The Story
| “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”- 2 Corinthians 5:7 |
The story of choosing Ukraine is one that has God moments throughout. Growing up in Winnipeg I grew to love the world around me but there was a sense that something more was out there. Something that I was being called to beyond my city of Winnipeg. Through university I began to prepare taking a degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies thinking I would go work for an organization over seas and work to make the world a better place and teach the world about peace. However, God had other plans that were much better. While it would be impossible to record all the small moments that led to this move into missions. Here is the short version of what led to Ukraine and why I am now serving here. | |
| The story could probably start sooner, but its best to begin in 2023 where at the suggestion of a friend, I went to Romania to visit a missionary from our church. It was this small week visit that made me come back to volunteer the following summer and grow deeper in this community. At the same time, this time volunteering also made wonder, "How can i volunteer and help people in someplace like Ukraine?" Our missionary knew people volunteering in Kyiv and offered to connect me with them and thus began a three week trip that which would forever change my life. |
What happened was the first God moment where my contact in Ukraine redirected me to volunteer with another organization because the original group was addressing an emergency elsewhere. This led me to a small church south of Kyiv where the school I would eventually work for, had their own retreat. One chance encounter and a postcard later, the seed had been planted for where I would eventually work. It was during these few weeks where I also began to realize how resilient and faithful these people were and at the same time how big a blessing it was for them to see people coming to help. | |
| The second round of God moments would come in the winter of 2024 where I would meet a new Ukrainian friend who would further inspire me to serve, while also having another opportunity to volunteer in Ukraine and visit Romania. It was during this time where I further fell in love with Ukraine and further understood the resilience of the people. Whats more is that I heard a sermon from one pastor in Romania on the way back home where the message was simply, "God's waiting for you to get on board with His plans." Needless to say, this was the realization moment that perhaps God was calling me back to Ukraine to do something? |
The third round of God moments came in the spring when I was in the process of finishing the official schooling portion of my second degree. This meant doing the final residency in Bethlehem where by day we learned and studied, and by night applied for different jobs. There was a nudge to apply for that school I met the previous summer and I pulled out the postcard given to me a year ago and set about applying. One morning after a short prayer, and asking God for an answer, I received an email from the school and thus began the process of finally moving to Kyiv. | Column two |
Column one | And after a couple months of preparation, and a reminder from a good friend that faith begins where our logic starts to falter, I was on my way back to Ukraine, back to the church where it all began. What followed was an unforgettable year where I watched students grow in their faith, learn to become leaders in their school and their community, and watched how a school could become a family where everyone cares and supports one another. |
Above all, the best part of serving in Ukraine is watching our students and the other youth having a chance to be kids. They have a chance to learn and go to school despite the war going on around them. Their are opportunities for them to be with friends and have fun running, playing, laughing, and singing together. It is these moments that keep not just myself, but all of us going. To see the joy of children is priceless. |