Message from Jeff Abrams
Greetings fellow Christians!
It’s good to be home. Thanks for the prayers…
Really enjoyed worshipping at Tuscumbia this morning…great crowd, singing, preaching…
Below is a report that will be going out to lots of folks involved in Ukraine missions.
To sum up my most recent trip across Ukraine…and the present and future opportunities God is giving us…
The short version:
Whenever I visit Ukraine, it’s as if I’m stepping inside the Book of Acts. Acts—with its many challenges, baptisms, tears, and triumphs—is happening across Ukraine as our besieged brethren stand tall. Like the early church, they are a worshipping, fellowshipping, evangelizing, and benevolent family of believers.
In the midst of so much that is evil, there is unprecedented and urgent opportunity to do good, to bring hope, to rescue souls…
The long version:
On Sunday morning, August 25th I was privileged to preach my last sermon as the pulpit preacher for the amazing Tuscumbia Church of Christ. I love this church! I’m grateful to God and to Tuscumbia for what has been and for what will be, as Judy and I continue our association with our Tuscumbia “forever family,” —but in a different role.
Moving forward I will devote more of my heart, energy, and time to the good people of Ukraine, while at the same time seeking to continue to “pitch in wherever needed” to help Tuscumbia reach even greater spiritual heights. (For example I’m looking forward to spending more time with Tuscumbia’s college age and young professionals in class on Sundays)
As I begin this new phase of ministry, I want to again and again thank God and God’s people for being better to me than I could ever deserve. I truly owe debts I cannot repay. And the luggage was the absolute perfect gift…thank you!
On the afternoon of my final sermon as Tuscumbia’s pulpit preacher I was blessed to return to Ukraine—a country that continues to endure unspeakable evil at the bloody hands of Russian president Vladimir Putin and his wicked associates.
For 10 days I was able to visit 14 different places/people across Ukraine, including a brief stopover to see our brethren in Warsaw, Poland. I’m actually flying across the Atlantic as I write this report… Trivia: total time on planes, trains, buses, cars, and a bicycle… over 100 hours. As the saying goes, “some folks are worth the journey!”
If you’re interested…here’s the list of places visited in alphabetical order:
1. Dnipro—“The Huntsville” of Ukraine. Ballistic missile attacks here. Big house for worship and refugee relief.
2. Kharkiv—Christians in great danger here. 2nd largest city. Next to Russian border.
3. Konstantinovka—Christians need to evacuate this place.
4. Kramatorsk—Christians contemplating evacuation. My home away from home.
5. Kropivnitsky—Relatively safe area. Christians relocating to this place
6. Kyiv—Capitol. Children’s Hospital attacked here.
7. Lviv—Has been safe, now site of deadly attacks on civilians. Big house for refugees here. Best location in all of Europe for our place of worship.
8. Marhanets—Across river from Russian controlled nuclear power plant.
9. Nikopol—Christians need to evacuate this area. Constant strikes along river.
10. Oleksandrya—Safe area presently.
11. Pokrovsk—Russians within 4 miles. Most Christians have evacuated.
12. Pokrovske—Addiction rehab center does great work here…
13. Warsaw, Poland—Big house here is home to 40 Ukrainian Christians.
14. Zaporizhzhia—Location of huge dam that’s been hit multiple times but still stands.
The headlines:
—Russia’s deadly attacks on civilians (and civilian infrastructure) across Ukraine has dramatically increased. Our brethren are at great risk! There are more civilian deaths, more sounds of war (air raid sirens and explosions), more power outages, more memorials to the dead, more front line cities needing to evacuate, than at any time previously.
—In spite of severe challenges, or maybe even because of severe challenges, the Lord’s church across Ukraine is thriving. There have been at least 500 baptisms—unheard of numbers for a European country!!! Congregations are teaching, feeding, and sheltering their neighbors. Evil is being overcome by good, lots and lots of good.
—“Rescue Ukraine” which is overseen by Tuscumbia is extremely active…our mission to Ukraine is much like a Swiss Army knife…there are a variety of efforts to meet multiple needs.
Thanks to God and to prayerful, generous brethren with a heart for Ukraine, the following is a sample of ongoing activities to save Ukrainian lives and souls:
Fully or partially supporting 5 courageous and highly effective Ukrainian preachers.
Assisting in the evacuation of Christians from frontline cities to safer places.
Assisting with multiple refugee relief and outreach efforts across Ukraine. We are also seeking to build on our efforts to help children displaced and orphaned by this war.
Helping provide safe shelter and places of outreach in 3 big houses (located in major population centers of Lviv, Warsaw, and Dnipro).
Supporting an amazing children’s outreach program/school in Lviv.
We will soon be printing and distributing 5,000 first ever Ukrainian language Bibles which have teaching aids assisting readers in their journey to salvation in Jesus. Also, a monumental Study Bible project, in conjunction with our friends at apologetics Press is ongoing. The first phase…getting faithful brethren to translate the document, is progressing.
Planning for the 23rd edition of Camp Amerikraine next summer—this unity-building, faith-fortifying camp is the largest annual gathering of Christians in Europe.
Assisting with various spiritual and physical needs of Ukrainian Christians who are stateside…including helping facilitate a retreat in Tennessee next weekend.
In closing…there are urgent and generational opportunities right now (that could easily become casualties of war tomorrow) to glorify God and help the good people of Ukraine! Thank you for “praying and paying” so that souls and lives may be saved.
I love and appreciate you!
Jeff
PS. Just a sample of the destruction I observed across Ukraine.
Markets, schools, hospitals, restaurants, apartments buildings, parks, etc are being especially targeted…
