Just before Ukraine was in the daily headlines, Eric Payne, a Moore County native, felt a calling to assist the people of Ukraine. When the notion began, little did he know a month later, he would sell everything, leave Moore County, and move 5,000 miles away to be a beacon of hope to thousands of people.
Eric has lived in Southern Pines his whole life. He has three children and five grandchildren, who reside in Moore County. Before selling everything and going to Ukraine, he was a local builder.
In December 2021, Eric decided to go. He told family and friends he was going to follow his calling.
“My family said, ‘Where are you going?'” said Eric. “I said, ‘I don’t know.’ They said, ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘I don’t know.’ They said, ‘When are you going?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ It’s something happening in me; I didn’t understand it. So by faith through January, I sold everything.”
Video by Curtis Self/Sandhills Sentinel. Photos provided.
Not long after making the decision, he found himself about to enter a dangerous situation. Before he could arrive, the war with Russia had begun. Eric arrived in Romania in April 2022, spending two weeks with a team finding temporary refugee housing. His desire to work in the war-stricken country began to grow, but he didn’t have the connection and didn’t know where, how, or what he was supposed to do.
“A lady called me out of Ukraine; I didn’t know this lady,” said Eric. “She said, ‘I heard you were an American; you’re a Christian and that you would like to work in Ukraine. Maybe you can come help us. We know a lot of pastors in far East Ukraine where the war is, and we’re trying to get food and aid from them. Connecting the dots is the problem; we have resources, food, and aid, and we know how to get them to the Ukrainians in need. We have a problem with finances with fuel.'”
Eric woke up the next morning, not knowing that would be the day his life would change. By evening, he was driving a van full of supplies to the battered area of Kharkiv.
In April of 2022, Eric and a team founded a 501c3 in the U.S. and Ukraine named Servants for His Kingdom. Their focus is on providing food and aid to towns on the front lines of the war in Eastern Ukraine.
“We have lost count of how much food we have moved, but it is over 5,000 tons,” said Eric.
Moving a truck full of food costs between $350 and $800, depending on the distance. Other needed resources include sleeping bags, warm socks, and jackets. Because of the shipping cost, it’s more economical to purchase and move those items from Romania.
They have begun working with children around the region, creating day camps for a safe place.
“We have a large youth group in the Kharkiv area where these kids come every Saturday, and we play games and eat pizza,” said Eric. “We spend around four hours with these children, sharing the Bible and encouraging them to learn a Bible verse, and sometimes we pray together and encourage them in the right direction in life.”
After returning home to Moore County for a visit, Eric will leave on Dec. 31 to gather a team from Mexico before heading back to Ukraine.
“Our work isn’t over. My heart goes out to them,” said Eric. “If the war stopped tomorrow, people can’t go home. The crisis continues.”
For more information on their mission in Ukraine or to make a tax-deductible donation that will directly support their mission, you can visit their website www.servantsforhiskingdom.org. You can also follow them on Facebook.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self. Curtis has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2019.
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