Today I (Jacob) met a Ukrainian family at our friend’s hotel/restaurant here in Gyergyó. The man’s name was Anton, and he spoke some English. He, his wife, and two kids fled Kyiv headed across Romania into Hungary. I asked if I could buy them an extra night at the hotel, but they were really in a rush to meet someone down the road. We quickly crossed the street to a gas station where I filled their gas tank, bought groceries, and gave them some Romanian pocket cash. Their car was empty; they fled Kyiv with nothing. Anton was very humbled and uneasy receiving charity. Before leaving he gave me a big long hug, fighting back tears, and I explained that I’ll be praying for them in Jesus’ name. Please pray with us for Ukrainian refugees. And for the Gospel to spread even now in Ukraine, among those who have witnessed afresh how precarious life is, and how meaningless life is part from a Holy and loving God.
Ukraine/Romanian border checkpoint.
Karina has a sizeable network of contacts among missionaries across Europe. She has connected with several Ukrainian Christians and missionaries fleeing Ukraine into Romania, and we’ve been able to give them some guidance over the phone, as well as connect them to Romanian churches and housing near the border. We’ve offered to host people here, but most are headed to big cities like Brasov or Bucharest or staying near the border. We live in a small, out-of-the-way mountain town 4 hours from the Ukraine border.
A family of four. Taken at an American-themed coffee shop.
Our Baby Boy
We are pleased to announce that we have a healthy baby boy! Josiah Tyndale (J.T.) was born February 11th, weighing in at 7.1 lbs and 20 inches long.
Karina has had some health issues resulting from blood loss and J.T. is fighting thrush, but overall, they’re in good spirits and gradually recovering. We made the long, two-day drive back to our place of ministry and arrived Thursday afternoon.
Prayer Requests
- Praise God for a healthy baby boy!
- Pray for a speedy process in getting Josiah’s Hungarian and American passports.
- God’s grace and wisdom for us in interacting with the lost.
- More availability from language helpers for Jacob learning Hungarian.
- Pray for Ukraine and how we may be able to serve refugees here.
- Peace in Eastern Europe, but for people to also realize their deep need for Christ in the face of economic and political hardships.