Another year has passed. Well, it flew by. Rich (saturated). Abundant. Filled.
Usually, just before New Year holidays, the employees of enterprises, factories, organizations, firms make a corporate meetings, to celebrate something, somehow to rest and meet the coming year with a solemn confidence. We also do such a thing, but for sure, unlike many secular organizations, rejoice (enjoy) “wrong things”, grateful for “wrong things”, gain confidence from the “wrong things.”
We wouldn’t like to emphasize dramatic difference now, but on this background to point to the One, Who really deserves happiness, gratitude and worthy to be our confidence. Christians also make mistakes and sometimes big ones, which makes us to be ashamed. Christians also cry probably even much more that people of the world. However, our hope and expectation of eternal glory are incomparable with the glory and goods, which people use on the earth, or the suffering that we have to stand here (are they, in our opinion, deserved or not). Therefore, sometimes even the smallest God’s blessings in our eyes are much bigger than even the most difficult test.
In such a way the last ones become secondary and the most important are thanks to God for the year we have lived. And it is unlikely to be called hypocrisy. This is a “believer’s gratitude”, trained by the obedience to the Truth of God’s Word. Gratitude that doesn’t try to “buy” anything. Gratitude that admit God’s kindness and confidently looks to the future where God of grace will again send everything you need, flavored with “sugar” or “hot pepper.”
LEADERS
Denysiuk Jaroslav,
Director of the mission.
“I work recently and learn to live in a group (team). Thank God that he made me a part of this group (team). Now I even more understand how it is important to be in the center of God’s will. It is important to understand that God wants us to do and do it.”
Ukainec Andriy,
Assistant Director
(in the IPO “Hope to people” since the end of 2009).
“I am grateful to God. We would not have appreciated the best moments, if there were not any complicated contrasting ones. I will highlight three things that I like: our ecclesiastical or relationships; ministry, useful and necessary activity for God; God’s work, being in it is a great honor. If we saw this before Whom we walk, then, probably, would not be able to raise a head so high.”
PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT
Semeniuk Yulia,
accountant (three years in the IPO “Hope to people”).
“There was a time when every week I thank God for the job. The fact that there are relationships, I really like. My mother doesn’t even ask now how long I’ll be working here when she sees my emotions, my joy, and my pleasure I derive from work. When I was at the conference “Restarting the Heart” in Zalesie and sounded a call to ministry, I wept and prayed that God would continue to lead me. And now I’m studying in “Coram Deo” School of Counseling and I feel like home, learning deep things of God.”
Polonska Iryna,
personnel officer of the IPO “Hope to people.”
“Thanks to God for the fact that during this year He was exposing my sinful nature and He also extended His greatness and goodness to me in many things, thanks for diseases, in which He was close and intimate; thanks for a close relationship with my sister and relatives; thanks for summer camps; thank God that He brings non-believers to our mission (through the ministry for migrants and various requests of mercy) and gives an opportunity to tell them the Gospel.”
MAGAZINE “WORD TO TEACHER”
Dolya Nadiya,
magazine “Word to teacher” (in the IPO “Hope to people” since the beginning of 1994).
“I can thank God for this year, because in this year my ministry at the mission wasn’t supposed to happen. However, God has thought otherwise and left the door open for the magazine. There is even some development.”
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Arterchuk Vyacheslav,
Rector of the Bible School of Preaching.
“This year was one of the best and the happiest in my life. My oldest son has accepted Christ. The first one among family! I can see the parable of the prodigal son in a very different way now. I am very grateful to God that I can have this joy and feel myself a father, whose son has returned. I cannot imagine my life without a mission. It’s part of my life. ‘Ukrainian slides’ that’s where God rode us – all this goes through the heart and leaves certain trails. It makes us look differently at those who are near. “The organization – is people. God grinds us together.”
Mykola Nikitin,
Dean ShBP and RBC (in IPO “Hope to people” since 1999).
“God has also blessed studying processes this year. However, the new thing is that I do more missionary work. Global shocks open new opportunities for service. We hope God won’t let us miss them. The last thing is that Arthur conveyed greetings from Armenia. The church began to grow. People go. From Yuriy M. we have heard about Udege people. India, closed countries, Poland, Crimea. We hope God won’t let us lose the wave.”
KITCHEN WORKERS
Palchevskyi Yevgeniy,
cook.
“God loves me. Before coming here, I got a call in the evening and got the high-salary job offer, but it was not the fair one. $150 per week. I didn’t take me to think long. God blessed me to work with believers here. God trains my character amidst of three sisters who are older than me”
Bunyak Nadiya,
cook.
“I’m not an expert, just learning. Every time when I work I worry. Every day it intensifies. The more I work – the more fear I get. When it appears again I put my hope on God more. I improvise often. Sometimes my feelings disappear. I ask for help, others to try. Sometimes I take on too much. Please pray to God for me to teach me to work in a team and be able to take responsibility together with everyone.”
Shumelchuk Kateryna,
cook.
“I am also grateful to work among believers. When you work with non-Christians you can feel pressure from others. This year I was learning to cook and God helped to use my skills. Through Yevgeniy God teaches me to obey the one who is as twice younger than me. We are also ‘being grinded’ with Olga. Nadia – is new one in the team. We hope we will have a good team.”
Bezkorovaina Olga,
cook.
“We have different tastes with Katya. But, in general everything is O.K., perfect. God humbles me. Thank God for understanding. Thank for Yevgeniy who is shopping from early morning till the afternoon. When we forget something Yevgeniy goes and buys it.”
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
Kazmiruk Andriy,
driver (almost a year in the service of the IPO “Hope to people”).
“I had a dream – to work in the church, to serve and to work for church, to be with the church. This dream came true. How? When holidays come, I usually search for some extra job. Last year I had three months of my winter vacation. Brothers have helped to find a job – to be the driver of our director. On the third day of my work I smashed the headlight. I got my 2 working days’ salary and left. The next day I got a call from Yaroslav Romanovych who offered me a job. Soon it will be the year. My job is not just driving, but also fellowship, coffee time, guidance in a simple atmosphere.”
Shpak Maxym,
driver (about 8 years in the service of the IPO “Hope to people”).
“I am very pleased to be in the team. When I was a child, I had a dream – to drive a car. I was driving a lot besides of my job at the mission. However, when you drive for God, it brings a lot more sense. I appreciate this and I’m glad that I can be useful to after the cars so that each ministry could use them. If at the time of the Middle Ages there was our mission, I think I would look after the horses and carts.”
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Bondarchuk Olexander,
ministry to orphanages graduates, children who are now in orphanages and teachers.
“I work at the mission for 16 years and 25 years in the education system. I can compare how it is to work in the world and how it is to work here. God changes and fixes me as well as everyone in here. So, my vector had been changed to serve the people, not just to teach others, how it is usually being done in the world. I understood for myself how important this is, to serve others with the knowledge that God granted to us. It is very important to serve others. Also, the children teach me a lot too. I thank God for the team that you didn’t give me a chance to lose heart and supported me when it was hard. I wish to everyone more Grace and to get focused on Christ. Let’s be faithful to Him!”
Bondarchuk Valentyna,
ministry to graduates of the boarding schools, children in orphanages and teachers. (at IPO “Hope to people” since 1999).
“God takes me and Sasha through the crucible and gives such a difficulties which it seems impossible to solve. However, this year, the Lord humbled my heart and gave a fresh look on the prayer, on the relations with people and on how I treat children. All these were made through the eye disease that I had. I was sure that there are medicines, doctors, and I have the power to do everything. And here it is I can’t do anything. I even pray not the way I want it to. Thanks to God, who again raised me up physically and spiritually to serve for my husband and children. When I asked God if He wants me to do something different, right away some needs came up that I had to go to orphanage to children. Plus 4 extra children have to live in our house for a month, because of holidays. That’s the answer. There were days when it was really hard to get up. Sasha was getting up and doing things we have to do. And children have seen that we aren’t made of steel, we are mere human and need help.”
Kovalchuk Ruslana,
ministry in orphanages and schools.
“As Angela Chudovets said: “Spring started to flow.” We can make performances not only in orphanages, but also in Klevan (district center). In January we will have a staging there. This year I became a grandmother. This is good news and the status. Thank God for Tatyana Andriivna. She constantly encourages me not to leave the lessons of Christian ethics. Grateful to God for the group, which we lead with Nadia on Mondays for 5 years together (12 years in total).”
Prystupa Artem
responsible for the department (1,5 years at the information office,
5 years at the mission).
“My son Philip was born this year. I had a chance to visit a ‘closed countries’, Crimea and India. I am happy for the team I’m working with. We do a lot of work together. Victor Degtyarev does a big part of work. Olya Denisyuk writes prayer letters. Tanya Ukrainec edits almost all materials. Tolik translates and finds many of the necessary materials. God trains me with different responsibilities that I have to bear.”
Kitaykin Anatolii,
translator.
“I thank God that I can work with everyone here on a mission. I used to work on different jobs, and now I understand what a great blessing and joy to work with the people who are a family by faith. After all, we are all like one big family here. I would love to learn always see the main goal while working – doing that for the glory of God and the Gospel.”
Ukrainec Tetiana,
editor of materials (two years in the service at IPO “Hope to people”).
“Grateful to God for this year, for the opportunity to serve him, for the fact that the Lord teaches and works with my heart through different people and circumstances, for joyful and sad moments. A great blessing is to be a part of the team that works for one purpose – spreading the Gospel throughout the earth.”
Denysiuk Olga,
translator, author of materials (two years in the ministry in the IPO “Hope to people”).
“It’s great that we can worry about each other in the team. Praying for each other every morning supports really much. These relationships are more like family. The family is always together. I started to work as a translator, and now do all possible work with everybody.”
SPORTS MINISTRY
Gonchar Olexander,
coach CFC “Hope” since 2004 (at the IPO “Hope to people” since 2002).
“The year was very good. There were different seasons. This year was good. And I ended up in Turkey, in Antalya at the conference. Very clearly had sounded the question of discipleship. Discipleship – is a multiplication, not adding. I have a vision that we have to work hard in this area. I am glad that several guys want to dedicate their lives to the sports ministry. Dima Solonko, Yevgenii Zhovklyi have repented this year. A wishing for the next year: when you are called, don’t procrastinate, just go. There are two other categories of people we would like to work with: coaches and parents. Coach during his life, sometimes, can influence more people than an average pastor does.”
TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
Rogozin Oleg,
technical administrator (seven months in the service at the IPO “Hope to people”).
“I’m not very talkative. Therefore I work with hardware most of the time. At this year the whole life has changed (moving from Mariupol), the new location, the new church, the new job, salary… for 10 years prior to that, I was working on a chemical plant, I got used to everything there. Now, everything is different. Hardware has always been my hobby. Formerly, my whole house was overwhelmed with tech, all kinds of devices, actually right now my whole office is piled up with it.”
Polupanova Maria,
technician (seven months at the IPO “Hope to people”).
“Before I have met people with you, I never had any contact with believers. Never in my life. Thanks God for what He gave me. One day I was switching the channels on my TV, and just noticed some American dressed in a flashy suit. That is why when I saw Taras Mykolayovych for the first time, I wondered where is your shiny jacket. I became calmer. Before I go to bed, for some reason, I started thanking God for everything.”
Sahaichuk Nelia,
technical worker (a month at IPO “Hope to people”).
“I like the team, the atmosphere, the reading of the Word, lunch and I can be myself here. There are very good sisters in the church, sincere, friendly. God teaches to be punctual. Big family”
Beskorovainyi Oleksiy,
technical worker (about a year in the service at the IPO “Hope to people”).
“I’m here for almost 9 years. I am a member of the church here. God placed me here and teaches me both spiritually and physically. I can be as a metalworker and an electronic. I never knew how to do it. Thank Yaroslav Romanovych that he inspires me to learn. I want to thank you that you accepted us in the difficult moment, gave us a place to live, job, we are staying under shroud of the Almighty. We are not hungry, not cold, but we live in clean and beautiful place. It’s a privilege. David says that he is glad to be at the threshold of the house of God, but I do live in the house of God. For this I praise the Him.”
Rudyk Andriy,
builder (three years at the IPO “Hope to people”).
“I want to thank for the team, where I am settled in. I felt myself like a stranger before. However, now I feel the warmth and love from everyone. Sometimes, when you not in the mood, but once you come into the accounting department and everything changes right away. You can see love. I also want to repent now. When I first came here, I looked at everything in a haughty manner. However, a lot of things have changed. Our God is the God of relationship and you need to remember that… Thank you for your confidence.”
