FRM Newsletter
May 2024: They did not choose this war; it was forced upon them
When My Heart is Overwhelmed; I have too much to share once again but let me just give you an update on Afghanistan first.
On our Afghanistan operation, we have rescued around 2,700 individuals. During this operation, we raised about $5.5 million, but we will have spent close to $6.5 million by the time our last refugees are safely resettled. Brent came to me
and asked what I wanted to do when the money had run out, and I told him that we would spend what was needed to get every last person the Lord had entrusted us with to relocate to a safe country. For all of you who have given, thank you, I believe you have touched the heart of God. And I would like to give a special thanks to North Country Chapel for helping to save so many lives. Far Reaching Ministries is in the final stages of shutting down operations in Afghanistan.
In March, Luke, Vicky, and I were at the chaplain refresher course in Ukraine. The time was far better than I could have imagined. We had brought eight pastors from the U.S., most had been with us the last time men like Pastor Lloyd Pulley, Pastor James Class, and Pastor David Mercer to name a few. The fact that many of us returned had great meaning to the Ukrainians. One of the chaplains said that the last year had been “hell on earth”. And when he was traveling with his family, his son said, “Dad, where are we going?” His father replied, “Paradise!” One brother told me that if you had an opportunity stay some where safe and rest, you had arrived and were considered to have lived a good life. But for our chaplains and their families, these retreats are a great blessing.
After the conference the pastors traveled back to the U.S., but Luke, Vicky and I traveled with a Senior Chaplain Pavlo to various frontlines across Ukraine. We spent 16 hours on the road the first day, and every other day we traveled between 8-12 hours. Most of the time we were just a few kilometers from the frontline and the artillery shelling was very heavy. The closer you get, the clearer it is how dangerous it is. The cities are littered with destroyed homes, abandoned buildings, schools, and military tanks. While we were traveling, one of the worst days was overcast, and the wind was fierce. I watched the Ukrainian flag just whipping in the wind, and the misery was etched in so many people’s faces. They stood in bombed out buildings, made into survival shelters, which cast a layer of hopelessness that literally sucked the life out of their eyes. We started by delivering food, mostly to poor elderly people, the ones who had no money to flee and no place to go. These people were very happy to see us but would rush us quickly into the basements for fear of drones and artillery. We would pray with them, and many would hug us and weep. If they did not have a basement or underground bunker, they would ask us not to stay long because they feared for our safety. Most had not had electricity or water for two years, and the underground bunkers were very dark except for the light given off by a wood burning stove. Vicky was great with showing compassion and praying with the women, and they all seemed to just hug her and cry.
We met with one military unit in an underground bunker. They had about 12 men who were handling one of the most dangerous jobs in the Ukraine Army (I am not at liberty to share what they were doing). One of the chaplains who was serving with them had not taken a break during two years of war, and you could see the fatigue in his face and hear it when he spoke. When I prayed for him, he put his head on my chest and leaned in as if to yield every weakness and burden fully
to the Lord. I just hugged him and then shared the Word with the men. Every man gave his full attention and with a deep hunger listened to every word. Afterwards, I told them I knew that they had families and did not have enough resources to take care of them. I then gave each of them $200 to help purchase groceries for their families. I think they were truly taken aback by the gift and were very grateful. We then left them and were invited to a meal with some other men. During the meal they came up from the bunker to give us a flag signed by all the men, and a certificate as tokens of their thanks. One of the soldiers took his unit patch off his jacket and put it on my jacket as a sign of respect. These weary soldiers felt God’s love and experienced a genuine touch from the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, three days after we left, that unit was destroyed. The men inside the bunker with us survived but the rest of the unit has ceased to exist. A new glide bomb they have just developed. It has 3,300 pounds of TNT and wipes out a radius of about three football fields when detonated. It has no heat signature and makes no sound as it glides in, so it is almost impossible to shoot down or even take cover from. Firing about 75 of these bombs per day; the Ukrainians have a French hammer glide bomb, but it only has about 250 pounds of TNT and the French government is giving them only 50 a month. The enemies are launching about 2,250 a month and the mere 50 of the weaker Ukrainian bomb is no deterrent, leaving many soldiers doubtful that they can achieve victory. The lack of military equipment is very evident when you are with them. This last year it has been hard not to feel overwhelmed; the needs are just so great in the places we are serving. I have always had a heart for soldiers, but children and the most vulnerable will always take priority in my heart. Last month, I shared about a young mother, who was a prostitute. She would leave her seven-month-old baby girl home alone, for three days at a time–in a war zone. When she was left alone, her diapers were not changed, and she had no milk or water. Can you imagine the fear and desperation this innocent baby felt? See folks, God built me for battle, and I can handle war very well, but suffering innocents like this is extremely difficult for me.
A pastor named Vitaliy shared about this baby, and other abandoned- handicapped children: I knew we had to do something. I love Vitaliy’s passion for Jesus. He and his family live truly surrendered lives, every decision they make is based on God’s will not their own. I asked him if I raised all the money, would he run the orphanage. He said, “Wes, we have been praying as a team for 10 years that the Lord would provide to build an orphanage for babies, toddlers, children, and the handicapped. I absolutely would!” We have already found a potential site for the orphanage. The buildings are like a fortress. It has about 12 acres plus its own water tower. The cost for the complex with the buildings is about $300,000, but then you must also purchase the land it is built upon, which is another $200,000. The buildings and property will need at least another $300,000 to renovate and make livable, and then approximately another $200,000 to furnish– $1,000,000 in total. Our hope is to house up to 300 children. We have enough land to build more dormitories as time goes on, but this is our plan to start. My prayer is that we will have this up and running within a year. We covet your prayers for this project. I want our staff to find these babies and children and do everything we can to give them a home filled with God’s love, His protection, and His provision. I would ask that people sign up to sponsor one of the Ukrainian orphans; you can request a boy or girl.
If you have the heart to sponsor a Down syndrome or handicapped child, we will send you information regarding one of these as well. The sponsorship is $75 a month, but you can sign up for whatever you can afford. All funds received will go directly to this ministry opportunity with no administrative costs withheld. In addition to the sponsorships, we also need to raise $1,000,000 to purchase and build the orphanage. While in the capital of Kiev, I walked past the memorial for fallen soldiers. I was struck by the photos of those who were holding pets, showing how much they loved them. It makes you realize they are just young men and women who were very much like us. They did not choose this war; it was forced upon them by a country invading and trying to conquer.
Wes Bentley
Far Reaching Ministries