March 2022
Dear Praying Friends,
The Russian shells dropped indiscriminately on their cities, destroying homes, government buildings, schools, hospitals and all the infrastructure of modern civilization. Many sheltered in dank basements with little to no food or water. Never knowing when a bomb, missile or artillery shell would destroy their hiding places and kill them and their terrified children, they had given up hope of longterm survival. But then a civilian convoy of passenger cars or vans was organized and they took their chance to escape the Russian army and seek safety in the west.
Portugal is a long way from the terrible war raging in the Ukraine, but not far enough away to not be impacted by the rising prices (gasoline approaching $10.00 per gallon and food rising in prices overnight) and the influx of over four million refugees, most of them women and children, into western Europe. Our small church prayed about how to help and had the opportunity to purchase food and personal hygiene products for these women and their children. Our assistant pastor and I spent the morning purchasing desperately needed supplies and literally filled our van. We took these supplies to the local fire department who were organizing trucks to take food, clothing and necessary items to Poland where the majority of refugees are coming. It was a great blessing to our church to help, a great testimony to the firefighters and a serious opportunity for all of our church to look beyond the walls of our church and see the suffering and dying here in Europe.
Please pray with us as more and more Ukrainian refugees stream into Portugal, that God would give us more opportunities to help these terrified women and children with the necessities of life, but also that we can find a way to share the good news of Jesus Christ with these people who have seen death up close and personally.
Seeking the lost,
Mark Hale
