In the early hours of March 2nd, we were attacked by several Russian Shahed drones. The peaceful night was shattered by their terrifying buzz.  One of the drones targeted our end of town, which is densely populated with high rise apartment buildings. The drone hit an apartment building not far from us and the consequences were catastrophic, with 9 floors collapsing under the force of the impact, claiming the lives of 14 innocent civilians, including several children.   Among the victims of this ruthless attack were Anya and her beloved three-month-old son, Timothy. Their lives were tragically cut short as they were buried under tons of rubble, with Anya cradling her precious baby close to her chest when rescue workers discovered them. Anya’s husband, Sergey, and their daughter narrowly escaped the same fate, having been in a neighboring room at the time of the attack. Sergey spent agonizing hours watching as rescue workers painstakingly sifted through the debris, clinging to hope that his wife and son would be found alive, only to have his worst fears confirmed.  Anya’s father, Mikolay Sidak is pastor of Peresyup Baptist church. Our ministry has had a long relationship with this church. In fact, I talked with Pastor Mikolay just 3 days earlier at a local pastor’s fellowship. Pastor Mikolay now finds himself grappling with the unimaginable loss of his daughter and grandson, while offering solace and support to his grieving family and congregation. In response to Russia’s senseless act of violence, the city of Odesa has declared Sunday, March 3rd, a day of mourning for the the lives lost in this attack. Please pray for Anya’s husband Sergey and his young daughter. Pray for Pastor Mikolay Sidak and Peresyup Church. Pray as many churches in Odesa seek to give the hope of Jesus Christ to the community in tragic circumstances such as these. One thing we can be sure of is that Anya and her little Timothy are now safely in the hands of our Savior and enjoying His glorious presence. |
