Heartbeat International staff and supporters have been praying for the people of Ukraine with special emphasis on the pregnancy help centers, their staff, and clients. Heartbeat’s International Program Specialist Ellen Foell has been focused on reaching out and keeping pregnancy help prayer warriors updated.
Kharkov (also known as Kharkiv) is the second largest city in Ukraine; located in the northeastern part of the country and being just 20 miles from the Russian border, it was the center of heavy fighting when the Russian army invaded in late February.
The staff and volunteers of Kharkov Pregnancy Center (KPC) have worked to save lives there for decades.
[Click here to subscribe to Pregnancy Help News!]
Foell received updates this week from the center.
“Many of you have been praying for Laura, the interim director of KPC,” Foell told Heartbeat staff.
“She was delivering resources from her home after the center was closed due to the bombing. A bomb then went off a block from her apartment,” reported Foell. “She then left Kharkiv. She was on the Polish border for several days and now is in a refugee hostel in Poland. Praise God. She is safe.”
Laura’s compassion for others did not cease, though, even as she fled.
“She helped three different single moms who had to leave the country because of the war,” Foell said. “Two of those mothers had their homes destroyed and there is no place for them to go back to.”
“Please continue to pray for Laura and for the mothers in Ukraine,” she added.
Olena Batina has been with KPC for 19 years and happened to be in the U.S. just prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“For the women who are pregnant in this situation, it’s even more challenging to keep the baby,” Batina said.
Andrea Trudden, vice president Communications and Marketing for Heartbeat, had the opportunity to interview Batina the day following the invasion while Batina was visiting the Heartbeat International offices in Columbus.
“While it is devastating to hear of the turmoil going on in Ukraine, we are humbled by the outpouring of love that our affiliates in neighboring countries like Romania, Poland, and Hungary have shown,” Trudden said.
“Opening their centers to cater to the practical needs of not only pregnant mothers, but all in need,” added Trudden. “This is living out the pro-life mission in real-time.”
The roots of abortion in Ukraine go back 100 years as abortion was legalized there in 1921.
For generations there, abortion has been considered a method of birth control. Such misunderstanding or even disregard for the life taken, along with the health risk of relying on abortion as birth control leads to great challenges for pro-life advocates.
In a 2003 study of contraceptive practices among Ukrainian women, the average number of abortions per woman coming to the abortion facility for an abortion was 4.6, and among the study group 61% were not utilizing contraception for pregnancy prevention.
Now these pro-life advocates need more prayer and support than ever before as they face the challenge of serving women in a war-torn community.
Batina shared prayer requests for their center with Trudden, expressing her concern for the safety of staff and clients, as well as many other issues KPC, their community, and the entire nation face.
The center’s website sheds light on the work of the center before the war.
This is not the first time KPC has endured military conflict. In 2014 there were over 350,000 refugees fleeing the country which meant serving pregnant women and those with newborn babies in the crisis of being a refugee.
Batina and her staff are there for these women and for life. KPC personnel feel a great responsibility to keep their commitment to clients and have continually witnessed how God provides for their needs as they stay faithful.
“When she finds out there are people who want to stand alongside with her and they would help, God always provides,” Batina said. “It’s a testimony that God cares for her.”
The focus of KPC does not change despite the war, and they see giving hope to women as their continued calling.
“These women need to know they’re not alone,” Batina said. “They believe that nobody cares, and nothing could come into their lives for free. That’s their experience.”
The difference between pregnancy help in Ukraine and here in the U.S. as noted by Batina is a stark contrast. While their staff has learned much from the “sisterhood of pro-life” as Batina refers to Heartbeat International and U.S. affiliates, she noted the significant difference in the strength of our movement here and resources available.
“We have to learn how to be effective with less resources,” Batina said.
This current war will make the gap in resources worse.
“Heartbeat International is in touch with our friends in Eastern Europe to help provide practical items in need, while also preparing for the long-term needs of centers in Ukraine through our HALO Fund,” Trudden said. “We know that after the war subsides, the long-term needs of the families in Ukraine will need to be met.”
The HALO (Helping Affiliated Life-affirming Organizations) fund is a way for Heartbeat affiliates to help each other through monetary donations.
Updates and to submit prayer requests for KPC and those they serve are available at this special webpage for pregnancy help in Ukraine. There is also a clearinghouse page with information on how to help those serving in pregnancy help there and surrounding areas of eastern Europe.
Cindi Boston-Bilotta, Heartbeat International vice president of Mission Advancement appealed to supporters on behalf of women and babies affected by the current crisis.
“Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership that shine the light of Christ when the darkness seems to overwhelm,” Boston said. “Your support makes a difference—for now and for eternity.”
The two Scripture passages on the KPC Facebook page are especially relevant at this time. They are Proverbs 31:8: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute,” and Proverbs 24:11, which says, “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.”
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
