When Pavlo* and his wife, Veronika*, saw a team from the Bible Society along with a group of local pastors handing out food boxes and Bibles, they quickly joined a long line of waiting people.

The couple lost everything when their apartment building in Mariupol was destroyed during a missile strike. Since the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of men, women, children, and elderly have been killed, and many thousands more have been injured by bombings and other attacks. Homes, businesses, schools, medical facilities, and churches have been reduced to ash and rubble.

For Pavlo and Veronika, the destruction of their home and belongings kindled a desire for one thing above all — the Bible they previously owned . . . but never used. They had never read it, and when they lost their home, they lost their Bible too. Pavlo recalls, “We felt the urge to pray but didn’t know how.”

As the line shortened and the couple drew closer, a volunteer invited them to pick up a food box. Pavlo shook his head and replied, “This Bible is more important. Food can wait.”

They had been yearning for the Bible. In Pavlo’s words, “It was a God-sent gift” for them both to suddenly receive a New Testament.

We are grateful for the generosity of our partners who help make Bibles and aid available to the suffering people of Ukraine. For nearly two years, the Bible Society team has fearlessly risked their lives to share the Good News of Jesus with the millions of people who remain in Ukraine despite the horrible conditions.

*Name changed for privacy