Faith Under Siege

September 19, 2025 | 111:35

Colby Barrett presents the Faith Under Siege documentary. This compelling program explores the challenges Christians face in today’s culture and the perseverance needed to uphold faith under pressure.

#Movie #War #Faith #Culture #Humaninterest #TrustGod #Church #Military #Terrorism #Government #Politics #Documentary

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| Faith Under Siege | September 19, 2025

Male announcer: the war in ukraine has been heating up
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As it enters its fourth year.
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Russian air strikes continue to target civilian areas.
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Entire cities have been wiped off the map.
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Recent attacks have struck the heart of ukraine.
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Churches, schools, and homes caught in the crossfire.
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But what most of the world doesn't see is what god is doing
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Behind the scenes.
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Across ukraine, believers are gathering, crying out for the
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Salvation of their people.
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In the ruins of once-thriving cities, churches are rising
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Again, and in the heat of battle, people are
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Finding jesus.
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Because this isn't just a political conflict, it's a
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Spiritual battleground.
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That's what drew colby barrett, a veteran from texas to the
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Front lines of ukraine.
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With boots on the ground, not to fight but to document what god
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Was doing while the world's eyes were fixed on destruction.
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What he captured became more than a film, it became a
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Testimony of courage, of resilience, and of faith
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Under siege.
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Male: i've been a united states marine, been a special forces
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Green beret.
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I never met fear until i came to ukraine.
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Female reporter: russian forces are closing churches and
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Persecuting christians.
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Male: the soldiers stopped worship service.
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They arrested me.
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Male: they destroyed hundreds church.
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[speaking foreign language]
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Male: russia is torturing and murdering ukrainian christians
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For their faith.
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Male: this is good versus evil.
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[music]
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Announcer: tonight on "praise from dallas,"
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Entrepreneur, engineer, and filmmaker colby barrett.
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And now your hosts, matt and laurie crouch.
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Matt crouch: praise comes to you today from dallas, texas.
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Colby barrett, you're gonna be with us all one hour.
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"faith under siege," you know what i was thinking about is
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When you read scripture and you see where persecution was coming
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To christians, somehow there's this counterintuitive thing that
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Scripture tells us that their faith grew, their faith
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Strengthened, the message and the numbers were added to the
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Church daily.
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These terms that--
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Laurie crouch: it never diminished.
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Matt: we wanna believe, we wanna believe, but war and
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Specifically today is a testimony to the proof of the
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Gospel of jesus christ and the power therein, because you've
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Been there, you've documented, and we wanna get into this story
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Of ukraine and your documentary series of "faith under siege."
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That's what i took away from this, and to the viewers, you
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Know, look, there's all sorts of news about, that has, you know,
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There's this peace attempt here, and there's another one in
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Another country, and this leader went to one today, but the other
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One didn't, and there's all sorts of things happening that
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Is trying to solve this horrific thing, which by the way, james
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Tells us where did war come from?
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It comes from the inner desires of man that wants something and
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Are willing to kill to get it, right?
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And war is terrible, war is hell, quoting the famous patton
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World war ii-era general.
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Colby, you're a marine corps veteran that one day got a call,
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Inconvenient time, come over and help us tell our story.
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That's a setup for you to kind of tell us--
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Laurie: your story.
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Matt: how did you--how did this land in your lap, and how, why
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Is it that you believe god chose you to get over there, get
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Cameras, and get the stories down so that we understand
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What's going on and literally can be encouraged by what's
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Happening to the faith of people in the ukraine?
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Colby barrett: thanks so much for having me on and bringing
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Awareness and prayer to this important issue.
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I don't have any connection to ukraine before this project.
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I don't know that i've actually knowingly met a ukrainian person
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Before this summer.
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I have no background in film.
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I've never made a documentary.
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I'm an engineer and an entrepreneur and a farmer.
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I got a call this summer to join an aid convoy going to ukraine.
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I said no, but then i prayed about it, and i had all kinds of
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Great excuses.
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It's the middle of harvest, we're so busy with work, i got
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Four kids, there's a war there, pick your answer.
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But i felt that tug, that spiritual tug.
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I'm not one of these people that can actually--that hear god,
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But i can feel the holy spirit, i think, when that call comes,
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And the tug was to go there to help and to tell these stories.
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What we were seeing was unbelievable, and it also wasn't
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Getting out.
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So what was happening to christians, particularly
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Evangelicals at the hands of the russian invasion forces, it just
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Didn't seem believable.
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And so i felt called to go there, to hear these stories,
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And to tell those stories and do it in a way that cuts through
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All the information and misinformation out there.
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We just wanted, you know, these people to talk firsthand true
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Stories coming out in their own voices.
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That was the purpose.
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Male: i've been a united states marine, a police officer for 15
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Years, been a special forces green beret, i never met fear
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Until i came to ukraine.
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Male: many evangelical churches absolutely destroyed.
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Male: the devil knew exactly how to attack.
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Colby: once i came to ukraine and saw what's going on here,
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This is good versus evil.
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Female reporter: russian forces are closing churches and
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Persecuting christians.
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Male reporter: all across russian-occupied ukraine,
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Soldiers are shutting down places of worship.
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Female reporter: vladimir putin not only wants to control
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Ukrainian territory, he also intends to silence the church
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And take away religious freedom.
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Male: the soldiers came to church, they stopped worship
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Service, they arrested me, they searched my home.
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[speaking foreign language]
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Male: they destroyed many, many hundreds churches.
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[speaking foreign language]
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Male: if people knew about what was really happening, that
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Russia is torturing and murdering ukrainian christians
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For their faith, it is a war crime.
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Male: why does russia hate evangelical christians?
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Male: they afraid.
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Our churches never want to be under government, under
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Communistic party, under kgb, under dictatorship regime.
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Russia persecuted evangelicals because we have just one leader,
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It's jesus christ.
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Male: wow.
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Male: an american who was far removed from the war may not
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Think that it matters who wins or loses in ukraine.
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Male: but we see evil happening, and we don't want that evil
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To triumph.
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Male: america's role, the christian role in this struggle
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Is so critical.
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Male: we come to minister to them, to see them, to listen
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To them.
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Male: i'm not here on behalf of the united states government,
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I'm just a faithful servant of jesus christ coming to support
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You and be alongside you.
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The faith of the people of ukraine is absolutely amazing.
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[speaking foreign language]
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Male: they're rebuilding their cities.
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They're rebuilding their lives and their churches.
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[speaking foreign language]
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Male: we have a duty to these folks that are on the front
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Lines defending religious freedom.
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Male: this is an audio bible.
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You come get one too.
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Male: the bible says that what's right and wrong is written on
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Your heart.
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And so if you know that there's something you can do to effect
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Change, save lives, then just do it.
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[music]
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Matt: who can we trust when it comes to really
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What's happening?
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And it feels like this war in the ukraine between russia and
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Ukraine is hard for a lot of us to even wrap our head around,
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Because first of all, when we heard that russian tanks were
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Rolling years ago, we thought, well, for goodness sakes, this
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Thing's gonna be over before it starts.
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They're gonna just wave the white flag, and tanks are gonna
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Roll in, and russia's gonna expand, and vladimir putin's
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Gonna start putting the old kind of, you know, guard of the ussr
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Back together, and this is just a walk in the park for them.
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And then it wasn't, and somebody rose up in that place, and it's
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Almost like unbelievable that, you know, the guy that is now
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Leading that country was just an entertainer, you know?
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And was a variety show host and a singer and a dancer, and all
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Of a sudden now he's leading one of the most unbelievable, you
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Know, defense--at least defense strategy, sometimes offensive.
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It's hard to get our head around.
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And you're right, i didn't know what to even think about.
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Now, you go and you certainly are telling stories, but what
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You're documenting is like we said at the beginning, the faith
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Of a group of people that is coming alive and thriving in the
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Midst of war.
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Your thoughts on what you actually saw while you
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Were there.
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Colby: one thing to understand about ukraine when i try to
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Explain it to people, it's like trying to explain texas to
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Somebody in america that's never been to texas.
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You just kind of gotta go.
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And the same thing, ukraine is like the texas of europe, right?
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And so go try to invade texas, right?
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What's gonna happen?
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People love their freedom, they're gonna fight back.
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It's a very faithful country, so 85% christian population in
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Ukraine, and so that came through, the willingness of
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People to fight there and then to really rely on their faith,
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And that's fairly new.
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If you look, 1991, previous, it was a communist country,
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Part of the soviet union.
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Afterwards you saw an absolute resurgence of faith there, and
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Now they've got chaplains, right?
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So the chaplaincy is new in ukraine since 2022, so there is
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A recognition, i think, from the behalf of the state to say faith
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Is real.
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There's some reason that we are winning or holding our own
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Against a nation that's five times our size, a military
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That's, you know, in some cases ten times their size.
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Something else is going on, something bigger.
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Matt: you know, it feels like when this war started, we jumped
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In, and we hooked up with a guy that we already knew, he's a guy
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Named vitali stebanev, and vitali, then just, i mean just
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Immediately started creating content, we immediately started
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Creating a channel in the ukrainian language.
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We had russian language already and estonian, and so we're, you
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Know, kind of--laurie and i have been to kiev on a number of
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Occasions, and you know, it's just one of these places that,
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You know, it felt like it was the bible belt of that part of
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The world.
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There was vibrant churches, and i'm talking like, you know,
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Charismatic, vibrant, holy spirit-filled 15,000-member
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Churches and conferences, and laurie and i have been invited
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To speak in conferences there and all sorts of that kind of a
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Vibe, and i was unaware of who i could listen to
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Largely to understand what was really going on.
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So, colby, listen, i learned a ton, and i feel like, you know,
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Tbn started the channel there, we started getting content, we
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Started getting stories, and it felt like you really--god
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Tapped you on the shoulder, my friend, because the information
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You came back with i didn't know.
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And to the viewers, we're wanting to shine a light on
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This, because a lot of information is coming out of
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What this is, and it's a terrible tragedy that's going on
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Right there in the ukraine.
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It's just awful, but there is a wave of the gospel of jesus
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Christ and people that are just headed that way and are just
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Being called there to help.
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Laurie: so, had you ever been there before?
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Colby: no.
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Laurie: you'd never been there, so you hit the ground, and then
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What was your whole feeling?
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How long did you stay there shooting?
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Colby: we were there for a couple weeks.
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We had a special extra trip afterwards, and then we
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Interviewed a few people here in the us.
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Laurie: so what was your thoughts when you're just laying
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Eyes on everything?
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Colby: totally different than what i expected, right?
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As you first come into ukraine, you expect you're going to be
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Right into this like dangerous war zone with
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Everything destroyed.
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If you've been to lviv, you would think you're in budapest
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Or bratislava or something.
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It's just like an eastern european cobblestone streets,
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People having dinner.
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Kiev is kind of like chicago, and, you know, it's a nice city.
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As you get closer to the front lines, the areas that russia
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Occupied and then was pushed out of, a lot of destruction.
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But i noticed the same thing about faith in ukraine that you
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Brought up, you know, there's mega churches there.
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We went to one that they had a huge hall that they were
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Building, 4500-person capacity, and i asked the pastor, well,
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You must have started this before the war and you're
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On pause.
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He's like, no.
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We started this about a year and a half ago, and i said you're
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Building a 4500-person hall during an active war?
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And he said, look, the faith is growing here, and this also
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Gives people hope.
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That's amazing, yeah.
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Matt: it feels like you're focusing on stories and, you
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Know, this documentary, and there's a lot of information on
00:16:12.850 --> 00:16:15.520
The screen, and we're gonna be, you know, going in and out of
00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:18.489
Pieces of this documentary even while we're having this
00:16:18.489 --> 00:16:21.926
Discussion, but the information that's on the screen is where
00:16:21.926 --> 00:16:24.762
You can see a lot of it, and we were--there's a lot more
00:16:24.762 --> 00:16:30.435
Content than we'll be able to play, you know, in our time
00:16:30.435 --> 00:16:33.738
Together on the air, but what tbn is thankful for is, colby,
00:16:33.738 --> 00:16:40.945
That you would just simply respond to the voice of
00:16:40.945 --> 00:16:43.815
The lord.
00:16:43.815 --> 00:16:45.183
That's the only way you can do the impossible.
00:16:45.183 --> 00:16:47.618
See, it's really, just think of it, no experience.
00:16:47.618 --> 00:16:51.722
Look, you're a military guy, you know?
00:16:51.722 --> 00:16:53.758
And you have the right last name to be in the military barrett,
00:16:53.758 --> 00:16:56.294
Of course, and everyone, you know, a few people understand
00:16:56.294 --> 00:16:58.930
That, but basically, you know, it's not like, you know, you'd
00:16:58.930 --> 00:17:04.302
Never traveled before, and so, you know, there's a--you had a
00:17:04.302 --> 00:17:07.405
Passport, or you couldn't have gone, okay?
00:17:07.405 --> 00:17:08.940
So you know enough about it, but no experience in filming, no
00:17:08.940 --> 00:17:13.744
Experience with storytelling, no experience of any of that, and
00:17:13.744 --> 00:17:16.948
God says you, i need you, and for some reason, you know,
00:17:16.948 --> 00:17:23.554
That's when the exciting stuff happens.
00:17:23.554 --> 00:17:25.823
So my jumping in and helping with this is exciting that i'm
00:17:25.823 --> 00:17:32.663
Getting to basically show the tbn partners that what is it
00:17:32.663 --> 00:17:39.137
That god's tapping you on the shoulder to do that you have no
00:17:39.137 --> 00:17:42.773
Experience in, that you don't know how to do, you don't know,
00:17:42.773 --> 00:17:45.576
You know?
00:17:45.576 --> 00:17:46.944
But that's the exciting part of a life in christ, and to go to a
00:17:46.944 --> 00:17:50.982
War zone and to document a growing, emerging dynamic
00:17:50.982 --> 00:17:57.989
Faith-filled faith of jesus in a group of people is like what
00:17:57.989 --> 00:18:03.995
Planet did we just land on?
00:18:03.995 --> 00:18:05.830
But we read it in the bible, but we're getting to see it 2025
00:18:05.830 --> 00:18:11.169
And beyond.
00:18:11.169 --> 00:18:13.037
And look, we recognize that there's all sorts of attempts
00:18:13.037 --> 00:18:16.841
For peace and, you know, even recently there was just this
00:18:16.841 --> 00:18:20.444
Meeting was happening, and this world leader, and you know,
00:18:20.444 --> 00:18:24.348
Donald trump wanted to take credit for all this and then
00:18:24.348 --> 00:18:26.851
That, and then this guy didn't want to go, and then putin
00:18:26.851 --> 00:18:29.086
Doesn't go, and then, you know?
00:18:29.086 --> 00:18:31.222
So it's an ever-shifting story, but war happened,
00:18:31.222 --> 00:18:39.530
Death and thousands, tens of thousands of people
00:18:39.530 --> 00:18:44.669
Have been affected by this,
00:18:44.669 --> 00:18:48.773
But in the midst of it all, in the midst of the tragedy,
00:18:48.773 --> 00:18:51.342
There is a dynamic faith that you documented.
00:18:51.342 --> 00:18:54.745
Good on you, brother.
00:18:54.745 --> 00:18:56.113
Thank you for going.
00:18:56.113 --> 00:18:57.448
Colby: and i really appreciate your comment about god
00:18:57.448 --> 00:18:59.483
Calling you.
00:18:59.483 --> 00:19:00.885
Even when it seems like that's not the skill set you have, i've
00:19:00.885 --> 00:19:04.088
Never made a documentary, but i've put together teams.
00:19:04.088 --> 00:19:08.593
I was a ceo, i was a captain, like, i know how to put the
00:19:08.593 --> 00:19:12.463
Pieces together, and that's the piece that god used for me.
00:19:12.463 --> 00:19:15.967
I wish i could take credit for this movie, but it really is our
00:19:15.967 --> 00:19:19.170
Amazing ukrainian film team, our post-production team in new
00:19:19.170 --> 00:19:22.873
York, as well as all the nonprofits that helped us find
00:19:22.873 --> 00:19:26.777
These people to go talk to.
00:19:26.777 --> 00:19:28.879
So i put the pieces together, that was my skill set, and it
00:19:28.879 --> 00:19:32.917
Made more sense afterwards, but when i was first called to make
00:19:32.917 --> 00:19:36.320
A film, it was a little bit daunting for sure.
00:19:36.320 --> 00:19:38.656
Laurie: so the tagline to this is russia's hidden war on
00:19:38.656 --> 00:19:43.160
Ukraine christians, what's happening there?
00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:46.297
Colby: i think that's what it's not getting out, and that's one
00:19:46.297 --> 00:19:48.366
Of the reasons i felt called to make this film is i feel like i
00:19:48.366 --> 00:19:52.270
Follow news and current events, certainly knew what was--
00:19:52.270 --> 00:19:56.707
I thought what was going on in ukraine.
00:19:56.707 --> 00:19:58.542
This story is not getting out there.
00:19:58.542 --> 00:20:01.178
Forty seven pastors and priests murdered by russia, 650 churches
00:20:01.178 --> 00:20:06.817
Looted, seized, or destroyed, thousands more probably in the
00:20:06.817 --> 00:20:10.454
Occupied territories, 19,546 children, ukrainian children
00:20:10.454 --> 00:20:15.860
Abducted into russia and sent to a series
00:20:15.860 --> 00:20:19.163
Of 43 re-education camps.
00:20:19.163 --> 00:20:20.498
I mean, these are things that i didn't know about, and so we
00:20:20.498 --> 00:20:24.235
Know that there's so much information and misinformation
00:20:24.235 --> 00:20:27.071
About this subject.
00:20:27.071 --> 00:20:28.673
We just said, hey, let's go talk to these people that have
00:20:28.673 --> 00:20:31.275
Lived it.
00:20:31.275 --> 00:20:33.344
Let the people that watch the movie decide.
00:20:33.344 --> 00:20:35.079
You don't need to hear what i'm saying about ukraine, let's hear
00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:38.482
From a ukrainian christian that's been there and lived
00:20:38.482 --> 00:20:41.652
Through this.
00:20:41.652 --> 00:20:43.387
Male: christians know the story of paul walking out of the
00:20:43.387 --> 00:20:48.759
Roman jail.
00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:50.861
What do you think about what happened when you left
00:20:50.861 --> 00:20:53.464
Russian captivity?
00:20:53.464 --> 00:20:55.700
Viktor: it was a miracle.
00:20:55.700 --> 00:20:57.101
In 2014, i was serving as a volunteer evacuating people from
00:21:00.504 --> 00:21:05.409
Luhansk one the east of ukraine.
00:21:05.409 --> 00:21:09.613
Svitlana: it was very dangerous, and the level of danger was
00:21:13.784 --> 00:21:17.855
Increasing day after day.
00:21:17.855 --> 00:21:20.191
We decided that we should left our home, because in that year
00:21:20.191 --> 00:21:26.063
Our son was one years old.
00:21:26.063 --> 00:21:28.532
My husband never left luhansk.
00:21:28.532 --> 00:21:31.268
Viktor: i saved 37 people, most of them were children and women.
00:21:34.572 --> 00:21:40.077
Svitlana: he always tried to help, and this is in his heart.
00:21:40.077 --> 00:21:45.549
Viktor: on august of 2014, russians stopped me on the road
00:21:45.549 --> 00:21:50.154
And captured me.
00:21:50.154 --> 00:21:52.690
In the next cell was a baptist who was captured on the road
00:21:52.690 --> 00:21:57.027
Because he is a baptist.
00:21:57.027 --> 00:21:58.829
I was praying with him and people in my cell, praying with
00:21:58.829 --> 00:22:03.634
Them just three times per day.
00:22:03.634 --> 00:22:06.637
I have no bible, so i was repeating words from the bible,
00:22:06.637 --> 00:22:14.245
Just what i remembered.
00:22:14.245 --> 00:22:15.646
One of the russian priests heard that, and he said, because i am
00:22:15.646 --> 00:22:20.351
An evangelical christian, he have to cast out demons from me.
00:22:20.351 --> 00:22:25.656
He asked me to kiss the cross in the hand, and after that they
00:22:25.656 --> 00:22:30.161
Tased me with electricity, and they hit me with baseball bats,
00:22:30.161 --> 00:22:35.433
With hands, with legs, and they were simulating shooting at me
00:22:35.433 --> 00:22:40.604
As well.
00:22:40.604 --> 00:22:44.942
Rostyslav pavlenko: the russian orthodox church is effectively a
00:22:44.942 --> 00:22:48.312
Part of russian state efforts, part of russian mechanism
00:22:48.312 --> 00:22:53.083
Of aggression.
00:22:53.083 --> 00:22:54.718
They condemn the values of freedom.
00:22:54.718 --> 00:22:56.987
They condemn values of free speech.
00:22:56.987 --> 00:22:59.590
They think that all the world should live under russia.
00:22:59.590 --> 00:23:04.428
Pavlo unguryan: russian orthodox church declared holy war against
00:23:04.428 --> 00:23:09.834
West, against america, but especially against ukraine.
00:23:09.834 --> 00:23:13.871
It's like jesus said, demons sometimes want to look like
00:23:13.871 --> 00:23:19.243
Angels of light.
00:23:19.243 --> 00:23:20.978
Svitlana: russian hates christian.
00:23:20.978 --> 00:23:24.348
[music]
00:23:24.348 --> 00:23:30.488
Svitlana: i have no news about my husband for one week.
00:23:30.488 --> 00:23:35.392
After two weeks, i was totally desperate.
00:23:35.392 --> 00:23:39.797
Viktor: she left our son on the west of ukraine and came to
00:23:39.797 --> 00:23:44.034
Luhansk to find me.
00:23:44.034 --> 00:23:45.803
She went to the place where dead bodies were laying in luhansk,
00:23:45.803 --> 00:23:52.676
Didn't find me.
00:23:52.676 --> 00:23:54.011
Svitlana: i was praying every time, every day, and i got the
00:23:54.011 --> 00:23:59.817
Revelation from god, and he said, "you should do like esther
00:23:59.817 --> 00:24:08.025
From bible."
00:24:08.025 --> 00:24:09.393
"you should come to some government institution and ask
00:24:09.393 --> 00:24:13.597
For your husband."
00:24:13.597 --> 00:24:15.065
When i visited, they came to me and said, yes, your husband here
00:24:15.065 --> 00:24:19.904
Right now, you cannot see him.
00:24:19.904 --> 00:24:22.573
They said we will keep him for whole war, they promised me.
00:24:22.573 --> 00:24:31.415
Viktor: that place was so dangerous.
00:24:31.415 --> 00:24:33.784
She came every day and didn't give up.
00:24:33.784 --> 00:24:36.153
Svitlana: i was crying because i was desperate, but i continued
00:24:36.153 --> 00:24:40.457
To stay in that place.
00:24:40.457 --> 00:24:42.326
Viktor: these people, russians, they came to my cell and were
00:24:42.326 --> 00:24:46.030
Saying that i will be there, captured to the end of the war.
00:24:46.030 --> 00:24:51.235
I'll be there for ten years.
00:24:51.235 --> 00:24:54.471
I started fasting, and god gave me a revelation that next few
00:24:54.471 --> 00:25:00.945
Days i will be released.
00:25:00.945 --> 00:25:04.748
Svitlana: that created the hugest miracle in my life,
00:25:04.748 --> 00:25:08.118
Because i don't know why some russian passed me my husband.
00:25:08.118 --> 00:25:12.356
Viktor: just happens in 30 minutes.
00:25:12.356 --> 00:25:13.924
It was a miracle.
00:25:13.924 --> 00:25:15.259
Main officer who was in charge there, he released me.
00:25:15.259 --> 00:25:18.596
Svitlana: and first thought it was in my mind that svetlana,
00:25:18.596 --> 00:25:22.099
You should took him and ran away.
00:25:22.099 --> 00:25:25.135
Viktor: people wouldn't understand what is happening.
00:25:25.135 --> 00:25:28.973
I was there, and now i'm outside.
00:25:28.973 --> 00:25:33.711
At the beginning of the full invasion, i became a
00:25:33.711 --> 00:25:35.746
Military chaplain.
00:25:35.746 --> 00:25:37.548
I was on the most dangerous places in ukraine, and god keep
00:25:37.548 --> 00:25:43.120
Me safe so many times.
00:25:43.120 --> 00:25:45.356
One time my truck on the front line has been hit by russian
00:25:45.356 --> 00:25:51.295
Tv drone.
00:25:51.295 --> 00:25:52.663
It was burning out and i evacuated from the truck.
00:25:52.663 --> 00:25:55.599
It's blowed up.
00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:58.535
And we have no injuries at all, because god keeps us safe.
00:25:58.535 --> 00:26:03.507
[music]
00:26:03.507 --> 00:26:09.847
Viktor: i hope to god that god will keep me safe for
00:26:09.847 --> 00:26:13.317
My country.
00:26:13.317 --> 00:26:14.685
Svitlana: my husband is a very brave man, and it is important
00:26:14.685 --> 00:26:18.355
For him to protect our country and to serve god.
00:26:18.355 --> 00:26:23.193
Viktor: now i know you can be stronger when you are serving
00:26:23.193 --> 00:26:27.097
To someone.
00:26:27.097 --> 00:26:28.932
[music]
00:26:28.932 --> 00:26:35.439
Matt: it feels like the takeaway, again, is that, yeah,
00:26:36.573 --> 00:26:44.181
There's an amazing horrible destruction of entire cities,
00:26:44.181 --> 00:26:53.557
Virtually, are just kind of wiped off the map, and tens of
00:26:53.557 --> 00:26:57.995
Thousands if not hundreds of thousands people are dead
00:26:57.995 --> 00:27:01.365
Because of this war.
00:27:01.365 --> 00:27:03.500
But who would have thought in the midst of that, that you'd be
00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:09.940
Building churches, and faith would come alive.
00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:13.610
Laurie: the church is growing, that faith is growing.
00:27:13.610 --> 00:27:14.945
Matt: and this, it's just proof that jesus christ is alive and
00:27:14.945 --> 00:27:22.119
Well on planet earth, and even in the midst of the most awful
00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:26.557
Thing that we think of, what's the worst thing in the
00:27:26.557 --> 00:27:30.861
Entire world?
00:27:30.861 --> 00:27:32.763
War.
00:27:32.763 --> 00:27:34.765
Laurie: well, and worthy of dying for?
00:27:34.765 --> 00:27:36.533
I mean these people are going, man, look what he's done for me.
00:27:36.533 --> 00:27:38.302
I'll, you know, if i die, i die, you know?
00:27:38.302 --> 00:27:40.037
Colby: i think there's there's two things that i think about.
00:27:40.037 --> 00:27:42.406
The first is our foundational document as christians is the
00:27:42.406 --> 00:27:45.542
New testament, right?
00:27:45.542 --> 00:27:46.910
The context of that was a small, persecuted group basically being
00:27:46.910 --> 00:27:51.548
Hunted by a big empire that didn't like them.
00:27:51.548 --> 00:27:54.752
That's exactly what's going on there.
00:27:54.752 --> 00:27:56.553
And the second thing that really reminded me of early
00:27:56.553 --> 00:27:59.223
Christianity in ukraine was if you look at the the early church
00:27:59.223 --> 00:28:03.861
In rome when there was plagues that would happen, everybody
00:28:03.861 --> 00:28:07.965
Would leave.
00:28:07.965 --> 00:28:09.299
The christians would stay and help people.
00:28:09.299 --> 00:28:11.068
Matt: and care for people.
00:28:11.068 --> 00:28:12.436
Colby: exactly, and then people took notice of that, and that's
00:28:12.436 --> 00:28:15.372
What eventually turned--the roman empire became a christian
00:28:15.372 --> 00:28:18.542
Empire because of that example that christians set of not
00:28:18.542 --> 00:28:22.646
Fleeing, taking care of everyone, and that's what you
00:28:22.646 --> 00:28:25.649
See on--close to the front lines, the christians stay,
00:28:25.649 --> 00:28:30.354
And they help.
00:28:30.354 --> 00:28:31.722
And so we talked to a pastor in kherson that as the russians
00:28:31.722 --> 00:28:34.391
Were coming in, he prayed about it.
00:28:34.391 --> 00:28:36.393
We asked him why did you stay?
00:28:36.393 --> 00:28:37.728
He has eight kids, it's a very dangerous place, and he said,
00:28:37.728 --> 00:28:42.432
"god didn't release me."
00:28:42.432 --> 00:28:43.801
Matt: my goodness.
00:28:43.801 --> 00:28:45.135
Colby: i'm still meant to help here.
00:28:45.135 --> 00:28:46.503
And he's in the film, he's been attacked five times with russian
00:28:46.503 --> 00:28:52.342
Drones and bombs.
00:28:52.342 --> 00:28:54.077
He's on his fourth minivan of the war, because three of them
00:28:54.077 --> 00:28:57.014
Have been destroyed by it's basically a drone that drops
00:28:57.014 --> 00:29:01.218
Grenades on civilians.
00:29:01.218 --> 00:29:03.687
So, but he's--if you meet him, he is just full of joy, and the
00:29:03.687 --> 00:29:08.325
Amazing thing is his church has gone from around 50 people, when
00:29:08.325 --> 00:29:13.030
The russians came in, they shut down a lot of the other
00:29:13.030 --> 00:29:15.132
Churches, so his church actually grew then because people were--
00:29:15.132 --> 00:29:17.668
They didn't have another choice other than to come to this one
00:29:17.668 --> 00:29:19.803
That was remaining.
00:29:19.803 --> 00:29:21.338
After the russians were pushed out by the ukrainian army, 500,
00:29:21.338 --> 00:29:24.875
600, 700 people on a given sunday.
00:29:24.875 --> 00:29:28.478
And i asked him about the makeup of those people, and he said
00:29:28.478 --> 00:29:31.348
About 20% aren't believers.
00:29:31.348 --> 00:29:33.217
Matt: my goodness.
00:29:33.217 --> 00:29:34.585
Colby: they're just people off the streets, and i was like why
00:29:34.585 --> 00:29:36.620
Do they come?
00:29:36.620 --> 00:29:37.955
He said we preach love and help and resilience.
00:29:37.955 --> 00:29:41.992
And talk about expanding your faith.
00:29:41.992 --> 00:29:44.928
You know, it's through example, not just what you say
00:29:44.928 --> 00:29:48.065
But what you do.
00:29:48.065 --> 00:29:50.567
Colby: i've never made a film before, i've never made a
00:29:50.567 --> 00:29:53.170
Documentary, i have no experience or background in
00:29:53.170 --> 00:29:56.206
That, but i put a team together of amazing folks to let the
00:29:56.206 --> 00:30:01.979
People that have suffered, particularly the christians that
00:30:01.979 --> 00:30:04.882
Have been aggressively targeted, tell their stories.
00:30:04.882 --> 00:30:08.886
Male: while we're driving, we are filming in this car,
00:30:08.886 --> 00:30:13.090
Sofiia will be in this car.
00:30:13.090 --> 00:30:14.424
Yaroslav lodygin: my name is yaroslav lodygin,
00:30:14.424 --> 00:30:16.326
I'm ukrainian film director.
00:30:16.326 --> 00:30:18.362
I had no expectations, before we started.
00:30:18.362 --> 00:30:24.368
Okay.
00:30:24.368 --> 00:30:26.069
Colby.
00:30:26.069 --> 00:30:27.404
But i had no way of knowing how much it would move me.
00:30:27.404 --> 00:30:29.139
Kirill gonchar: my name is kirill, i'm a director of
00:30:29.139 --> 00:30:33.176
Photography on this project.
00:30:33.176 --> 00:30:35.212
[speaking foreign language]
00:30:36.446 --> 00:30:51.895
Viktor: through your stepping out in faith
00:30:55.832 --> 00:30:57.334
And through your actions.
00:30:57.334 --> 00:30:59.069
[speaking foreign language]
00:30:59.069 --> 00:31:04.107
Karl ahlgren: the thing that makes the difference
00:31:05.175 --> 00:31:07.477
Is the people.
00:31:07.477 --> 00:31:09.313
The ukrainians, their will, their--just their spirit, what
00:31:09.313 --> 00:31:15.886
I have found in being here is that it changes you, not just as
00:31:15.886 --> 00:31:22.693
A person but spiritually.
00:31:22.693 --> 00:31:24.328
Karl: it's one reason i'm here seriously.
00:31:24.328 --> 00:31:27.030
Colby: we have a tradition in the film crew, every night we
00:31:27.030 --> 00:31:30.734
Gather for dinner as a crew, we say a prayer particularly for
00:31:30.734 --> 00:31:35.105
Some of the people we've met, and we have a debrief.
00:31:35.105 --> 00:31:39.076
My own tradition, then, is to go back to my room, and i get about
00:31:39.076 --> 00:31:44.081
Five minutes of crying in, and i get back to work.
00:31:44.081 --> 00:31:47.117
You know how you feel after you had a good cry?
00:31:47.117 --> 00:31:49.419
You know, like it's just out?
00:31:49.419 --> 00:31:51.421
It's cathartic.
00:31:51.421 --> 00:31:52.789
I hope everybody we interviewed has that same release, because
00:31:52.789 --> 00:31:57.361
This war is just so hard, and there are reminders of
00:31:57.361 --> 00:32:00.063
It everywhere.
00:32:00.063 --> 00:32:01.431
Anna shvetsoava: i grew up 30 miles from the russian border
00:32:01.431 --> 00:32:06.203
From--in a small town in sumy region.
00:32:06.203 --> 00:32:10.107
[alarm sounding]
00:32:10.107 --> 00:32:12.175
Anna: it's an air alarm for this region we are in that some
00:32:12.242 --> 00:32:22.052
Either shahed or missiles are coming this way, so we have to
00:32:22.052 --> 00:32:25.856
Pay attention.
00:32:25.856 --> 00:32:27.724
Male: attention, air raid alert, proceed to the nearest shelter.
00:32:27.724 --> 00:32:32.295
Your overconfidence is your weakness.
00:32:32.295 --> 00:32:34.598
Colby: i'm sorry.
00:32:34.598 --> 00:32:36.633
One of the biggest challenges of making this film was just
00:32:36.633 --> 00:32:40.037
Dealing with, you know, the reality of being in a country
00:32:40.037 --> 00:32:42.873
At war.
00:32:42.873 --> 00:32:44.207
Colby: so downtown kharkiv, you can hear the air raid sirens
00:32:44.207 --> 00:32:48.979
Going off in the background, but we're heading to our filming
00:32:48.979 --> 00:32:54.818
Location, and, yeah, it's just seems like it's normal course
00:32:54.818 --> 00:33:00.557
Around here.
00:33:00.557 --> 00:33:01.892
Everybody's just living their life.
00:33:01.892 --> 00:33:04.861
Colby: interviews, shoots, and meetings were constantly
00:33:04.861 --> 00:33:07.864
Interrupted by air raid sirens.
00:33:07.864 --> 00:33:09.833
It's not something you ever really get used to, but being
00:33:09.833 --> 00:33:13.603
Around our crew, who've been living with this for three
00:33:13.603 --> 00:33:16.640
Years, really kept us grounded and reminded us why this work is
00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:20.644
So important.
00:33:20.644 --> 00:33:22.145
Colby: we were walking around, looking around on the ground
00:33:22.145 --> 00:33:24.848
Seeing all the spent casings and found this drone
00:33:24.848 --> 00:33:30.020
Ammunition here.
00:33:30.020 --> 00:33:31.388
This is a 3d printed tail apparatus, it's broken off, then
00:33:31.388 --> 00:33:36.893
The explosive element, and then it looks like just a straight-up
00:33:36.893 --> 00:33:41.398
Nail trying to actuate it.
00:33:41.398 --> 00:33:45.202
Colby: there's a lot in the bible about doing god's work
00:33:45.202 --> 00:33:49.506
Without fear.
00:33:49.506 --> 00:33:51.108
This is a project that i felt called to to do, and when you're
00:33:51.108 --> 00:33:56.713
Called, the only answer is yes.
00:33:56.713 --> 00:34:00.150
[speaking foreign language]
00:34:00.884 --> 00:34:28.245
Colby: i'm not afraid for the areas we're going into, not to
00:34:32.482 --> 00:34:35.952
Say i'm completely comfortable with everything, but fear is not
00:34:35.952 --> 00:34:38.788
The emotion that's going through my mind.
00:34:38.788 --> 00:34:42.626
Male: okay, our friends move from here.
00:34:42.626 --> 00:34:44.761
We must move also.
00:34:44.761 --> 00:34:46.796
Matt: if you just tuned in, we're sitting with
00:34:50.233 --> 00:34:52.035
Colby barrett.
00:34:52.035 --> 00:34:53.403
Colby is a former military, ceo of an engineering firm, and
00:34:53.403 --> 00:35:00.844
You're a farmer, and you got a phone call one day and said come
00:35:00.844 --> 00:35:04.814
Help make a movie in the ukrainian war, you know?
00:35:04.814 --> 00:35:09.186
And so you look at your wife and your four kids and you go i
00:35:09.186 --> 00:35:13.557
Gotta go do this, and you go do this, you land there, give me,
00:35:13.557 --> 00:35:20.063
You know, your why.
00:35:20.063 --> 00:35:23.033
I know god's calling is god's calling, but then when you got
00:35:23.033 --> 00:35:27.871
There, what was the biggest, oh my gosh, i had no idea what i
00:35:27.871 --> 00:35:32.976
Was getting into moment?
00:35:32.976 --> 00:35:34.444
What was your holy smokes moment when you got there?
00:35:34.444 --> 00:35:38.615
Colby: there were a few moments as we were putting the stuff
00:35:38.615 --> 00:35:41.151
Together that i realized some of my background was
00:35:41.151 --> 00:35:43.320
Really relevant.
00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:44.955
I remember at the basic school in quantico, virginia, we
00:35:44.955 --> 00:35:48.191
Learned about convoy ops.
00:35:48.191 --> 00:35:49.926
I never did convoy ops when i was actually in the marine
00:35:49.926 --> 00:35:52.562
Corps, but shooting a film in a war zone, those are convoy ops,
00:35:52.562 --> 00:35:57.467
Putting the teams together, that was some of my ceo and
00:35:57.467 --> 00:36:00.203
Military experience.
00:36:00.203 --> 00:36:02.105
The thing that was and is still surprising to me is we set a
00:36:02.105 --> 00:36:06.643
Schedule, very detailed on getting into the right places,
00:36:06.643 --> 00:36:11.314
Talking to the right people.
00:36:11.314 --> 00:36:12.682
There are curfews in ukraine, because they don't want people
00:36:12.682 --> 00:36:15.652
Driving after night, it puts them at risk, so you have to
00:36:15.652 --> 00:36:19.489
Plan out everything perfectly.
00:36:19.489 --> 00:36:20.890
And some of the bridges are blown up, so like getting this--
00:36:20.890 --> 00:36:23.994
You can't use google maps exactly, but everything in that
00:36:23.994 --> 00:36:29.199
Film shooting went perfectly, like to the second.
00:36:29.199 --> 00:36:32.969
And i'm an engineer, i would call that statistically
00:36:32.969 --> 00:36:35.972
Improbable, right?
00:36:35.972 --> 00:36:37.340
Matt: well, i've been in the film business, and i can tell
00:36:37.340 --> 00:36:39.175
You it is impossible.
00:36:39.175 --> 00:36:40.510
Colby: it is, yeah, and so as a christian, i say that's god
00:36:40.510 --> 00:36:43.079
Wanted that to go well for us, and it was absolutely, you know,
00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:48.251
So uplifting to see that the blessings on even the filming of
00:36:48.251 --> 00:36:53.690
This crew.
00:36:53.690 --> 00:36:55.058
And the faith of the film crew is something too.
00:36:55.058 --> 00:36:58.261
I mentioned how this really uplifted my faith.
00:36:58.261 --> 00:37:00.830
One of the guys was with us was an iraq war veteran, and he said
00:37:00.830 --> 00:37:05.035
To me at the end, you know, being in iraq, i lost my faith
00:37:05.035 --> 00:37:10.573
Based on what i saw there.
00:37:10.573 --> 00:37:12.342
Being on this trip, it's back, so it was truly uplifting.
00:37:12.342 --> 00:37:17.947
Some of the people on our team were not believers, but their
00:37:17.947 --> 00:37:22.018
Respect for christianity after seeing these people, and i have
00:37:22.018 --> 00:37:27.390
High hopes that we may see some conversions yet from some of
00:37:27.390 --> 00:37:31.761
These folks, so.
00:37:31.761 --> 00:37:33.129
Matt: there is one aspect that i wanted to touch on briefly.
00:37:33.129 --> 00:37:40.804
I like the fact that what i took away from my experience with
00:37:40.804 --> 00:37:45.742
Your documented footage and your documentary and all the
00:37:45.742 --> 00:37:48.645
Different variations i saw and bits and parts and pieces was
00:37:48.645 --> 00:37:53.950
You've documented a growing faith inside of the most
00:37:53.950 --> 00:37:58.655
Dramatic thing that can happen on earth, which is war, and
00:37:58.655 --> 00:38:02.459
Actual bombs going off, big bombs going off and buildings
00:38:02.459 --> 00:38:07.330
Falling and death and the whole thing.
00:38:07.330 --> 00:38:10.200
So you've documented a growing faith inside of a war.
00:38:10.200 --> 00:38:13.837
Okay, good job on that.
00:38:13.837 --> 00:38:15.505
But you also came back with a story that i didn't know that
00:38:15.505 --> 00:38:19.676
There is some persecution even from the orthodox church to the
00:38:19.676 --> 00:38:24.347
Kind of the protestant church, and i didn't know that existed.
00:38:24.347 --> 00:38:29.185
Touch on that just for a minute here.
00:38:29.185 --> 00:38:30.787
Colby: well, i think this is hard for us to understand.
00:38:30.787 --> 00:38:32.622
When we think of church, you just think of a church, but in
00:38:32.622 --> 00:38:35.358
Russia there's one main church, the russian orthodox church, and
00:38:35.358 --> 00:38:38.928
Unfortunately has been mostly co-opted by the state.
00:38:38.928 --> 00:38:42.265
There are fsb agents throughout.
00:38:42.265 --> 00:38:45.402
It preaches some stuff that you and i as christians would find
00:38:45.402 --> 00:38:49.005
Very unusual.
00:38:49.005 --> 00:38:50.407
The patriarch kirill recently said if you die as a russian
00:38:50.407 --> 00:38:55.378
Fighting ukrainians, your sins will be forgiven.
00:38:55.378 --> 00:38:59.182
I mean, we know there's only one way for your sins
00:38:59.182 --> 00:39:01.518
To be forgiven.
00:39:01.518 --> 00:39:02.886
It's not death on the battlefield.
00:39:02.886 --> 00:39:04.220
And so it's basically an arm of the state.
00:39:04.220 --> 00:39:06.756
When it comes into to new areas to occupy it, if they find a
00:39:06.756 --> 00:39:11.761
Baptist pastor, for example, there's two things that really
00:39:11.761 --> 00:39:16.866
Make them go after that baptist pastor.
00:39:16.866 --> 00:39:18.868
The first is they're seen as american agents, right?
00:39:18.868 --> 00:39:24.007
Matt: western.
00:39:24.007 --> 00:39:25.408
Colby: yeah, so if your church is kind of taken over by the
00:39:25.408 --> 00:39:27.444
State and you find a baptist, well, those guys must be
00:39:27.444 --> 00:39:30.079
American spies as well, and so you need to go after your enemy,
00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:34.684
Which is america.
00:39:34.684 --> 00:39:36.352
The second is faith is very disruptive to authoritarian
00:39:36.352 --> 00:39:40.223
Regimes, and the reason is if you're a baptist pastor, you
00:39:40.223 --> 00:39:44.160
Have one boss, jesus, right?
00:39:44.160 --> 00:39:47.030
And so to be co-opted to do things for the state, they
00:39:47.030 --> 00:39:51.334
Just--they're not very good followers, they're independent,
00:39:51.334 --> 00:39:54.671
And they're fierce, and so to troops that are coming in, they
00:39:54.671 --> 00:39:59.375
Would say these people are disruptive, these people follow
00:39:59.375 --> 00:40:03.213
God instead of the state, we can't have that.
00:40:03.213 --> 00:40:06.049
And so what you see, then, is murder, torture, or forced
00:40:06.049 --> 00:40:11.454
Deportation, and it is targeted towards protestants.
00:40:11.454 --> 00:40:14.824
Again, i mentioned, as an engineer i like facts
00:40:14.824 --> 00:40:17.660
And figures.
00:40:17.660 --> 00:40:19.028
I think they tell stories.
00:40:19.028 --> 00:40:20.497
Forty seven priests and pastors murdered by russia, half of them
00:40:20.497 --> 00:40:24.868
Are protestants.
00:40:24.868 --> 00:40:26.202
Well, without context, okay, is that a lot or a little?
00:40:26.202 --> 00:40:30.840
Around 4% of ukraine are protestants, so half of the
00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:34.644
Pastors killed, but only 4% of the population.
00:40:34.644 --> 00:40:38.214
It's ten times more dangerous to be a protestant pastor when the
00:40:38.214 --> 00:40:42.585
Russians come in.
00:40:42.585 --> 00:40:43.953
When you look at the churches, 650 churches destroyed, 200 of
00:40:43.953 --> 00:40:47.857
Those were protestant compared to 4%, right?
00:40:47.857 --> 00:40:51.160
So, many, many more times more dangerous towards that, and i
00:40:51.160 --> 00:40:55.398
Think that's the intentional push of the russian orthodox
00:40:55.398 --> 00:40:58.334
Church against evangelicals and protestants in particular.
00:40:58.334 --> 00:41:03.206
Now, other faith groups have gotten--have had a bad time,
00:41:03.206 --> 00:41:07.410
Too, but it's usually the evangelicals first, then the
00:41:07.410 --> 00:41:10.547
Catholics, and then they kind of move down the list.
00:41:10.547 --> 00:41:12.749
Christian hickey: every time i leave this house and go out
00:41:12.749 --> 00:41:15.952
Into the field and do this ministry, you just never know
00:41:15.952 --> 00:41:19.856
What's gonna happen, but along the way, you can see the
00:41:19.856 --> 00:41:23.660
Bread crumbs.
00:41:23.660 --> 00:41:24.994
You can see this trip was definitely spiritual.
00:41:24.994 --> 00:41:28.898
A lot of men came to know christ.
00:41:28.898 --> 00:41:30.767
A lot of men heard christ for the first time, and so we
00:41:30.767 --> 00:41:34.704
Planted a lot of seeds.
00:41:34.704 --> 00:41:37.307
Male: don't hear much english out here.
00:41:37.307 --> 00:41:38.641
Christian: we got you, brother.
00:41:38.641 --> 00:41:41.044
We got you.
00:41:41.044 --> 00:41:42.579
What's up, brother?
00:41:42.579 --> 00:41:43.947
What's your name?
00:41:43.947 --> 00:41:45.281
Vegas: vegas.
00:41:45.281 --> 00:41:46.649
Christian: vegas, what's up, bro?
00:41:46.649 --> 00:41:47.984
Vegas: hey, how are you?
00:41:47.984 --> 00:41:49.352
Nice to meet you.
00:41:49.352 --> 00:41:50.687
Are you from us?
00:41:50.687 --> 00:41:52.055
Vegas: yeah, from texas.
00:41:52.055 --> 00:41:53.389
Christian: what brings you to kiev?
00:41:53.389 --> 00:41:54.958
Vegas: fighting russians.
00:41:54.958 --> 00:41:56.326
Christian: all right, okay, come on now.
00:41:56.326 --> 00:41:58.528
Vegas: well, it's nice to meet you.
00:41:58.528 --> 00:42:00.630
God bless you.
00:42:00.630 --> 00:42:01.965
Male: can we pray for him?
00:42:01.965 --> 00:42:03.333
Christian: yeah, hey, vegas, can we pray for you?
00:42:03.333 --> 00:42:04.667
Can we pray for you?
00:42:04.667 --> 00:42:06.035
Christian: absolutely, yeah.
00:42:06.035 --> 00:42:07.370
Let's pray.
00:42:07.370 --> 00:42:08.738
Vegas: absolutely.
00:42:08.738 --> 00:42:10.073
Christian: you wanna pray?
00:42:10.073 --> 00:42:11.441
Male: maybe we can pray for him.
00:42:11.441 --> 00:42:12.775
But what's here?
00:42:12.775 --> 00:42:14.143
Vegas: what do you mean?
00:42:14.143 --> 00:42:15.478
Male: what, if you're going through something, is there
00:42:15.478 --> 00:42:17.146
Something that we can pray for that god's gonna give you
00:42:17.146 --> 00:42:18.848
Answers, maybe--
00:42:18.848 --> 00:42:20.516
Christian: you got a family, have kids, wife?
00:42:20.516 --> 00:42:21.951
Vegas: no, no, i'm out here solo.
00:42:21.951 --> 00:42:26.889
Really, my main focus is the team, the guys here, yeah.
00:42:26.889 --> 00:42:31.294
Male: that's your family right there.
00:42:31.294 --> 00:42:32.629
Vegas: yeah, this is my family.
00:42:32.629 --> 00:42:33.997
Christian: you wanna pray?
00:42:33.997 --> 00:42:35.999
Male: sure, all right, heavenly father, lord, i thank you for
00:42:35.999 --> 00:42:39.435
This unconventional meet out.
00:42:39.435 --> 00:42:44.240
Colby: it's been interesting to see how our crews reacted to
00:42:44.240 --> 00:42:47.944
These stories.
00:42:47.944 --> 00:42:49.278
They're consummate professionals.
00:42:49.278 --> 00:42:50.647
They've done an amazing job on every single detail, but i've
00:42:50.647 --> 00:42:56.052
Looked around at some of the folks setting up cameras and
00:42:56.052 --> 00:42:59.255
Sound, and i'm not able to understand what our interview
00:42:59.255 --> 00:43:03.660
Subject is saying because it's in ukrainian, but i can look to
00:43:03.660 --> 00:43:07.497
My right and see a tear coming down the face of the woman
00:43:07.497 --> 00:43:10.833
Behind the camera, and that's all i need to know about what
00:43:10.833 --> 00:43:13.870
That story is.
00:43:13.870 --> 00:43:15.204
Sofiia buhrii: my name is sofiia buhrii, and i am
00:43:15.204 --> 00:43:18.808
A cinematographer.
00:43:18.808 --> 00:43:20.143
Like i have a camera and i push the button.
00:43:20.143 --> 00:43:23.513
Emotional, moment, it was with serhii haidarzhi,
00:43:23.513 --> 00:43:29.852
So it's a lot of pain.
00:43:29.852 --> 00:43:32.722
He had lost his wife and his son in russian drone attack.
00:43:32.722 --> 00:43:38.294
You can't imagine how this is possible, why it's possible, but
00:43:38.294 --> 00:43:44.033
He somehow finds strength to carry on.
00:43:44.033 --> 00:43:47.670
I remember the interview with oleksander.
00:43:47.670 --> 00:43:53.409
It was both the place.
00:43:53.409 --> 00:43:56.112
It became a spiritual trip for me.
00:43:56.112 --> 00:43:58.648
His church was destroyed by russians, and he and his
00:44:01.651 --> 00:44:06.422
Congregation had survived for weeks living in the basement
00:44:06.422 --> 00:44:11.527
Where the only heat was the church still burning above them.
00:44:11.527 --> 00:44:16.065
The things that he went through are awful, but how he's talking
00:44:16.065 --> 00:44:21.804
About this, cheering up everyone who is listening to him because
00:44:21.804 --> 00:44:26.409
He was saying sad things, and how he was confident in his
00:44:26.409 --> 00:44:32.215
Faith to lead him through these challenges and to bring him to
00:44:32.215 --> 00:44:37.320
This place when he's giving us interview.
00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:40.490
It touched my heart a lot.
00:44:40.490 --> 00:44:42.391
Svitlana tykhacheva: my name is svitlana, and i have been an
00:44:42.391 --> 00:44:47.296
Interpreter for this project.
00:44:47.296 --> 00:44:49.565
Courage, honor, and strength.
00:44:49.565 --> 00:44:52.301
Colby: and what's this?
00:44:52.301 --> 00:44:53.669
Svitlana t: to be honest, it's been awakening to me,
00:44:53.669 --> 00:44:59.208
Because i had kind of lost my ways a little bit, and but yes,
00:44:59.208 --> 00:45:04.514
Talking to these people brought me back to, you know, faith,
00:45:04.514 --> 00:45:11.087
Stronger faith.
00:45:11.087 --> 00:45:12.421
Karl: this has been a spiritual awakening for me.
00:45:12.421 --> 00:45:18.928
People have said, well, you're the chaplain, you know?
00:45:18.928 --> 00:45:21.230
That's kind of the expectation.
00:45:21.230 --> 00:45:23.366
I've had several other people come up to me and say this has
00:45:23.366 --> 00:45:26.702
Been a spiritual transformation for them personally.
00:45:26.702 --> 00:45:31.774
That's been, i know, extremely rewarding for colby and for his
00:45:31.774 --> 00:45:36.913
Mission and for his desire to serve the lord.
00:45:36.913 --> 00:45:41.317
Colby: it feels like we're being blessed on this mission.
00:45:41.317 --> 00:45:46.055
From the team coming together just perfectly to everything
00:45:46.055 --> 00:45:50.726
Going well, god has his hand on what we're trying to do here.
00:45:50.726 --> 00:45:56.065
To see that and feel that has been so amazing
00:45:56.065 --> 00:46:00.403
And so rewarding.
00:46:00.403 --> 00:46:02.972
[music]
00:46:02.972 --> 00:46:05.675
Matt: in kind of conclusion, here, colby.
00:46:05.675 --> 00:46:11.214
You know, this is an interesting thing for laurie and i. you
00:46:11.214 --> 00:46:13.983
Know, the first film that i was a part of, i was in my late
00:46:13.983 --> 00:46:19.422
Twenties, so i think i've been a part of about 13 or 14 films
00:46:19.422 --> 00:46:24.427
That have gone into the box office and in different
00:46:24.427 --> 00:46:27.597
Variations, documentaries and some specials and films,
00:46:27.597 --> 00:46:33.836
And they're all hard to make, so good job.
00:46:33.836 --> 00:46:36.505
You went with zero experience, you go to a war zone and make
00:46:36.505 --> 00:46:39.442
A movie, and so good job.
00:46:39.442 --> 00:46:43.179
Secondly, you had no experience, and i think that that's an
00:46:43.179 --> 00:46:50.086
Exciting aspect of this, too, is that god wants to use people to
00:46:50.086 --> 00:46:55.491
Do things that they have, you know, no experience in.
00:46:55.491 --> 00:47:02.365
You had no idea you were going to be basically going over there
00:47:02.365 --> 00:47:06.836
And using your military experience, you just responded
00:47:06.836 --> 00:47:10.573
To the voice of the lord, and i love that.
00:47:10.573 --> 00:47:12.275
Laurie: yeah, which is so cool, because you were chosen
00:47:12.275 --> 00:47:16.913
To do it.
00:47:16.913 --> 00:47:18.281
Matt: because of his background.
00:47:18.281 --> 00:47:19.615
Laurie: we are chosen people, so we have gifts that god has
00:47:19.615 --> 00:47:21.817
Locked up on the inside of us all of our lives.
00:47:21.817 --> 00:47:24.787
You could have been in school in something as a little kid and
00:47:24.787 --> 00:47:28.190
Learned this or your military, all the things that you just
00:47:28.190 --> 00:47:31.827
Said, god knew that all about that and said i know exactly who
00:47:31.827 --> 00:47:35.564
I need and plucks you out of a little town in colorado,
00:47:35.564 --> 00:47:40.169
You know?
00:47:40.169 --> 00:47:41.537
Which is just kind of blowmind, you know, for what this is, and
00:47:41.537 --> 00:47:45.608
It's just amazing, but god can do that to all of us, because he
00:47:45.608 --> 00:47:49.478
Needs us, and he has a plan, because we're chosen.
00:47:49.478 --> 00:47:52.782
Matt: "a faith under siege: russia's hidden war on the
00:47:52.782 --> 00:47:56.619
Ukrainian christians," that is building our faith, because in
00:47:56.619 --> 00:48:06.162
The midst of war, their faith is emerging, growing, flourishing,
00:48:06.162 --> 00:48:12.001
Thriving, and you go and you see that and your faith
00:48:12.001 --> 00:48:17.006
Had to be built.
00:48:17.006 --> 00:48:18.374
Your final thoughts on what you saw personally there.
00:48:18.374 --> 00:48:21.544
Colby: i kind of liken it to if you're a basketball fan and you
00:48:21.544 --> 00:48:24.647
Get a chance to go play a pickup game with michael jordan.
00:48:24.647 --> 00:48:27.850
That's what it was like being with these christians.
00:48:27.850 --> 00:48:31.053
We met one guy named serhii haidarzhi, he was sleeping in
00:48:31.053 --> 00:48:36.325
His daughter's bedroom while their four-month old son and his
00:48:36.325 --> 00:48:40.396
Wife were in a different room, an iranian-made drone was fired
00:48:40.396 --> 00:48:45.234
From russia and completely destroyed his wife's and his and
00:48:45.234 --> 00:48:49.772
His four-month-old son, and when you talk with serhii, he should
00:48:49.772 --> 00:48:53.542
Be full of hate, he should be ready for vengeance, but he's a
00:48:53.542 --> 00:48:57.913
Strong believer and what he says is you can't let that come into
00:48:57.913 --> 00:49:01.984
Your heart, it will destroy you.
00:49:01.984 --> 00:49:04.053
Vengeance is the lord's, my lot in life is love.
00:49:04.053 --> 00:49:08.324
And he was actually late to our filming session, because he was
00:49:08.324 --> 00:49:11.093
Delivering humanitarian aid right there.
00:49:11.093 --> 00:49:14.630
We filmed him and then the next three days later there was
00:49:14.630 --> 00:49:18.100
Another evangelical father that had lost his entire family, and
00:49:18.100 --> 00:49:22.104
There was serhii speaking at his funeral and just standing
00:49:22.104 --> 00:49:25.875
With him.
00:49:25.875 --> 00:49:27.209
So, you know, just seeing christians live out our values
00:49:27.209 --> 00:49:32.214
Is so uplifting.
00:49:32.214 --> 00:49:34.917
So, i mean, there's so much pain and awfulness in this war, but
00:49:34.917 --> 00:49:40.156
These individual stories, it just shows us why we believe
00:49:40.156 --> 00:49:44.393
This way and how real and true it is.
00:49:44.393 --> 00:49:46.896
Laurie: and it reminds us to pray and pray for our brothers
00:49:46.896 --> 00:49:50.132
And sisters over there, they're growing in their faith.
00:49:50.132 --> 00:49:53.402
That you know what?
00:49:53.402 --> 00:49:55.404
We need to be a little introspective with things like
00:49:55.404 --> 00:49:58.074
That, because we have it pretty good over here in america.
00:49:58.074 --> 00:50:01.710
Matt: so, what a fun introduction to this film.
00:50:01.710 --> 00:50:07.883
Colby barrett with no experience whatsoever hears the voice of
00:50:07.883 --> 00:50:13.322
The lord, initially says no.
00:50:13.322 --> 00:50:16.325
That knocking kept going apparently long enough for him
00:50:16.325 --> 00:50:19.261
To say yes, leaves his wife and four kids, ceo of a large
00:50:19.261 --> 00:50:25.734
Engineering company, had a harvest getting ready to, you
00:50:25.734 --> 00:50:30.439
Know, to be dealt with, and you leave all that, and what you're
00:50:30.439 --> 00:50:37.313
Gonna experience now here on tbn.
00:50:37.313 --> 00:50:39.615
Laurie: he came back to his wife and his four kids.
00:50:39.615 --> 00:50:41.117
Matt: you leave all that and go make this movie, and you're back
00:50:41.117 --> 00:50:45.154
Now, but i'm gonna just retitle it just for a second.
00:50:45.154 --> 00:50:49.992
It's a faith, it's a growing, emerging, dynamic, unbelievable
00:50:49.992 --> 00:50:55.898
Faith under siege, and it's our honor and thank you to bring
00:50:55.898 --> 00:51:02.838
This to you right here on tbn.
00:51:02.838 --> 00:51:05.040
Thank you, colby, for what you did and stay tuned.
00:51:05.040 --> 00:51:09.745
This is amazing production.
00:51:09.745 --> 00:51:11.847
Thank you, colby, "a faith under siege."
00:51:11.847 --> 00:51:15.618
[music]
00:51:18.888 --> 00:51:27.029
Male: i'm a pastor of 32 years, and i miss my church.
00:51:27.029 --> 00:51:32.801
When russia occupy territory, ukrainian army, they told me,
00:51:35.437 --> 00:51:40.342
Pastor, you must run away from city.
00:51:40.342 --> 00:51:43.212
Because russia, they have a target.
00:51:43.212 --> 00:51:47.683
They want to kill me in my church.
00:51:47.683 --> 00:51:50.319
Male reporter: all across russian-occupied ukraine,
00:51:50.319 --> 00:51:52.855
Soldiers are shutting down places of worship.
00:51:52.855 --> 00:51:56.392
[speaking foreign language]
00:51:56.392 --> 00:52:00.429
Female reporter: russian forces are closing churches and
00:52:00.429 --> 00:52:09.205
Persecuting christians.
00:52:09.205 --> 00:52:11.106
Male: in russia, church is a political instrument, in ukraine
00:52:11.106 --> 00:52:14.743
It's not the same.
00:52:14.743 --> 00:52:16.412
Today many churches are destroyed, and they are
00:52:16.412 --> 00:52:20.182
Destroyed not by accident.
00:52:20.182 --> 00:52:24.320
Viktor: russians said, because i am an evangelical christian,
00:52:24.320 --> 00:52:27.423
He have to cast out demons.
00:52:27.423 --> 00:52:29.258
They started torturing me.
00:52:29.258 --> 00:52:31.293
Pavlo: this battle in ukraine, it's about religion freedoms,
00:52:31.293 --> 00:52:37.833
And we must stop them.
00:52:37.833 --> 00:52:40.336
[music]
00:52:40.336 --> 00:52:55.384
Colby: go left!
00:52:50.346 --> 00:52:56.752
Ah!
00:52:56.752 --> 00:52:59.121
My name is colby barrett.
00:53:02.725 --> 00:53:04.159
I'm a christian living in telluride, colorado,
00:53:04.159 --> 00:53:06.562
With my wife and four kids.
00:53:06.562 --> 00:53:09.031
A friend of mine called and said, hey, do you wanna go
00:53:09.031 --> 00:53:11.734
To ukraine?
00:53:11.734 --> 00:53:13.102
And i said absolutely not, there's a war there.
00:53:13.102 --> 00:53:16.171
I don't have any connection whatsoever to ukraine, but we're
00:53:16.171 --> 00:53:19.875
Hearing stories about christians that were being persecuted,
00:53:19.875 --> 00:53:22.978
Churches that were being shut down.
00:53:22.978 --> 00:53:25.080
I needed to understand what was really happening.
00:53:25.080 --> 00:53:27.916
We started doing a little bit of research.
00:53:27.916 --> 00:53:30.019
There were 630 churches destroyed, 48 pastors and other
00:53:30.019 --> 00:53:33.522
Faith leaders killed, countless others tortured or
00:53:33.522 --> 00:53:36.492
Forcibly deported.
00:53:36.492 --> 00:53:37.926
It didn't seem believable.
00:53:37.926 --> 00:53:40.329
I felt called to come help here, and i quickly learned i wasn't
00:53:40.329 --> 00:53:45.234
The only american who felt this calling.
00:53:45.234 --> 00:53:47.736
Karl: we thank you for this church.
00:53:47.736 --> 00:53:49.405
We thank you for the leadership.
00:53:49.405 --> 00:53:52.641
My name is karl ahlgren.
00:53:52.641 --> 00:53:54.343
I'm a former youth pastor from tulsa, oklahoma.
00:53:54.343 --> 00:53:59.081
I've done mission work literally all over the world, and yet i
00:53:59.081 --> 00:54:03.552
Immediately felt a calling to ukraine.
00:54:03.552 --> 00:54:07.489
It really started literally the first few days of the full-scale
00:54:07.489 --> 00:54:12.861
Invasion on february 24, 2022.
00:54:12.861 --> 00:54:16.799
Male reporter: the month-long buildup of russian troops on the
00:54:16.799 --> 00:54:19.068
Border with ukraine has turned now into an invasion.
00:54:19.068 --> 00:54:24.373
Ukraine under attack.
00:54:24.373 --> 00:54:27.576
Karl: i knew something was desperately wrong, and i
00:54:27.576 --> 00:54:32.047
Realized that, okay, if i'm gonna really do something about
00:54:32.047 --> 00:54:36.652
This, i need to come here.
00:54:36.652 --> 00:54:39.555
[music]
00:54:39.555 --> 00:54:44.727
Christian: my name is christian hickey.
00:54:44.727 --> 00:54:46.595
Before russia invaded ukraine, god started pressing on my
00:54:46.595 --> 00:54:50.366
Heart, massaging my heart, and i went to him in prayer like,
00:54:50.366 --> 00:54:55.904
Okay, god, i know this is from you, what are you wanting me
00:54:55.904 --> 00:54:58.874
To do?
00:54:58.874 --> 00:55:00.376
And he really put on i'm now calling you into ministry.
00:55:00.376 --> 00:55:05.814
An american who was far removed from the war may not think it
00:55:05.814 --> 00:55:09.585
Matters who wins or loses in ukraine that's not what
00:55:09.585 --> 00:55:12.788
It's about.
00:55:12.788 --> 00:55:14.890
It's about real christians losing their lives, and if we
00:55:14.890 --> 00:55:18.961
Could somehow bring peace to that, then we should do it.
00:55:18.961 --> 00:55:22.931
Colby: we come from different backgrounds, but our faith
00:55:22.931 --> 00:55:25.634
Unites us, driving us to bring aid to those in need and to
00:55:25.634 --> 00:55:30.606
Share their stories with the world.
00:55:30.606 --> 00:55:33.475
[music]
00:55:33.475 --> 00:55:42.384
Christian: so these are all audio bibles.
00:55:46.321 --> 00:55:51.593
I distribute these all to chaplains and then also write to
00:55:51.593 --> 00:55:55.497
The soldier on the front line wherever they're at.
00:55:55.497 --> 00:56:00.436
I want to give these soldiers the same opportunity that
00:56:00.436 --> 00:56:03.305
Somebody gave to me a long time ago, and that was grace and
00:56:03.305 --> 00:56:07.776
Truth through jesus and the peace that comes along
00:56:07.776 --> 00:56:10.512
With that.
00:56:10.512 --> 00:56:11.914
My first was a united states marine.
00:56:11.914 --> 00:56:13.949
I learned a lot of how to take a bunch of individuals and conform
00:56:13.949 --> 00:56:17.152
Them into a team, and then after that i became a deputy sheriff,
00:56:17.152 --> 00:56:20.923
A police officer, and then i decided to be a green beret.
00:56:20.923 --> 00:56:24.226
Christian: god uses our past seasons to conduct what he asked
00:56:24.226 --> 00:56:27.663
For us in the season that you're in.
00:56:27.663 --> 00:56:31.266
Christian: my mission in ukraine is not only to provide ministry
00:56:31.266 --> 00:56:35.604
To those in need but also to share the skills i've gained
00:56:35.604 --> 00:56:40.309
Through years of service, and that can involve anyone, man,
00:56:40.309 --> 00:56:45.047
Woman, or child, because this war impacts everyone.
00:56:45.047 --> 00:56:48.550
Christian: i'm here not acting on behalf of my government.
00:56:48.550 --> 00:56:53.722
I'm here because i'm a christian.
00:56:53.722 --> 00:56:57.292
I'm just like you.
00:56:57.292 --> 00:56:59.695
I wanna help.
00:56:59.695 --> 00:57:01.530
Hallelujah.
00:57:01.530 --> 00:57:02.898
So we'll take the tourniquet, and we're gonna open it up,
00:57:02.898 --> 00:57:06.001
Apply the velcro, and i want you to give it a couple
00:57:06.001 --> 00:57:08.871
Of good cranks.
00:57:08.871 --> 00:57:10.772
You should lose your pulse here.
00:57:10.772 --> 00:57:15.077
Go ahead and take it off.
00:57:15.077 --> 00:57:16.745
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
00:57:16.745 --> 00:57:20.048
Christian: god has called on me to walk out my faith.
00:57:20.048 --> 00:57:22.684
Starting here in kiev, the plan is to head towards the front
00:57:22.684 --> 00:57:25.888
Lines and help those in need.
00:57:25.888 --> 00:57:28.257
To do this, my friend tym will be joining to translate and help
00:57:28.257 --> 00:57:31.460
Preach the gospel.
00:57:31.460 --> 00:57:33.962
[music]
00:57:33.962 --> 00:57:40.736
Colby: as christian and tym set out from kiev, karl and i began
00:57:40.736 --> 00:57:44.006
Our journey in ukraine heading towards sloviansk.
00:57:44.006 --> 00:57:48.110
While at first glance everything seemed untouched by nearly three
00:57:48.110 --> 00:57:51.313
Years of war, our journeys will lead us into ukraine's most
00:57:51.313 --> 00:57:54.683
Devastated and perilous regions where believers have endured
00:57:54.683 --> 00:57:57.953
Profound suffering.
00:57:57.953 --> 00:58:02.057
Colby: oh, you got it, okay.
00:58:02.057 --> 00:58:03.859
Okay, yeah.
00:58:03.859 --> 00:58:05.894
So this is the wrong way, but i can turn around i think.
00:58:05.894 --> 00:58:09.031
Karl: that's kind of the-- that's the story
00:58:12.968 --> 00:58:15.470
Of our trip, right?
00:58:15.470 --> 00:58:18.240
Female: in 100 meters, turn right.
00:58:18.240 --> 00:58:21.209
Colby: we came in last night.
00:58:24.880 --> 00:58:26.381
There was an air raid alert, and we were at dinner, and the
00:58:26.381 --> 00:58:30.018
Ukrainian film crew just kept eating dinner.
00:58:30.018 --> 00:58:33.522
The americans all alerted, looked around, looked for
00:58:33.522 --> 00:58:37.259
People's reaction.
00:58:37.259 --> 00:58:39.361
It turns out a glide bomb exploded into a nearby
00:58:39.361 --> 00:58:42.564
Apartment building.
00:58:42.564 --> 00:58:44.533
Seeing the ukrainian response to this continued terrorism that
00:58:44.533 --> 00:58:50.472
Russia is waging against them is remarkable to see.
00:58:50.472 --> 00:58:54.343
For americans it's so hard to understand why in 2025 would
00:58:54.343 --> 00:58:58.413
Russia, which is a self-described christian nation,
00:58:58.413 --> 00:59:01.483
Be targeting evangelicals in ukraine?
00:59:01.483 --> 00:59:04.886
Karl and i began talking with believers to try and find out
00:59:04.886 --> 00:59:07.656
That answer.
00:59:07.656 --> 00:59:09.224
Our first stop was an old soviet palace of culture that had been
00:59:09.224 --> 00:59:12.661
Turned into a protestant church.
00:59:12.661 --> 00:59:16.365
Colby: oh, wow.
00:59:16.365 --> 00:59:19.968
This is incredible.
00:59:19.968 --> 00:59:23.805
How different is it as a church leader before the war and now?
00:59:23.805 --> 00:59:29.211
[speaking foreign language]
00:59:29.211 --> 00:59:34.116
Female: level of risk has increased dramatically.
00:59:38.120 --> 00:59:39.488
Before that it was moderate risk, like 2014, 2022 it was
00:59:39.488 --> 00:59:43.759
Moderate risk, but now even we are staying here and the bomb
00:59:43.759 --> 00:59:48.630
Can land here any time.
00:59:48.630 --> 00:59:50.866
Colby: has this church been hit at all?
00:59:50.866 --> 00:59:53.068
Female: there was a shelling 50 meters from the church, and all
00:59:53.068 --> 00:59:57.105
The windows from that side were destroyed.
00:59:57.105 --> 01:00:01.376
Colby: in sloviansk, we learned that russia's targeting of
01:00:01.376 --> 01:00:04.279
Christians had been going on since 2014.
01:00:04.279 --> 01:00:07.849
[speaking foreign language]
01:00:09.651 --> 01:00:25.000
[music]
01:00:28.270 --> 01:00:47.723
[speaking foreign language]
01:00:38.213 --> 01:00:50.859
Colby: being there with this pastor that had lost sons to the
01:00:50.859 --> 01:00:53.695
Russians, the gravity of that washed over me.
01:00:53.695 --> 01:00:58.433
Sadly, it wasn't the only story we would hear in ukraine of
01:00:58.433 --> 01:01:01.803
Christians being tortured or murdered for their faith.
01:01:01.803 --> 01:01:05.607
Twenty miles from the front lines we met viktor.
01:01:05.607 --> 01:01:09.811
Viktor: i was serving as a volunteer, evacuating people
01:01:09.811 --> 01:01:13.315
From luhansk on the east of ukraine, which has been
01:01:13.315 --> 01:01:16.151
Occupied, and i saved 37 people.
01:01:16.151 --> 01:01:20.689
Most of them were children and women.
01:01:20.689 --> 01:01:25.360
On august of 2014, russians stopped me on the road and
01:01:25.360 --> 01:01:30.198
Captured me.
01:01:30.198 --> 01:01:32.033
I had a few people in my cell in that basement who were
01:01:32.033 --> 01:01:36.471
Imprisoned with me, and i was praying with them
01:01:36.471 --> 01:01:40.108
Just three times per day.
01:01:40.108 --> 01:01:43.145
[speaking foreign language]
01:01:43.145 --> 01:01:45.747
Viktor: one of the priests heard that, and he said because i am
01:01:45.747 --> 01:01:50.118
An evangelical christian, he have to cast out demons from me.
01:01:50.118 --> 01:01:54.623
Rostyslav: the russian orthodox church is effectively a part of
01:01:54.623 --> 01:01:59.327
Russian state efforts, part of russian mechanism of aggression.
01:01:59.327 --> 01:02:04.366
They condemn the values of freedom, they condemn values of
01:02:04.366 --> 01:02:07.936
Free speech, they think that all the world should live under the
01:02:07.936 --> 01:02:13.475
Example of russia, and it is a part of the so-called
01:02:13.475 --> 01:02:17.012
Russian world.
01:02:17.012 --> 01:02:18.380
The whole concept of russia that should be expanding, depriving
01:02:18.380 --> 01:02:23.819
Freedom of its neighbors, and getting back
01:02:23.819 --> 01:02:27.022
To the soviet union.
01:02:27.022 --> 01:02:29.191
[speaking foreign language]
01:02:29.191 --> 01:02:31.726
Pavlo: russian orthodox church declared holy war against west,
01:02:31.726 --> 01:02:42.537
Against america, but especially against ukraine.
01:02:46.508 --> 01:02:49.945
The best image of this holy war fake, it's a big ballistic
01:02:49.945 --> 01:02:54.983
Intercontinental missile.
01:02:54.983 --> 01:02:57.185
The russian orthodox priest, blessed by cross and holy water.
01:02:57.185 --> 01:03:02.691
It's like jesus said, demons sometimes want to look like
01:03:02.691 --> 01:03:08.029
Angels of light.
01:03:08.029 --> 01:03:10.265
Viktor: the priest, he asked me to kiss the cross in the hand,
01:03:10.265 --> 01:03:14.169
And after that they tased me with electricity, and they hit
01:03:14.169 --> 01:03:18.907
Me with baseball bats, with hands, with legs, and they were
01:03:18.907 --> 01:03:25.413
Stimulating shooting at me as well.
01:03:25.413 --> 01:03:28.717
Colby: i was moved by viktor's defiance, but i would soon learn
01:03:28.717 --> 01:03:32.287
That the kind of persecution he suffered was all too common
01:03:32.287 --> 01:03:36.024
Among ukrainian christians.
01:03:36.024 --> 01:03:38.793
Since its full-scale invasion in 2022, russia's persecution of
01:03:38.793 --> 01:03:43.398
Ukrainian christians has intensified with believers
01:03:43.398 --> 01:03:46.568
Facing harassment, torture, forced deportation, and murder.
01:03:46.568 --> 01:03:52.374
Male reporter: russia first occupied the southern ukrainian
01:03:52.374 --> 01:03:54.743
City of melitopol in early march 2022.
01:03:54.743 --> 01:03:58.213
Russian secret services have since targeted the churches and
01:03:58.213 --> 01:04:01.883
Their pastors and congregants.
01:04:01.883 --> 01:04:03.551
Mykhailo brytsyn: already during summer 22, i felt that we need
01:04:07.188 --> 01:04:13.194
To be prepared.
01:04:13.194 --> 01:04:15.563
Melitopol was occupied in churches and tried to continue
01:04:15.563 --> 01:04:20.535
As a ministry.
01:04:20.535 --> 01:04:22.504
They tried to blackmail us and threaten us.
01:04:22.504 --> 01:04:27.275
Male reporter: russian forces broadcast the search on
01:04:27.275 --> 01:04:29.444
State-controlled television in a ham-fisted attempt to portray an
01:04:29.444 --> 01:04:33.081
Armed resistance cell.
01:04:33.081 --> 01:04:35.984
Mykhailo brytsyn: it was september 11th during
01:04:35.984 --> 01:04:38.753
Worship service.
01:04:38.753 --> 01:04:41.256
About 15-20 well equipped soldiers came to church.
01:04:41.256 --> 01:04:48.229
They stopped worship service.
01:04:48.229 --> 01:04:50.165
They arrested ministers.
01:04:50.165 --> 01:04:53.134
Old people were fingerprint and checked documents.
01:04:53.134 --> 01:04:58.406
A girl was accused of being ukrainian spy.
01:04:58.406 --> 01:05:02.210
She was charged 20 years for terroristic attack.
01:05:02.210 --> 01:05:08.083
They were very cruel, and they forced us to leave the city.
01:05:08.083 --> 01:05:12.454
Colby: reverend brytsyn told of a nearby church where russians
01:05:15.991 --> 01:05:18.827
Had cut down the cross and raised their flag instead.
01:05:18.827 --> 01:05:22.430
Once a place of worship, it now hosts cultural events and
01:05:22.430 --> 01:05:26.167
Citizenship ceremonies.
01:05:26.167 --> 01:05:28.403
In occupied ukraine, russia is trying to replace god with the
01:05:28.403 --> 01:05:32.040
Russian state.
01:05:32.040 --> 01:05:34.809
Colby: what are we looking at here?
01:05:34.809 --> 01:05:36.277
Mykhailo brytsyn: our church have a pretty interesting story.
01:05:36.277 --> 01:05:38.880
It was organized in 1910.
01:05:38.880 --> 01:05:41.816
During stalin's terror, this building was taken out by the
01:05:41.816 --> 01:05:46.721
Authorities, and leaders of the church were killed.
01:05:46.721 --> 01:05:50.058
We founded in archives some documents which show what they
01:05:50.058 --> 01:05:57.565
Were accused for.
01:05:57.565 --> 01:05:59.134
Those people were accused of being german spies, because it
01:05:59.134 --> 01:06:04.005
Was before second world war.
01:06:04.005 --> 01:06:06.241
Here we are accused to be american spies, and if we
01:06:06.241 --> 01:06:10.478
Compare these wars, it's almost the same.
01:06:10.478 --> 01:06:14.449
And it's--yeah, it's not only our church,
01:06:14.449 --> 01:06:16.651
It's word of life church, the greek catholic church,
01:06:16.651 --> 01:06:21.656
They just copy everything.
01:06:21.656 --> 01:06:24.592
Colby: as i spoke with more ukrainians, i learned that
01:06:24.659 --> 01:06:26.928
Politicizing and prosecuting christians is nothing new for
01:06:26.928 --> 01:06:29.931
The russian state.
01:06:29.931 --> 01:06:31.332
In fact, it's the exact playbook they have used for centuries.
01:06:31.332 --> 01:06:35.236
We met an american missionary who moved to kiev over two
01:06:35.236 --> 01:06:38.006
Decades ago that told us more.
01:06:38.006 --> 01:06:40.909
Mark mcdonnel: there's always been a bit of a suspicion
01:06:40.909 --> 01:06:42.811
About evangelicals.
01:06:42.811 --> 01:06:44.712
The rumors are that evangelicals are basically aligned
01:06:44.712 --> 01:06:50.752
With the cia.
01:06:50.752 --> 01:06:52.187
And so i as a missionary here am basically an agent with the cia.
01:06:52.187 --> 01:06:58.059
I never get invited to the meetings, and i still haven't
01:06:58.059 --> 01:07:00.595
Gotten a paycheck yet.
01:07:00.595 --> 01:07:01.930
I'm still waiting for that.
01:07:01.930 --> 01:07:04.999
Pavlo: right now more than 3000 evangelical churches is closed.
01:07:04.999 --> 01:07:11.005
Many of them was explosed.
01:07:11.005 --> 01:07:13.441
Many churches was created like military bases.
01:07:13.441 --> 01:07:17.712
[speaking foreign language]
01:07:18.379 --> 01:07:28.423
Mark: we have pastors and deacons being captured
01:07:32.460 --> 01:07:35.964
And taken, killed.
01:07:35.964 --> 01:07:38.199
Female reporter: in kherson at least 10 are dead and 58 injured
01:07:38.199 --> 01:07:41.569
In a strike on christmas eve.
01:07:41.569 --> 01:07:43.671
[speaking foreign language]
01:07:44.439 --> 01:09:05.253
Male: why does russia hate evangelical christians?
01:09:09.324 --> 01:09:13.928
Pavlo: they're afraid.
01:09:13.928 --> 01:09:15.396
Our churches never want to be under government,
01:09:15.396 --> 01:09:19.534
Under communistic party, under kgb, under regime.
01:09:19.534 --> 01:09:23.571
We have just one leader, it's jesus christ.
01:09:23.571 --> 01:09:27.175
Colby: ukraine is known as the bible belt of europe.
01:09:27.175 --> 01:09:29.711
You see gatherings of christians here unlike anything else on
01:09:29.711 --> 01:09:32.814
The continent.
01:09:32.814 --> 01:09:34.349
Pavlo: ukraine, it's not just breadbasket by agriculture, it's
01:09:34.349 --> 01:09:37.652
Also spiritual breadbasket for this part of the world.
01:09:37.652 --> 01:09:42.523
Mark: this is kind of the foundation of orthodoxy
01:09:42.523 --> 01:09:45.660
In the slavic areas.
01:09:45.660 --> 01:09:47.662
The russian orthodox would come from here, ukrainian orthodox,
01:09:47.662 --> 01:09:50.832
Different churches, and it's had a profound influence on the rest
01:09:50.832 --> 01:09:54.269
Of the world.
01:09:54.269 --> 01:09:56.604
Colby: i learned that for centuries ukraine has been key
01:09:56.604 --> 01:09:59.173
To spreading christianity.
01:09:59.173 --> 01:10:00.942
With the dnieper river and kiev serving as a route for
01:10:00.942 --> 01:10:03.711
Missionaries and a sacred site for baptisms, i was beginning to
01:10:03.711 --> 01:10:08.316
Realize russia's attack on ukraine wasn't just about some
01:10:08.316 --> 01:10:11.286
Regional conflict on the other side of the world, it was an
01:10:11.286 --> 01:10:14.789
Attack on religious freedom and believers everywhere.
01:10:14.789 --> 01:10:18.092
Viktor: bless them to stay strong.
01:10:18.092 --> 01:10:20.528
Viktor: in the beginning of full invasion, i became a military
01:10:20.528 --> 01:10:23.364
Chaplain, and last year i decided to join the army because
01:10:23.364 --> 01:10:27.669
I was tired.
01:10:27.669 --> 01:10:29.003
I was tired of their crimes, russian crimes.
01:10:29.003 --> 01:10:33.975
Viktor: this is my position.
01:10:33.975 --> 01:10:35.576
Colby: yeah.
01:10:35.576 --> 01:10:36.911
Viktor: and today i'm going back here after this interview.
01:10:36.911 --> 01:10:38.680
Colby: so you're heading back to this?
01:10:38.680 --> 01:10:40.315
Viktor: to this place, yes.
01:10:40.315 --> 01:10:42.917
It's very harsh, very, so please pray about us too.
01:10:42.917 --> 01:10:48.323
We want to stay safe, we want to do our job and come back.
01:10:48.323 --> 01:10:53.094
Colby: pray for your safety and your units.
01:10:53.094 --> 01:10:55.196
Viktor: i want to chaplain.
01:10:58.199 --> 01:10:59.867
Karl: i know.
01:10:59.867 --> 01:11:01.235
Viktor: but now i feel myself that i need someone to serve me.
01:11:01.235 --> 01:11:05.506
Karl: that's why i'm here.
01:11:05.506 --> 01:11:07.175
It's one reason i'm here, seriously, yeah.
01:11:07.175 --> 01:11:10.712
Viktor: because when you are inside, it's very difficult to
01:11:10.712 --> 01:11:14.716
Stay strong.
01:11:14.716 --> 01:11:16.084
Karl: yes, well, you know, you can call me or text me any
01:11:16.084 --> 01:11:18.853
Time, okay?
01:11:18.853 --> 01:11:20.188
I mean that.
01:11:20.188 --> 01:11:21.589
Don't worry about the time, all right?
01:11:21.589 --> 01:11:24.125
Viktor: no problem.
01:11:24.125 --> 01:11:25.460
Karl: okay.
01:11:25.460 --> 01:11:26.828
Viktor: sounds good.
01:11:26.828 --> 01:11:28.162
Karl: yes.
01:11:28.162 --> 01:11:34.202
Christian: people have seen things in this war, people have
01:11:38.373 --> 01:11:40.942
Experienced things in this war, and they ask the question, how
01:11:40.942 --> 01:11:43.945
Did that happen?
01:11:43.945 --> 01:11:45.847
And so they have questions and it just creates a huge
01:11:45.847 --> 01:11:48.416
Open door.
01:11:48.416 --> 01:11:49.751
You went from a government that did not have a chaplaincy to now
01:11:49.751 --> 01:11:52.887
A government that has a national holiday for chaplains because
01:11:52.887 --> 01:11:57.458
They realize that christianity is real, faith is real, and
01:11:57.458 --> 01:12:01.462
There's something to it so much that we're going to recognize
01:12:01.462 --> 01:12:04.766
That and support that, and so christians are flourishing
01:12:04.766 --> 01:12:09.137
In ukraine.
01:12:09.137 --> 01:12:12.106
Christian: we came up to kaharkiv and got to meet with a
01:12:12.106 --> 01:12:16.010
Group of chaplains.
01:12:16.010 --> 01:12:18.146
These are older men in their lives, have stepped out in faith
01:12:18.146 --> 01:12:22.784
As christians to somehow support these soldiers.
01:12:22.784 --> 01:12:27.221
[music]
01:12:27.221 --> 01:12:34.562
Christian: as a chaplain, you risk everything for your
01:12:34.562 --> 01:12:39.467
Soldiers, and you are also on the front line, and i'm not
01:12:39.467 --> 01:12:47.975
Talking about a physical front line.
01:12:47.975 --> 01:12:50.845
We are fighting against spiritual wickedness in
01:12:50.845 --> 01:12:54.415
High places.
01:12:54.415 --> 01:12:55.950
You are the first line of defense for that soldier.
01:12:55.950 --> 01:13:00.421
As chaplains, you're gonna have hard questions.
01:13:00.421 --> 01:13:03.191
Is there a god?
01:13:03.191 --> 01:13:05.393
How did this god let this little girl die?
01:13:05.393 --> 01:13:08.763
Every answer, it comes from god's word.
01:13:08.763 --> 01:13:14.502
You rely on that to answer the question, you will never
01:13:14.502 --> 01:13:18.072
Be wrong.
01:13:18.072 --> 01:13:19.974
Christian: when it gets down to it, there's something else the
01:13:19.974 --> 01:13:22.109
Devil uses against us.
01:13:22.109 --> 01:13:24.779
I'll tell you, it's fear.
01:13:24.779 --> 01:13:27.949
I've been a united states marine, been a special forces
01:13:27.949 --> 01:13:31.552
Green beret, i never met fear until i came to ukraine.
01:13:31.552 --> 01:13:38.559
The devil knew exactly how to attack me.
01:13:38.559 --> 01:13:42.296
[music]
01:13:42.296 --> 01:14:02.750
Christian: dangerous.
01:13:52.306 --> 01:14:05.553
Okay?
01:14:05.553 --> 01:14:06.921
That's really dangerous.
01:14:06.921 --> 01:14:08.489
Wow.
01:14:08.489 --> 01:14:09.857
Gennadiy, how many rockets?
01:14:13.060 --> 01:14:15.830
Gennadiy mokhnenko: you know, i think one.
01:14:15.830 --> 01:14:19.867
[speaking foreign language]
01:14:20.535 --> 01:14:28.409
More than ten people was killed here some days ago and even one
01:14:32.647 --> 01:14:40.054
And half year-old boy.
01:14:40.054 --> 01:14:45.026
They told whole world: we are savior, we save
01:14:45.026 --> 01:14:50.064
Ukrainian people.
01:14:50.064 --> 01:14:51.766
I can't hear it when somebody told me mr. putin, he's
01:14:51.766 --> 01:14:56.370
Pro-christian, pro-family guy.
01:14:56.370 --> 01:14:58.906
Tym: you cannot be pro-family and kill families at the
01:15:03.044 --> 01:15:05.513
Same time.
01:15:05.513 --> 01:15:07.882
Gennadiy: we will have special pray.
01:15:11.652 --> 01:15:16.190
Christian: wow.
01:15:19.594 --> 01:15:21.429
Gennadiy: they destroyed thousands of churches.
01:15:21.429 --> 01:15:24.599
Everywhere.
01:15:24.599 --> 01:15:25.967
I want to show you something.
01:15:29.136 --> 01:15:35.509
Front line is there and all the right side to zaparizhzhia.
01:15:39.680 --> 01:15:45.519
The road to mariupol closed a little bit there.
01:15:45.519 --> 01:15:49.557
The road to my home.
01:15:52.593 --> 01:15:55.630
Christian: you said all the children are gone from here?
01:15:55.630 --> 01:15:57.999
Gennadiy: yeah, nobody told them they must evacuate.
01:15:57.999 --> 01:16:03.237
I tell you must do it immediately.
01:16:03.237 --> 01:16:06.707
The russian tanks there, they start shooting immediately.
01:16:06.707 --> 01:16:12.246
Praise the lord, we evacuated them many thousands.
01:16:12.246 --> 01:16:16.517
Christian, you need to have special pray here on this place.
01:16:19.654 --> 01:16:27.428
Christian: okay, i'll pray right now.
01:16:27.428 --> 01:16:28.896
Gennadiy: yeah.
01:16:28.896 --> 01:16:30.498
Christian: lord, i pray for protection over the city.
01:16:34.635 --> 01:16:38.839
I pray for the protection of the soldiers who are defending
01:16:38.839 --> 01:16:41.142
The city.
01:16:41.142 --> 01:16:42.943
Lord, i pray that you just put a revelation right here in this
01:16:42.943 --> 01:16:46.080
City that is so bright that it can shine from here to kiev
01:16:46.080 --> 01:16:50.117
Knowing that this is ukrainian soil.
01:16:50.117 --> 01:16:53.220
They need your light, they need your protection, and i pray that
01:16:53.220 --> 01:16:59.026
Through that many will come to know you, in jesus's name, amen.
01:16:59.026 --> 01:17:07.101
Gennadiy: i must use my black glasses.
01:17:07.101 --> 01:17:12.206
This is because when i start talking about my city, i have
01:17:12.206 --> 01:17:17.311
Problem with my eyes.
01:17:17.311 --> 01:17:20.181
[music]
01:17:20.181 --> 01:17:32.293
Gennadiy: right now russian soldiers sleep inside my
01:17:30.191 --> 01:17:35.196
Children's bedroom.
01:17:35.196 --> 01:17:36.731
Eleven of my children in front line now.
01:17:36.731 --> 01:17:39.834
Six of my sons wounded.
01:17:39.834 --> 01:17:41.869
One of my daughter killed.
01:17:41.869 --> 01:17:44.605
Russian tanks killed my daughter inside my city.
01:17:44.605 --> 01:17:50.544
In the center of my city, under this theater was nearly
01:17:50.544 --> 01:17:56.283
1000 women and children.
01:17:56.283 --> 01:17:58.652
And nearly this theater people write children huge letters.
01:17:58.652 --> 01:18:04.658
You can see this from space.
01:18:04.658 --> 01:18:08.696
But russia sent two huge air bombs directly to this biggest
01:18:08.696 --> 01:18:14.835
Shelter in my city, and they killed nearly 1000 children
01:18:14.835 --> 01:18:20.474
And women there.
01:18:20.474 --> 01:18:22.743
Russian army told my country, "we are the saviors."
01:18:22.743 --> 01:18:26.947
"we came to ukraine for savior."
01:18:26.947 --> 01:18:30.584
They killed us, they tortured, they raped, they destroyed
01:18:30.584 --> 01:18:34.255
Everything, and they tell we are the savior.
01:18:34.255 --> 01:18:37.424
We will stop them, we will fight them, we never give up.
01:18:37.424 --> 01:18:42.429
Colby: more than 80% of ukraine is controlled by the ukrainians.
01:18:42.429 --> 01:18:48.002
In these cities life can seem normal.
01:18:48.002 --> 01:18:51.405
People go to work, they go to school, they go to church, but
01:18:51.405 --> 01:18:55.242
The realities of the war can intrude at any time.
01:18:55.242 --> 01:19:00.815
Five hundred miles from the front lines, we met yaroslav
01:19:00.815 --> 01:19:04.685
Just days after he had endured the loss most of us could
01:19:04.685 --> 01:19:07.888
Not bear.
01:19:07.888 --> 01:19:09.890
[singing in foreign language]
01:19:09.890 --> 01:19:29.543
[speaking foreign language]
01:19:33.180 --> 01:21:31.065
Colby: the pain and suffering endured by the ukrainian people
01:21:35.269 --> 01:21:38.372
Is beyond comprehension.
01:21:38.372 --> 01:21:40.874
As i journeyed through ukraine, stories like yaroslav's became
01:21:40.874 --> 01:21:44.745
Too familiar.
01:21:44.745 --> 01:21:46.981
Serhii haidarzhi, once living peacefully with his wife anna
01:21:46.981 --> 01:21:50.851
And their two young children in odesa, had his faith tested to
01:21:50.851 --> 01:21:53.954
New limits on march 2, 2024.
01:21:53.954 --> 01:21:57.524
While they slept, a drone strike tore through their home.
01:21:57.524 --> 01:22:02.296
Anna, along with their four-month-old son, timothy,
01:22:02.296 --> 01:22:04.932
Were killed.
01:22:04.932 --> 01:22:08.402
Yet in the wake of such profound loss, serhii did not retreat
01:22:08.402 --> 01:22:12.506
Into despair.
01:22:12.506 --> 01:22:14.141
Instead he found the strength to continue his ministry.
01:22:14.141 --> 01:22:18.946
I traveled to meet him, hoping to understand where he found the
01:22:18.946 --> 01:22:22.449
Strength to carry on and how in the darkest of times he chose to
01:22:22.449 --> 01:22:26.520
Shine a light for others.
01:22:26.520 --> 01:22:28.655
Christian: this is not long ago where you lost your son and
01:22:32.826 --> 01:22:37.064
Your wife.
01:22:37.064 --> 01:22:39.099
[speaking foreign language]
01:22:40.701 --> 01:23:30.918
Christian: hallelujah.
01:23:34.455 --> 01:23:36.957
I love god, i want to walk out what he has for me, and it's not
01:23:36.957 --> 01:23:45.199
That we risk our family, it's just our safest place is where
01:23:45.199 --> 01:23:48.235
God has us.
01:23:48.235 --> 01:23:51.004
[speaking foreign language]
01:23:51.004 --> 01:23:52.339
Tym: that's exactly right.
01:23:52.339 --> 01:23:54.374
Christian: hallelujah.
01:23:57.911 --> 01:23:59.947
[speaking foreign language]
01:24:02.382 --> 01:24:24.104
Tym: god is going to bless your sons, and may they be
01:24:28.208 --> 01:24:31.778
A blessing to you.
01:24:31.778 --> 01:24:33.447
Christian: thank you. thank you.
01:24:33.447 --> 01:24:36.150
[music]
01:24:36.150 --> 01:24:50.931
[speaking foreign language]
01:24:46.160 --> 01:25:09.816
Colby: serhii is proof that there is real power in faith,
01:25:14.021 --> 01:25:18.759
Power to overcome any hardship and weather any storm.
01:25:18.759 --> 01:25:44.585
Karl: i left the day that she was born.
01:25:48.455 --> 01:25:53.493
You know, i love this girl already.
01:25:53.493 --> 01:25:56.897
She's smiling.
01:25:56.897 --> 01:25:59.333
Here she's just, you know, ten days old, and she's already got
01:25:59.333 --> 01:26:04.104
This big smile on her face.
01:26:04.104 --> 01:26:10.110
I look at the people, and i don't see a lot of smiles on
01:26:10.110 --> 01:26:14.081
Their faces, because i know the heaviness of this war is really
01:26:14.081 --> 01:26:20.220
Weighing them down.
01:26:20.220 --> 01:26:22.823
Children under russian occupation have been taken away.
01:26:22.823 --> 01:26:28.095
I can't even imagine losing a child.
01:26:28.095 --> 01:26:32.532
I want them to have the same freedom just like my
01:26:32.532 --> 01:26:36.536
Little grandchildren.
01:26:36.536 --> 01:26:40.173
Mykola kulebra: i'm christian, and i know that god has a plan
01:26:40.173 --> 01:26:44.745
For ukraine to unite us in these circumstances and to grow us as
01:26:44.745 --> 01:26:52.152
A strong christian, yeah?
01:26:52.152 --> 01:26:54.121
I believe this.
01:26:54.121 --> 01:26:56.323
Karl: all right, let's pray.
01:26:56.323 --> 01:26:58.558
Heavenly father, we are--we come before you humbly.
01:26:58.558 --> 01:27:02.596
We thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
01:27:02.596 --> 01:27:07.768
We pray for those children that have not been brought back home
01:27:07.768 --> 01:27:11.405
That you would bring them home safely.
01:27:11.405 --> 01:27:14.908
Colby: by 2025, russia's birth rate had fallen to its lowest
01:27:14.908 --> 01:27:18.612
Level in 25 years and was still dropping.
01:27:18.612 --> 01:27:22.049
The year of the full-scale invasion, only 1.3 million
01:27:22.049 --> 01:27:25.385
Babies were born, while more than half a million pregnancies
01:27:25.385 --> 01:27:28.689
Ended in abortion.
01:27:28.689 --> 01:27:30.624
To bolster their population, russia abducted more than 19,000
01:27:30.624 --> 01:27:34.594
Ukrainian children, assigned them russian citizenship, and
01:27:34.594 --> 01:27:38.265
Created numerous barriers to prevent their reunification with
01:27:38.265 --> 01:27:41.535
Their families in ukraine.
01:27:41.535 --> 01:27:44.271
Mykola: we clear understand now putin's strategy,
01:27:44.271 --> 01:27:48.775
Annihilate ukrainian identity, totally destroy and kill us, but
01:27:48.775 --> 01:27:54.381
They cannot do it openly.
01:27:54.381 --> 01:27:57.150
That's why the strategy is forcible abduction of
01:27:57.150 --> 01:28:00.987
These children.
01:28:00.987 --> 01:28:02.522
They move them to russia territory or an
01:28:02.522 --> 01:28:05.625
Occupied territory.
01:28:05.625 --> 01:28:07.094
They killed a lot of parents, and a lot of children now are
01:28:07.094 --> 01:28:11.498
Orphans in russian orphanages or in russian families.
01:28:11.498 --> 01:28:16.870
You must go to russian school.
01:28:16.870 --> 01:28:19.373
You must receive russian passport.
01:28:19.373 --> 01:28:22.943
You must swear to putin and the russian empire.
01:28:22.943 --> 01:28:26.913
If you don't, you will be tortured as a child.
01:28:26.913 --> 01:28:30.984
We have a story of one orphan.
01:28:30.984 --> 01:28:33.453
He was 16 when russia occupied his village.
01:28:33.453 --> 01:28:38.392
[speaking foreign language]
01:28:39.226 --> 01:29:11.825
Mykola: he had been 4 times in the solitary
01:29:15.729 --> 01:29:19.399
Confinement and maybe 15 days there without windows or any
01:29:19.399 --> 01:29:26.339
Connection, and he had a lack of food there.
01:29:26.339 --> 01:29:30.477
[speaking foreign language]
01:29:30.477 --> 01:29:54.801
Mykola: russian plan is militarize these children,
01:29:58.872 --> 01:30:03.143
Instill hatred to not only against ukraine but against
01:30:03.143 --> 01:30:09.182
All the west.
01:30:09.182 --> 01:30:11.485
Prepare them to the next stage of war with the west,
01:30:11.485 --> 01:30:15.822
With the united states.
01:30:15.822 --> 01:30:18.325
[music]
01:30:18.325 --> 01:30:26.466
Mykola: this war is not about territories, this war
01:30:26.466 --> 01:30:29.636
About innocent children, how they are suffering every day in
01:30:29.636 --> 01:30:35.642
Russia and occupied territories, how they've been tortured.
01:30:35.642 --> 01:30:39.846
We have to return childhood to our children.
01:30:39.846 --> 01:30:52.759
Colby: russia's continued abductions of children out of
01:30:56.930 --> 01:30:59.366
Ukraine is just one of many stories not being heard around
01:30:59.366 --> 01:31:02.469
The world, because russia is extremely good at making
01:31:02.469 --> 01:31:05.238
Propaganda, flipping the narrative to paint ukraine as
01:31:05.238 --> 01:31:08.308
The aggressor, the oppressor of religion, and the source of
01:31:08.308 --> 01:31:11.478
Global chaos, and they're telling actually ukraine's
01:31:11.478 --> 01:31:14.814
Persecuting christians, ukraine is taking over monasteries or
01:31:14.814 --> 01:31:18.818
Jailing priests.
01:31:18.818 --> 01:31:20.687
Alarmingly, some influential americans amplify these
01:31:20.687 --> 01:31:23.990
Falsehoods, giving them undue credibility.
01:31:23.990 --> 01:31:27.861
Mark: there are more than 200 different countries in
01:31:27.861 --> 01:31:29.596
The world, and nobody can know about all these countries all of
01:31:29.596 --> 01:31:32.566
The time, so americans decide to trust certain voices.
01:31:32.566 --> 01:31:38.538
Many of the voices that evangelicals trust are saying
01:31:38.538 --> 01:31:42.976
Russia is the good guy, ukraine is the bad guy, or at the very
01:31:42.976 --> 01:31:47.347
Least they're both so bad that they simply need to be told to
01:31:47.347 --> 01:31:51.685
Stop whatever it is that they're doing.
01:31:51.685 --> 01:31:54.588
Steven moore: i first heard tucker carlson say that
01:31:54.588 --> 01:31:57.924
Zelenskyy's persecuting christians at like the end
01:31:57.924 --> 01:31:59.993
Of '22.
01:31:59.993 --> 01:32:01.361
Tucker carlson: in christian churches in the united states,
01:32:01.361 --> 01:32:02.696
Will a single christian leader say anything to them about this?
01:32:02.696 --> 01:32:05.265
You are funding the destruction of christianity in ukraine.
01:32:05.265 --> 01:32:08.335
Steven: i live in kiev, that's not happening.
01:32:08.335 --> 01:32:12.038
Christian: i hate the certain political persons who are
01:32:12.038 --> 01:32:15.709
Spreading misinformation about ukraine and the funding and what
01:32:15.709 --> 01:32:18.912
America's, you know, wasting their money.
01:32:18.912 --> 01:32:22.582
I love tucker carlson, i'm a conservative.
01:32:22.582 --> 01:32:25.018
He's practical, right?
01:32:25.018 --> 01:32:26.386
He's real, however, he's got some things that are not true.
01:32:26.386 --> 01:32:30.357
Ukraine is not persecuting christians, just the opposite.
01:32:30.357 --> 01:32:33.860
Steven: like all good propaganda, there's a kernel of
01:32:33.860 --> 01:32:35.862
Truth, there's the ukrainian orthodox church, which is the
01:32:35.862 --> 01:32:39.866
Branch of the russian orthodox church inside ukraine.
01:32:39.866 --> 01:32:43.503
These clergy reported to the russian orthodox patriarch
01:32:43.503 --> 01:32:46.840
Kirill in moscow all their lives, and after three years,
01:32:46.840 --> 01:32:52.879
The ukrainian orthodox church has taken none of the formal
01:32:52.879 --> 01:32:56.850
Steps required in the orthodox religion to separate themselves
01:32:56.850 --> 01:33:01.187
From the russian orthodox church.
01:33:01.187 --> 01:33:03.790
There's about 100 clergy from the ukrainian orthodox church
01:33:03.790 --> 01:33:07.894
That are on trial for things ranging from preaching surrender
01:33:07.894 --> 01:33:11.297
To targeting artillery for the russians.
01:33:11.297 --> 01:33:13.500
Bishop nikodym: i became a priest in 1994, and it was
01:33:16.770 --> 01:33:21.675
Ukrainian church in unity with moscow patriarchate.
01:33:21.675 --> 01:33:26.546
I always had a question why should we be united with moscow?
01:33:26.546 --> 01:33:32.385
For them, any church, it's instrument for their
01:33:32.385 --> 01:33:35.789
Kremlin politics.
01:33:35.789 --> 01:33:37.223
Can anybody tell me what is holy war for christians?
01:33:37.223 --> 01:33:41.394
Our holy war is against sin and against the devil and any evil,
01:33:41.394 --> 01:33:46.366
But not against people.
01:33:46.366 --> 01:33:47.834
It's not christianity.
01:33:47.834 --> 01:33:50.336
They believe in russian world more than in paradise.
01:33:50.336 --> 01:33:54.574
They believe in russian tsar more than in jesus christ.
01:33:54.574 --> 01:33:58.678
Many of their priests and the bishops believe if you die for
01:33:58.678 --> 01:34:02.582
Russia, then you will have eternal life.
01:34:02.582 --> 01:34:06.986
[music]
01:34:06.986 --> 01:34:22.736
[speaking foreign language]
01:34:16.996 --> 01:34:24.771
Colby: some of the scenes from ukrainian orthodox churches are
01:34:28.408 --> 01:34:31.578
Pretty troubling.
01:34:31.578 --> 01:34:32.912
Footage shows a moscow patriarchy priest beating a
01:34:32.912 --> 01:34:36.082
Ukrainian soldier, a veteran with a prior brain injury, and
01:34:36.082 --> 01:34:39.586
Throwing him out.
01:34:39.586 --> 01:34:41.488
Bishop nikodym: some can ask why in ukraine some orthodox bishops
01:34:41.488 --> 01:34:44.724
Are arrested.
01:34:44.724 --> 01:34:46.159
They're arrested not for their believing christ, but for their
01:34:46.159 --> 01:34:49.429
Believing to terrorist putin when somebody propagate
01:34:49.429 --> 01:34:54.734
Terrorism, what do they do in america?
01:34:54.734 --> 01:34:59.038
Maybe they stop this.
01:34:59.038 --> 01:35:00.607
Colby: eighty five percent of ukrainians view the ukrainian
01:35:00.607 --> 01:35:04.477
Orthodox church as a national security threat.
01:35:04.477 --> 01:35:08.982
Christian: if we had a church here in the united states being
01:35:08.982 --> 01:35:11.985
Used as a spy network, we would charge them with treason, and
01:35:11.985 --> 01:35:16.022
Ukraine was even nice enough to give them a warning and say,
01:35:16.022 --> 01:35:18.158
Hey, we see what you're doing, we don't want to, but we will
01:35:18.158 --> 01:35:22.662
Arrest you, we will shut you down.
01:35:22.662 --> 01:35:24.798
And people will take that and spin it into a propaganda as
01:35:24.798 --> 01:35:27.433
Ukrainians are against churches or against christians.
01:35:27.433 --> 01:35:31.037
That's far from the truth, way far from the truth.
01:35:31.037 --> 01:35:34.040
Steven: if americans knew about what was really happening,
01:35:34.040 --> 01:35:36.543
It's actually in the russian-occupied areas behind
01:35:36.543 --> 01:35:40.079
Enemy lines where life has gotten extremely difficult
01:35:40.079 --> 01:35:42.515
For believers.
01:35:42.515 --> 01:35:44.617
[speaking foreign language]
01:35:45.451 --> 01:35:53.026
[music]
01:35:56.296 --> 01:36:03.736
[speaking foreign language]
01:36:03.736 --> 01:37:50.276
Christian: ukrainian christians are the ones facing persecution
01:37:54.514 --> 01:37:57.283
From russian occupiers, yet they remain steadfast and defiant in
01:37:57.283 --> 01:38:01.621
The face of it.
01:38:01.621 --> 01:38:03.856
[speaking foreign language]
01:38:04.857 --> 01:38:32.518
Christian: dealing with wars, and i've never met a group of
01:38:36.756 --> 01:38:41.961
People, a culture that is so strong.
01:38:41.961 --> 01:38:46.299
The way they can persevere through trauma and tragedy and
01:38:46.299 --> 01:38:50.403
War, it literally reminds me of americans fighting for their
01:38:50.403 --> 01:38:57.043
Freedom back in 1775.
01:38:57.043 --> 01:39:00.413
Where does this strength come from?
01:39:00.413 --> 01:39:03.282
[speaking foreign language]
01:39:03.282 --> 01:40:07.780
Christian: god puts people in our lives to help support during
01:40:11.984 --> 01:40:18.458
Your times of tragedy.
01:40:18.458 --> 01:40:21.327
I don't know any other group that could do that and do it
01:40:21.327 --> 01:40:25.765
With such compassion and grace and love as believers do.
01:40:25.765 --> 01:40:31.571
When we are in need, christ is always there and always answers
01:40:31.571 --> 01:40:38.177
And provides in ways that we can't understand.
01:40:38.177 --> 01:40:41.747
[speaking foreign language]
01:40:45.184 --> 01:40:51.157
Tym: there's a missile that came in at 1: 30 a.m.
01:40:51.224 --> 01:40:54.060
And landed, and then the ceiling caught on fire.
01:40:54.060 --> 01:40:57.296
Thankfully nobody died, but that's something that they had
01:40:57.296 --> 01:41:00.566
To go through.
01:41:00.566 --> 01:41:04.036
Christian: after the russians destroyed their church, shelling
01:41:04.036 --> 01:41:06.572
In the city remained intense.
01:41:06.572 --> 01:41:08.574
The congregation hid for weeks in the church basement
01:41:08.574 --> 01:41:11.310
Without electricity.
01:41:11.310 --> 01:41:13.146
Their only heat came from the buildings still burning
01:41:13.146 --> 01:41:16.082
Above them.
01:41:16.082 --> 01:41:18.217
[speaking foreign language]
01:41:19.118 --> 01:41:33.699
Christian: there is no doubt in my mind that ukraine, it'll
01:41:37.870 --> 01:41:42.408
Build back more beautiful than it ever was.
01:41:42.408 --> 01:41:46.479
I see them here now.
01:41:46.479 --> 01:41:48.481
A rocket lands right here tonight.
01:41:48.481 --> 01:41:51.184
There will be a crew cleaning that rocket up and making it
01:41:51.184 --> 01:41:53.986
Like it was not there, quickly.
01:41:53.986 --> 01:41:56.389
I love that.
01:41:56.389 --> 01:41:58.391
[music]
01:41:58.391 --> 01:42:06.465
[speaking foreign language]
01:42:06.465 --> 01:42:59.085
Mark: the believers we have met here have a commitment
01:43:03.222 --> 01:43:07.360
And a determination to the lord, to each other that i feel like
01:43:07.360 --> 01:43:12.231
In many ways is beyond me.
01:43:12.231 --> 01:43:14.667
I realized that with some of these folks
01:43:14.667 --> 01:43:16.636
I'm out of my league.
01:43:16.636 --> 01:43:18.871
[speaking foreign language]
01:43:18.871 --> 01:43:54.540
Male: there's some americans, including some powerful
01:43:58.678 --> 01:44:01.113
Americans who say that the way to bring peace to ukraine is to
01:44:01.113 --> 01:44:05.818
Give russia the territory it has taken.
01:44:05.818 --> 01:44:10.289
Viktor: it's not an option for us to give back our territories,
01:44:10.289 --> 01:44:14.293
Because people who are living in that territory, they are waiting
01:44:14.293 --> 01:44:18.564
To be liberated.
01:44:18.564 --> 01:44:20.566
They are laying down and stand up every morning and hope that
01:44:20.566 --> 01:44:26.505
Ukrainian soldiers will come and liberate them.
01:44:26.505 --> 01:44:31.177
Gennadiy: if somebody came to your home, killed part
01:44:31.177 --> 01:44:34.547
Of your family, and later they say, oh, we will be good
01:44:34.547 --> 01:44:39.719
Neighbors, it's not a good idea.
01:44:39.719 --> 01:44:43.489
[speaking foreign language]
01:44:43.489 --> 01:44:48.527
Gennadiy mokhnenko: we must push them out.
01:44:51.397 --> 01:44:54.100
Colby: once i came to ukraine and saw what's going on here
01:44:57.470 --> 01:45:02.274
With my own eyes, this is good versus evil.
01:45:02.274 --> 01:45:08.214
There's not a gray area here.
01:45:08.214 --> 01:45:12.852
A nation has declared a holy war against our allies, against
01:45:12.852 --> 01:45:20.259
Ukraine and the west.
01:45:20.259 --> 01:45:24.663
They're using that holy war to justify murder and rape and
01:45:24.663 --> 01:45:32.638
Intense persecution of religious minorities, including christians
01:45:32.638 --> 01:45:39.378
In the territories that they're occupying.
01:45:39.378 --> 01:45:42.415
America's role in this struggle and the christian role in this
01:45:42.415 --> 01:45:48.621
Struggle is so critical.
01:45:48.621 --> 01:45:52.625
Karl: this has been a spiritual awakening for me.
01:45:52.625 --> 01:45:58.464
I've had several people come up to me and say thank you
01:45:58.464 --> 01:46:01.867
For coming.
01:46:01.867 --> 01:46:03.235
Please tell this story.
01:46:03.235 --> 01:46:05.604
As a believer, that's really what our calling is, is just to
01:46:05.604 --> 01:46:09.475
Go, to listen, and then to serve.
01:46:09.475 --> 01:46:14.713
Christian: this is an audio bible.
01:46:14.713 --> 01:46:17.049
You come get one too.
01:46:17.049 --> 01:46:19.318
Christian: this trip has shown me a power in my faith i didn't
01:46:19.318 --> 01:46:21.887
Even know was there.
01:46:21.887 --> 01:46:23.222
Christian: also, look, it goes right on your arm.
01:46:23.222 --> 01:46:25.191
Christian: there's been so many times where i'm just carrying
01:46:25.191 --> 01:46:28.594
Aid, and i just can't even speak because i feel the presence
01:46:28.594 --> 01:46:32.998
Of god.
01:46:32.998 --> 01:46:34.366
Christian: god bless you.
01:46:34.366 --> 01:46:35.701
Christian: i just say i just wanna let you know that christ
01:46:35.701 --> 01:46:38.037
Loves you, and that's all i can say because it's so powerful.
01:46:38.037 --> 01:46:42.341
If people could experience that, they would do more
01:46:42.341 --> 01:46:45.578
To help ukraine.
01:46:45.578 --> 01:46:48.280
[music]
01:46:48.280 --> 01:47:09.835
Colby: when we were in ukraine, we went 2000 miles.
01:46:58.290 --> 01:47:12.838
We did the entire length of the front lines.
01:47:12.838 --> 01:47:15.941
We could hear artillery, the cities we're in were bombed when
01:47:15.941 --> 01:47:18.944
We were there.
01:47:18.944 --> 01:47:20.913
The thing that was even harder was just these heartbreaking
01:47:20.913 --> 01:47:23.415
Stories that we were hearing.
01:47:23.415 --> 01:47:25.484
Every night of filming i cried.
01:47:25.484 --> 01:47:29.288
Amidst all this sadness, our christian brothers and sisters
01:47:29.288 --> 01:47:32.658
Over there, they didn't show up with fear, they showed up with
01:47:32.658 --> 01:47:36.395
Love and resilience with defiance and a passion for
01:47:36.395 --> 01:47:41.100
Freedom and a passion for jesus.
01:47:41.100 --> 01:47:43.669
Their faith filled me the whole time i was over there, and i
01:47:43.669 --> 01:47:47.473
Couldn't shake the feeling that this was a valley forge moment
01:47:47.473 --> 01:47:50.342
For global christianity.
01:47:50.342 --> 01:47:52.745
Would we stand with our brothers and sisters in europe's bible
01:47:52.745 --> 01:47:55.814
Belt or abandon them to suffer alone?
01:47:55.814 --> 01:48:00.085
I hope anyone who hears these stories
01:48:00.085 --> 01:48:02.321
Will be moved to take action.
01:48:02.321 --> 01:48:05.958
[music]
01:48:05.958 --> 01:48:05.958

Faith Under Siege

September 19, 2025 | 111:35

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