Pastor Mazepa pastors a church in Kyiv and also serves as a prison chaplain in the prisons in and around Kyiv. Here is a brief report of how he and his wife Irene are serving in this difficult time.
This is a hard time for my country. For every minister it is very important to be at the right time in the right place. I saw it a week ago, when early in the morning the Russian army fired 25 rockets from the territory of Belarus. We woke up at 4:40 a.m. because of very strong explosions. One of the rockets hit the military warehouse, which is located 5 km away.
All our neighbours were very scared (us too). Most of the people that live here are 70 years old and older. Because of their age, they could not flee to other countries. Many of them have no relatives. My wife and I decided to visit our neighbours and calm them down. These meetings were very sweet. We prayed with people and invited them to come to our home in case of danger.
We continue to distribute food to the neediest people. Our government warned us that in winter we will have problems with central heating. The temperature in the apartments will be 12 C (53 F). I decided to buy air heaters for widows in my church – thank you for your help.
For many years I keep correspondence with one life-sentenced criminal. I used to visit his prison. He always asked interesting questions that demonstrated that he is concerned about his soul. Besides some food and hygienic supplies, I always sent him Christian books. He stays in Correctional Establishment #8 in the city of Zhytomyr. I recently sent him a box with food.
I'm happy to be a part of your important ministry and to help the neediest people in my country in this difficult time. Thank you very much for your help.
May the Lord bless you.
Pastor Alexander, Kyiv, Ukraine.
