The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. [Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14]
We are horrified by the images that we see coming out of the Ukraine. Images of death and destruction inflicted on innocent people, including children, babies, and the elderly, by a brutal Russian force and a tyrant of a leader. Buildings destroyed, lives lost, multitudes of people injured, millions fleeing the country, heading for the borders of other countries.
Yes, as people of God we can pray for the people of Ukraine, but we wish we can do so much more to bear the burdens of those on the other side of the world. Yet, we are heartened by the response of United Methodists in that area who are helping in whatever way they can.
A UM congregation in Cluj-Napoca, Romania is opening the doors of its facility to refugees, offering food and the chance for conversation and counseling. In Budapest, Hungary, United Methodists have been at the Budapest Keleti railway station to greet arriving refugees, bringing them water, juice, and muesli chocolates for the children. A pastor of a UM church in Michalovce, Slovakia met a group of African students who had been studying in Kyiv, Ukraine to provide them shelter at her church.
Even though we cannot physically help those suffering this devastation in the Ukraine, we can financially support the efforts of those who are—something they desperately need. You can help by donating to UMCOR, United Methodist Committee on Relief in the following ways:
To Help Refugees within Ukraine:
+ Online: Click HERE to give online. Designate your donation to “Ukraine Refugees.”
+ By Phone: Call toll free 888-252-6174 to make your gift. Credit card gifts can be accepted by phone.
+ By Mail: Make checks payable to ADVANCE GCFA and send it to: Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Write “Advance #14053A-Ukraine Refugees” on the Memo line.
To Help Ukraine Refugees in Poland:
+ By Mail: Make check payable to the "Florida Conference Treasurer" and mail to: FLORIDA UNITED METHODIST CENTER, Attn: Icel Rodriguez, 450 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., Lakeland, FL 33815. Write "Adv # 102130-Ukraine Refugees" on the memo line.
One hundred percent of your gift will go right away to United Methodist churches in Ukraine and Poland on the front lines of this refugee humanitarian crisis.
Keep the people of Ukraine in your prayers—to be strong and take heart, and to somehow “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
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