Report #8 | 2024 Spring Trip – Ukraine Missions

Featured Photo: The Church of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine April 14, 2024.

Jared & Whitney Kelly and Avery Hackney arrived in Ivano-Frankivsk after a long travel. They are enjoying jet lag and are eager to get busy! They did not have to wait long as their plates are full. It is great to see them and have their hands and energies adding to this trip!

The Lord’s Day was once again a day of wonderful joy as the congregation gathered together for the New Testament worship and fellowship. Our numbers were better than last week but the loving warmth and affectionate greetings remained the same. It was a beautiful sunny day. Outside Kolya and Tamara had weeded some of the beds and planted more Hibiscus along the perimeter of the parking lot. During the past week Ruslan had moved a lot of the humanitarian aid commodities and we are so thankful to Bogdana Krivogorsky and her incredible energy that helped move four pallets of food to Pustomyty, Ukraine where she is doing an incredible work with the hospital and a special needs children’s clinic! We will be shipping a few more pallets to her and that should clear out the auditorium and the tile will begin being laid.

In the worship assembly we were led in worship by various men and then Avery presented a good lesson on how Jesus is able to care for all, even when they are struggling with earthly trials. In the slideshow below you can see various members during the assembly.

Later in the day we met with Oleg who has arranged for Jared, Whitney and Avery to work in the schools during the day. The nighttime activities will occur in two locations: first, Avery is teaching 1 Corinthians at the Church building. The second location is at the school’s facilities and Jared will be teaching a class there. We are anticipating a good turnout that will increase each evening!

Monday, we anticipate the beginning of a busy and exiting week. We will have the evening classes at the Church building, the daily classes at the school, and the evening classes at the school. And Lubov has offered us the Ugorniky Administration Building if the school does not have room. During the day I will continue various tasks. I have several contacts regarding final occupancy, discuss the construction of the church building focusing on the auditorium, clean out storage facilities for the two containers that are to arrive soon, work on various documents that are a part of the transition, and a number of other tasks! So it will be a very busy week!

Jared’s thoughts for the day…

Today we got the privilege of worshipping with the saints in Ivano-Frankivsk. It was wonderful to see old and new faces at the Church. Worshipping in the new church building was a new experience and I am thankful for Pasha for all of the work he has done on the building. It was great to see the men step up and lead prayers, singing, and the Lord’s table. I made friends with a young Christian named Kasim today. Kasim is an 18-year-old Christian, and is definitely the most charismatic Ukrainian I’ve ever met. We were able to talk quite a bit and he asked me for a dollar since he had never owned any American money before! It was an easy decision paying $5 for a new friend! He gave me $5 Ukrainian dollars in exchange, I joked with him that it seemed like an even exchange! He was very grateful and told me in 5 years he will come visit us in Montgomery one day. It was great to meet a young man who made worship a priority when so many at his age do not. Tomorrow we are excited to return to the school once again, and we ask for your prayers as we continue to reach the young people here!

Avery’s thoughts for the day…

It always amazes me how you can travel around the world and when you find God’s people meeting together you will always feel like family. The brethren here in Ivano-Frankivsk are no exception to this “rule.” Today was our first Sunday worship here, yet I was greeted with hugs, smiles and laughs as if I have known these brethren my whole life. I was very impressed with the congregation’s desire for knowledge, having received many Biblical questions and conversations after I preached. I have even received several requests for “homework” in preparation for our weekly classes which start tomorrow evening. I am looking forward to the rest of the time we have here with these great brethren and I am also looking forward to seeing God work with this congregation through the years. The Word of the Lord is being established and spread in Ukraine. To God be the glory!

Photos from the Lord’s Day April 14, 2024