Dear Christian Friends,

Today SMO heard from our partners, Hope of East Ukraine, in Germany of the devastation Ukraine is facing. This is an urgent plea for help. The following is an excerpt from the email update we received:

We are trying to help people through different projects: 

Our employees give people something to eat, some have not eaten for 3 days already.  Some grocery stores open only one hour a day.

How do we do it? 

–     We buy, thanks to the good relations in the wholesale/warehouse remaining stocks and distribute to the people. 

–     We have our own small bread factory that bakes 1,700 loaves of bread daily, which are then distributed to hungry people by our staff. We don’t know how much longer we can do this. We are trying to buy leftover flour stocks from large bread factories that have closed. 

– We are working to deliver relief goods clothing, food, and medical aid to Ukraine with large trucks.  

Millions of people are on the run. Many are fleeing to western Ukraine and then to the European Union.  But there are so many people that it is almost impossible to cope. Mothers with children often walk these 30 km with their children and wait at the border up to 3 days in the cold. We try to give these people something to eat. Of course, the tents that have been set up are not enough. The situation is very dramatic.

 Our employees are also affected. Our goal is first of all to help our employees and bring them to safety. We are working to bring their families to Germany. The first families have arrived. Alex Marchenko’s family is in Germany. Paul Velgus’ family is now in Hungary and is on their way to Germany. Gena Archypov is trying to get his family to the border. We are working to bring Roman Pivoschenko’s children to Germany as well. Other families of our employees are also on the way. It is all very difficult to put into words to describe the suffering.

Our staff works almost around the clock, with little sleep. Paul, Alexander and Sergjy have stayed in Germany and help us in the humanitarian aid area. Gena, Roman and many other 60 employees, with hundreds of volunteers are trying to rescue and help people.

 Please help us so that we can help people.  The expenses for help are very high and we need many donations.  This is the hour for Christian faith to be tangible and experienced. People are fleeing death and hunger…. Who if not we, Christians, should help?

If you would like to contribute to the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, please send donations to:

SMO    255 Beulah Church Rd Quitman, GA 31643

Zelle – Slavic Missionary Outreach – jfurney@windstream.net

Thank-you for your prayers and your generosity,

Phil and June Furney           
David Paulk                 
Charlotte Collins