Ukraine has been making the headlines for many months now as the rising tensions and escalating violence demonstrated a populace driven to Revolution in the push to achieve some true democracy. Now, with Russia having invaded Crimea and Russian troops massing on the borders of mainland Ukraine, tensions have never been higher. Thousands of Ukrainians are enlisting in the military, with thousands more being called up from reserves. War seems to be on everyone’s lips. However, some students are feeling God’s call into His full-time service, ready to make a difference.
Ukrainian mission workers are highly respected for their strong work ethic and their willingness to live and work with money less than a quarter of their western counterparts. Over half the pastors in Russia are Ukrainians, and Ukrainians drive much of the evangelism in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Additionally, Ukrainians have the ability to move freely throughout most of the former Soviet Union, and can bring the gospel to many areas completely closed to anyone from the west.
While the school is not large, accepting 18 students this year, it was one of the first mission workers training schools in Ukraine, and still remains the only one to regularly accept students from multiple denominations. The students are required to pay a fee toward housing for the time they spend at the school, but this fee is kept low to prevent money from being a barrier to poorer students. Some students from closed countries are even allowed to study at no cost, if they can afford the travel to come.
Pray with us
Please pray for the school in several ways:
- Pray the Lord would provide increased funding for the school in order to increase the number of students it can accept and provide adequately for them.
- Pray the students would continue to grow spiritually into men and women capable of serving well in their chosen fields, and effective ministry and touched lives.
- Pray the school staff will experience spiritual protection and blessing as they minister together to the students.
- Pray for peace in Ukraine so that this and other Christian ministries can continue unhindered.
Would you like to give to support the leadership training, community outreach, mission worker training, and other projects in the Ukraine and beyond?