Odesa Theological Seminary (OTS), a Baptist affiliated seminary in Odesa, Ukraine, is an
education partner of Mennonite Mission Network. On Thursday, Feb. 24, Oleksandr
Geychenko, president of OTS, sent an email to partners and supporters
confirming that "at the moment, Odesa is safe," though blasts could
be heard from afar.
"Thank God, all
the employees and remaining students are safe," he wrote, and confirmed
that classes would continue online.
"Please keep us
in your prayers. We do need them," he concluded. "Trust the Lord and
keep walking His way."
Mary Raber served as a long-term worker with Mission Network in Ukraine from 2009-2021, and was a professor at OTS. Below,
she gives prayer requests that reflect concern for the seminary, the students,
the people of Ukraine and the broader context of the armed invasion. May these
prayers draw us to unity and a vision of peace that takes into account all
people.
Five Prayer Suggestions for Ukraine
-
Pray that God would be glorified through the faithful
witness of Christians in a terrible time of suffering. Churches have
already been preparing for weeks to shelter and feed their neighbors. Pray
that they would be free from fear and filled with strength to live out
their mission of service.
-
Pray for safety as
people flee the conflict. Remember those who cannot leave: the elderly,
the ill, the disabled, and orphaned children. Give thanks for the helpers
who are bringing order and calm out of chaos. -
Sometimes close
relatives and friends separated by the border between Russia and Ukraine
are watching different news media and drawing completely different
conclusions as events unfold. Pray that love would overcome their
divisions. -
Pray for Christians
in the military or in civil defense units who are facing hard decisions.
Remember the chaplains of different religions who are serving the troops. -
Odesa Theological Seminary, a Mission Network partner since 2009,
has gone online; all resident students and some faculty and staff have
left the campus. Pray that somehow studies will continue and that,
wherever they may be, Odesa students and personnel would be faithful to
their calling. Pray for the future of the seminary—what work of healing
and reconciliation might God have in mind for OTS?
