UPDATE: 3/30/22

My dear praying friends,

The everyday fighting has never stopped since the beginning of this war 35 days ago. It is not at its highest right now due to the exhaustion of the terroRussian human and military resources. What may seem like a withdrawal of their forces and even leaving the borders of Ukraine is nothing else but regrouping, resupplying, and repositioning for the second large offensive (don’t be fooled by Russian media telling the world Russia is in peace talks thus softening its military presence in Ukraine - that’s a lie. In fact, most if not all that Russia is saying is a lie). Most of our cities are bombarded daily, civilians are targeted, thousands of Ukrainians die, and the war continues. The second offensive is expected soon and may prove to be deadlier than the first one.

In our city of Dnipro, we have air strike sirens several times a day every day with no damage in the past week yet many satellite cities have been hit. The city now is busying itself with attempts to return to a pre-war social and business life to support war economy (companies and private businesses are reopening, some gyms, restaurants, etc. are also now open). The refugee flow through our city has diminished considerably. All the city reinforcement infrastructure is already in place and no construction is currently carried out. So those venues of our ministry are not in play now as much as reaching out to individuals and families with financial assistance and a Gospel witness, block posts stops do deliver food and Gospel literature throughout the city and its outskirts and weekly visits to military bases and military hospitals with food and Gospel preaching.

You may remember how successful a visit to the military base last week was - it was not the case this week as we have expected but turned out to be a big blessing in another way. When our small group of four came to this big military base in a satellite town we eventually had gathered what I consider the largest audience we have ever had at one time in the past six years of our ministry among soldiers. After several songs I got up on the platform to preach and four minutes into my speech the siren went on and ALL of them rushed to the bomb shelter. Once full auditorium was then empty in less than 20 seconds. We were not offered to continue our meeting in a bomb shelter upon my request and did not remain at the base to wait out the air strike attack (which was over in two hours eventually) and left the base leaving all the food and literature we brought with them. Since we already were in a town that had several hospitals where wounded soldiers were brought to, we went to visit them there. In one of the hospitals we went from ward to ward talking to soldiers distributing literature and chocolate witnessing to them one-on-one and in another hospital we gathered like fifty of lightly wounded soldiers (with dozens laying on cots in hallways within a sound of my voice) and had a thirty minute service with singing and preaching ending it in sinner’s prayer (without hand raising) and then speaking to dozens afterwards with several salvations, praise the Lord! What the devil did not let us accomplish at a military base the Lord allowed us to have at the two hospitals. (For security reasons I do not name the town and its military base with two hospitals and do not share certain pictures).

Nikita and I are safe but still in the harm’s way. My Family in Holland is fine and will remain there until the 14th of April after which they will travel to USA and reside in Chattanooga, TN until the end of the war which we hope will be over by the end of May. We all are so thankful for your continued resolute stand with our country as Americans and with our Family and ministry as Christians. You have been a great blessing to me personally and my whole Family in general with your prayers, finances, and friendship - what the Lord allows us to accomplish in these special war days is especially credited to your account thanks to your active involvement with us by praying and giving. You are reaching a lot of Ukrainian people through us and we are anxious to have this war end soon so we may share with you more wonderful stories and account for the help distributed and possibly welcome you here as you may want to come to a post-war Ukraine to help us rebuild our torn apart country and the damaged lives of its people - precious Ukrainians for whom Christ died but resurrected to give them hope not just in this life but in life eternal, amen!

And we one day will see you here, there … or for sure in the air!

Eugene (and Family)

UPDATE: 3/23/22

My dear praying friends,

It’s been nearly a month since the start of this senseless war. Russia has failed it’s "plan A” (rapid conquering Kyiv and establishing it’s own government - their political victory was overthrown by Ukrainian military resistance) and now switched to it’s “plan B” when they fortify the overtaken Ukrainian territories with the purpose to create more fake republics like Donbass and Lugansk thus completing the creation of a southern land route from Russia to Crimean peninsula by taking the cities of Mariupol, Kherson and Nikolaev. They are regrouping their survived troops in Ukraine, drafting more soldiers from all over Russia, Chechnya as well as Belorussia, readying for new attacks. Fierce air strikes by ballistic missiles, bomber planes and ground artillery are carried out every day non-stop on most northern, central and southern cities in the east of Ukraine. Dnipro being one of them. Here we have air strikes alerts multiple times a day and every other day some missiles reach their targets here or in our neighbouring cities. Our Dnipro region is now circled from three directions (from Nikopol, Zaporizhe and Krivoy Rog) and we are expecting the enemy ground troops to start entering any week now. The city is being daily heavily fortified, the cars often pulled over during the day and passports photographed and military subpoenas issued, curfew is in place with nightly dim-outs for disguising. One of the pictures below shows you a common Ukrainian horizon these days - pillars of smoke from burning cities as far as the eye can see. Tragic!

My son Nikita and I are fine and busy ourselves with what’s become a daily routine now - buying food supplies and taking them to wherever they may be needed, visiting people in homes delivering money relief, helping throughout the city wherever the need is at the time. Just recently we were allowed to visit a National Guard base in town. Never been there before. The way we got in was so miraculous. We simply went to the store and bought boxes of chocolate, coffee and fruit. Went to the base. Parked outside and asked to speak to their chaplain. When he came out we introduced ourselves and announced we had food for soldiers and the gospel. We didn’t think we’d get in, but were invited onto the territory of the base into the chapel. While inside the Commander and his entourage came in to meet us. We didn’t expect it, but in the course of our conversation we were invited to have a meeting with the soldiers. So we proceeded into the main building to their conference room. Soldiers started gathering. Suddenly, air strike sirens went on and all went to the bomb shelter - the meeting was off. We simply remained in the conference room praying. We didn’t think we’d have a meeting after all, but the airstrike was over (as we later found out two rockets were shot down with the debris falling not more than 2 miles away from us) and all the soldiers (among which were many women) came out and joined us in the conference hall where we sang songs and I preached for 20 minutes with a clear presentation of the Gospel and most of them praying together at the end. We then proceeded to have a meal with everybody having more conversations and witness. Instead of three minutes at the gate delivering food supplies we spent three hours one on one with the soldiers leaving the base with hugs and handshakes with an invite to come back, which we will do. Praise the Lord! Two days later a similar base in Lviv was air striked and fifty solders died with many injured - men and women in uniform just like the ones we preached to in Dnipro. Oh, how important it is to reach soldiers these days while they are (we are) alive! Praise the Lord we miraculously have these opportunities today!!

(I’m not attaching any pictures of our military base visit here for obvious wartime reasons).

My wife and the kids are in Holland for now and since the war is continuing with no end in sight we’ve agreed with our Mission and Director Dr. Benach to relocate them to America. They are set to leave on April, 4-5 arriving into Atlanta, GA and staying in Chattanooga, TN area Lord willing for the first two weeks to a month. If they can’t return to Ukraine after that we are considering relocating them to either Ohio or Florida at graceful invitations and permissions of our supporting churches and pastor friends where they will have a house to live in for the time being while the war is lasting in Ukraine.

We are so thankful for your increased prayers for us, for your letters of encouragement, your phone calls and hot video lines with your church services - we’re trying to stay on top of it too and respond and accommodate all. You are SUCH a blessing! We are thankful to no end! Please, know you have a standing invitation from our Family and Ministry to come to Ukraine when the war is over and it is safe to participate in the post-war ministry and rebuilding process. We are so looking forward to the soon end of this insane nightmare and meanwhile strive to remain safe and faithful to our Lord where He has us now. Amen!

We will see you here, there… or definitely in the air!

Eugene (and Nikita)

UPDATE: 3/16/22

My dear praying friends,

It is during this war that I have realized what a great multitude of people I do have in my life and how many there are out there. Yes, my life and ministry have always been about people - leading them to the Lord, maturing them in faith, ministering to their needs (Eph. 2:10, Gal. 6:9-10) - well doing, doing good unto all men. But not until this war hit did a have a full grasp of what is it really like to love, care and serve … the people: self-centered, preoccupied with their safety and well-being more than anybody and dying and going to hell. Christ left Heaven to live here not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many (Mat. 20:28). It takes God’s love to really see a true meaning of a Christian’s life - saving others from Hell, from destruction, from war, from them old selves.

I have spent countless days witnessing to people, counseling, pleading, arguing, reassuring, consoling, and cheering, praying in person or on the phone, or by video. More in the past 21 days than in a year. I have seen and heard over a dozen people pray to God to save them and countless others who received a clear presentation of the Gospel and were left with a good array of literature in their hands as well as food and money (planting and watering) and now praying for God to give the increase.

It is in a crisis (like this war we are having) that God can shine the brightest and we are just trying to make sure of that by being His witnesses on the forefront of this spiritual battle that is behind the scenes of the real war battles. And God is blessing, praise Him!

I did not mean to preach, and I want to be brief. The war is ongoing although not in full swing like the first 17 days - we are seeing a slow-down, regrouping and somewhat a calm (before the coming storm). Meanwhile our city of Dnipro is bombarded every other day (half of our main airport is now demolished along with most of the runways) and many are evacuating. My son Nikita and I comparatively safe although still in the harm’s way busying ourselves with everything described above. The special funds are starting to arrive here little by little and we are well backed up by that in what we aspire to do, amen! Menorah Baptist church keeps its doors open with an increased attendance amidst many closed churches in town, praise the Lord. People are being saved (and so far, we already have three water baptism candidates that are anxious and urge me to rent a pool instead of waiting till warm springtime to be baptized in a river like we always do, and I am considering it).

Olga and the rest of the family are fine and doing well safely in rural Holland. It has been two weeks for them but feels like a lifetime, according to them, being out of touch and out of use).

However long this war is going to last, we do not know. We are taking things at face value day by day and running with it, pressing towards the mark. We thank you for standing with us with your prayers, for supporting Ukraine in our stand against terroRussia, for being such a blessing! The victory will be ours! And it already is the Lord’s. Thank you!!

We will hopefully see you here (UA), there (USA), … or for sure in the air (Heaven)!

Eugene and Family

UPDATE: 3/11/22

Today, Friday, March 11th, is the first day of air rocket strikes on our city of Dnipro. Finally, it's our turn here, but we've waited for this and are standing tall, staying calm, and carrying on!

The life goes on, the witness goes out, the prayers go up.

Eugene

UPDATE: 3/10/22

War Day 14

My dear praying friends,

Who would have thought, definitely not NATO, that Ukraine would stand against Russia for more than a couple of days, let alone two weeks? Today is War Day_14 and to this day terroRussians have not occupied any major Ukrainian city (except for partial occupation of a couple of southern cities and few smaller villages up north), let alone conquering our capital - Kyiv, which they claimed they could do in less than two days. No one in the world could have imagined such a freedom-loving and resilient spirit displayed by all Ukraine. Everybody discounted the fact that for over thirty years all Ukrainians sang their national anthem with these words (you can Google it) repeated in chorus: "we will lay our soul and body for the cherished freedom,” and they meant it, and now living it dying for our cherished freedom. Freedom from Communist Russia, freedom from the evil regime, freedom to live and aspire, for our very existence. Ukrainians do believe, and proving it with their sacrificial fight, that it is better to die free than to live in slavery. Even our Ukrainian national symbol - the trident has the word “freedom” incorporated in it (see picture attached).

The war continues with gruesome bombings of our schools, hospitals (see picture attached), civilian neighborhoods, evacuation convoys, etc. The enemy is desperate thus succumbing to low ways of destroying our country, levelling our cities, endangering nuclear stations, etc. Cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy and even Kyiv are being bombed and constantly attacked. It’s been reported that nearly 200,000 terroRussian soldiers and 100% of their equipment that previously encircled our country have already entered in and fighting against us. It has also been reported that almost 56,000 of those are neutralized (close to 15,000 dead, thousands are captured, and others are simply on the run), so 25% is out, we have 75% to go. At this rate we have another month and a half of this war left, may be sooner, but we can already see the win and already talk about how we are going to rebuild. Although, frankly speaking, this war is far from over and the worst days still lay ahead.

My son and I are still safe here in our city of Dnipro although still in the harm’s way. The city is reinforced and ready for the soon-coming air strikes and ground attacks. We here are watching and praying. Nikita and I are out daily about many things with gospel tracts and a witness. These past couple of days we concentrated on visiting people in homes, mostly elderly, who would not evacuate and who are in need. Some of them Jewish. We bring money assistance for them and spend time witnessing. Praise the Lord one of elderly couples, after an hour and a half of hearing the Gospel, trusted Christ as their Savior in personal prayers - what a blessing! Some days we drive around town and upon seeing a spot where we can be of help, we stop to work and witness. Continuing an active church life (online included) as well as physical church services amidst many churches that are closed. We need your continued prayers for our personal safety, for right daily decisions to be made, for courage and strength to go on in these dark times shining the gospel light. I know you do pray, and I know many of you already generously gave. THANK YOU!!

Olga and the kids are fine and finally seem to be over the stress and fatigue settled in the rural city in Holland. Olga and Evan have already purchased the airplane tickets and the hotel to go to the Ukrainian border with Poland, join forces with our director Henry Benach and his wife Victoria, who are already there, ministering to the Ukrainian war refugees. But they had to cancel these plans just today as my sister came down with Covid on the same day they all arrived so there is a possibility my Family has it too, they will know more within these couple of days if they caught it, so it wasn’t prudent to travel at this time. (Get this: the airplane tickets were dirt cheap - $50 round trip for both using a low-coaster air company, but for Olga and Evan to get on the plane they needed to have a PCR test each, both ways, costing $100 a person, so round trip for both just in PCR tests would have been like $400, that’s nuts!!) So, just maybe, upon knowing they are clear of Covid my poor bride would drive yet again for two days to Poland and then back, praying about that. I now jokingly call her ‘automobile missionary,’ a ‘circuit driving preacher’, LOL. God is good and we are so blessed! Please, pray for my family on the other side of Europe - they are having their share of this war.

I always intend to keep these updates short and believe me - this is short, considering all that is happening. There is so much more I would have liked to share with you.

Once again, thank you SO VERY MUCH for your continued fervent prayers for our family, our ministry, our country, and our soldiers. The God of peace will give it to our land along with our victory soon, we pray. Thank you for your generosity - we are already receiving your help and transferring it over here this week successfully so far (still in transit). Let the Lord bless you in your country as you are going through some tough economic times, in your lives and ministries and in your daily close walk with our sweet Jesus - as He is the only One worthy!

Hopefully will see you here, there, or for sure in the air!

Your Ambassador and friend,

Eugene (and Fam)

1 Peter 4:12-13

UPDATE: 3/2/22

My dear praying friends,

In Ukraine now when they ask what date it is they say - War Day # as everyone’s life is now divided into before and after the start of this war. So, today is Day 7. While Day 1 took all Ukraine by surprise with a vile rocket strike thus starting the war, Day 6 proved terroRussians changed their tactics and from targeting mostly only strategic targets they’ve started destroying civil infrastructure and civilians: cities of Kyiv, Sumy, Chernigov and Kharkiv are hit the most. Kharkov is being levelled as you read this letter, Kyiv’s Jewish Memorial Babyi Yar was hit with three rockets yesterday, etc., and now the civilian casualties’ number is starting climbing. Today is the second round of the peace talks but since there is no ‘cease fire’ as the talks are underway that shows that these talks really mean nothing and most likely will not result in anything viable for Ukraine.

We are closely monitoring the war situation in our city of Dnipro that so far has proven to be the safest city in the nation. But we all agree here our day is coming: a city of Krivoy Rog (60 miles west of us) and a city of Zaporizhe (45 miles south of us) are starting to receive fire, having night bombardments and all the signs of them being surrounded. It is a matter of a couple of days now terroRussian troops are going to siege our city. Considering all the mentioned above we are praying and acting to evacuate our family: Olga (wife), Dasha and Sophie (daughters) and Evan (15 y.o. son), my mother Lubov out of the city while there is still a path to the West. Lord willing, on Day 8 (tomorrow, Thursday) they will start their two-to-three-day drive to our western border to cross it, if necessary, in Poland or Hungary. My son Nikita (21) and I are remaining in Dnipro to … conduct the ministry and … fight if it comes to it. This is probably one of the hardest decisions I had to take in life - I don’t know if I can keep a smiling face without tears saying good-bye to my family entrusting them into God’s care (I know - it’s raining in Ukraine these days, so I will do my crying in the rain). Sorry if it sounded too lyrical. I am with tears even as I am writing this.

We ask for your increased prayers for our country, for our soldiers, for the people who remain in Dnipro protecting their land, for Nikita and I facing what’s ahead and for the girls’ journey to safety. We are not panicking, we are not down, we are very much upbeat and determined - God is our Guide and Refuge. Amen and amen!

Many have been asking how they may help us and if we need anything. I have talked to my Mission Board (JEM) and our director Henry Benach, and we set up a special fund called ‘War Relief Fund’ where all your donations and tax-deductible money gifts will be placed and will solely be used on anything connected with the war whether that be our family needs, those in our UA church, the humanitarian needs around us. With the supervision of our director and in direct contact with you (via these letters) I will be personally responsible as for the distribution of this fund.

You may send your gifts to:

Eugene Kozachenko (c/o JEM)

P.O. Box 300,

Graysville, GA 30726

 (Memo: War Relief Fund)

We have already $5,500 in that fund (with one individual giving a large check of $5,000 just yesterday). Let the Lord bless you for your generosity and a huge thank you from our countrymen and our family!

Again, I am sorry if you wrote me, and I have not responded to you - these communications are the way to keep you informed. I will try to write back time permitting - we are swamped over here, head over heels.

THANK YOU for your love, friendship, concern, prayers, finances but most importantly for your love of our Savior Jesus and your willingness to stand for Him in accomplishing His will for Ukraine, our family and ministry in such times.

Let the Lord bless you; we love you and hopefully talk to you soon!

Here, there … or in the air!

Eugene and Fam

UPDATE: 2/28/22

My dear praying friends,

Greetings from a war-torn Ukraine. This afternoon (Monday) is really just about the first time when I forced myself to get away from everything and sit down behind the computer to write a universal report that I am intending to e-mail out to our friends and supporters’ list. It is time efficient to do it this way rather than responding to literally hundreds of individual questions. I would really like to send you daily updates if the situation here would permit it - therefore you may send in other people’s e-mail addresses to me to be put on the send-out list (those can be removed after the war if they so desire). Also, short videos are being made every so often and posted on Facebook (search ‘Eugene Kozachenko’ or ‘Greg Powell’).

In fact, a second video has just come out and you may watch it now at:

https://www.facebook.com/1170390209/posts/10227197569542980/?d=n

You will not be receiving a paper copy of our February prayer letter since 'snail mail' these days is outdated by the time it gets there and truly lives up to its name. Instead, I will write a bi-monthly summary Feb-March letter after the war is over, hopefully.

First of all, my Family and I want to THANK YOU for a GREAT outpour of love and concern we received in the past three-four days - you are tremendous! Your prayer support is astounding! We are grateful more than the words can express! Our American Family is such an encouragement to us and daily serves as a source of blessing to all of us here, and not just my Family, but to our church family and friends as we pass along your regards and assurances of prayers. THANK YOU!

Secondly, it so happened in the course of this war that, while other regions of Ukraine are being heavily attacked, for five days now it is SAFE in our city of Dnipro. Yes, we hear the sirens, the rockets are flying over our heads (as you know terroRussians are using ballistic missiles), we spend time in bomb shelter, there are groups of saboteurs terrorising the city, spy groups and a marauder threat, but it is nothing in comparison to our UA cities of Kyiv, Kharkyv, Sumy, Mariupol and others that go through heavy fighting. Our Family is in comparative safety while still being in the harm’s way. All the kids and my mom are with us. Everyone is healthy and upbeat.

Thirdly, our ministry is being shaped according to the reality: the Marshall Law and Curfew are in effect, limited street presence is allowed, checkpoints, block posts are everywhere, ever-present military and police patrols (all of this is good and for insuring of the civilian safety) - we are very limited in what we can do. With a purpose of not just helping our Army, our country and our city, but to have a wider opportunity of a gospel witness we involve ourselves with the volunteer movement, hospital aid, chaplain duty.

We are not suspending church services, in fact, we are increasing the number of services. We are already seeing doubling of our attendance. (Our services may be found online at the above-mentioned Facebook Page (‘Eugene Kozachenko’) as well as Instagram (@menorah_baptist). Just this past Sunday two souls came to Christ in tears. One lady got saved two days ago. And there are countless witnessing encounters as we progress through our daily life.

Fourthly, terroRussian aggression extends not only to Ukrainian military facilities, but also to civilian locations. Orphanage, schools, neighborhoods were and are under fire from the terroRussian military. People in big cities like Kharkiv, Sumy, Odessa, and Kyiv (the capital) spend the nights in bomb shelters, subways and basements because of the explosions and gunshots go on all night. The city of Kharkov suffers the most. As for our capital, Kyiv, terroRussians are not breaking through.

The whole world is coming together helping to weaken Russia. Thus, Russia fell under strong sanctions. Economic (disconnection of Russia from SWIFT, also the end of cooperation with many companies, the financial loss of Russian oligarchs for 2 days is estimated at $30 billion) as well as air sanctions, Russia is prohibited flights over all  European countries, also Russians are not given visas and even those that have already been issued are canceled, the whole world has seen the true colours of Russians and this time they will not get away with it. As the peace talks with Russia are underway right now, Ukraine is also strongly negotiating with Europe to be accepted as a member in the expedited procedure, as well as NATO. (Looks like what Putin fights against is going to become his reality).

Despite the difficult times for the Ukrainian people, we do not lose morale and are in unity like never before, Ukrainians work as one well-coordinated organism, and have reached the peak of patriotism. Everyone who considers himself Ukrainian has made some contribution. People make Molotov cocktails, help wounded soldiers in hospitals, donate financially (millions of hryvnias) to support wounded soldiers, prepare food for soldiers in hospitals, become blood donors. Even Dnipro homeless collect bottles for Molotov cocktails and bring them to volunteer centres  (also a group of gypsies hijacked a tank and handed over the terroRussians to the police). This fully explains the unheard unity of the Ukrainian people.

Putin is now hinting at using tactical nuclear warheads. Considering the fact that terroRussians have taken the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, pursue chemical and poisonous damage to our country, threaten to blow up river dams (resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths) - nuclear threat is very real. Especially, when we look at all that is happening in light of the imminent coming of our Lord Jesus. The time is short, the time is now - we always believed it, we always preached it, and now we are living it.

I apologize for a long read - that covered the past five days, hehe. Future communications will be shorter (said a Baptist preacher))) Please, continue to pray for all mentioned above, spread the word, share the truthful info, support Ukraine with your state and national senators, pray for our Family and ministry (as well as all ministries and other missionaries in Ukraine). Again, thank you for being there for us and we will see you here, there, … or in the air!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

EK in UA