Unity and Diversity
Sharing Hope and the Love of Jesus in Ukraine God said to go. Driven by Matthew 28:19-20, a group of Adventist believers traveled to Europe to bring hope and share the love of Jesus. The Gideon Rescue Company (GRC) is a disaster evangelism ministry based in Ardmore, Oklahoma. God has blessed us with medical skills, rescue skills, search and rescue K-9s, rescue boats, vehicles, planes, cranes and so much more. But the greatest blessing we have been given is our message as Seventh-day Adventist Christians living at the end of the age. Our only tactical advantage is in our name as a people: a people who keep the commandments of Jesus Christ and believe this same Jesus is coming soon! When war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, many of us never thought God would call us to the literal front lines of a conflict zone. We quickly realized the principles we have been learning in natural disaster response apply equally to the man-made disaster scene of war. In 2019, GRC was interviewed on 3ABN Today regarding disaster response and evangelism. There we were asked what we needed as a ministry and we prayerfully responded: 1 million GLOW tracts (pocket-size tracts on various subjects with messages of hope and future in Jesus). With over
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ten years of disaster response, we have recognized the desperate need of truth-filled literature in the wake of a natural disaster. God did not immediately grant our request for 1 million GLOW tracts. A few days after war broke out in Ukraine, a small group of GRC team members made a choice to be bold in Christ for the sake of vulnerable souls in Europe. A number of individuals from different backgrounds joined together with one mission in their hearts: The refugees that are fleeing Ukraine need to know the love of Christ and that He is coming soon! Knowing that this was very much out
of our comfort zone or experience, we pleaded the Lord would give us definite confirmation that He would send us into an active war zone. It was a struggle for each of us as we did not want to err on the side of presumption. Yet, we could not avoid the clear burden that was placed on our hearts to go. God had provided His answer in His Word. He even assured us with His personal promise: “I will be with you.” We purchased flights to Poland in faith. We were met by individuals from all over Europe that were on fire for Christ. Their prayer was to help bring hope in Christ in a time of tragedy. The Seventh-day Adventist Church
