Home from Ukraine

We are home from Ukraine!  So much happened in the two weeks we were there.  We had a time of connecting with old friends and hearing about their ministries, meeting new leaders and learning about their work and time spent investing in pastors and leaders in the church.  When I think about this trip, there are three words that capture best what this trip was all about.  Those words are trauma, encouragement, and impact.

TRAUMA

Visting Ukraine, you see the impact of 10+ years of war and the escalation that has happened in the last two years.  You experience the air raids, and you get a taste of what the people have to live with every day.  You drive through the villages and cities, and you see the cemeteries filled with Ukrainian flags honoring the graves of fallen heroes.  The people are tired of war and the impact on their lives.  They have lost so many family members and friends, and they don’t know when the hostilities will end.

We had the privilege on this trip to learn more about the Chaplin ministries of the Baptist Union.  We learned about the work being done to support the soldiers and their families and the ministry work of caring for the families of the fallen heroes.  We attended a church service where there were 100 women who had lost a husband, father, or son. 

The church provides a place where these families can come together, grieve, and process the impacts on their lives.  They provide needed assistance and help in dealing with the trauma that has impacted their lives.  They share their stories together and help each other keep the memories of their heroes alive.

We heard about the trips to the frontlines to provide food, care, and encouragement to the troops as well as the work in visiting hospitals to provide aid and care to the soldiers recovering from wounds caused by the war. 

This picture is a craft completed by a wounded soldier to provide activities to help them as they recover and adjust to their new reality.

We learned about groups that are providing trauma care training to leaders and families impacted by this war.  The need for this training and assistance is great now and will only grow as the war continues and as people work to try and rebuild their lives when the war is over.

ENCOURAGEMENT

One of the biggest impacts we make with our visits is to be an encouragement to those we interact with.  Ukrainians are so thankful for all the help and support that have been given to them and they are so encouraged when we come and visit with a war going on.  Our visits let them know that they are not forgotten and that they are important to us.  Much of our time is spent listening to their stories and hearing how the war has impacted them.   We listen to their needs and challenges and try to find words to comfort, support and encourage them to stay strong in the face of all the challenges they are going through.  But in spite of the difficulties and how tired they are, they have a burning desire to see their country be victorious and to fight for the freedoms and opportunities that have. 

At one of our lunches, we heard the story of one of the pastors who had lived in Bakhmut before the war and had to leave as the Russians attacked the city. 

They showed us pictures of their newly constructed home that had been destroyed by a tank and they lost everything they owned.  They shared how as a displaced person they struggled to find a place to fit in and that now they are starting a church that is reaching young adults who want to learn English and technical skills.  While loving this ministry, their heart still beats to one day return to their hometown and help rebuild their city and home and create a church to help their fellow displaced people re-establish their lives.

IMPACT

When we started our ministry seven years ago, we had a mission to help pastors and churches develop their potential and to help them reach their communities for Jesus.  Over the years we have worked with many pastors and churches, and we have had the privilege of going back year after year and seeing the impact these pastors are making in their communities.  While who we work with has changed over the years, our focus has not changed.  We continue to teach three basic concepts: 

• To dream God-sized dreams
• To develop teams to help in their ministry
• To create churches that are “Come and See” places where people and see Jesus and learn what it means to have a relationship with him. 

On this trip we were able to continue the training that we are doing with church planters, and we were able to hear some of the stories of how our training has made an impact.  Here are some of the stories we heard:

• Over the last seven years, one church has had three meeting places.  They keep growing and need more space to welcome all those that want to attend. Thanks to gifts from our partners, they were able to finish their newest meeting space just before Easter and it was full their first Sunday.  Now they are talking about what they are going to do to make more room.

• Last October, we met with a church and spent two days working with them on how to help them reach more people for Jesus.  After our visit they worked on making changes.  We met with them on this trip, and they shared all the things they have done and that since making changes, which included counting attendance at every gathering, they have seen a 33% growth in attenders over the last six months.

• In our church planter training, each pastor shared what has been happening at their churches since our last meeting.  We heard stories of baptisms, new believers and new attenders.  There are still many challenges, but they are seeing some impact.  We heard one story about a Muslim student who started visited their church.  He had lots of questions and they tried to answer his questions and make him feel welcome.  After a few months, he started a relationship with Jesus and was baptized.  Now he is bringing his Muslim friends to the church.

These are just a few of the stories we heard.  I could fill up more pages, but this gives you a feel for what we experienced.  We are thankful for the prayers and support of so many as we traveled and worked in Ukraine.  If you have questions about our trip or our ministry, we would be happy to set up a time to talk or meet.  We are blessed to be able to travel and do ministry in Ukraine, but we could not do it without our partners.

If you would like to learn more about how you could be one of our partners and help pastors in Ukraine as they plant new churches and reach their communities for Jesus, we would love to talk with you.  You can connect with me at rick.post@potentialendeavors.com .

If you would like to donate, you can make a donation by clicking this link https://potentialendeavors.com/donate which will take you to our website or you can give through Venmo. Our Venmo ID is @PotentialEndeavors.

You can also send checks to:

Potential Endeavors

840 Aspen Circle

Little Canada, MN 55109