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I was recently reminded again why we do what we do––why AWR invests time, money and resources into the preaching of the gospel in some of the most difficult places of the world.

This past May, I was in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, with part of our AWR team and a group of volunteers. We were there for the Christ for Europe evangelism initiative, to bring hope to a country ravaged by violence and tragedy. Nightly air raid sirens could be heard, and we knew we weren’t just dealing with physical danger, but we were fighting a spiritual battle for souls.

One night, I made a call for baptism and a young man came forward. He was crying profusely and shared the following story. A few months before, he and his family––his wife, son and daughter––were at home sitting down to supper, when out of nowhere, bombs hit their apartment building in quick succession. He woke up face down on the street with many broken bones. He was alive, but his entire family was gone. He sobbed as he said, “I wanted to die.”

I had the opportunity to share with him that wonderful promise that one day soon, Jesus will return, and at the sound of the trumpet on that great resurrection morning, he will see his family again! What a blessed hope! This is why we do what we do at AWR. It’s why we invest time, money and resources, venturing into some of the most difficult places of the world, to share the best news of all: that Jesus is coming soon!

Watch this video where I share a few of our Ukraine experiences and this young man’s story. What a joy it is to see the light of hope in people’s eyes when they understand that Jesus loves them and is coming again––and I love it when God uses AWR to do it!

Yours in the Blessed Hope,

Duane McKey
President

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