ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (BP) – The town of Zaporizhzhia is weak to Russian assault, adjoining to cities within the Zaporizhzhia Oblast and a treasured nuclear energy plant Russia captured since renewing its assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
As just lately as Jan. 8, a Russian air strike killed no less than 13 and injured one other 113 within the industrial metropolis of 700,000. Mayor Rehina Vladyslavivna Kharchenko has formally acknowledged the energy of the Church in serving to emotionally and bodily wounded residents cope and get well.
On March 1, the mayor signed an official memorandum with Mission Eurasia, authorizing the Gospel and humanitarian ministry to offer non secular and medical care and therapeutic to civilians injured on the entrance strains of warfare, on the very areas of the tragedies.
Mission Eurasia President Sergey Rakhuba, who grew up in Zaporizhzhia however now leads the Tennessee-headquartered ministry, known as the settlement a groundbreaking partnership demonstrating an unprecedented collaboration between the federal government and the Church.
“When the federal government leaders of Zaporizhzhia requested us to assist tackle each the medical and non secular wants of civilians and frontline responders, we acknowledged instantly our profound responsibility as Christians,” Rakhuba mentioned. “This partnership clearly demonstrates that Ukraine deeply values non secular engagement and sees the Church as an important, trusted companion throughout this essential time.”
The settlement distinguishes Mission Eurasia with a authorities seal, permitting its ministers, counselors and medical professionals to reply to communities after they’re shelled or attacked.
Beneath the settlement, Mission Eurasia is deploying six cellular medical clinics staffed by educated Christian medical professionals and non secular emergency responders by the ministry’s Subsequent Technology Skilled Leaders Initiative in partnership with the Christian Medical Affiliation of Ukraine.
The totally geared up cellular clinics staffed by Christian medical professionals will present each pressing care and non secular care, augmented with a staff of trauma counselors and ministry leaders who will supply the hope of Christ alongside medical therapy. Mission Eurasia will distribute Bibles, kids’s Bibles and biblical literature.
All companies might be supplied at no cost, and Mission Eurasia will carry out the ministry without charge to the federal government, Rakhuba mentioned.
“It is a life-saving ministry,” he mentioned. “Lives are at risk.”
Authorities officers had seen Mission Eurasia’s work within the heart of Zaporizhzhia within the Reimer Heart, Rakhuba mentioned, the place hundreds of Ukrainian refugees sought help as they left their properties within the early days of the warfare in 2022. Mission Eurasia has a number of places of work within the heart.
“The native authorities can’t accommodate all (of the folks),” Rakhuba mentioned, “so our cellular clinics, our cellular kitchens, and distribution of meals, clothes, serving to with housing, was very helpful. It gave such a big impact.”
However with out the brand new memorandum, Mission Eurasia was confined to sure areas, and lacked the authority to enter warfare zones to deal with injured civilians.
“(The federal government) mentioned, ‘We see how a lot impression you convey along with your non secular and emotional counseling ministries, so we wish your cellular clinics to be within the locations the place we’ve … steady shelling,’” Rakhuba mentioned of the Zaporizhzhia metropolis leaders. “When there’s a hit and there’s destruction, there’s plenty of chaos, in fact. The town paramedics are there with firefighters and the rescue mission, however they need our unit to be staffed with volunteer medical employees, but additionally with pastors and non secular counselors and trauma counselors to be like the primary non secular responders to these areas.
“And the federal government needed us to signal memorandum, official memorandum,” he mentioned. “Meaning, they provide us inexperienced gentle to be there with first responders as non secular first responders the place all of the tragedies occur.”
Mission Eurasia hopes to work long-term within the space, treating adults and youngsters as they grapple with the trauma of residing in a warfare zone, Rakhuba mentioned. By way of Mission Eurasia’s Restoration Initiative, native ministers main congregations 5 or 10 miles away from the frontlines of warfare are studying to reply to the distinctive non secular wants warfare creates.
“Therapeutic takes time,” he mentioned. “There is no such thing as a deadline to it. It’s indefinite. It’s a non secular ministry. That is restoring folks’s lives.”
