August 2023

War rages on . . . Claiming promises and hope

Truth: consider your sources - do your own research

Just because someone is well known or has a big audience and microphone, doesn't mean they are a credible source. Please get your information about Ukraine and the war from people who are actively working on all fronts and who have been working there for extended periods of time.

Russia has brutally and mercilessly attacked Ukraine daily since February of 2014, for more than 9 years and 6 months.

Contrary to some uninformed reports, Ukraine is NOT the most corrupt country in the world (actually #59 from the bottom and improving annually according to CPI 2022).

Ukraine is NOT losing on the battlefield (they are making daily gains against untrained, technologically inferior troops).

Equipment and U.S. taxpayer dollars are NOT being stolen by oligarchs (there is a multinational, multi-tiered system of reporting and accountability).

Ukrainians are NOT oppressing and persecuting Russian speakers (Shawn has spoken Russian in every part of Ukraine for over 22 years and not once has felt any pressure or has been discriminated against).

Russia is NOT liberating anyone in Ukraine from Nazis and Fascists, but rather are targeting civilians, women, and children and killing Russian speakers in the territories that they occupy and attack.

Crimea is Ukraine, Donbas is Ukraine, Donetsk is Ukraine, and Luhansk is Ukraine.

Ukraine declared its independence on August 24, 1991, and the former Soviet Union and the rest of the world recognized the established borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Ukraine as an independent nation.

Ukraine was NEVER part of Russia, only forced to be a Soviet state during the period of the Soviet Union. Even in this period, Ukraine was referred to as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Ukrainian civilians, women, and children have endured some of the most horrific and brutal terrorist attacks on residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, children's playgrounds, kindergartens, and shopping centers nationwide for over 18 months now.

Unspeakable war crimes, demonic horror, nightmarish sights that can never be forgotten, children used as human shields, mass graves of tortured civilians, kids with PTSD, and tens of thousands of family homes flattened to the ground with nothing left.

We know this is hard to read. It is harder to see firsthand and re-tell our experiences.

We are tired, our team is weary, air raid sirens blare daily, but we forge ahead because people are suffering and dying, and we have a calling from God to serve under all circumstances.

Our prayer is that you would ask us, or ask a Ukrainian, about the actual situation on the ground.

Please don't rely on talking heads who have never met a Ukrainian on Ukrainian soil.

Ask God for wisdom and demonstrate compassion for a people, a nation, who are being terrorized daily for no justifiable reason.

And thank you to all of you who have given so generously and sacrificially!

We are still fighting - please remember us!

Camp willow park is our favorite youth camp!

MASSIVE renovations, that we mentioned in our Spring newsletter, have allowed us to upgrade the camp experience and provide many more services for children coming to us from all over Ukraine.

Watch a tour of our phase-one improvements: Camp Willow Park Tour

This summer, over 330 children, along with volunteers, staff, and support personnel, participated in seven camps designed to support those traumatized by the war.

Child refugees, orphans, widows, and children living under constant air strikes and missile attacks found peace, safety, security, and the healing message of grace at Camp Willow Park, a ministry of Mission 823.

Our facilities at Camp Willow Park are also available for other groups to rent for their own camps.

If you’re considering planning a youth camp, why not do so with us in Ukraine?

It’s a meaningful way to make a difference and support the ongoing work in a region deeply in need of hope and care.

There are over 20 videos here that will give you a glimpse of our camps from this summer, which are only improving each year:

Mission 823 You Tube Channel 

Road repairs improve access to camp willow park

Thanks to your generosity, Mission 823 was able to help the residents of Pidhaichyky make much-needed repairs to the local roads leading from the paved highway to Camp Willow Park. 

The community came together, worked hard, and made significant improvements to the road conditions, enhancing access for everyone.

However, we still need approximately $1,000 worth of materials to finish the last section before winter sets in. Your continued support will help us complete this essential work and ensure safe and reliable access to the camp throughout the coming months.

Over 5 billion gallons of clean water capacity delivered

In cooperation with local partner NGO's in Ukraine, more than 600 Sawyer water filters were delivered to residents of Kherson, a front-line city severely affected by the Kakhovka Dam destruction by Russian forces.

Altogether, more than 50,000 filters with the capacity to produce 5 billion gallons of pure water have been delivered by Mission 823 to some of the more than 700,000 people without access to clean water in Ukraine.

Churches in ukraine remain faithful during war

Church partners, such as the one in Yaremche, western Ukraine, in the Carpathian Region, with Pastor Evgenniy Kirichenko and his family, are making a profound impact under extremely challenging conditions. 

They faithfully address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of both residents and refugees, providing critical support and hope.

Their dedication and resilience are truly inspiring, as they continue to serve amidst the turmoil and hardship caused by the conflict.

Their efforts are a beacon of light for many who are struggling and in need of comfort and assistance.

Please consider supporting church works like this through Mission 823.

Your contributions can help sustain and expand these vital services, ensuring that more individuals receive the care and support they desperately need during these difficult times.

Urgent medical request from ukraine - partially fulfilled

Empty STAT Packs (Jump Bags for EMT's and Paramedics) were provided by Luminary Global and then were filled with medical supplies purchased by Trinity Baptist Church in Big Spring, TX and Shiloh Baptist Church in Jasper, GA through Gravitas Medical Solutions in the UK. 

Contents included are shown in this video: STAT Packs for Ukraine

These bags will be delivered by Shawn (President of Mission 823) to the first responders in the front-line cities in Ukraine.

Consider supporting this project: CLICK HERE. 

Mission 823, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible. Be sure to designate "STAT PACKS" in the memo line.

Tragedy strikes family that attended our camps

Please pray for the Balabanyk family. They were at home when an inaccurate Russian missile struck their yard, killing their 8 year old son, Volodymyr, hospitalized the entire family and totally destroyed their home.

We are trying to raise $10,000 to help rebuild their home. This family lives in our community and is precious to us. They are grieving, healing from their physical wounds, but they are traumatized by the images and experience of watching their young son die.

Prayer and support concerns:

Shawn is leaving for Ukraine in a few days with local Lake County, Florida politicians to initiate Sister City relationships in eastern Ukraine with the consultation of area governors there.

Please pray for wisdom and resources to be able to serve and minister to residents in some of the hardest hit areas of Ukraine.

They will also be delivering medical supplies and meeting with leadership to discuss expanding their Trauma and PTSD program to include new training and new therapies from a Christian perspective.

Staffing Needs: Pray that God will provide wisdom and resources to enlarge our teams.

The work is far too great in Ukraine and here in the U.S. for us to reach our fullest potential with present staffing.

We need resources to be able to hire more staff in Ukraine and we also need to find people who are considering missionary and non-profit work as a vocation to work with us here in the States.

Please contact us directly if you would like to discuss these staff positions or become a team member at Mission 823.

Mission 823 desperately needs several vehicles to help us accomplish our mission in Ukraine.

Pickup trucks, shuttle buses, and passenger buses are a critical need as we grow.

Contact us if you would like to know how you can help us with these needs.