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By LIZZIE BOWEN | Staff Writer

PELHAM– The Pelham Library will host an event entitled “The War in Ukraine” on Tuesday April 18 at 11 a.m. to educate the public.

Viacheslav Rymskyi, known as Slavik, is a Ukrainian pastor and the Director of Serve Ukraine Ministries.

He will share the story of how his wife and children were among the millions who evacuated from Ukraine and how they started Serve Ukraine Ministries to send desperately needed supplies to Ukraine.

“The main objective of our ministry is to provide humanitarian support and relief to the suffering people of my nation,” Slavik said. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken thousands of innocent lives, made many children orphans and created food shortages in a country that used to be the breadbasket of Europe. I just cannot be silent knowing what my dad and mom and others are going through in Ukraine.”

The event is free and open to anyone. Seating is limited and those who desire to register can do so at the official Pelham Library’s website.

“There has to be a reason why God brought me to the USA two days prior to the war in Ukraine,” Slavik said. “I want to be the voice of our nation among the people of America.”

Librarian David Smith said Pelham Library Guild member Ron Howard had seen Pastor Rymskyi give a presentation and was highly impressed with his story. He thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for Pelham residents to hear a firsthand account of the events happening in Ukraine and this man’s efforts to help his countrymen.

“I have a simple yet dramatic message,” Slavik said. “It is a story of my wife and children evacuating out of Ukraine during the first days of war, the testimony of how we helped my father to start the largest feeding program in South of Ukraine and how kind the people in the USA have been in supporting our ministry.”

Slavik said prior to war he served in ministry as a church administrator. On Sunday, Feb 20, 2022, four days prior to war, Slavik ministry opened a new church campus in the Odessa region.

“My father was a senior pastor and I was his right hand,” Slavik said. “Not only we shared ministry but we shared life together. I made frequent trips to the US to share about ministry and raise support for the building of the new church campus. It was a miracle to have the building up and running at such a crucial time. Back then, we had no idea that the church campus would become the logistical center for the distribution of humanitarian aid and Christian ministry across Ukraine.”

Slavik tells the story of One elderly lady who comes to our church in the Odessa region said “I just couldn’t survive on 60 USD of retirement pension per month and was looking after her sick husband.

“I cannot thank your church enough for providing oatmeal, sugar, sunflower oil, candles and especially flour,” the woman said to Slavik, “I am able to bake my own bread and put food on the table. Day and night, I pray that the war would be over.”

Slavik said another old man in the East of Ukraine was approached by one of their volunteers while he was driving a bicycle in a little village that survived Russian occupation. After he received a bag of supplies of groceries and bread he said through tears, “Thank you. I have not eaten the fresh bread in months.”

More information on the Serve Ukraine ministry can be found at Facebook.com/ServeUkraine.