Denis K.
SGA-Supported Missionary Pastor in Ukraine

Greetings, brothers and sisters! I would like to briefly share some events that took place last Christmas. We were planning to organize a celebration for the children of our village. Organizing this event was a big challenge, as our church is small. I reached out to the youth of a larger church for help, and they agreed to assist us in preparing and conducting the event. We actively began preparations, advertising the outreach and sharing information on social media. But two days before the event, we received a call from that church informing us that due to illness among the youth, they would not be able to participate. So we had to organize and carry out everything on our own. When I told my 14-year-old son Daniel, about the situation, he said, “Dad, don’t worry, let me try to lead the event, I’ll try to plan and organize it.” We prayed together, and I decided to entrust him with this responsibility.

Those two days were very difficult for young Daniel. He wept, called me at work, worried. He said that things were not working out, and that he was afraid. Yet he carried on, showing remarkable determination and diligence. Then, one more stressful moment happened 10 minutes before the event started. There were only three children sitting in the hall — my own! I was shocked and thought everything had failed. Yet within just 10 minutes, the room filled up! In the end, 47 children attended the outreach, with 44 of them coming from non-believing families. There were also 30 adults. In total, more than 70 people participated. This brought us great joy and confirmed that all our effort—especially Daniel’s—our prayers, and preparation were not in vain! Daniel had prepared everything, and thanks to his efforts the celebration went wonderfully! It was incredibly moving to see how he dealt with the challenge and how joyful and fun the event was for the children.

After Daniel successfully led the Christmas event last year, he developed a strong desire to start a youth club in our church. We gathered together — Daniel, Dana, Alyona, and I — and began to pray for this ministry. After prayer and discussion, we started preparing, creating announcements and began spreading information among the teenagers. That is how the youth club in our church began. Now, every Monday evening, the teenagers gather together. During the meetings, they communicate, play games, rejoice, and spend time in a friendly atmosphere. At the end of each meeting, I share a short message — about 10 minutes — so that the teenagers can hear biblical teaching and reflect on spiritual matters.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for your generosity and support. I truly believe that through you, the Lord is showing His care and love. Your ministry and sacrifice are a powerful testimony of faith in action. May the Lord richly bless you, fill your lives with peace, joy, and spiritual fruit. Thank you for being instruments of God’s grace.