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​Christmas Project 2023

Dear KneeMail/Christmas Project Friends

We have lit the first candle of advent on our wreath. The candle of Hope. Yet our world is in flames. What we hear and see on the news broadcasts is really the tip of the iceberg, or should we say the cap of the volcano, of what is happening in our world. Our hearts are heavy with the agony and sufferings of so many people at the hands of war and greed and the ensuing poverty and grief they cause for such vast numbers of people. There are myriads of places where our prayer and generosity are needed, Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and many others. Our prayers and concerns have been and continue to be focused on the conflicts of Europe. We would like to present our Christmas Project 2023.  As in the past 25 years, we want to highlight needs that are personal and needs that you would probably never hear about. These are needs we have become aware of and present for your prayerful consideration. . .

Dimytro and Anna Ostapenko 

Dimytro and Anna Ostapenko have been volunteer workers for Ukraine for Christ (Cru in Ukraine) for many years helping to start and encourage new multiplying churches all over Ukraine. God has continued to use this couple and their team in amazing ways to start churches, to bring the truth and comfort of the gospel to Ukrainians They have also started a wartime chaplaincy where staff are able to visit soldiers and bring help and encouragement and share the gospel. Even in the midst of war and chaos they have followed God’s call into full-time ministry. Dimytro and Anna are now living with his parents.   "For more than 15 years, we have been serving in the Dnipropetrovsk region - (immediately next to Russian claimed territory). God has blessed and is using my family . . .We do not have our own home and live with my parents. but we see a great need for us to have our own apartment or house to use for ministry. Another of the main reasons for buying our own home is the incompatibility of our missionary lifestyle with my parents' views on life. And this often leads to misunderstanding and bitterness in our relations with them.[In contrast to renting], we could buy our own home. We know an apartment that we could buy right now for $20,000 and I have $10,000 in savings. For me, this is a great encouragement and evidence of God's incredible care. I need to raise $10,000 to cover the full cost.”We want to be a part of what God is doing through this family on the front lines of conflict, and invite you to join us  . . . 

Staff in Exile

We have reported almost each month about the ongoing and needless war between Ukraine and Russia and given many options for you to pray and help. Very soon after the war started our staff were faced with the uncomfortable question of whether to stay or move their families to safety. Budapest has been a hub of our E. European ministry since 1994 and is a place some were familiar with. For several families it has meant putting their children in the International Christian School of Budapest with a new language and new friends. But what they couldn’t foresee was the much higher cost of living compared with Ukraine. The financial support base they had built in Ukraine has crumbled, and these families have not been able to raise the additional amounts of support needed. We could mention specific families but have chosen not to for security reasons. In the midst of all of this they continue to minister to others, sharing the gospel, starting Bible studies and churches especially for the diaspora of thousands of Ukrainians in Hungary.We admire their faith and tenacity in the midst of many personal challenges. Their total needs for the next six months after which they are hoping and praying to return home is a staggering $32,000.

The (Yellow) Box Project continues to bear fruit . . .

Each Yellow Box contains 7 kg (16 lb) of basic food items: flour, sugar, oatmeal, sunflower oil, canned food, coffee, tea, candies and cookies. Each box also contains a message about the Gospel. Each recipient receives 4 boxes during the course of a month. "We share the Good News each time we deliver a box. These meetings take place in local churches in the form of discussions and support groups. In this way, Ukrainians have the opportunity not only to hear the Gospel and receive food assistance, but also to integrate into the local church and find a community of Christians.”  Well over 100,000 boxes have been distributed in every corner of the country. A ‘camoflouge’ box was designed for deployed troops, and now a special box has been designed for Christmas. There have been thousands of personal conversations, prayers and support groups.$20 is the price to provide for one box. Their plan is to distribute 5,000 boxes for Christmas.These sums are staggering to us, but we invite you to join us in asking God what He wants each of us to do for this Christmas Project 2023.

​Thank you for being on our team!