Newspaper Page Text
Page 8A
March 2, 2022
ftBfeporter
UKRAINE
Continued from 1A
when airports began dosing
and he had to scramble to get a
flight out.
Over the years McCoy, who
is now the pastor of Atlanta
Primitive Baptist Church, has
come to know and care for
many people in Ukraine, es
pecially the church ministers.
He saw the hardships they en
dured in 2014 and knows what
they may face now. People can
still show you the shrapnel in
their homes and fences from
that invasion.
“Soldiers don’t care what
they’re shooting at,” he said.
He told of a group that was
gathered in their church in
Luhansk when armed mili
tants entered and told them
they had three choices: They
could convert to the Russian
state church, leave the area or
be shot. They chose to move
to another area and were sup
ported by another church for
about a year until they could
re-start their own.
McCoy said he is trying to
stay in touch with individuals
in Ukraine, but by Thurs
day, he was having difficulty
contacting them. He is praying
they will stay safe, but he
knows they are in danger.
McCoy said that “Sasha,”
DMI’s Ukrainian director,
had correcdy predicted what
was about to happen in 2014
and during a Zoom meeting
on Feb. 18, although initially
refusing to do so, had again
predicted what happened this
week.
“Most of them don’t want to
leave. It’s their country’ said
McCoy. “They will hide if they
have to, but they’re not going
to change their religion. The
church will survive.”
McCoy said he expects Rus
sia to shut down all churches
except the Russian state church
as was done during the era of
the U.S.S.R.
Asked what he thinks is the
reason for Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, McCoy said Russian
president Vladimir Putin’s goal
is to reestablish the U.S.S.R.
Seeing the weakness shown by
the United States in withdraw
ing from Afghanistan, Putin
judged it the right time to
begin a full scale invasion of
Ukraine. McCoy said Russias
actions in 2014 were a test run.
McCoy explained that the
soil in Ukraine is rich; It was
called the breadbasket of
the U.S.S.R. and produces
so much wheat that the U.S.
imports wheat from Ukraine.
When McCoy and the min
istry team first drove through
Ukraine, they were amazed
by the thousands of acres of
sunflowers, which are grown
to produce sunflower oil. Mc
Coy said that since separating
from the U.S.S.R. Ukraine’s
economy has been rising while
Russias has been declining.
McCoy said that Sasha said,
“It’s not between Russia and
Ukraine, it’s between Russia
and the West.” McCoy said
that Ukraine is the pawn, only
one-tenth the size of Russia,
and can’t win. “They have the
names of everyone who is
pro-democracy and will kill
them,” he said, explaining that
2014 was a preview of this type
of atrocities in Ukraine. He
pointed to how Putin’s public
demeanor has changed since
the invasion, how he appeared
ferocious and tyrant-like in his
speech to the Russian people.
McCoy said the answer
to prayers may be that the
Russian people will stand
up to Putin because McCoy
doesn’t believe the Russian
people support the inva
sion of Ukraine. Christians
everywhere are praying for the
conversion of Putin, which
McCoy believes is a miracle
that God can bring about.
He said as God changed Paul
from persecuting Christians to
a man who worked the rest of
his life as God’s missionary, he
can also convert Putin to work
for good.
McCoy also asks for prayers
for the safety of the DMI
ministers, their families and
their church members in the
present turbulence and danger
in Ukraine. He thinks of the
thousands of people who have
been helped by DMI medi
cal ministries to Ukraine that
began in 1998, bringing doc
tors and nurses to help people
who walked miles to see
them. The ministry supports
rehabilitation centers for those
who have abused alcohol and/
or drugs and former prison
ers. There are orphanages it
supports, including one called
Happy Home that a woman
operates for disabled children.
McCoy said children with
even correctable disabilities are
often rejected by parents in the
Ukrainian culture.
McCoy thinks that the as
sault “like never seen before”
that Putin has threatened on
countries that interfere with
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
refers to cyber attacks on infra
structure. He said these attacks
will cross country boundaries,
will be considered an attack on
NATO countries and could tip
the situation into a world war.
Sasha told McCoy that there
was no traffic in Ukraine’s
capital city on Friday, as every
thing shut down waiting. By
Wednesday there was gridlock
in the capital city as people
tried to leave for safer places.
He said there are only three
bridges to cross the Dnieper
River in Ukraine and the
bridges are about 100 miles
apart. Now there are millions
of people trying to get across
the river.
McCoy shared an emails
he received from Ukraine on
Friday and Saturday.
On Friday: “We definitely
don’t know what the end of
the war will be. But every hour
I’m getting information from
different regions from our
network of contacts and to
mention some of the problems
were facing and will be facing:
1. Destroyed houses, apart
ments, and vehicles. Repairs
will be needed. 2. Refugees.
For now, we have a lot of
people who left everything
behind and if parts of Ukraine
they used to live in will happen
to be under Russia they would
never come back even under
peaceful condition. Such peo
ple will need to start-up again.
If the whole of Ukraine will be
under control of Russia with
Putin’s puppets running the
country - immigration abroad
for many people. 3. Medical
help. I’m receiving notes on
injured people all around. 4.
Economy in general. Nothing
is working now and every day
of war makes things worse...
No need at the moment to
wire the funds over here. It
doesn’t work. Most stores are
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closed at least in my village
and the ones still open are
empty.. .It is loud out here. Just
were 4-5 big explosions in the
direction of Kiev. They’re try
ing take over Kiev and the area
this night.”
On Saturday: “I did a com
munion service for my family
this morning. Completely
different feelings than in
normal life. God is so good
for giving us His Son Jesus
Christ. Besides my close fam
ily we have our son-in-law’s
mother and brother staying
with us. Our son-in-law is
the one who used to call you
as Papa Bear. Our neighbors
across from our house (young
adults with 2 little kids) are
also to join us in case of heavy
shelling like we have had this
early morning, since they don’t
have basement in their house.
Last night was a real hell If we
survive, I’ll explain more...
We didn’t sleep most of the
last few days. My wife feels ex
hausted and on the edge of her
strength. Please pray for her ’
The e-mails mention others
who are all right but are under
heavy shelling. McCoy has
removed names and cities
to protect them. He said that
DMI will accept donations
for humanitarian aid when it
can be sent, and all fimds will
used as designated by donors,
targeting the needs outlined in
the Friday email.
McCoy invites those who
want to help to visit the Disci-
pling Ministries International
website, where updates on
those in Ukraine are being
shared as available. Checks can
be sent to him at PO. Box 69,
Culloden 31016.
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