‘Thank you!’ from Snizhana
On behalf of our soldiers, I want to express our deepest gratitude for your generous donation of jerky meat. Your contribution uplifts the spirits of our brave men and women.
Our church “Covenant of grace” in Odesa made 90 Christmas gifts for soldiers. We made them ourselves. Each gift contained a decorated gingerbread cookie, bead decoration, warm socks, warmers, a postcard signed by our church members and jerky meat.
In order to get the total weight of 5.5 lbs of dried meat to fill 90 gifts, we had to start with 14 lbs of raw meat, which we sliced thin, marinated and put in our dehydrator over several days.
After the meat was vacuum packed, I distributed it into each gift.
Then we sent gifts to our heroes. Some came to our church. There were 90 heroes to whom we sent our love and gratitude.
All your donations put a smile on many soldiers’ faces last Christmas (for safety reasons I cannot show you their faces).
They liked it and some of them already asked for an additional portion:)
Thank you once again for your kindness. Your support is a beacon of light for our servicemen and women, and we are truly grateful for your contribution.
With appreciation,
Snizhana Kadian
Breaking down barriers
For Christ Himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With His own body He broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. Ephesians 2:14 (GNT)
(Oct 20) – Andrea Burnham
Would you be willing to share news that brings everlasting life to those you’ve considered your enemies? One woman’s story…
About a month ago, I joined Ukrainian women for Friday morning Bible study & prayer - we are going through the book of Acts of the Apostles because we find ourselves similar to the diaspora of the early church, living as believers among other evacuees from Ukraine in Romania.
One of the women who attends is Victoria, whose parents are from Israel. She considers herself a Messianic Jewish Ukrainian. The events which erupted early in the morning on Saturday, October 7th, had been consuming her days before we met the next Friday, October 13th. I personally had been perplexed as to why the renowned regular Israeli forces were not available to stop the attack from Hamas for over 6 hours and asked her about it. She explained that it was Shabbat and a national holiday; it would be unusual for anyone observing these holy times to turn on news or even go anywhere out of their regular Shabbat routine, or for much of the militia to be on duty. She said that her friends in Israel found out about the attacks only when she called them to check if they were okay! They had not answered her previous attempts to call because they didn’t want to be disturbed from their strict holiday observance.
The week following the attacks, Victoria had been weighing in on some of the online conversations about Israel’s decisive response to the terror inflicted. Through one of these platforms, she encountered a woman from Iran, named Delara, who was trying to determine whether Victoria was Ukrainian, decrying 600+ days of terrorist attacks from Russia, or if she was Jewish, reeling from the brutal attacks by Hamas. Victoria answered “both” and added somewhat angrily that neither of her native countries want the type of “peace” that Russia or Iran/Hamas wants to provide for them! The Iranian woman wrote back that she also does not agree with or seek the destruction of Ukraine or Israel…and then she apologized to Victoria on behalf of her people. She said there are many like her in Iran who do not desire these wars or destruction, and certainly not genocide. Victoria asked pointedly why she doesn’t do something to stop her country’s attacks or change their attitude toward Israel/Ukraine. The woman patiently explained that
1) only a limited number of people can leave Iran every year and only with the correct documentation – so people who do not agree with policies/politics of Iran cannot escape easily.
2) they still have the death penalty for dissidents who speak out against the government – to take a stand is putting your own life on the line. Therefore, many people feel a greater responsibility to provide for their families in the short-term than to change their country in the long-term.
3) women are not given many rights, so voting against the current administration in Iran is not a practical solution for her personally – if there are fair elections.
Victoria was pleasantly shocked and humbled by Delara’s request for forgiveness and continued talking with her. She asked her how the Muslim religion approaches the problem of sin or explains a Muslim person’s possible entrance to “heaven” (if there is life after death?) Delara mentioned that she had been hearing during much of her life that faithful Muslims sacrifice for Allah; when a Muslim kills an infidel, and especially a Jewish infidel, the action immediately “takes away” that person’s guilt or sin before Allah and guarantees them paradise after death. Our ladies group then prayed together for God’s miraculous intervention in Delara’s life, knowing that it would be almost impossible for us to send her a Bible, and even less likely for her to safely receive it. Other missionaries to this part of the world have told us about many instances when God revealed Himself through dreams and visions to people, especially in the Middle East. But we encouraged Victoria to continue to challenge Delara’s thinking, using her own testimony of Who the Biblical God is, and that He Himself, Jesus the 3rd person of the Trinity, provided the required death for sin, sacrificially on behalf of His people.
The next Friday all of us gathered expectant to hear what had transpired with Delara during the previous days, and our Almighty and Personal God did not disappoint!
Delara wrote Victoria that earlier in the week she had attended a regular meeting in her mosque and was shocked to hear the mosque leader urge each person there to make serious plans to kill an infidel that week in order to receive the absolution of their sin. She left the meeting crying and said to herself that she cannot serve the kind of god that would require her to murder someone just because their faith is contrary to her own. Still crying she went up into the attic of her building and cried bitterly and spoke her questions and anger aloud. Specifically Delara cried out, “Allah, are you real? Is there any god out there at all? What do you really want from me?” She cried and questioned and stayed in anguish for over 30 minutes in her attic when all of a sudden she felt as though someone was physically embracing her and she heard a voice say close to her ear, “I love you – you are my daughter.”
I relayed a fact to the group that I had learned from Nabeel Qureshi’s book “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus”: An entire third of the Koran reiterates, over and over, that Allah is not a father and he has no son. We told Victoria to highlight that it could not have been Allah who spoke these tender words to Delara, and to again point her to the God of the Bible – a loving Father Who sees the vulnerable and cares for them, a Comforter and Teacher, a Friend Who is closer than a brother.
Sadly, Delara has had to delete all of Victoria’s communications almost as soon as she reads them for fear that family members will find out she’s been talking with a Christian and investigating another god besides Allah. She’s looked into other phone plans or disposable phones, but nothing can help Delara avoid the risk associated with receiving these private messages from Victoria. But we are praying that the Holy Spirit will call to her mind the truths Victoria has shared with her, in love.
Please lift up both of these women in your prayers – pray for the oppression in their countries to cease, for a deeper understanding of God’s forgiveness to grow in their own hearts, and for God to reveal Himself as truly Just and Merciful, as only He can be!
When God speaks
Zhenya and Olga’s journey from Russian occupied Kherson to Izmail.
A couple of weeks ago I made a trip back into Ukraine to help out in Izmail, a small Ukrainian town on the Romanian border. While there I worked some with our crisis pregnancy center, but also was blessed to be there on a Sunday and worship at the Izmail Presbyterian church. This church has always struggled with growing their congregation, but ever since the war began, it has truly blossomed in size. I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face leading the service. I met Zhenya years ago when I was in Kherson, but a few weeks after the invasion he escaped occupied territory with his wife and children.
Zhenya invited me over for dinner Sunday evening, a delicious borshch prepared by his wife, Olga. After the meal he shared with me how they escaped. At first, when the Russians parachuted into Kherson and took over the city, they thought it would be safer to stay in the city. Zhenya had a good job working in a carpentry business, and stories were spreading of people who tried to leave but were shot on their journey. Maybe it would be better to just stay low and try to fit in.
One night about a month into the occupation, Zhenya had a very vivid dream that Russian soldiers burst into his workplace and began tearing things apart. The next morning he told Olya, “I think God is telling us to go. Pack your things, we’re leaving.” They loaded up the children and a few possessions, and began what should have been a one hour drive to Nikolaev. Instead, it took them 16 hours due to the multiple checkpoints and the many cars clogging the roads, filled with people also trying to escape. As they passed through the checkpoints, they prayed that they could continue without problems, and shockingly they made it through with no issues at all, even though young men were at much higher risk for being detained, beaten, tortured, or worse.
Along the drive Zhenya received news from one of his coworkers - Russian soldiers had entered his workplace that day, looting and destroying things. He doesn’t know if any of his other coworkers were taken or injured.
They eventually arrived in Izmail where the Presbyterian church welcomed them with open arms, and helped them find a place to live, clothing, and food - just as they’ve helped many others. Zhenya and Olya’s story is a testimony to how God provides for His people - sometimes through visions, sometimes through miracles, sometimes through the body.
Back on the Ukraine road
Last night I slept in my own bed for 9 1/2 hours, and it felt sooooooo good! Immediately after our trip to Rock Hill, SC to take part in Westminster Presbyterian’s mission conference, our team traveled into the mountains for a few days of prayer and planning. What a difference it makes to get away for some dedicated time to look at the big picture, pray, think, and plan.
Less than three hours after our retreat ended, however, it was back to the war. I loaded a cargo van full of humanitarian aid and start driving to Ukraine.
There are a several ways to get into Ukraine, and usually I prefer taking the ferry across the Danube River into Ukraine, but due to some recent bombings near the port, they’ve closed the ferry, making it necessary for me to go through Moldova - a point of entry I tend to avoid because of tighter restrictions and slowness. This time was no different. There was increased traffic (both cars and grain trucks) due to the ferry closure, and it took me 8 hours to cross the border (most border crossings can be made in less than an hour.)
Once across the border it was too late for me to make the drive to Odessa before the military curfew began, so I spent the night in Izmail, a border town where Andrea and I used to live. We’ve got friends there who put me up.
The next morning I continued to Odessa, and spent 5 hours delivering aid and seeing old friends before returning to Izmail. It’s been fairly quiet in Odessa lately, but everyone feels like it’s the calm before the storm. They know that Russia will soon start a massive campaign to destroy Ukraine’s power grid, leaving major cities with no heat or electricity. Last year we were able to bring in plenty of generators, so they’re more ready than they were this time last year, but it’s likely that the attacks will be more severe this year. Time will tell.
I left before sunrise the next morning and made it back into Brasov 10 minutes before I was to lead the church’s afternoon service! In two days I’ll repeat the trip, driving first to Bucharest to pick up fellow traveler Kevin Ellis, and then continuing to Izmail where I’ll work with the Life Care Center (our crisis pregnancy center.). I’d appreciate prayers for safe travel, and prayers for our team, too. Jill Martin has covid now, so the whole family is quarantining. We’ve all been exposed to her and the last thing I want to do is spread sickness to pregnant women! So far our family feels fine, though, and like I mentioned at the beginning, we’re getting plenty of good rest this week.
A Season of Travel
Last week kicked off a season that will most likely continue to be a blur for us until January. Our time in South Carolina and Georgia was a joy, meeting with our friends in a missions conference at Westminster Presbyterian in Rock Hill, but also reuniting with our daughters Abigail and Emily (in Dahlonega, GA and Rock Hill, SC).
We also were able to meet with Anya D., our very close friend who we worked with in Odessa, helped to evacuate to Brasov, and now has relocated to Lawrenceville, GA. Her life has been nothing but change since the war began and we’re amazed at her resiliency.
Now we’re back in Brasov, trying to convince our bodies that it’s okay to sleep at night. The basic rule for jetlag is that you need one day to adapt for every hour time change, so it should just be a week, but when you travel over the Atlantic for a week, and then turn around and come right back, it really does a number on your brain, so it might be a big longer.
Next week we’ll take a few days with our team in the mountains to regroup, pray, and plan for the next season, but much of it has already been laid out.
Immediately following our team retreat, I (Bob) will start a two day trip driving a van loaded with humanitarian aid to Bucharest where I’ll pick up another traveler coming in from America, and then into Ukraine for two days. My hope is to be back in Brasov in time to lead church on Sunday morning.
The following week I’ll repeat the same trip, but with a different traveler.
The next week I’ll drive to L’viv Ukraine and back, and then two weeks later I fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a week long global MTW meeting for team leaders.
A few weeks after that our family will fly to the States for Abigail’s graduation, and we’ll stay in the States for a few weeks to celebrate Christmas with family.
I’m really not complaining - we are extremely thankful for the work that God has called us to and we’re glad we can be used. Often we look at this senseless war with frustration that there is so little we can do, so we look forward to any opportunity to help out in some way. Just typing these things out, however, makes me mentally tired. Each trip to Ukraine involves about 32 hours of driving, and takes it's toll, mentally and physically - I’d appreciate your prayers. Please also pray that my car will make these trips. It’s a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, and in the past year we’ve had to replace most of the engine, the brakes, the starter, the turbo, the wheels, and some damage to the body. I think my mechanic is going to dedicate a new bay to me. It’s got 300,000 km on it, and these trips can be rough, but so far it’s gotten me home every time. Pray it’ll continue to do so. Whatever comes our way though, we know that our God is good, and faithful. Whatever He allows is for a purpose, and a good one at that.
Thank you Pastor Honeycutt (& Judy) for the hospitality you showed us in Rock Hill, and for the great conversations (I especially enjoyed the Smokewagon fireside chat the last evening! :-) May God bless all of you at WPC and continue to use you as an instrument of His grace.
Heading to South Carolina
While this is NOT South Carolina, it sure does feel like it. This is actually a small chapel in the mountains near Brasov.
Oct. 25 Andrea and I will fly to South Carolina to speak at Westminster Presbyterian Church’s missions conference in Rock Hill, SC. I wish I could say we’re staying longer in the States to travel around a bit and see more of you, but this is unfortunately not the time for that. Winter is coming and we’ve got lots to do back in Ukraine.
If you’re interested in meeting with us and hearing more about what God is doing through our ministry, we’ll be speaking at Westminster on Sunday, October 1st at 10am for about an hour. The address is 1320 India Hook Rd, Rock Hill, SC. We hope to see many of you there!
May 2023 Update From Bob & Andrea Burnham
Canola fields are in bloom in Romania!
SNAPSHOTS FROM UKRAINE
Newsletter from Bob & Andrea Burnham, serving with Mission to the World in Odessa, Ukraine, but currently living in Brasov, Romania
Challenges Ahead
While there have been many positive developments for Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s attacks, the future is still very uncertain, and especially so for displaced Ukrainians. In this edition of ‘Snapshots’ we’ll share some of the events that have both encouraged us and challenged us.
Romanian support for refugees ending?
Seeing off some of our first, dear arrivals in Brasov as they, more than a year later, return to Odessa
Last month we received news that Romania’s refugee program would begin changing and winding down on May 1st. While additional limitations are introduced this summer, financial aid will continue throughout the end of the year only for those who meet strict parameters. For a majority of refugees this impacts their ability to pay for housing, utilities and food. And although most Ukrainians don’t consider it safe to return to their homes in Ukraine, they are faced with few other options. Many of the women have younger children and aren’t able to work full-time, and the salaries that Ukrainians receive here are typically less than salaries for Romanians - not enough to live on. Others with older kids cannot enroll them in required Romanian schools since they do not speak the language. Some in our community have already returned while others are trying to fulfill requirements allowing them to stay as long as they can. Please pray that God would lead us in His wisdom to explore sustainable ways to help these families.
We’re putting our vehicle to work, helping Ukrainians pack up and move
to more affordable housing or back to Ukraine!
Visitors from Georgia churches!
A joint team from northern GA came April 1st to help guide children (and a good many teens and adults!) through experiences in 8 stations depicting Jesus’s final week, his crucifixion and resurrection! This occurred 10 days before Romania & Ukraine celebrated Easter, so it was perfect timing to bring to their minds these history-making, life-altering events. Restoration Presbyterian, Christ the King Pres., and 12 Stone churches loaned us some dear people who served with excellence & humility, demonstrated the love of Christ, and invested in becoming even closer friends with our communities throughout the week ~ Thank you for your prayers!
Thank you Philip, Elaine, Michael, Justin, Carol W., Eddie, Carol K. and Diane!
On 3 different occasions this team set up their elaborate craft & activity stations for participants to “Walk Through Holy Week.” Interpreters were used so that three different cultures could interact using their heart languages: Romanian, Ukrainian/Russian, Hungarian.
Above, Denis (Ukrainian) helps Justin dramatize Peter cutting off the ear of the high-priest’s servant, and Jesus healing the servant’s ear before being arrested.
Diane and her interpreter Anya ask Ukrainian kids if they can imagine what motivated Jesus to wash the disciples’ dirty feet - a job only the lowest servant would do. This is just one example used by our fellow missionary, Catalina Kreider, (who wrote the curriculum and an accompanying devotional for families to use) to help participants explore more fully Who Jesus was, how He loved people when He lived 2000 years ago, and to understand the miraculous events of Easter which give the strongest evidence that He is alive and with us today and always!
In Eastern European fashion, the week was full of delicious, homemade meals shared with our Ukrainian community, as well as with the Romanian and Hungarian congregations. Thank you to all who served Christ by supporting this outreach and those who came!! It really made an impact on many families here in Brasov!
We greatly enjoyed our dear friend, Diane Hood, staying extra days with us to catch up and sightsee in beautiful Romania. She also introduced playing Quirkle (and her patented “Quirkle dance”™ moves) with many of our friends, including neighbors Lydia and granddaughter Anya (Diane’s Ukrainian interpreter.)
Back and Forth to Ukraine
Bob has made several trips to Ukraine since our last newsletter, taking in humanitarian & medical aid and moving Ukrainians’ belongings back to their homes. The trip usually takes 14-16 hours one-way (depending on the border crossing), along two-lane roads through mountains, villages, and farmland.
Due to medical items, Bob usually opts for the two ferry crossings across the Danube river, which take him directly from Romania to Ukraine, by-passing Moldova.
It’s worth the grueling drive time to bring in much needed aid and be able to see friends, like our teammate Lauren, her new husband, Vanya, and Pastor George and his wife Snezhana.
Speaking of Snezhana ~ last fall she bought a dehydrator and for 10 months has been curing healthy fruit, vegetables and lean meats to send to soldiers and troops who are personally connected with our believing communities. (We tasted it! Delicious!) We just provided her with a vacuum sealer to send these foods in more sanitary packaging. You can see what she does by clicking here.
She is in need of donations to financially offset the rising meat costs ($80/month) and a one-time need of $100 to buy extra trays for the dehydrator to increase the amount she can do at once.
Please contact us if you are interested: burnhamsnapshots@gmail.com
Easter in Romania
The 6th station of our “Walk Through the Holy Week” event involved each child nailing their name to a wooden cross, in order to identify their own sins with the reason Jesus was nailed to the cross. On Easter our church featured the same cross, but covered in beautiful flowers, signifying the resurrected life Christ gives us through His sacrifice. Here we are, with Iris, and Odessa teammates (l to r) Jill, David and Ruth Anne Martin.
Each week new visitors have joined our church gathering! However, Easter day worship was bittersweet, celebrating God’s abundant provision, while at the same time missing Ukrainian friends & family members who were observing this high holiday in danger of missiles or army attacks. Please pray for a swift and just end to Russia’s attacks against Ukraine, so families can be spared & reunited and the country rebuilt.
Of course we celebrated Easter as a family, with a big meal!
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1,2
Ironically, while helping our friends load their moving boxes in February & March, I, Andrea, developed a separation in my tummy muscle! I was very hesitant to have ANY kind of operation, having never had one. But the thought of Jesus being pierced for our sins, under intense pain and emotional agony, afforded me needed perspective for my planned, sanitary, anaesthetised laparoscopic procedure.
And outside my hospital room window rose a scenic, misty mountainside to remind me of the power and beauty of the One Who was allowing this situation in my life. I gained appreciation for the Romanian health care system last week and am glad to report that my epigastric hernia surgery was successful. I am 80% recovered with the added help of Mango, our geriatric orange tabby.
So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
Andrea and I were reflecting the other day about people in our lives who have begun to grasp more of the depth and beauty of God’s inspired Word. Thanks to generous friends who bought and sent slender large-print Russian Bibles we were able to give 3 women, Elvira, Tatiana and Lydia, access to Scriptures they can more easily read.
Lydia (our 68 year old upstairs neighbor who only since the beginning of the war, started attending church with us) opened her new Bible and began to read “In the beginning….” 😉 Andrea overheard her exclaim to her daughter in amazement, “People used to live so long! Some were hundreds of years old before dying!” Over the winter, Lydia learned that several of her closest friends from youth have passed, so death and life-after-death have been on her mind.
A few other comments regarding things we take for granted knowing:
“Wait, this scripture is saying that Jesus is actually God?”
“Jesus appeared and spoke face-to-face with His disciples AFTER He was raised from the dead?!”
(stated in the men’s Bible study while studying the Gospel of John)
Our lovely Ukrainian ladies at Wednesday Bible study May 17th ~ We’ve already dedicated several lessons to a basic timeline overview and explanation of how the Bible was written, compiled and arranged. And of course, we also discuss the over-arching theme of the Bible’s message: A Holy God promises a Messiah to redeem sinful humanity and reconcile them to Himself. Still, the order of the many books of the Bible, and the two major sections of Old and New Testaments are newer concepts for many, previously unchurched, folks attending our groups and church services.
We discover the Gospel afresh through their eyes and share in their excitement when they understand new truths!
Izmail Life Care Center
During Bob’s last few trips to Odessa, he’s brought his camera gear along and stopped off at the Izmail Life Care Center, a crisis pregnancy ministry we helped to begin more than 15 years ago.
The Life Care Center has not slowed in supporting pregnant women in the community (37 women completed the program over the past 15 months and 6 more are enrolled!)
Please pray for this life-saving ministry.
Bob, when able, is happy to provide photo-sessions to help each woman remember this time in their lives. It’s the goal of the LCC to educate women in child-care and parenting and help them physically and emotionally throughout their pregnancy, but also to uphold the beauty of life and how that is ultimately complete when they are in a relationship with God, Who created them and gave them life.
While women usually bring along outfits they feel comfortable wearing, over the years Bob has acquired quite a collection of colorful fabrics which gives each woman additional options. He wasn’t sure how black would look, but it turned out rather sophisticated!
Two weeks ago Bob was surprised to learn that one of the women he was photographing was the daughter of ANOTHER woman he photographed in 2009! Can you tell which of the young siblings she is?
The Next Generation
For three days Bob was asked to speak in morning chapel to students in elementary, middle and high school classes attending Brasov’s International Christian School (Greater Grace). He shared his testimony with them (age-appropriately), as well as lessons he’s learned about making big decisions for the future, starting with “who am I and how do I decide what to do with my life?” While it was well-received in all 3 levels, please pray especially for the somewhat disillusioned and aloof high schoolers, Iris’s peers, that God’s Spirit would grip them and draw them to Himself.
What’s Next?
Now that a year has elapsed since we evacuated from Ukraine, we are faced with re-registration in Romania. Knowing that several Ukrainians have left or plan to leave our community here in the next few months, we’ve been asking the question,
“What does God want us to do now?”
After much prayer and late night talks, we’ve come to the conclusion that God wants us to stay right where we are for the foreseeable future. There are still Ukrainians here and, if the intensity of war increases this summer, we have no doubt there will be others who come. Being in Brasov puts us in a perfect position - far enough away from the fighting, but close enough to receive the displaced and physically deliver much needed aid. As long as we’re able to continue serving, we want to do so.
Looking to buy a used car for Emily
Our middle daughter, Emily, returns from Japan in a couple of weeks and will settle again in Rock Hill, SC for her last year of college. She’s been able to get by without a car up until now, but it’s time she gets one. If you or someone you know is selling a reliable car, would you let us know? Not being in the States, we’re not able to physically check out cars, so a good recommendation would be very helpful for us. Thank you!!