He Thought He Would Die

When his ship took a direct hit from a Russian missile, Blesson thought this was the end

By God’s grace, Blesson survived, although most of the crew perished that day. He was taken to the hospital here in Odesa, where later I came to visit him.

For months, Blesson’s ship had been transporting grain from Ukraine to countries throughout the Mediterranean. His ship had just loaded with corn, they were not hauling weapons or anything related to the military.

When they entered Odesa area they noticed several other ships that had been recently hit by Russian missiles or drones. This made them all quite nervous. Blesson kept his Bible close to him and recalled Psalm 91:7

“A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.”
—Psalm 91:7

On Sunday afternoon, July 19, the ship finally left the port. An air-raid alert was active, so Blesson and several others moved away from the bridge, which is often a target.

Blesson picked up the Bible he kept on the bridge and began reading. He read several Psalms before returning to Psalm 91—the same passage God had used to comfort him earlier.

Then suddenly a missile struck.

“I did not hear anything coming,” Blesson told me. “The last word from my mouth was ‘Yesappa’—Jesus Christ.”

The explosion knocked him unconscious. When he awoke, the pilot was lying on his arm dead. Blesson was injured and burned, but he was alive. He and six other survivors were eventually rescued and taken to a hospital in Odesa.

A few days later, I received word that there was an injured Indian sailor in the hospital here and needed someone to visit him.

I called Blesson and asked him how he was doing and if he needed anything. He immediately responded, “Can you please bring me an NIV Bible?” Of course I can! I am amazed as I think of it now. How God connected us with Blesson. Who else in Odesa could bring him and NIV Bible? And I just happened to have a stack of them at our church that was so kindly donated to us!

When I first visited him, he had just been transferred out of intensive care. His head and arms were covered with bandages but I could tell that the burns were bad. We sat with him, listened to his story and praised God that he had survived. Then we prayed together and I gave Blesson that Bible that he so badly wanted.

Because of your partnership, we were already here and able to respond. We brought Blesson a Bible, food, prayer, encouragement, and friendship at a time when he needed it the most!

Leo, one of our church members and also a sailor, happened to live only a ten-minute walk from Blesson’s hospital. Leo and his Ukrainian wife visited him, prayed with him, and even prepared Indian food for him.

Blesson later told me:

“God was sending angels to me. He provided His Word again. He provided food. He sent people to look after me. I had people praying for me in India, but I also had people here in Ukraine praying for me right before my eyes.”

Exactly two weeks after the attack, Blesson walked into our Sunday service. His healing was remarkable. He stood before the church and testified about how God had rescued him.

Blesson knows that God has given him a second opportunity to live and testify to others about God. I just received word from him that he is now safely back home in India. Please pray for him as he visits his church and his former school to share with them his story and give glory to God!

I wanted to share this story with you because it highlights the importance of presence. I couldn’t have ministered to Blesson in the same way through an email or even through a video call. God sent us to Ukraine so that we could be with people during their times of suffering. So that we could sit with them, cry with them, hug them, encourage them, pray with them, and share the hope of Jesus Christ with them.

Jesus came to us, he didn’t just send us a text message!

Your support allows us to remain here, proclaim the gospel, serve people in moments of crisis, and bring the comfort of God’s Word when it is desperately needed. We did not know Blesson before the attack, but God knew him. At exactly the right moment, He connected us so that Blesson would not face his suffering alone.

Thank you for making this ministry possible. Your prayers and generosity help us remain present and ready when God opens an unexpected door.

Please pray:

• For Blesson’s continued physical and emotional healing.
• For the families of the crew members who were killed.
• That Blesson’s testimony will point many people to Jesus Christ.
• For God’s protection over Odesa and Ukraine’s ports. (We are still being attacked daily)
• That The Gospel Today will remain faithful and prepared to serve those God brings to us.

Missiles remind us how little control we have over life and death. But they also remind us that our lives are in God’s hands. His greatest gift is not merely physical protection, but the eternal salvation and forgiveness we receive through Jesus Christ.

Thank you for standing with us as we share that hope here in Ukraine.