit them. It was at 9 PM when we got back to Bocsa, at bro. Raul’s. On Tuesday afternoon, after a wonderful fellowship with the brethren in Bocsa, we left for our homes. We arrived in Filiasi at 6 PM and bro. David got home in Bucharest at 11 PM.

This was, in short, our sixth trip to Ukraine. We don’t have the space to write more details. But we wish to send to all of you the joy that we saw on the faces of these people and their gratitude toward God for the love that was shown to them. May God reward and bless each and every one of you with the best of His heavenly treasures!

What is next?

We wish to thank you all for your prayers and the support that enabled us to do this work. Every prayer, comment, appreciation and encouragement means a lot to us! God was with us and opened every door where we went. Our wish is to continue this work, to distribute literature, to preach where we are invited, to personally hand out aid to the refugees, especially to the children in the orphanage in Mukacevo. They need personal hygiene products and food (vegetables and fruits most of all). We can buy the necessary vegetables and fruits in Ukraine at very good prices from Baptist farmers close to the orphanage. This way, we can help both the children in the orphanage and the farmers.

Pray for us that the Lord will continue to grant us strength to carry on these trips for His glory! All those with whom we spoke send their greetings and thankfulness to you!

Glory to God now and forever!

Your brethren,

Aurel Munteanu and David Paraschivescu

Financial report for the fourth trip to Ukraine (May 29th- June 4th 2022)

Purchased items:

45 bars of salami

1314 cans of meat

80 kg rice

160 liters oil

90 kg sugar

139 bags of pasta

36 boxes of crackers

6 kg candy

34 bars of chocolate

121 pcs of soap (liquid and solid)

36 pcs of shampoo

100 personal hygiene sets

100 dental hygiene sets

 

15 pcs electric kettles

1 washing machine

1 electrical stove

2 bicycles

 

Beside the items we purchased ourselves, we took the following items that were donated to us:

30 boxes with clothes and shoes

2 bicycles

1 baby stroller

10 first aid kits

 

We also took 6000 Gospel booklets in Ukrainian and Russian and 15 books.

 

Total for purchased items: $ 3556.38

Amount of cash given to cover costs of fuel and maintenance for three vans that /span>make trips to Eastern Ukraine to bring people out and take aid in, to volunteers and refugees: $ 11490.00

Money needed for fuel/span>, vehicle maintenance and other expenses on our trip to Ukraine and back: $8874.50

Grand total for the /b>fourth trip: $ 55920.89