Eric and Beth Yodis – World Venture
Last week, a few people asked me how things were going back home in Donetsk. I told them we were having less attacks then before the so-called cease fire, but that I was seeing signs that something bad was coming. It was little things actually, like peace talks that were canceled and news of the Polish government evacuating a bunch of Poles from the Donbas. It wasn’t anything obvious, but it made me think they know something we don’t know.
Then on Saturday, all Hades broke loose at the Donetsk airport. Reportedly, there is as much or more battle activity in eastern Ukraine as there has been since the war began.
The next article by Euro News should make your blood boil, but the point of it is to show you what kind of people Ukraine is up against. The way these Ukrainian soldiers are treated (without a trial or even military tribunal) shows the lawless nature of those who are occupying Donetsk. This same kind of behavior has been used on ordinary citizens who are pro-Ukraine. We were recently told that the situation has evolved into complete and utter banditism. Click HERE to read the Euro News article.
This article by Reuters news service gives a clue as to what is happening now in eastern Ukraine, Russian involvement and what may be in store for Ukraine. Click HERE to go to the Reuters news article.
The last article link we are providing is a translated reprint from the paramilitary blog of Dimitri Tymchuk. Dima is one of the most trusted voices on battle activities, war activity and military strategy since the war of Russian aggression began. He has eyes and ears throughout the military and civilian population. As a former military officer, he is not afraid to speak his mind and has not only been critical of Putin and Russia, but of Ukraine as well when appropriate. His updates are read by the Ukrainian government as a trusted source of intel. Click HERE to read his last update translated into English.
We are grateful to God and to our colleagues in Kiev who have helped us secure an apartment that is affordable and will be ready for us to move into when we return in the Spring. We are grateful to God for giving our daughter and her husband safe travels as they recently moved to Colorado. We are also grateful to God for the generosity of those who are making it possible to provide emergency aid to those suffering in eastern Ukraine.
We continue to ask God to bring peace to Ukraine and for the protection of the Christ-followers in eastern Ukraine. We ask God to help the believers in the war zone stand strong and to reach out to their communities with the love of Christ during this difficult time. We ask God to help us find those who will commit their support for the ministry so we can close the gap of our under-support as we prepare to go back to Ukraine. We ask God to help us change our mindset and lifestyle so we can prepare ourselves to live in an apartment that is 1/5 the size of the house we left in Donetsk.
Thank you for your ministry of prayer for us and for Ukraine. Some have been asking us how safe it is to return to Ukraine. We think it is, but maybe this will be a reminder to pray harder for us and other missionaries in hot spots around the world. For now, please know we hold you in our hearts.