It's a hard truth, but ultimately, it's the assurance we need: God often does His deepest work in the darkest places.

When the war in Ukraine first began, our Kyiv branch leader, Anatoli Emma, said, 'It's a bad time for Ukraine but a good time for the gospel.' Four years later, our team in Ukraine is still faithfully sharing the gospel of peace as air raid sirens blast and drones pass overhead. Access to food and electricity is limited. Winters are cold. Nights are long. Concern for loved ones is constant because safety is never guaranteed. Can you imagine?

I lived in Jerusalem during the days when buses were regularly blown up. I served in the Israel Defense Forces. And still, I cannot fully imagine what our missionaries and their families in Kyiv and Odesa have been enduring, day in and day out, over these four years.

What sustains our faith when life feels unsafe, uncertain and unbearably heavy? It's easy to measure ourselves against others, wondering if we could handle suffering as well as they do. But Scriptures remind us that it's not what we can handle, but what God can handle, that counts.

God's word does not promise a life without suffering, but He does promise His presence within it. 'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you' (Isaiah 43:2).

In Ukraine, we see this promise lived out every day. In worship gatherings powered by batteries. In candlelit conversations over tea and shared bread. In prayers whispered during moments of fear. Again and again, God is showing Himself to be near to the brokenhearted and faithful to those who trust Him.

That is why our team can keep on showing up. They continue to love, listen and share the hope of Messiah with compassion and courage. They know Yeshua is with them. He is faithful.

In this newsletter, you will meet men and women who refuse to let war have the final word. You will see how God is drawing hearts to Himself even in seasons of loss and uncertainty and be reminded that behind every statistic is a person created in God's image, longing for peace, forgiveness and new life.

I hope these stories will inspire and encourage you to continue trusting God through whatever dark times you might be experiencing. But please remember to pray for Ukraine. Pray for protection, strength and perseverance, as well as spiritual awakening. Pray for many more to encounter the living Messiah, the Prince of Peace, in these turbulent times.

And pray also for our missionaries and their families, that they would be filled daily with the peace of Messiah that surpasses understanding, strengthened by His presence and sustained by the hope that only He can give.