Ballymena Elim has welcomed Pastor Viktor Karplyuk and six family members from Ukraine.,,,
As the UK readied itself to welcome Ukrainian refugees, a church in Ireland told of the moment it began supporting a family that had fled the conflict.
Bobbie Tinnion of Ballymena Elim in Northern Ireland met Pastor Viktor Karplyuk and his six family members in Dublin in March as they awaited their UK visas.
“I worked with the Rwandans after the genocide in the early 90s and it was akin to that,” she said.
“For a couple of hours we sat in silence holding hands and crying. Their minds were completely occupied with what they had left behind – the mothers, sisters and brothers who were out fighting.
“They told me one aunt had lived with relatives in a basement in Mariupol for 20 days, surviving on steamed buckwheat.”
Ballymena Elim is one of many of churches and organisations assisting Ukrainian families. It has worked with friends and its community to provide basic essentials, accommodation, friendship, prayer and support.
“We asked the family for a wishlist of essentials and put them on cards for people to take and provide. Each family member has also been given a buddy who communicates and prays with them every day via WhatsApp or FaceTime,” said Bobbie.
“Ballymena Elim is looking forward to welcoming a very special family and people in the church have already registered to open their homes to others too.”
The government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme opened on 14 March, although delays in visa applications have been reported.
Pastor Viktor’s story:
“I was born into a Christian Pentecostal family with four children, but it was the time of the communist system where religion and faith in God were severely punished.
“At school, my three older brothers and I had to endure humiliation and ridicule because we were believers. Once, at Easter, we were put in front of the whole school on the square – about 1,500 children and many teachers. The director said we were religious people, dark people who believed in God. She threatened to kick us out of school.
“My grandfather spent four years in the Nazi death camps at Buchenwald and Auschwitz and had three escapes.
“In around 1976, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour and later became an underground church pastor.
“He was led by the Holy Spirit and received revelations from God. Many times this saved him from being arrested by the KGB. God showed him where to hide churches and hold secret services so they wouldn’t be arrested. God performed many miracles through their work.
“Ever since childhood, I have been praying and dreaming the persecution of Christians would end. Religious freedom did come and mass evangelisations swept the country. People came to services in droves and accepted Jesus in their hearts.
“We had freedom to preach the gospel and my friends and I were able to open home groups and serve people on the streets. Later, I also began to travel to orphanages and minister to orphans.
“Yes, our exit from Ukraine was difficult and with great emotions, but God was with us.”
