Ukraine (MNN) — The United States moved 3,000 new troops to the Russia-Ukraine border this week, and put another 8,500 in Europe on standby. At the same time, NATO allies say roughly 30,000 Russian troops moved into Belarus, the biggest deployment there since the end of the Cold War.
Russia has approximately 100,000 troops positioned along the Ukraine border, though insists it is not planning to invade.
Ministry partners in Ukraine are “praying wisdom and courage for believers,” Keys for Kids Ministries Executive Director Greg Yoder says.
“They’re praying that there will be no invasion of Russia; that Christian churches in Ukraine will have the strength and faith to go about their daily lives as they wait.”
Tumultuous times like these can be stressful for families, especially if they live near the border. Keys for Kids devotionals point children and their parents to the Prince of Peace.
“Just before Christmas, we had 1,400 copies of Keys for Kids and 1,400 copies of Unlocked in Russian and Ukrainian distributed for free. There has now been some contact made in churches in Odessa,” Yoder says.
A pastor’s wife encountered the devotionals in one village through a ministry partner’s book fair. She took some Keys for Kids booklets home and read the stories with a pair of school-age children who live in the church building.
Keys for Kids Ministries partnered with Send International to translate Keys for Kids and Unlocked devotionals into Russian and Ukrainian languages.
(Photo courtesy of Keys for Kids Ministries)
“She (the pastor’s wife) read a story about being God’s children and then asked the [kids] if they wanted to become God’s children. They both said yes, so she prayed with them,” Yoder says.
“She realizes that they may not understand everything [about] salvation, but it certainly is an open door for the Gospel.”
Pray for believers on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine border. Ask God to strengthen them with His love. Pray the Lord will supply Keys for Kids Ministries and its partners in the region with wisdom.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now in Ukraine; there’s a lot of issues happening. The editor responsible for [the devotional ministry] right now has COVID, and the medical bills are piling up,” Yoder says.
“This is a spiritual battle, so we’re asking people to pray.”
Header image depicts the possible routes of alleged Russian invasion, January 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)
