Meeting Ukrainian Missionaries

This month, our family was invited to travel with a Ukrainian family to the small village of Sheryovay for Calvin to preach. The village is located about 120 kilometers north of Odessa. There is a small Baptist church in the village of about 8,000. Once a month, Sasha, Tonya and their three girls travel north to encourage and come alongside two young men who are serving as missionaries to this small community. Andrei, the big guy, is a senior at Odessa Seminary. Both Andrei and Sasha are single young men who feel God has called them to invest themselves in the lives of the people of this forgotten village. They live in the most modest of conditions and yet give God the glory and thanks for all his provisions. Andrei and Sasha are from Central Baptist Church in Odessa. These young men do not have a sending agency but simply trust God to provide what they need for themselves and their ministry. Forever etched in our memory will be the contentment and joy of these young men as they have surrendered in obedience to serve God and the people of Sheryovay.