February 24, 2022, radically and forever changed every Ukrainian. Each of us missionaries on the Josiah Venture Ukraine team have seen significant differences in our daily realities, both in life and in ministry. Russia’s aggression has brought immense tragedy, pain, tears, death, destruction, uncertainty, and despair. It’s hard to believe that we have been living in this reality for four years now.

Many friends from different countries ask what is happening in Ukraine today, since our war has almost completely disappeared from their news feeds. We are especially grateful to those who ask rather than assume or forget. No matter how propaganda tries to shape the narrative, the war is not over. In fact, it is becoming more brutal and more personal for each of us. We are losing more friends. Churches are losing ministers. Families are losing their loved ones. Ukraine continues to pay a high price in the fight for its freedom and in holding back evil that could easily spill into other European countries.

The war has come very close to our JV Ukraine team. Three of our colleagues (Andriy Polonnikov, Vlad Tsupik, and Serhiy Bielov) were mobilized into the army. As Christians, they continue to live out their mission in dangerous places, risking their lives every day. We are proud of them and ask you to join us as we lift them in prayer. Military commanders often commend believing soldiers because they consistently stand out among the rest.

In November 2025, Serhiy was seriously wounded and survived by a miracle from God. His testimony gives chills to everyone who hears it. Though his body now faces challenges, his spirit remains strong and unbroken. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation after several surgeries.

On the morning of February 12, a bomb exploded near the house where Andriy was staying, close to the front line. In an instant, the blast destroyed his home, all his belongings, his computer, and his car—the very car he had been using as a military psychologist and chaplain to visit soldiers. It happened early in the morning while he was asleep. Again, God performed a great miracle and spared his life. The place where Andriy’s head had been resting was covered with shattered glass, yet he did not receive a single scratch. The Lord is incredible, mighty to save and to protect.

Vlad and his wife are raising their two-year-old daughter while expecting their second child, living 900 kilometers apart. He keeps a joyful spirit and often writes to the team, even though he frequently has to sleep in his car to avoid shelling and strikes on residential buildings near their deployment area.

At the same time, all of us continue to live and serve under the constant threat of explosions, new types of missiles, and the risk of suddenly losing people we love.

This winter has brought additional challenges. Through massive missile attacks, Russia has severely damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity, heat, or water during temperatures as low as -20°C (-4 °F). At present, we often have electricity for only 5-7 hours a day. It is physically and emotionally exhausting, making both daily life and ministry much more difficult.

We also see young people losing hope. More and more of them are leaving Ukraine, and churches are losing young leaders. This places an urgent responsibility on us to train and equip new leaders faster than ever and to be messengers of hope to a traumatized and confused generation.

Yet, we continue to proclaim: there is another side to this war. The fourth year of war has been filled with remarkable miracles and powerful evidence that God’s movement cannot be stopped.

This summer was our most fruitful yet: we held 38 partnership camps with Ukrainian churches, and 217 young people made decisions to follow Christ.

Our leadership training program NEXT has its largest cohort ever: 21 youth and teen teams, representing 130 young leaders learning to build a youth ministry modeled after Jesus Christ. Many of them are very young, yet they boldly step into the needs of their churches and take initiative. Mentoring and equipping them fills us with hope and joy, knowing they will be the generation that rebuilds the country.

This fall, we celebrated the launch of a new Fusion choir, the first one since COVID. The Fusion team shared that they have not seen so many teenagers come to rehearsals from the very first meeting in a long time.

Soon we will host the largest teen conference of the year—Springfest. Although the event is still a month away, we already have 470 registrations filled out of 500 available spots. The Gospel will be proclaimed boldly from the stage, and our main goal is to help leaders build deeper relationships with their teenagers. This brings great joy and inspiration to our team.

All of this testifies that God is alive and sovereign. He continues his work in Ukraine. As the JV Ukraine team, we see his hand, his care, and his power at work among us. And we can say together with the Apostle Paul: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4).

I ask all of you, our friends and the wider JV family, to keep us in your prayers. We feel their power here in ways that are hard to put into words: when someone wakes up alive after an explosion, when a record number of people register for an event, and when members of our team are given supernatural strength and resilience not only to survive, but to keep building God’s Kingdom.

I also invite you to encourage us through warm words of support: a message, an email, or a call. We deeply need to know that we are not alone in the hardest season of our lives and of our country’s history. You cannot imagine how much that means to each of us.