MEET THE TEAM!

I began living my life in sin and eventually I was carried deeper and deeper into it. The sad thing is that I grab everyone I could and took them along. I lived my life for myself because I thought that is how I will be happy. It wasn’t and isn’t true. Every time I went out to drink my conscience would convict me. This happened every time I sinned; stealing, smashing windows, running from the police, digging into drugs, it all gave me restless nights. My God was gracious to me. He didn’t let me run myself to the pits of HELL. I began attending a bible studies group at house of the Gospel Slavic Baptist church and this servant Michael Tsvirinko, whom eventually became my mentor, was teaching strict scripture, nothing else; no other topping just the pure word. I didn’t realize Gods work in my life but God continued to bring me back to that bible study group. Eventually God plowed my heart, softened the soil, and one day when I was home, all alone, I fell to the ground and began to weep. I was so weary and heavy laden, "I can’t be perfect" I thought to myself. I loved sin, but then God showed me how dark it really is. I believed on the promised lamb; the deliverer that was promised to Adam and Eve, Jesus Christ. I believed that HE was the one that took my blame, punishment, sin, and the holy righteous wrath of GOD. I took his cup of eternal life. Ever since that day I began growing with this love to find my potential brothers and sisters who don’t know DAD (GOD) yet. The ones, who are found in the situation I was once in, lost in the darkest parts of a life heading towards hell. It’s like God gave me the cure for cancer and every disease that is imaginable. I have the cure. I have the cure to sin. I know how to fix it. The cure is the Gospel; man is a sinner, GOD is holy, and there is nothing a man can do to fix his relationship between him and GOD. But God, through HIS SON reconciles sinners, such as me, to himself. What a cure! Since this day I received a new relationship with my Father and a new relationship with sin. I began to hate it. Mathew 5:3-16 exemplifies a few things that God has done in my heart! Especially the beatitudes! Over a few years God sent missionaries to me presenting how they serve and proclaim the gospel to the outermost parts of this world. When Hearing their words there were times my heart would pound as if I was about to go on a roller coaster. I noticed It had a lot of emotion so I dug into the word and decided I would stay here in Fresno, and serve here, prepare and learn so that one day, when it is time I could go and be a missionary in a place other than America.

VITALY KOVALINSKY

My name is Nina Stankevich, born in a little town in the Zaparozhskoye oblaste. I have been living in United States since I was about 2. From the day my little lungs breathed in their first breath I was dead in my sins, and I loved it. My life consisted of living for myself and only myself, nothing else mattered to me. I even admitting that I loved my life more than I loved God, and sadly to say it now but it was not terrifying to me! By Gods amazing grace, and only by His grace He saved me! HE SAVED ME! April 12th 2008 I became a child of God and I didn't want anything but to be Gods child! The things that meant nothing to me I now long to have, I want to be in the presence of God day in and day out. I long to tell others about what God has done in my life, the complete turn around He has made. Took our the heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. To think that my sin..all my sin laid upon my own Savior who bled and died on a cross so I would be forgiven and not have to suffer the punishment of Gods own wrath knocks me to my knees in worship to the only one deserving of all worship, praise, honor and glory, our God. This is what I want others to see, others to know, others to have! For them to know of the greatness we have in Christ, that this world is just merely vapor, here one day gone the next...this darkened world needs the Cross, and I pray God uses me in any way to spread that to others here in the states or out in Ukraine. Wherever He leads I will follow. This trip to the orphanages to Ukraine has been an answered prayer. I have been praying for God to use me in any way that I can bring Him glory, and once Vitaliy told me about Ukraine right then and there I knew I was called to go. Though it will be a struggle since this is my first year going on a missions trip, it will be a blessed one for this is Gods will. He is our provider, our help in need, He is God. My God. My Father. May His name be Glorified!

NINA STANKEVICH

My name is Tamila Morgun. I am a sinner, I once was dead but now I live. My life once revolved around me...what I wanted, what I thought, and it was all about me. I loved it and it was all normal to me, but Christ saved me. Praise God for his mercy He bestowed upon me, and his grace grows more deeper each moment. His love is so amazing and to think Christ would choose me to be his child, all I can do is surrender my life to Him. Christ took my dirty sin with the piercing of his hands, with His blood that fell to the ground, with His Holy, precious life, Jesus Christ saved me. "We have only heard the faintest whispers of how great You are...What a Wonderful Maker, what a Wonderful Savior!" Christ is amazing and we can't even understand how much. The gospel, Jesus, is to be preached over all the earth, no matter where we start, it is our life to share of what the Lord did for us. God put the desire in me to go to Ukraine, to show His love, to be an example and not so that they might remember me but Christ who is in us all!

TAMILA MORGUN

My name is Lana Khala and i will be 18 this July! I was born in Kiev, Ukraine. I've been living in Fresno/Clovis for almost 12 years. I am so thankful for God's grace, mercy and love. God pours His grace, mercy, and love on me every single day even though i do not deserve it because all i am is a sinner. But glory to God for the Cross where we have forgiveness. I love to fellowship amongst believers. It's so amazing and a blessing! I also love to spend time in God's word, even though many times i fall short of doing so. And ever since my cousins Masha and Lily went to Ukraine, I've always had this desire to go and share God's love to those children! I love children and it breaks my heart to just hear many stories of how or why they are in those orphanages. This year I wasn't planning to go until Ben asked me why I'm not thinking of going. And I really didn't know why. But at that moment God gave me the desire to go. So this summer I want God to use me in any way possible! Either it be spending time with the kids, serving the team/kids, or even just giving someone a massage. Even though I've heard stories, I'm not sure what to expect. But my desire is to be used by God this summer! And this verse always sticks out to me "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" -James 1:27. Just as God commands us to visit orphans and widows, that is why I want to go! Even though its not always gonna be easy I know that God is the One who will strengthen us and through Him all things are possible! So keep our team in your prayers. That we will unite and serve each other, and glorify Christ in all we do whether we are in America or Ukraine! God bless you!

LANA KHALA

Hi there. My name is Anna Tyshchenko. I was born and raised in my beautiful hometown Kiev, Ukraine, and later my family and I were given the opportunity to come and live in the States about five years ago. The Lord my God has blessed me with amazing 16 years of life on Earth and I will never have the words to thank Him enough for the amazing things He has done for me. He gave me an AMAZING family of two loving parents, four younger beautiful sisters, and about 33 phenomenal cousins. The Lord has also blessed me with many friends, who are always there for me no matter what. Yet, the most important blessing of them all is my salvation. I was born a sinner, grew up as a sinner, and after accepting Christ, with the help of my loving Heavenly Father, I try my very best “to go and sin no more”. Yes, I was raised in a Christian family, pretty much never missed a Sunday serves in my life yet my teenage years I tried living a life without Christ, and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I thought I was so smart, so beautiful, so cool, that it was all about me, I started hanging out with a bad crowd, I started disobeying my parents, got into some REALLY bad habits, and the list just goes on and on. When it hit me that I am absolutely NOTHING without Christ, that if it wasn’t for God’s mercy I wouldn’t even be here, and that all I need is Christ, I truly realized what a dirty rotten sinner I was. When Jesus knocked into my heart, I finally let Him in. I got on my knees and started praying for forgiveness. I am not ashamed to say that I was crying like a little girl. =) I gave myself to Christ and made a commitment to Him that I will be His follower no matter what and that I will serve Him till the day I die. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21. I got baptized June 28, 2008 and that day was truly a blessing. My desire is to be used by Christ in any way that will praise Him and give glory to Him, and Him only. I am very humbled by the opportunity God gave me to go and serve Him in Ukraine. This will be my first missionary trip across the seas and I am looking forward to it. The reason why I chose to go serve God by working with orphans is because I was just like them before I became a Christian, lonely, cold, and without any hope, until God adopted me and gave me a home in heaven. At this time, I would like to ask you to please support me and the team in your prayers and the hope that the orphans would see Jesus Christ and His amazing love through us. Thank you very much! God bless.

ANNA TYSHCHENKO

Hey everyone my name is Dana and I’m 18 years old. Although I grew up in a Christ-centered home, I became a child of God about 2 years ago. Before that, my life revolved around me and I thought it was ok, but when I was about 16 years old, God revealed to me that I am worthless and I am nothing without Him. I realized that there is nothing I can do to save myself, but only through the blood of Jesus Christ I can receive salvation. I repented and promised to turn my life around so that I can live for God, and not for myself. I got baptized in 2008, and that was the happiest day of my life because I made a promise to serve God until I die. The love of God grows deeper and deeper in me each day, and I want to share it with others who do not know God yet. I have the desire to go to Ukraine because I love spending time with kids and it’s also the country where I grew up. So this year God gave me the opportunity to go work with orphans and I am grateful for that. Please keep this team in your prayers so that through us, God will be revealed to everyone who comes our way!

DANA DUBINKSKY

MORE UPDATES TO COME!!