Ukraine Report
Teachers
Lesson Summary
Brandon Price presented an update on the Ukrainian Bible Institute and missionary work in Ukraine during wartime. The Price family evacuated Ukraine on February 24, 2023, the day Russia's invasion began, and initially went to Poland where they helped establish a humanitarian aid program through a local church in Sopot. After two months, they relocated to Slovakia (to the city of Kosice) to maintain closer connections with the Ukrainian Bible Institute while remaining near the Ukrainian border. Brandon acknowledged that the past year and a half had been extremely difficult for his family, involving trauma, exhaustion, and emotional strain, though he emphasized that encouraging developments were real and genuine beneath the pain. The family expanded with the birth of their daughter Eliana, and their son Justice completed kindergarten while homeschooling. The Ukrainian Bible Institute adapted from a traditional three-class curriculum to a flexible "UBI light" model of one afternoon class, allowing for cancellations due to power outages and infrastructure attacks. Despite these challenges, the school enrolled four new students and focused on graduating second-year students who had been waiting since May 2022. Beyond education, the institute served as a crucial conduit for benevolence work, distributing funds from partner organizations like Sunset International Bible Institute for immediate humanitarian needs—vehicles, tablets for displaced students, medicines, and medical supplies. Brandon emphasized that while the war situation remains dire with ongoing bombings and casualties, believers and churches throughout Ukraine continue to shine as spiritual lights, providing hope and practical assistance in the midst of darkness.