Journey to Ukraine - January 2023.

First of all, things went relatively smoothly and I was constantly in good hands. Travel was arduous and tiring because there is no easy way to get around. “Travel in Ukraine is not for the faint of heart “ the saying goes and it’s true. I didn't see the sunshine for almost the entire trip after leaving home. But that is winter in Europe. The weather is cold and gray which adds to weariness. But it's nothing compared to the sufferings of our friends. I just keep reminding myself. God is good.

IN GERMANY

I arrived in Stuttgart on Jan. 17 after smooth flights from the US. Our longtime friend and former team member, Maria (Masha) Yermachenkova met me at the airport. She served alongside me during my days with Youthreach International in Crimea. I went with her to the home of Lyuba and Daniel Schauz in the tiny town of Aalen nestled in Germany's southern hill country. I was reminded of Jesus' instruction to the twelve disciples to remain in their host's home until moving to the next town. Lyuba spent time in Crimea while I was there with Youthreach and I was already familiar with her but had never met her personally. Masha and Lyuba both shared the many needs of

the Ukrainian refugees in Aalen and in Germany in general. I was also delighted to visit with another former Youthreach team member and her family, Violetta Alimova also from Crimea. I am sure the Lord will guide us toward ways we can serve the Ukrainian people through Maria.

IN POLAND

Masha traveled with me by bus overnight to Warsaw. I stayed in the home of Lisa Luganska and her daughter Elia. Lisa is using her apartment as a ministry for travelers moving into and from Ukraine. Masha and I attended Shabbat worship services with the small Jewish Messianic Congregation in Warsaw with Lisa. We were met by Rabbi Pavel and American Evangelist Rick Carrelli of Baltimore. That evening I met a long-time friend, Igor Kholopov from Crimea. Igor and I met when he was 14. He was 18 when we saw each other last. He is now 28 and had been working in Poland for 5-6 years, saving his money so he could immigrate to Canada. His dream finally came true on Feb 1 when he left for Toronto.

Masha departed for Aalen later that evening (Saturday). The next day (Sunday), I rested, packed, and prepared for the journey to Lviv. In the afternoon I joined Lisa at the English workshop hosted by her congregation. Many who attended the workshop were from the congregation but many Ukrainian refugees and non-believers from the community came too. We played "20 questions" where I shared our ministry’s purpose and testimony. We enjoyed playing several games to encourage practicing spoken English.

(In Lviv with Vika and Vasya Agarkov)

JOURNEY TO UKRAINE

Monday morning I boarded a bus for Lviv. After a quick and easy border crossing, I arrived in Lviv 2 hours early. Vika and Vasya Agarkov met me and I went to stay in their home. Like Masha, Vika and I are old friends. She also served on my Youthreach mission teams, worked in the Gagarin orphanage, and served in CCX student ministry in Simferopol. She was just 17 when we met for the first time. She is a first-generation Christian. We discussed their plans for Vasya to finish his preaching practicum and then they will decide where they will move in western Ukraine to plant a new church. Vika currently manages an aid supply warehouse for their church. It supplies basic needs and personal tactical goods to soldiers by partnering with Crates-for-Ukraine. Linda and I will be sharing with you some ways we can partner with them soon.

"I always felt the Lord's protection. I felt as though a hedge were around me and everywhere I went it went with me."

Of course, the sirens were ever-present. The eerie wail of sirens is a constant reminder that there is war. I installed an app that alerted me if air-raid sirens were present in my region. The sirens would come on only when the russian air force was airborne in Belarus on "maneuvers". The warning would go off again when russian Migs were no longer airborne. On the second day in Ukraine, a massive salvo of drones, rockets, and missiles was launched toward various regions around the country. Fifty-five in all. Most were shot down by Ukraine's air defenses and only a few exploded. But even then, only a few of those actually hit targets. Most of those were south and east. In Kyiv, one man died due to falling debris. One hypersonic missile struck an apartment block in Dnipro burying many in the rubble of the collapse.

(January 14 missile attack on Dnipro-city apartment block - credit: AP NEWS)

However, I always felt the Lord's protection. I felt as though a hedge were around me and everywhere I went it went with me. Those who came into my immediate space were also protected. And when they left my presence a new hedge went with them. Miraculously, I never. felt in danger, even during an air-raid alert. I never saw any drones or rockets.

(With dear friends in Berdychiv)

ON TO BERDYCHIV

I left Lviv Tuesday evening and arrived by train in Berdychiv at midnight. I shared a compartment with 2 young ladies, Svita and Olena. Olena's husband serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is currently on the front lines near Bakhmut. They were married in June. I was able to share a bit about our ministry.

(Dear friends in Berdychiv came to see me off to Kyiv)

My good friend and brother Vadim (Vadik) Parasyuk met me at the station on Berdychiv at midnight and we drove to his apartment. The next few days were spent visiting dear friends, brothers, and sisters, having coffee, sharing meals, and encouraging them. On Saturday, I attended Shabbat worship services with the local congregation and then joined in a prayer for Israel and the conversion of Jews. On Sunday I attended the wedding of my language teacher and dear friend Zina Gavrilyuk to Vlad Zulinskiy, another friend and brother in Christ.

IN KYIV

Monday a.am I traveled early to Kyiv via van and was met by our longtime dear friend Aleksandra Dolmatova. Her husband Ilia serves in Special Forces or Ukraine’s Armed Forces. I stayed a few days there in a rental apartment. On Monday afternoon I went to the offices of the Kyiv Jewish Messianic Congregation to celebrate the birthdays of my very special friends, Inna Pletentska and Anastasia Ivanchuk.

(Birthday girls in Kyiv - Inna and Anastasia)

On Tuesday I went to visit Anya Manculiak and her husband Oleg. Anya’s entire family leads worship and serves the community around them at the Tabernacle of the Living God. Anya leads the humanitarian effort to stockpile water, fuel, food, medicine, and supplies in the event of a total blackout. I’ll be putting together a video soon that tells their story.

In the afternoon, I met my friend Kateryna in downtown Kyiv. We started at Golden Gate Park and walked to Podol, the old Jewish section of Kyiv. We had coffee along the way and talked about the spirit of fatherlessness in Ukraine. She shared some of her own experiences and before I realized it, I was ministering to her as well. Later we had lunch and all total spent about 4 hours walking and talking.

(Roaming Kyiv with Katya)

I spent all day Wednesday with my very special friend Inna. We had been invited to come for tea at the home of our friends Yuriy and Olena Bereza. If you have EVER been invited for tea in someone’s home in Ukraine then you know it’s not just tea and cookies. It’s HEAVY tea. Practically a meal or maybe it’s just continual eating. Yuriy and Olena serve in multiple roles in their congregation. We love this family and Inna deeply. We love their hearts for serving the Lord and the way they care for others.

(Aleksandra and I found our favorite place - Lviv'ska Chocolatiers)

I began the journey home by train with Aleksandra and Anastasia to Warsaw. Aleksandra decided to travel all the way to Warsaw overnight on the train just so we could spend some time together. That's how special these people - our friends are. Once in Warsaw, we enjoyed some time together in the old part of town near the King’s Castle.

(With Nastya and Timo Bender in Stuttgart)

ON TO STUTTGART AND HOME

The next day I continued to Stuttgart where I stayed in the home of Peter and Mimi Bender. They are the in-laws of our long-time friend Anastasia (Nastya) Bender. Nastya also served on our Youthreach International teams in Simferopol. I thoroughly enjoyed a few restful days in their delightful home before coming home.

MINISTERING TO OTHERS

Along the way, there were several spontaneous conversations with brothers and sisters about the spirit of fatherlessness in their own life. During Shabbat in Warsaw, I was called forward by Rick Carelli who began praying over my journey. He also prayed over our ability to minister to people along the way and that I would be empowered to minister to others.

After the service, I met a young man Vadim. In our conversation I felt compelled to, with his forgiveness, ask about his relationship with his father. He shared his story and I felt that even though he seemed reconciled with his father that he had never forgiven himself and that he felt that the Lord had not forgiven him, that he felt he was a bad person with a bad heart.

As I began to minister to him I could sense the knot in his throat and see tears welling up in his eyes. I reminded him that his heart is good and that the Lord wants all of his heart. Even the remaining tiny broken pieces of it. At different times some sisters began to spontaneously share the stories of their fatherlessness.

I won’t go into detail but just know that the Lord is moving in the hearts and minds of His children in Ukraine - healing them one heart at a time through our ministry. I’ll also be sharing the opportunities that the Lord brought before us and ways we can serve hurting people in Ukraine.

The Holy Spirit is working in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. We're humbled that the Lord has allowed us and chosen us to fulfill this work. Thank you all for your ongoing and continual support.

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