Just in Time for Christmas: A Gift for 10,000 Children

On December 21^st at 3:00 AM, 10,000 children’s books will cross the Ukrainian boarder in route to their destination in the Russian occupied territory of Eastern Ukraine. Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Tale is a children’s adventure story that encourages children struggling with anxiety to find hope in God. This beautifully illustrated book tells of two Ukrainian siblings who are separated from their parents in a storm. Pulled from the sea by a lighthouse keeper, they learn how much God really cares about them.

How the Journey Began

The journey of these books—just in time for Christmas—has its beginnings during the first week of July in a visit to Poland. During that week, through Biblical Strategies, we were able to distribute over 50,000 books on overcoming anxiety to Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe and Ukraine. Over half of that order (26,000 books) was the children’s story that I had written specifically for Ukrainian refugee children. While it is only available in the Ukrainian language, you can hear a read aloud version (in English) and view the illustrations here. https://youtu.be/Sjj50yzgRi4

How God Provided a Team of Distributors

The distribution of those books took place through pastors, missionaries, and refugee advocates throughout Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Moldova. The printing and distribution of these books is filled with multiple moments of God’s providence. You can read about it here: The Five Loaves and Two Fishes Moment: How God takes what we give and multiplies it – Biblical Strategies.

Remarkably, in just five months all those books had been given way, and our distribution partners were requesting an additional 16,000 copies of the book for refugee children. We were in the process of arranging for further printings when another providential appointment occurred.

The Journey of 10,000 Books

On December 5^th in a conversation with a Ukrainian missionary, I learned that he had been asked to help deliver some 10,000 shoe-box sized Christmas gifts to children in Ukraine. Sensing this may be one of those God appointed meetings, I asked him if he would like 10,000 children’s books to accompany the gifts. As he was familiar with the book, he concurred. We reached out to our printer in Poland and discovered that, while it was a very short turn abound, it might just be possible.

Another friend arranged transportation through German ministry partners. I called a friend and small business owner in the Midwest to see if he might help provide some of the financial assistance for the project. Unbeknownst to me, he was in the middle of selling his business, and he and his wife had been praying about how they might gift a portion of the money. They closed on the sale this past Friday, and without me even asking, agreed to fund the entire printing and distribution just in time for Christmas.

Christmas is all about giving. We give gifts to family, coworkers and friends. As Christians, on December 25^th, we pause to remember that God gave the ultimate gift—his Son.  This Christmas will you remember in prayer with me the Ukrainian people—specifically the children.

And as you pray, please remember the safe passage of 10,000 gifts as they make their away into war ravaged territories for children in need.

Phil Moser is the creative mind behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. He authored Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale specifically for refugee children throughout Europe. Over 80,000 of his resources were distributed throughout Europe during the war. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and can be streamed free of charge. His works have been translated into Bengali, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, German and Ukrainian.