This began after a Protestant chaplaincy was established in Ukraine. Dr. Tom Benz, the founder and president Bridges of Faith International, notes how Ukraine was formerly a part of the Soviet Union from the Union’s inception in 1922 until it dissolved in 1991. Ukraine was officially atheist during that time.
“They didn't have a chaplaincy. In the years of independence, that still has not developed. We were able — just through a series of relationships and situations — to become a part of helping them develop, especially, the Protestant side of that chaplaincy,” Benz said last week, in an interview featured on the “Washington Watch” program.
Bridges of Faith was originally launched by Benz over 20 years ago to help Ukrainian orphans in an Alabama exchange program leading to many adoptions, reported WSFA 12. The organization has adapted their methods to help in recent years since the Ukraine-Russian war has resulted in an adoption freeze.
Their work is closely tied with Thomas Krause, also with Bridges of Faith Europe, whose connections greatly helped in establishing the Ukraine chaplaincy among their soldiers, said Elmore Autauga News.
“We helped to recruit, train, and deploy about 700 of the roughly 1,300 Protestant chaplains in the Ukrainian army. The need, of course, we put pocket-sized Bibles in the hands of soldiers, and a good rain, two or three weeks, those Bibles were really worthless,” Benz states.
Therefore, a project was developed to send waterproof Bibles into the hands of military personnel in Ukraine. After finding a good contemporary translation, they worked to find binding that could go with the waterproof pages.
Partnering with Kitchen for the Soul, Benz explained that volunteer chaplains drive their own vehicles behind the front lines to set up a field kitchen, serve hot meals, give away toiletry/hygiene products and provide a time of fellowship, music and gospel presentation.
“During that time, we can present these waterproof Ukrainian New Testaments to the soldiers,” Benz says. “It's mostly younger, guys who are risking their lives to go into this area to share the gospel. It’s, again, a fabulous thing to be a part of.”
So far, 21,000 waterproof Bibles have been sent to Ukraine, with 60,000 more soon to be sent.
A front lines request
To emphasize the importance of their work, Benz mentioned a call their office received from a Romanian solder from the front lines.
“He was requesting a Bible. He was in a very dangerous position. He didn't know how much longer he might live. He requested for us to get him a Bible. At that time, we were out,” Benz says.
Krause, their man in Romania, is the one who answered the phone, getting the soldier’s information and assuring the Bibles will be sent once they came in.
“We completely lost track of the guy. He does not answer his phone. There's no way to be in touch with him. Of course, we fear the worst, but it underscores the urgency to put God's Word in the hands of those soldiers,” Benz states.
It only takes $5 to print a waterproof Bible, ship it, and get it into the hands of soldiers, he says. The best place to keep up to date with the project is facebook.com/BridgesofFaith, and donations can be made there.
