When I was Homeless And Sick You Loved Me
01 When I was Homeless And Sick You Loved Me
2026
Michael, my senior chaplain, informed me that we are at war again in South Sudan.
Some of you remember 2012, when the former vice president attempted a coup to take over the government. At that time, I was in Russia when Vicky called me at midnight. The general’s wife had called her in terror. She said the general’s headquarters was under attack and the enemy had come to kill him. The enemy knew that if they did not kill him, they could not take over the country.
I told Vicky I had to get off the phone and call Lino, my senior chaplain in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
When I got Lino on the phone, I told him, “The enemy is trying to kill the general. If we lose him, we will lose South Sudan.” Then I ordered Lino to gather every chaplain available and get to the general’s headquarters as quickly as possible.
They loaded two trucks with twenty chaplains and raced to the general’s compound. On the way, a hail of gunfire came directly towards them. Tracer rounds lit up the pitch-black night. When the men arrived, there were already dead bodies on the ground. They went in, reinforced the general, and set up mortars. The enemy was firing from two different positions, so we sent two mortars, one into one enemy position and one into the other, silencing them.
When I called the general at 4 AM and asked how he was, he said, “I am with the men you sent me, my brother.” As the sun rose, the battle continued to rage.
The general mounted his vehicle and told his driver to drive, but his driver was terrified and refused. The general pulled out his Glock, put it to the driver’s head, and said, “If you do not drive, I will kill you.” The driver had an instant change of heart.
As the general headed for the office of the president, he rallied the soldiers, who poured into the streets behind him. The presidential palace was under siege. That day, the vice president and his men were defeated and fled the city. This resulted in many more years of war, with great loss of life.
That same vice president was recently arrested for what was believed to be another coup attempt.
Most recently the vice president’s men attacked the villages of Pathuai, Pieri Biei, Nyirol, Walgak, and Nyirol. I am sure the death toll is high. These are not “headlines.” These are families with mothers and children who are caught in the middle of evil men who crave power.
I gave Michael orders to deploy chaplains to all front-line positions where the fighting is the heaviest. How long this will last, I do not know, but I suspect it will be another long and deadly war.
Please keep our men in prayer. Pray God would give them warrior courage and wisdom—because many women’s and children’s lives depend on the actions of our chaplains. When the shooting starts, our chaplains move toward the fire. They go where others run from. They bring the Gospel, they bring stability, and they help shield the innocent when there is no shield.
Now, to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
I arrived in Ukraine the first week of February, and it was freezing cold. Much of the city’s power was taken out by storms of lethal drones. The people are freezing and in great need. The cold is not an inconvenience there; it is a weapon used by the enemy. No heat means people get sick. No power means no water, no cooking, no basic human dignity. Families sit in the freezing darkness, waiting for the next siren.
Pastor Fedor, whom we are working with, has God’s hand on him. His church, the homes for abandoned elderly, the homes for single and widowed pregnant women who have no other place to go, and the homes for drug addicts and alcoholics seem to be the only places in the region that still have power and heat. Many people are flocking to the church where it is warm in sub-zero temperatures and where they receive bread and other food.
Pastor Fedor has opened a bakery, and they are making hundreds of loaves of bread and pizzas to feed the hungry. They have set up a place where people with nothing can even shower. Many, many are coming.
I do not think I have ever seen a ministry do so much with so little.
Another crisis in Odesa, Ukraine, is the brutally cold winter, and this year, the deep freeze is utterly unbearable. The day we arrived; it was freezing with ice everywhere. Every night, city sirens went off, warning everyone of incoming drones that hit many buildings, killing the innocent. You can feel the tension in the air. People live with one eye on the sky and one ear waiting for that sound.
In the evenings, we would go to two tents Pastor Fedor had set up in the city park. They were offering hot soup, tea, fresh homemade bread, and medical and spiritual care to the homeless and the poor. Unlike in the U.S., many in Ukraine are homeless because everything they had was destroyed when missiles and drones destroyed their homes. Because the government has no extra resources to help, if you lose everything and have no family to help, you are now homeless. That is the reality.
On the nights my team and I went to the tents to serve, it was difficult because of the smell of the homeless and sickness. This is not glamorous work, it is not comfortable, and it is the kind of ministry that costs you something. Because Odesa’s power grid had been destroyed and then retargeted, those who still have homes drain their water heaters to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
I was asked to teach at a packed church on Sunday morning. Afterwards, Fedor had two men and two women come up and share how they came to Christ.
When the first man got on stage, the first thing I noticed was that a large part of his forehead appeared to be missing, and in its place was a two-inch-by-three-inch scar about half an inch deep. You could see that he had had a difficult life, and then he opened his mouth and told the story behind it.
He said, “I was raised in a family of criminals. From childhood, my father settled every argument with a knife or a gun.” He shared how being a criminal himself destroyed his own family. He became a professional boxer to help him in his criminal enterprise, and drugs and alcohol eventually landed him on the streets. The criminals he worked for no longer wanted him around.
This is how this man heard about Christ: A friend told him one brutally cold night that there was a place in the park with two tents that were warm. He said, “They will feed you.” So, he went.
WE WILL KEEP DEPLOYING, FEEDING THE HUNGRY, AND OFFERING SHELTER TO THE ABANDONED.
This is how this man heard about Christ: A friend told him one brutally cold night that there was a place in the park with two tents that were warm. He said, “They will feed you.” So, he went.
That Sunday morning, as this man shared his testimony, he was just one of several redemption stories given that day. All had come from Pastor Fedor’s home for the homeless, and from those addicted to alcohol and drugs.
What touched me was hearing them share not only how they had found Christ, but also how they were all actively serving in ministry today. Men and women who had spent years on the streets or in prison were now married, had jobs, and had found true joy and happiness. That is what Jesus does. He does not just patch a life up; He makes all things new.
After working with Fedor on several occasions and witnessing how many people had had their lives changed, we decided to help Fedor build a much larger home for the homeless. The cost went from $3 million to $4.5 million. But I knew this was the Lord’s will.
Please pray for our chaplains. Pray for wisdom and courage. Pray for the women and children trapped in the middle of these wars.
I had prayed because originally, we had committed to about $700,000, and we sent $700,000. As I continued to pray, I asked the Lord how Far Reaching Ministries was supposed to respond to the increasing financial need. And the Lord told me to send $50,000 every month until the project is complete.
For Far Reaching Ministries, this is a serious commitment, not to be taken lightly or theoretically. We have been called to hold the line and to keep the doors open for people who have nowhere else to go.
Today, I am in Moldova training Moldovan chaplains, and we are hosting a conference that is going extremely well. In May, I will be back in Ukraine training Ukrainian chaplains. One chaplain from Moldova said he attended the Ukraine chaplain training last May, and the teaching changed his life. I have had both men and women tell me the teaching has answered so many prayers and questions. I am the one being blessed, pouring into the lives of these men and women.
Folks, with all the countries we are in, a perilous storm is coming our way, but Christ is leading His armies, and I am His soldier and servant.
Please pray for our chaplains. Pray for wisdom and courage. Pray for the women and children trapped in the middle of these wars. And if God has blessed you and you are able to stand with us financially, now is the time. The needs are not slowing down, and the battles are many. Our chaplains are not backing down in the face of their enemies’ relentless attacks.
Wes Bentley
Far Reaching Ministries
Old, Alone, Scared and Unloved
As we have previously shared, Pastor Fedor has a church in Odessa, Ukraine, with 200 elderly grandmothers and grandfathers who have been abandoned and often robbed of their homes. These people are afraid and have no way of caring for themselves. The heart that I believe the Lord has for these people is that in old age, they will not have to live in fear, worry about where their next meal will come from, or if they will have to live in the streets. Far Reaching Ministries wants them to know that if they become ill, believers will take them to the doctor and make sure they get proper medical treatment. Most importantly, they will not die alone and scared but will be loved and cared for by the body of Christ.
You can sponsor a grandmother or grandfather for $25, $50, $75, or $100 per month. Though automatic debit is the preferred method, all donations are needed.
If you would count it a privilege to be part of this huge blessing, please indicate “Pastor Fedor’s Elderly” on the enclosed gift card along with your donation.
Food & Aid for Indonesia
Indonesia has had torrential rains for weeks, triggering floods that inundated cities and major roads, with no end in sight. People are desperate for food and aid. Many have been living on roofs of buildings or, if available, on the second floor.
Far Reaching Ministries (FRM) has committed to helping the people of Indonesia with food and aid in their time of need. We are accepting donations for this purpose, and every penny received will be given to these desperate people. FRM will not keep any of the funds, even for administrative costs.
If you would like to help with this urgent need, please mark “Indonesia” on the enclosed gift card along with your donation.