Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in late February 2022, Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) has received visions and guidance from God and has worked with enthusiastic prayers and donations from ministry supporters in the United States, Asia, and other regions. Through missionary partners in countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic, the center has provided assistance to many Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homeland to escape the conflict.

Assistance Provided:

As of September 2022, Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) has provided the following aid:

1. $4,000 USD through Hungarian Gypsy Missions International to provide food, personal hygiene items, and sleeping bags for Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Hungary.
2. $27,000 USD through Youth Mission Network Bulgaria to provide six months of medication, lactose-free food, personal hygiene items, wipes, and diapers for Ukrainian war refugees in the Razlog area of Bulgaria.
3. $1,000 USD (designated offering) to support a Ukrainian brother (Roman) and his family of six who participated in worship and praise training conducted by the center at the HUB Bible College in Serbia in 2019 and have since settled in the United States.
4. $5,000 USD through Christian Refugee Service in the Czech Republic to provide shelter emergency kits, diapers, baby food, and immigration and legal counseling assistance for Ukrainian refugees in Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
5. $3,000 USD through Hungarian Gypsy Missions International to provide economic assistance ($750 USD per month) to pastor families from Ukraine who have fled to Hungary.
6. $9,500 USD through United World Mission in Charlotte, North Carolina, to assist with remittance procedures and to support wartime humanitarian gospel work at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS). This support includes providing hot meals, scholarships for theological students, care for faculty and staff, and rebuilding seminary facilities.

In addition to aiding Ukrainian refugees in Eastern European countries, while advancing this ministry, we know that many Ukrainians are still trapped in the war zone. Churches and theological seminaries in various locations have become temporary shelters for local residents. Despite experiencing bombings and varying degrees of damage to their homes, they continue to gather in various ways, providing counseling and pastoral care for residents, conducting theological training programs for ministers, and actively seeking external assistance to maintain humanitarian aid work within Ukraine. It is through this ministry that we continue to seek God’s guidance and direction in prayer over the past year and a half.

At the same time, we have also initiated the following ministries:

1. Pastor Family Care: To effectively deliver relief supplies to those living within Ukraine and to care for those who remain in the country, Hungarian Gypsy Missions International (HGMI) has established a long-term and fruitful relationship with Pastor Sergej Lackó. Pastor Lackó is a church leader in the village of Homok near Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Through Pastor Lackó’s extensive network in Ukraine, HGMI can reach thousands of people. Since May 2022, HGMI has employed Pastor Lackó to ensure he and his family have stable financial support. The center has taken on this responsibility to support the pastor’s family’s livelihood, enabling him to be an encouragement and comfort to the community in Ukraine during this turbulent time and be a conduit for the Gospel!
2. Collaboration with Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS): Providing hot meals: Currently, the UETS team provides 1,200 hot meals weekly to those in need. People from nearby towns come to the campus to have lunch with the faculty and staff. These workers are ready to listen to their stories and provide pastoral care and counseling. UETS spends approximately $12,000 USD per month on this ministry. The UETS plans to increase the number of hot meals supplied from 1,200 to at least 2,000.
3. Scholarship Assistance for Theological Students: This war has shaken the UETS community. Out of 50 full-time UETS staff members, 48 have become refugees without homes due to the war. Additionally, the UETS campus has been hit by six Russian missiles. UETS first arranged online learning courses for its main campus students and international students from the Central Asian branch. Many UETS students or their parents have lost jobs, homes, or face other economic hardships related to the ongoing war, making it impossible for them to pay full tuition fees. The school has set up a special scholarship fund, with an average annual scholarship of $1,200 USD per student. As of mid-July 2022, the number of students unable to pay full or partial tuition fees has exceeded 40.
4. Faculty and Staff Care at Theological Seminary: As mentioned earlier, many students have lost jobs or families, or face other economic hardships related to the ongoing war, making it impossible for them to pay tuition fees, not to mention the currently unusable facilities. Therefore, the scholarship program mentioned above is crucial to the UETS’s operational budget for the next academic year in supporting the faculty and staff.
5. Reconstruction of Theological Seminary Buildings: The theological seminary campus is close to the front line of the war and is often targeted by Russian artillery fire. The campus itself has been hit by six rockets, causing significant damage, such as blown-out doors and windows, malfunctioning heating and water systems, and a destroyed roof, among other issues. Currently, an important part of the UETS ministry is to quickly restore the damaged facilities and buildings to continue the vital mission of training church leaders throughout Ukraine. According to recent estimates, the cost of repairing the damage caused by the war is approximately $375,000 USD, of which about $270,000 USD has been provided by various Christian foundations, organizations, churches, and individuals. This means that UETS still needs to raise approximately $100,000 USD to repair all the damage caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.

We Invite You to Join Us

Support for Ukraine War Relief and Mission Ministry – UETS Matching Fundraising Program. The center will launch the following four projects in partnership with UETS, hoping to stand in solidarity with the suffering body of Christ in Ukraine during this difficult time and bring the love of Christ and the light of truth to those in need!

1. Hot Meal Supply / Total Fundraising Goal: $6,900
2. Scholarship Assistance for Theological Students / Total Fundraising Goal: $13,800
3. Faculty and Staff Care at Theological Seminary / Total Fundraising Goal: $34,500
4. Reconstruction of Theological Seminary Buildings / Total Fundraising Goal: $11,500

If you would like to support Ukrainian war refugees through the center, please make checks payable to: GLEC Memo: Ukraine War Relief and Mission Ministry – UETS (please be sure to write this note in the Memo section, thank you!)