Steiger Update from Ukraine

 

When the war began in Ukraine, our Kyiv City Team was among the thousands who evacuated the city. As they sat in the endless traffic jam, one member, Denis, felt a tugging in his spirit. “As we pulled up to the metro station, I said to my friend, ‘Mat, I feel like I need to stay in Kyiv. I don’t understand why I would be leaving now. I need to stay.’ Another girl decided to stay with me. We got out of the car, burst into tears, and said goodbye.” The pair walked, hitchhiked, and finally took a subway back to the center of the city they had just fled.  Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they opened the doors to the Steiger Community House, welcoming in anyone who needed a place to stay. And now, along with the physical relief the space provides, everyone who enters can feel the presence of God. Prayer, Bible Studies for the Non-Religious, and worship have become a lifeline.

In the midst of the chaos, fifteen young people gathered at the Community House to celebrate 3 years of the Bible Study for the Non-Religious in Kyiv.

Many of the people who have come to the house since that first night are not strangers. Instead, they are the same young people the Kyiv City Team has spent the past year pouring into.  “Christina also joined us. I was so surprised when I saw her with us in prayer. She, along with everyone else, sang praise songs, the words of which she looked up online,” Denis shared.  “After a few days, she received Jesus in her heart. I am so happy to see how her life and outlook has changed in these past few days of war. She devoured the Gospels one by one. Such stories are so inspiring and give even more strength in this difficult time.” Recently, on Easter morning, Christina was baptized, declaring to the world that she is a follower of Christ.

Baptisms like Christina’s are a ray of hope for our brave missionaries.

In the midst of the horrors and chaos of war, God is still at work. Please continue to pray for supernatural protection, strength, and wisdom for these brave followers of Jesus, and for our Steiger family across the Russian-speaking world.