I have only a little information on the people coming here from Ukraine, but I wanted to get this to you while it’s still Saturday night (sort of) in the States.

Your generous donations are doing two things right now in Zagreb.

1. Steve Taliaferro has longstanding connections with a children’s home in Ukraine.  The children and workers from that home are coming to Zagreb, along with several adults from their circle.  

Only part of this group has safely escaped their village.  Russian soldiers have encircled them for over a week and are shooting at them whenever they leave their houses.  Their village is being shelled, and the children are spending 20 hours a day in the root cellar to avoid shrapnel and stray bullets.Your gift has rented and outfitted two houses for this group of refugees.  One of them is a 4 bedroom, dormitory-style house for the children from the children’s home. 

(I’d hoped to have more specific information for you, but time to update you is running out.  I will post more information later today at plstepp.com, and will include it in an update in a couple of days.)

2. One of the churches in Zagreb, Malešnica Baptist Church, has bought and renovated an old city building and named it “House of Hope” (Kuća Nade). Kuća Nade is set up as a community center.  In addition to kitchen facilities and a large gathering room, it has 14 permanent beds for people who need housing and 6 more beds that can quickly be set up or torn down.

Kuća Nade is being used as a “transit center”.  Refugees come in and receive clothing etc., as needed, along with medical care, food, and rest.  After 4-7 days, they are moved on to more permanent housing.

Currently Kuća Nade holds three families, all women with children whose husbands have stayed in Ukraine.  Today they expect to receive two more mothers with children, all from Ukraine.

Kuća Nade needs commercial-grade appliances.  Your gift has bought them a commercial refrigerator and industrial washers and dryers for clothes.  You are providing healthy food and dry, clean clothing for the hundreds of refugees that will flow through their facility in the next few weeks.

I’ll send another update in a couple of days, unless developments warrant.  Until then, you can check the Biblical Institute’s Facebook page or plstepp.com.