Jean-Pierre Rummens is perhaps both our most experience field man and our longest serving staff member for Feed The Hungry. Based in our German office, he was honestly shocked that war of this scale broke out in Ukraine.
Heavily involved in relief efforts throughout the Kosova war of the late 1990’s, Jean-Pierre thought that sort of war would never return to Europe in his lifetime.
“Well I hear it again and again, that nobody really thought that this will happen. Many people told me, especially older people, veterans and survivors who lived through the second world war… they hoped that something like that would ever happen again.
“If you asked me last year what I thought my next big project would be, surely I would have answered natural disaster like earthquake or tsunami. But not, never would I have said a war more or less in front of our doorstep.
“The closeness of the war is very real to me. As a Christian who works with an organisation that feeds the hungry in Jesus name I am driven by His instruction – to love your neighbour. (Mark 12:30-31).
“That commandment takes me all over the world, from Asia, to Africa, to South America… but the capital of Ukraine is just a two hour flight from my airport. Ukraine is practically my neighbour!
“There was much to admire about Ukraine. As a former Eastern bloc country they were on a pathway to join the European Union.
It cherished democracy and free press and free speech. As a German I can look at Ukraine like I look in the mirror at the end of the cold war at my own country.
“So in a few days I will be driving personally into Kiev with food and other aid to bring to churches on the front lines of this war, and into Kyiv itself.
“My role is to fulfill one of the three important arms of the vision of Feed The Hungry: to feed the hungry, reach the lost, and most importantly to build the church.
“Now I’m not talking about erecting a building, or building a mailing list, or drawing a crowd to be a open-air crusade. I’m talking about coming alongside men and women to encourage the believers, to strengthen the leaders, to share the burden of pastors caring for the flock. To exhort them to not be weary in their well-doing.
“I just want to be there… to meet with them… to pray with them… to be an ear… and take those stories back to you.
“Back home in Germany, churches are filling up with refugees… not because of soup kitchens but because the people need hope.
“There are so many Ukrainian refugees in churches at home in Germany, that the Pastors have switched the main services into their mother-tongue to reach the most people.”
“They need encouragement. They are afraid , hopeless and don’t know what their future holds. They are seeking for a word of comfort, they long for the embrace of God’s bosom.
“That is why it is so important to preach Jesus Christ. We bring food, and that brings a kind of encouragement. But they need a hope that will help to stand up, when everyone around wants to hide in a corner.
“Your support helps pastors on the ground to continue to bring practical help and spiritual and emotional hope. Danke!”, shares Jean-Pierre.

– Jean-Pierre Rummens
Operations Director,
Feed The Hungry Germany
Thank You for helping to strengthen mighty men and women on the front-lines of this war. It is critical to minister to the soul – the mind, the will and emotions – because without the hope of Christ spoken of in Hebrews 6:19 their lives will be shipwrecked by the storms of life.







